# 3183n - 1998 32c Celebrate the Century - 1910s: Construction Toys

US #3183n
1998 Construction Toys – Celebrate the Century (1910s)

• Part of the second sheet in the Celebrate the Century stamp series issued from 1998-2000
• Commemorates new types of construction toys for children
• Includes text on the back with historical details

Stamp Category: Commemorative
Series: Celebrate the Century
Value: 32¢ First Class Mail Rate
First Day of Issue: February 3, 1998
First Day City: Washington, DC
Quantity Issued: 188,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset, Intaglio
Format: Panes of 15
Perforations: 11.6
Tagging: Block Tagging

Why the stamp was issued: To recall the introduction of Erector sets, Tinkertoy, and Lincoln Logs. Their popularity among children lasted many decades.

About the stamp design: Pictures an oil painting of a child playing with toys by artist Dennis Lyall. Includes the following text on the back “Construction toys encourage children to build, create, and thing about how things work. Erector sets were introduced in 1913 and Tinkertoy in 1914, and Lincoln Logs in 1916.”

First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Washington, DC, with legendary radio and television host Larry King as master of ceremonies.

About the Celebrate the Century series: The USPS launched the Celebrate the Century series in 1998 to mark the end of the 20th century and herald the arrival of the 21st. The series includes 10 sheets of 15 stamps (150 in total), with each honoring important moments from a different decade (1900s, 10s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s). At the time of completion, it was the longest and most ambitious commemorative stamp series in US history.

History the stamp represents: A toy is an object children can play with. Since ancient times, toys have had an important role in the nurturing of children. Children have an innate need to play with toys – even a simple stick can be transformed by a child’s imagination into a hobbyhorse.

Friedrich Froebel, the German founder of the kindergarten, considered toys to be essential learning tools. He believed young children learned not through formal instruction, but through play and imitation. To promote learning, Froebel created learning toys designed to stimulate the imagination. These included a collection of geometric playthings he believed could help children perceive the physical world.

In the second decade of the 20th century, toy manufacturers began to provide children with toys that allowed them to construct the products of their imaginations. With affordable construction toys like Erector sets, Tinkertoys, and Lincoln Logs, miniature homes could be built and machines created – practically anything a child wanted could be assembled.

Interestingly, the idea for Lincoln Logs originated with John Lloyd Wright, the son of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright – a possible demonstration of the connection between toys and learning.