It would be a gross understatement to say that a lot of bad things have happened this year, to all of us as a nation, and as a culture. The two things which come to mind right away are the botched presidential election, (which almost lead us into a constitutional crisis), and the hideous, tragic terrorist attack on our nation, the shock waves and aftereffects from which, will be felt for years to come. But in this column entry, I would like to talk about some good news. It’s something I have recently learned, and it has given me some hope, that maybe, just maybe, we’ll be all right. And what is this great thing I have learned?
You can still buy Tinker Toys!
Yes indeed. Now I know that all of my fellow baby boomers remember these wonderful toys, consisting of wooden spools with numerous holes in them, and sticks of different colors, made to fit into the holes. I played with them as a kid, and so did everyone else. ( Oh, and mommies, the answer to your question is yes, they are “Gender Neutral”, at least to the best of my judgment. ) They are sold the way they always were, in canisters of various sizes and prices. The more you yak up at the register, the more of the cool little wooden wonders you get. Today, I marched right into a “Toys R US” toy store ( They don’t like grown men, without kids, in toy stores, but that’s just too damn bad. ) and bought myself a canister of the wooden wonders. The price was $29.99, for the Jumbo Builder Set, consisting of one hundred and two pieces. A fair chunk of cash, in these post-technology boom times, ( And it is over, so just get over it! )but I suppose there is that “inflation thing”. I got home, opened the canister, and there they were, the same as when I was about six or so. The only difference being that all the pieces are slightly larger, but only slightly. This is a design change for the better, as the wooden sticks are now more robust, and less likely to break. I send a virtual pat-on-the-back, to whoever made this decision.
I immediately went about doing what guys do: I picked out several fist full’s of the well-sanded wooden spools and sticks, and made a “thing”, sort of in the shape of a big cube. I had no plan, of intention to make anything definite. I just wanted to start sliding the wooden pieces together and see where I wound up. Dang, these things are fun! And then I realized something: Tinker Toys are among some of the best toys ever made, ever, for all ages.
I guess a little history is in order, so here goes: Tinker toys were invented by Charles H. Pajeau and Robert Pettit, about 1913, after Pajeau observed some youngsters playing with empty thread spools and sticks. This, according to the web site of Hasbro Toys, which presently owns Tinker Toys, and markets them through their division called “Oddz On”. There was apparently a period when Tinker Toys were owned by the Playskool division of Hasbro. During this time, from 1992 to 2000, they were made of plastic, and sold in blister packs. This was just wrong, and the product was almost dropped entirely, due to slow sales. But thankfully, the powers that be at Hasbro/Oddz On, saw the light, and in 2000, they were once again made of real wood, and sold in their unmistakable canisters. ( Sometimes, these guys in executive jobs really do the right thing after all! ) Hasbro does still produce a set made of plastic, with large soft pieces, so they are fine for the small hands of the very young, but the “real ones” are wood.
Tinker Toys have been around for a long time. And, if I am right, they will be around for a lot longer. They are truly wonderful. They last a long time, and they really stimulate the imagination, and mathematical ability of kids. ( But the kids don’t need to know this.) My specialty as a kid was making geometric shapes, as big as I possibly could. Different kids have different gifts for this sort of thing. Some kids can do some fast thinking, and quickly produce a house, or odd-looking boat with Tinker Toys. And, as I stated earlier, Tinker Toys totally cross gender lines. Girls love them as much as boys, and can easily produce some stuff which is equally cool. ( Are you listening, all you “new age” mommies? Yes, I thought you probably were.)
Give a kid a set of Tinker Toys, and some room to work, and check back in a few hours. They are that good. Oh yes, Tinker Toys do not require batteries, which almost seems like it should be against some obscure federal law today. ( And what is it with the number of devices which require an odd number of batteries, and the fact that batteries are only sold today in packages of even quantities? Is there some sort of “battery conspiracy” at work?)
I hope they sell a lot of sets of Tinker Toys this holiday season. It is so refreshing to see toys that are not tied in to a TV show, movie, or lame cartoon. And how much of that garbage will still be produced a hundred years from now? Oh yes, here is something to make American parents very happy: You won’t have to go to a mall at 3 AM, to stand in line, because you heard that a shipment of Tinker Toys is due to arrive, and that they will be sold on a “first come, first served basis.” You had to do that, didn’t you, with “Tickle me Elmo”, and those “Power Ranger” things. And you did it again, last year, when that Sega game system came on the Market. ( Or was it Nintendo? I’m not up on this stuff at all. )
Tinker Toys, Lincoln Logs, (another great classic, but now made from plastic, and never as much fun as Tinker Toys) Lego’s, and the long gone “Erector Set” all have something that the toys of our modern times don’t have. They are fun, and they stimulate the imagination. ( I think “Erector Set” is history, but I have no information on it’s fate. If anyone does, would you e-mail me? Thanks. ) They are inexpensive, when you factor in the facts that they last a long time, and require no batteries. All those plastic junk toys, which all seem to be tied in to a tv show or movie, offer none of these qualities, and they seem awfully expensive. Tinker Toys seem downright cheap by comparison. Here is a question: How much of the “Jurassic Park” junk is now gracing a dark corner of the closet, or damp corner of the basement? Uh-huh.
Oh yeah, “there’s one more thing”: ( I love quoting Steve on that! )
You can still play with them, as an adult!
And if someone, a coworker perhaps, spots you playing with Tinker Toys, don’t be surprised if they want to play with them too. This especially applies if you work in an engineering environment, as I do And if your kids spot you playing with their Tinker Toys, I would suggest you buy a set for yourself. Go ahead, you won’t regret it. And since this is the new century, There is indeed a website for Tinker toys.
Time to Play.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.