1916-19 A.C. GILBERT / MYSTO TYPE I ERECTOR SET BOX DECAL

Description: This auction is for ONE replacement STYLE 4 (more description is below; the main auction photo is the decal style you will receive) water-slide decal for the wooden-box Erector sets offered by The A.C. Gilbert Company in 1916-1919. The Style 4 decals primarily surface on No. 4 - No. 5 sets. I have a limited quantity of these with 10 available at the start of an auction. As they sell, that quantity drops. If you want more than the auction's current quantity indicates, please message me and I'll adjust the quantity available appropriately. A.C. Gilbert introduced the Erector set in 1913. Wooden boxed sets in 1913 and 1914 had no embellishments on the box top. The company added a colorful decal ~8 ½” x 5 ¼” in 1915; a large gold “ERECTOR” in the middle, a hand building a square girder, and text proclaiming the virtues of Gilbert’s creation. A.C. Gilbert and John Petrie formed the Mysto Manufacturing Company in 1909. In early 1916, A.C. Gilbert took control of the business and changed its name to The A.C. Gilbert Company. Between 1915 to 1919 FOUR different decals adorned the wooden box Erector sets. Here is the breakdown: Style 1 (1915 – Late 1915): Large 8 ½” x 5 ¼” decal with the Mysto company info at the bottom in red print. Style 2 (Late 1915 – 1916): Large 8 ½” x 5 ¼” decal with the Mysto company info at the bottom in black print in a silver banner. Style 3 (1917 – 1919): Large 8 ½” x 5 ¼” decal with The A.C. Gilbert company info at the bottom in black print in a silver banner. Style 4 (1916 – 1919): Small 4” x 1 ½” decal. These were most frequently used on No. 4 and No. 5 sets. This auction includes one (1) of the STYLE 4 decals. I suspect that the Style 4 decal was created as a cost-saving measure as 4 of them took up the same space as one of the other styles. NOTE: I have auctions with the other 3 styles running concurrently. If you are interested in one or more of those styles, please click on the "Seller's Other Items" button to pull up those auctions. These decals were printed via screen printing with individual ink layers by a commercial decal/screen-printer. These are not low-end inkjet or laser printer decal paper reproductions. Decal paper yields a transparent decal, they work, but you can read a newspaper through them. These screen-printed decals are opaque just like the originals; there is NO bleed-through of the wooden box below. You will not find a better reproduction. The company who printed these includes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of their customers (they silk screen shirts and add decals to souvenir mugs among other souvenirs). One note about the decals. These decals have a clear film over the surface which adds some protection to the decal itself. Some (most?) of Gilbert’s Style 1 decals did not include this clear film; it’s a shame as the clear film adds a level of protection from shelf wear. These decals have a clear cover layer to protect the decal underneath. One of the auction photos shows a set with an original Style 4 decal. You will notice the clear film edge outside of the text on that decal. As mentioned above, these are “water-slide decals”. What does that mean? To apply, immerse the decal in warm water for 30+ seconds. NOTE: They will curl when initially dunked in water, hold it underwater for a few seconds and it will flatten out on its own. After an appropriate “soak”, verify that the decal can slide off the backing paper. When the decal can slide, it’s ready for application. Set the decal with the backing paper just below its final position on the box top. Carefully slide the decal up on the backing paper until the top edge of the decal overhangs the paper by ½”. Set the decal down on the wooden box, hold the top edge at its final position, and slowly slide the backing paper down off the decal. CAREFULLY wet out the decal with a micro-fiber cloth to work out any air bubbles. You have just a few seconds of working time to position the decal. Don’t hesitate to ask questions through eBay’s messaging service. Shipping is via USPS Ground Advantage in an 11” x 8” envelope weighing 7 ounces. NOTE: The 7-ounce weight is for 10 decals. If you select less than that quantity, I will adjust the shipping to the actual weight (one decal weighs 5 ounces as packed). I combine shipping whenever possible. If you buy decals from one or more of my other auctions, I will issue an updated invoice for combined shipping. However, no worries if you jump the gun by paying for redundant shipping; I will issue a refund through eBay. If you are interested in learning more about Gilbert Erector sets, Google ACGHS for the home page of the A. C. Gilbert Heritage Society. Included in the photos is a sample page of an Erector parts guide I wrote about 10 years ago; it details the variations of all of the parts used between 1933 – 1962 and is available as a free download from the ACGHS website. Another trivial fact; the ACGHS past president and webmaster is one of A. C. Gilbert’s grandsons!

Price: 15 USD

Location: Charlotte, Michigan

End Time: 2025-02-06T19:16:59.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD