AC GILBERT ERECTOR SETS 1960 (and other useful toys) Back in the 1960s, when you were Christmas shopping for your children, both boys and girls, you looked for toys that would help teach them useful skills for adulthood. Before there were Legos, there were Erector Sets. In which you were given a wrench to screw together various steel pieces that were then hooked up to motors to make them do things. But that's not all. Children were provided with microscopes, telescopes, chemistry sets, electronics kits and even home brewing kits. Okay, I'm just kidding about the last part. But check out this video.