The History of the Erector Set

Erector sets were the hot toy of 1913, believe it or not. The little toy engineering set with the unfortunately punny name was a smash hit, scooped up by the millions for an entirely other generation of tweens-those living 'tween 1910 and 1920. The industrial revolution and good old-fashioned capitalism got together to create the beast with two backs once gain, ensuring an entire generation of engineers were ready to spew forth into the world to help build this nation's interstate infrastructure. Have you ever wondered just how many bridges, dams and viaducts you pass over were built by men who developed a passion for erection as little boys long before they developed their passionate erections for the women in silk stockings who passed by the building sites with a mixture of loathing and lust as the sounds of the wolf whistles of those men were carried away by the swirling winds?

It is entirely possible that the original Erector Set is the longest-lasting successful toy in American history. In addition to being a vital component in the construction of the psyche of certain American workers who forged this nation from an agricultural to an industrial power, the Erector Set also stands as the progenitor of an amazing assortment of similar toys from Lincoln Logs to Legos to Bionicles. Every child who fits a Spacely Sprocket into a Cogswell Cog (metaphorically speaking, of course) owes a debt of gratitude to the men who invented the Erector Set. One thing that hasn't changed all that much, unfortunately, is that the Erector Set of 1913 was targeted almost exclusively to girls. No, strike that. It was targeted exclusively to boys. The makers actually had a budget of $12,000 for advertising; a princely sum in those days and I wouldn't mind getting a job offer of that amount today, to be honest. Every single advertisement began with the same two words and it wasn't Erector Set. It was "Hello, Boys!" complete with exclamation point. Clearly, it would take a masculine mind to build America. That address became something of a catchphrase and the invitation "Hello, Boys!" could be heard all across the country.