In June of 2007, the memory of an old building toy ran across my mind.  I used to build houses with American Plastic Bricks.  I did not even remember what they were called at the time.  My last memory of many old toys was my mother giving them away to some kid who's house had burned, so I thought they were gone.  The next time I was at my mom's house, we spoke of the toys my brothers and I used to have.  It turned out that she had my old bricks in the attic stored in a large plastic kitty litter bucket.  I was thrilled and brought them home to use again with my grandchildren.

Because my bricks were in a kitty litter bucket, I did not remember what the orignal containers looked like.  I wanted to build larger models which I never could do as a kid, so I started looking around for used sets.  I found one or two sites with information and only one set for sale on Craig's List in another state.  Then I thought of eBay and hit the jackpot!  I have {still} not seen a day go by since June of 2007 where there was not at least one set of these for sale on eBay!  I have searched other auction sites and found zero results in searches for this toy.  So eBay seems to have the market cornered for this antique toy.

When I started buying bricks on eBay, I made some mistakes because there was much more to American Plastic Bricks than I ever realized!  I found older versions right away and was disappointed that they did not stick together.  I think it was close to two months before I saw a container I recognized.  I also found out there were many more different types of sets than I ever knew before.  The American Plastic Army Bricks and the Halsam's Constructioneer set are two examples and I was thrilled to find out about all this 'new' stuff.

In an effort to educate others about the differences in American Plastic Bricks, I started a Flickr photostream to show what I learned in a photo essay.  I also post photos of models my grandchildren and I have built.  I would like to show you the various types of blocks here because it is the single most important thing to think about when you begin to question sellers before you bid.  This will also help sellers correctly list bricks for sale.  The biggest differences to look for are color, textured sides and slotted sockets.  Remember, the block type is more important than the container because various sets have been mixed together over the years.  In the next few photos and descriptions, I am estimating the dates to the best of my knowledge based on manual copyright dates and the occational date found on a canister.

When American Plastic Bricks first came out in the early 1940's, they came with paper windows and doors.  You can see the slots around the upper edge of the brick in the "pre-1953" photo which hold the tabs from the bottom of these windows and doors.  Later, plastic windows and doors were manufactured and these slots were filled in (or more likely, the slot protrusions on the mold were filed down).  There was no longer a need to hold paper windows and doors in place.  For both "pre-1953" and the "1953 - 1961" photos, the bricks stay together by gravity only and you can see the texture around the edges.  I have seen a manual which predates a copyright of the 1953 manual which shows plastic windows and doors in the inventory.  Who knows, "paper or plastic" may have been a choice to the original buyer for a time during the change.  The plastic these are made of is also a little more brittle than later generations.

The 1962 manual shows a new set of building designs with different windows and doors than previously available.  These bricks were designed to hold together in spite of gravity so houses could be moved around by the builder.  You can see the slotted sockets on the bottom of the "1962 - 1966" photo.  These sockets are the key to the grip of these American Plastic Bricks.  You can see these still have edge texture, but the plastic itself is just a little more flexible than prior bricks.  I grew up with these, so they are my personal favorite.

From at least 1967 on, texture on the sides is gone and the plastic has changed.  These are less brittle than even the ones from the 60's and they hold together very well.  The "1974 - 1975" versions are more orange than red, although I am not sure you can see that here.  The company manufacturing bricks in 1974 also had more "molding quality" issues than any other generation.  These bricks also come in a clear color and if you place any clear brick on an older brick from the early 1950s, the sockets of the clear brick will break every time.

In 1976, the design changed again.  There is no lip or ridge around the upper edge and there is only one slot per socket instead of two.  These hold so tightly to each other that you can play toss with your constructions.  When connected to older generation bricks, you can barely pry them off again.  They are almost not compatible.

I would be remis if I did not stop to thank 'raymondhow3ajx' and 'sabrmember1' for there input to these findings.  They have been a great help to me in finding dates and other information about American Plastic Bricks.  Thanx guys!!

There is a ton more information out there about American Plastic Bricks.  Space would never allow for it all here.  There are different door and window versions as well as various parts and colors.  There are other excellent guides here on eBay and a little searching on the web will definately turn up something good!

I hope this guide helps your bidding decisions and that you have a great time building with your bricks.  I would love to see photos of your constructions if you are so inclined to share!!  Have a great day!