Gilbert Toys 1965. American Flyer Trains, Chemistry Sets, Erector Sets, slot cars, and commercials.

[@indiana2096]

My dad got me an Erector set for Christmas around 1975 maybe. I loved it, being able to build all sorts of things was cool, I liked toys that I could be artistic with. My problem came from spending so much time building something I never wanted to tear it down, I had the most fun with it when my dad would build something with me. All these years later, I have a Fire Ladder Truck build placed on a shelf in my house.

[@gwesco]

I got my first American Flyer train set in 1952. Still have it. For the next 8 or 9 years I got more trains, Erector, and chemistry sets for birthdays and Christmas. Even got the 1954 Gilbert store train display shortly after Christmas 1954. Still have most of it. Great company but as others have said, after AC died, it was all downhill from there.

[@earldelsanto]

Man I got a army jeep erector set one year. And several electric slot cars over the years. O man I loved that stuff.

[@MrChubbyHubby.]

Cool old commercial Moviecraft Inc. Thank you for preserving this bit of history.

[@michaelcase8574]

AC Gilbert was born here in Salem, Oregon. Here we have the ACGilbert children's museum. It's a great place with plenty of hands in activities for kids and adults alike.

[@arthurtomczak8474]

Kids need toys like that today . Need to use their imagination.

[@Huskrrrr]

Got my first chemistry set in 1964. Today, I'm a retired scientist.

[@WAL_DC-6B]

I had a Gilbert chemistry set back in 1966. Guess I should have had the Gilbert American Flyer "All Aboard" trainset as today I'm a retired railroad (Soo Line) locomotive engineer.

[@M_vintage-f5b]

👍 i thoroughly enjoyed this video.Good memories. Life was simple, much better in my opinion.

[@MoviecraftInc]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@stevenallen9613]

Enjoyed the video, and remember some of the ads. Sadly for the A C Gilbert Company, this was too little too late. I received many A C Gilbert products as gifts over the years. I still have my train set from 1959, and it still works. I had 3 different Erector Sets from the mid 50's to early 60's. I also had a chemistry set and a microscope set, and I believe they actually produced a small tool set in the early to mid 50's. It was a great company, and at one time the largest toy manufacturer in the country. Sadly, they simply couldn't compete with the likes of Lionel in the toy train market, and were late in their introduction of their race sets. Also once the 60's hit, A C himself had passed, and his son sold the company, the quality and workmanship went out the door. Sadly, in just over a year after this commercial the A C Gilbert Company was no more

[@lonnyjaw]

I'm 62 and I wish I had that 'Power Steering Pit Stop' race set - that thing is cool stuff!!

[@rabokarabekian409]

Gilbert was the first sponsor of The Beatles cartoon. Strange times. I must have built Gilbert contraptions over a hundred times. Great brain exercise.

[@joecab1]

Boy I loved that Gilbert chemistry set. I picked mine out of the Sears Christmas catalog, of course.

[@MoviecraftInc]

I remember my Chemistry set. I would go in the basement of the Chicago two flat I live in and play with fire and chemicals. I would light up this black stuff (I don't remember what it was) and it would create a fireball and smoke. Ah, the 1950's.

[@zmaxx21]

Thank you for posting this entertaining video! Got more like this?

[@MoviecraftInc]

We have more entertaining videos coming, but this is the only Gilbert promo we have.

[@JimDog794]

I got some used Erector sets given to me by my cousin. I had fun building different things with them. I also had a steam engine powered by solid fuel tablets.

[@bobabooey7088]

My mother loved working at AC Gilbert in New Haven but said as soon as the father died the place changed and nobody wanted to work their anymore. I had erector sets, trains and the fullest chemistry set ever when I was little. Mom used to buy pizzas at modern for a quarter for lunch with just about everyone else.

[@MoviecraftInc]

Thanks for sharing.

[@brianhanson9367]

Erector sets were great.

