Anyone have or ever used to have an Erector set? (Games/toys)

I had an American Flyer train. I also built cranes with the Erector Set.

I had one of those as well, inherited it from father. Way more complex than friends lionels.

I had the compound engine, cattle station, passenger station switch track. It was incredible.
 
Lived with my widowed mother and grandparents in the fifties. When I was eight or nine I wanted an Erector Set for Christmas. My grandfather sent for one, opened it up,showed it to me, and sent it back. Because 'the depression was coming back'. Something like heard constantly as a kid and something which has tempered my life. I did get Tinker Toys that year, and a couple of years later a Marx electric train because Lionel or American Flyer would have been too high falutin'. Probably why I'm more than happy with my Soul in my mid seventies.
 
I had the erector crane one too as well as that electric set with the springy quick connectors. Always got learning type gifts as a child...appreciate that much more now than then:)

My favorite old toy was from a favorite Uncle (missed dearly), one that had a small plastic airplane that slid on a string from a post down towards a cardboard runway. The airplane was sprung up the inclined string from a launcher, it reached the stick, turned and slid down. The stick pivoted so you had to line it up to 'land'. Simple and I'm told I would use to for hours. The model was a Piper Cherokee....little did I know then.....
 
Anyone remember Capsela? Growing up i got a set and from then on every dollar I got went to buying more and more sets after that I started building model rockets, line control planes, R/C cars and planes. My dad even built a work space in the garage where we could build planes and stuff. Best time I spent with my dad and Im thankful he took the time to teach me how to build stuff. I saddens me that most parents today don't encourage their kids to build things like that.
 
Legos and loved Technica? Which had gears and ability to make mechanical items.

I did teach my 6 year old daughter to help me put together a a dolly (wheels) today. After 2nd wheel it clicked using box end wrench for her.

My 6 year old daughter enjoys a thing called snap circuits we build together.
 
I had Erector sets, Lincoln Logs, Legos, and Girder and Panel sets...all great fun. Didn't have a preference.

Edit: Also, Science Fair Electronics Kit, Star Wars, GI Joe, and other fun stuff.
 
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I forgot about the Girder and Panel,I had one of those too!! I loved it!!
Ditto, the Girder and Panel set was amazing. Great memory, thanks for mentioning it!

We've started the grandchildren on LEGO and Lincoln Logs, and, depending on their interests as they get older, will do Mechanno and build some simple circuits with a battery and electronic components. And of course I'm hoping they'll want to help me with car and bike maintenance and repairs.
 
Started with Lincoln logs, got legos, then the erector set with the motors and gearbox - totally cool except it was easy to cut yourself on certain pieces - all fun toys.

Then I got a similar thing that would "spin weld" plastic pieces together - pretty cool cant remember what it was called.
 
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Never had an Erector set, I may have had Lincoln Logs, but I was not interested in Lego - I had these instead:
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They looked more realistic and as you can see from the canister, windows, doors, all sorts of add-ons.

My other favorite toy was the Tyco HO Union Pacific train set. I still have it boxed up in the basement.
 
LOL we threw rocks at each other, shot bottle rockets at each other and had epic sling shot and BB gun wars. Its a wonder we really didn't "put an eye out" like Mom warned us so many times. LOL Dad always just brushed off Moms fretting, told her let the kids be kids. Now they can't even sit on a bicycle without an plastic helmet strapped on.
 
Did you build crude rockets fueled by home made gun powder? Just go into a drug store to buy sulfur, potassium nitrate and charcoal....We also made little rockets from metal lipcolor tubes stuffed with the heads of wooden matches.
 
match head bombs, "warhead" (m80) inside a model rocket, plinking w/ pellet guns in abandoned mills, my friends and I and i'm guessing many of you would be arrested and probably drugged today for the stupid fun we had as boys....good days though.

NOT political, just an observation!!
 
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