Empty spools of thread were one of the inspirations for Tinkertoy
Construction toys allowing children to use their imaginations are plentiful, and many have been popular for generations. Tinkertoy, one of the most enduring of these toys, has a simple premise but can be surprisingly complex. Not just a child's toy, Tinkertoys have been used to create working computers, robots and Ferris Wheels.
History
Tinkertoys were invented in 1914 by stonemason Charles Pajeau of Evanston, Illinois. After an unsuccessful showing at the 1914 American Toy Fair, Pajeau hired people dressed as elves to play with the toys in the windows of Chicago department stores. The publicity stunt worked, and more than 1 million sets sold over the next year.
Insipration
Erector Sets had been introduced in 1912, and Pajeau was hoping to market a toy that similarly inspired children to use their imaginations. The design for Tinkertoys came from watching children play with pencils, sticks and empty spools of thread. What we now think of as "spatial intelligence" is a thought process in children highly encouraged by the use of products like Tinkertoys.
Incredible Creations
In the 1980's, a team of students from MIT created a working computer from Tinkertoys designed to play Tic-Tac-Toe. It is now on display at Boston's Museum of Science. In 1998, scientists at Cornell University used Tinkertoys to create walking robots to help model how humans balance on two legs. Tinkertoys are commonly used by students to build preliminary models for engineering and science projects due to their ease of use.
Over the Years
The first Tinkertoys were just uncolored wood. Red spools were added in 1932, red sticks in 1953, and green, blue and yellow sticks in 1955. A line of related Tinker toys were sold, including Tilly Tinker and Tip-Toe Tinker dolls, a Flying Tinker propeller toy and the Dachshund Tinker pull toy. In 1985, Playskool acquired the Tinkertoy license and a new line of colorful, plastic Tinkertoys were introduced in 1992. As of 2010, the classic wood Tinkertoys are still available.
Fun Fact
In 1919, Tinkertoys were released that included a motor. These motorized Tinkertoys included instructions for building tools such as printing presses, lathes and power saws. Prior to this, Tinkertoys were intended for a younger audience. The motor is no longer included in Tinkertoy sets, and vintage motors are highly sought after.
Identification
The basic building blocks of Tinkertoys are the round cylinders and sticks. The cylinders vary in size, but have holes in them, both through the center and along the edge. The sticks vary in length, but are thick enough to fit in the cylinder holes without sliding out. The sticks also have slits at each end so they can hold playing cards or pieces of paper. Other parts include robot faces, end caps, tubes, strings and other connectors.
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