[@willardroad]

I had a Gilbert Chem-Lab, and those chemicals were REAL. Not sure how many laws it would violate today, just to own one. You could make actual gunpowder, for example. I will not reveal how I know, as some of the survivors of that incident are still alive. Anyway, loads of OSHA-violating fun!!!!

[@OofusTwillip]

We stil have my dad's Gilbert Chemistry Set, from the 1950s. It doesn't appear to have been used.

[@gwenniegirl50]

Jason Alexander portrayed AC Gilbert in the movie “The Man Who Saved Christmas“. It’s too bad the company couldn’t stay afloat.

[@rickm.2956]

I hope Santa brings me an American Flyer Trains: The All Aboard! I was a good boy all year.

[@seattlebeard]

"We call it Meth Lab!"

[@Damone7653]

The Erection set looks like it will keep you busy.

[@davidlong1786]

Erection is a completely different subject.🤣

[@robertbrumbaugh4634]

In the Boston area, their trains were no longer available in 1965. Everyone interested in electric trains went to HO. In fact, I worked in a hobby store and the new N gauge trains came out. These were sized so they could fit on a desktop. As far as the pre-nailed tracks, creating your own unique and strange designs of layout was part of the fun. You could have the trains run under and around furniture and even through the wall into another room. I still have all my American Flyer equipment in my basement. I wonder if they could have any antique value.

[@tallapartment6776]

I remember this.😄

[@dennisdeleo74]

The mustached pitch man was Tex Antoine, a well known fixture and weatherman on many local stations. His animated sidekick was Uncle Weatherbee…a popular character that made a weather forecast very entertaining. He reached his peak of fame on NY’s ABC Eyewitness News in the 70s but unfortunately lost his job by making an off colored quip about rape. He was never to gain the same popularity again.

[@perrybarton]

There's a bit of a Don Ameche vibe.

[@richburnham7326]

The "popular" off-color quip about rape "joke" at that time was, "A woman can run faster with her dress up than a man can with his pants down."

[@moboutmen]

His comment was; "In the words of Confucius, 'If rape is inevitable, lie back and enjoy it.' "

[@Damone7653]

The erection set should keep you busy.

[@FoundonthestreetUSA]

I remember when Tex got in trouble on WABC. Isn't his sidekick in the film Joe Silver?

[@Shawn666Hellion]

Had an erector set from Gabriel,American Plastic Bricks and girder and panel building sets

[@-oiiio-3993]

This was when toy stores were still a 'big deal'. Suburbia was king, 'Baby Boom' offspring were legion, independent toy stores seemed to be on every other street corner of major cities and their suburbs.

[@davidbeyers7054]

Breaking bad with your Gilbert chem-lab.

[@fromthesidelines]

In 1965, the year this film was produced, A.C. Gilbert lost almost $3 million dollars (on top of a decline of over $7 million during the previous two years). After they declared bankruptcy and went out of business in 1967, Gabriel Industries bought Gilbert's assets and their name, continuing to distribute Erector and chemistry sets. According to a New York toy chain buyer {quoted in Ron Goulart's 1969 book, "The Assault on Childhood"}: *"Gilbert had a natural in its Erector Sets. [After Gabriel took over, t]hey neglected it. They used to offer sets up to $75 packaged in metal boxes. Now, the most expensive is only $20, the parts are flimsy, and it's in an oversized cardboard box. They did the same thing in their chemistry sets."* Gabriel continued to manufacture what was left of Gilbert's products through 1976, when they eliminated the company name in favor of their own. In 1978, CBS acquired Gabriel, and eventually folded the company in favor of their own "CBS Toys" division in 1985.

[@petemclinc]

I think it was early 1970's thereabouts, for Christmas I got the Erector Set in the metal case with the 115VAC/12VDC transformer and electric motor. It came with gears, chain, couplers, etc. I thought it was really neat and it must have cost my parents a bundle. What a great Christmas!

[@indiana2096]

I got my Erector set for Christmas in 1975 (I think), it had a heavy plastic case. I Have wanted to get some of the older sets, but even without I never thought of mine as flimsy. I still have a Fire Truck I put together up on a shelf in my house.

