World War I was in full swing, and Americans were facing a bleak Christmas season. The government was considering a ban on toy buying that year. They hoped to convince parents to buy Liberty bonds instead. But before they made such a monumental decision, government officials arranged a special meeting with A.C. Gilbert, the inventor of one of the most popular toys in history, the Erector Set. Erector Sets were toy construction sets with which children could build skyscrapers, space ships, and anything else their minds could conceive. But what could a toy inventor say that would convince the government to save Christmas? Gilbert didn’t have to say much. Before the meeting began, he pulled a batch of toys out of his briefcase. Soon, all the government officials, including the Secretary of the Navy, were on the floor playing. There was no ban on toys that year.