With the demise of the A.C. Gilbert company, the Erector brand is now owned by their long-time British competitor, Meccano. It is still sold under the Erector name in the USA. Meccano actually introduced a similar construction set two years before A.C. Gilbert claims to have invented it in 1903. There are a handful of Erector Sets from the 1920s to the 1950s on display in the Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum.

This is Erector Set No. 10042 “Radar Scanner.” Purchased at an antique store in Wisconsin in the 1980s, this set has a funny inscription written in crayon on the inside. It reads, “This is Greg’s, and nobody can play with this set accept (sic) him.” Greg Briggs, the original owner, happened to visit the Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum in April 2016, and came across his old set on display. His mother had given it away when he moved out as a young man. The inscription was designed to keep his two older sisters from “messing with his stuff.” He was happy to see his old set displayed in a museum.

Exhibit added: October 21, 2014 - Last modified: May 5, 2023

Presented by The Joe Martin Foundation for Exceptional Craftsmanship