[@FoundonthestreetUSA]

Hey the showman is actor Joe Silver!!!!

[@drysori]

I had an erector set, a chemistry set and an American flyer train set, not as elaborate as these, but cool none the less.

[@scottandrews9453]

About a year or so after this, Gilbert sold a James Bond race track set that was mechanically flawed. Sears and other retailers returned so many that it contributed to bankruptcy for Gilbert.

[@-oiiio-3993]

We had that set. Came with an Aston Martin and a Mustang 'slot car', track, controllers... . The thin plastic tabs which connected track sections did break easily.

[@indiana2096]

@@-oiiio-3993 An Aston Martin and a Mustang, that had to have been for Goldfinger, it had a Mustang in it!

[@-oiiio-3993]

@@indiana2096 Indeed. Goldfinger was released in late December, 1964, Gilbert _James Bond_ slot car set in 1965.

[@-oiiio-3993]

08:23 - My brother and I each got one of those AM Flyer sets, eight panels each, for Christmas in '65 or '66. 13:47 - _And your obedient serpent is.... A Bob Clampett car toooooooo - 000000N!_

[@rickpinelli1586]

I wonder how many of you remember Uncle Weatherby? 🌥🌤🌧🌩🌈

[@frankmariani1259]

Lots of sharp metal parts. They'll grow up driving Tesla Cybertrucks one day.

[@danielgardner394]

Pit stop feature AKA short life charge. That was some early knowledge.

[@Reubenhubert]

One of my older brothers had the chemistry set that I played with in the late 60s. I had an erector set and a microscope and both kept me busy for hours and hours.

[@Playsinvain]

But I don’t want a pit stop ….but I got it and that was about the end of the racing…forever

[@8avexp]

Gilbert failed to keep up with the times. TV advertising was in and catalogs were on their way out. I still rememer those All-Aboard commercials from that era.

[@BELCAN57]

An two years later they were out of business.

[@rockingtr1]

Algorithm comfirms I was raised by a poor black and white TV

[@redgreen09]

well like this me i just born in 65 yup 58 years never had one this toys but one that did take off whas that train thing what great ideer all the stuff you need to seet up a great looking train lay out with out all pain in bleep terrain doing and might take years to do but thats me just but the kid who did have it must be fun whader if whas vid hare on you tube ? that some steel have it see lowes and marks trains just me thinkig thats bad thing great new years to all who reed this

[@OofusTwillip]

Can anyone identify the loud & silly host in this film?

[@fromthesidelines]

Joe Silver. He did a lot of commercials and voice-over work, and was Lee Grant's co-star on "FAY" (1975).

[@richburnham7326]

@dennisdeleo74 18 hours ago The mustached pitch man was Tex Antoine, a well known fixture and weatherman on many local stations. His animated sidekick was Uncle Weatherbee…a popular character that made a weather forecast very entertaining. He reached his peak of fame on NY’s ABC Eyewitness News in the 70s but unfortunately lost his job by making an off colored quip about rape. He was never to gain the same popularity again.

[@Austinniya.]

That was torture

[@LarryDickmann]

Still better than any ads today.

[@bill-nd8sr]

Then in 66 went bankrupt

[@Paul-u9d]

Those toy would be banned today because of the social climate!

[@OofusTwillip]

Those chemistry sets were so dangerous, that they injured or killed thousands of children. They were even featured in the documentary, "Hidden Killers of the Postwar Home".

[@MoviecraftInc]

My Chemistry set had neat things you could light with fire! No parental warnings or age recommendations on the box, that's for sure.

[@-oiiio-3993]

@@MoviecraftInc Who didn't use the screwdriver of their Erector Set to cross the tines of the motor's plug _just once_ ?

[@RobertTKlaus]

Ridiculous!

[@1208bug]

I doubt this!

[@dave3657]

I played with my Erector set for years. Then I went on to be a draftsman and detailed real building steel. 🏗️

[@MoviecraftInc]

great story, thank you.

[@arthurharrison1345]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Carlton_Gilbert