Construction set:Tinkertoy Wonder Builder

Initial reaction to Tinkertoy construction sets, invented by Charles Pajeau in Evanston, Illinois was lukewarm. He sold his sets of wooden spools and rods to one shop at a time in Chicago. For each shop that sold the sets, Pajeau made an elaborate window display of several Tinkertoy structures. Within a year, Pajeau went national, producing and selling more than one million sets of his construction toy. The success of Pajeau's sets encouraged his company, The Toy Tinkers, to create other toys, most made of painted wood, and most designed to aid youngsters' physical and mental development. After some 40 years at the head of the company, Pajeau sold The Toy Tinkers before retiring in 1952. Tinkertoy sets are still available 100 years after their introduction.