Lincoln Logs Sets

Q: I have Lincoln Logs set No. 3C in the original cylindrical cardboard container with tin lid. The set originally contained 129 pieces, but a few pieces are missing. The box says “Made by Playskool” and has two patent dates, 1,351,086 and 2,012,160. What are these patents for? What is the set worth?

A: U.S. Patent 1,351,086 was granted to architect and toy designer John Lloyd Wright of Chicago in 1920 for his design of a “toy cabin construction” set made of notched “logs.” He was the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The sets were sold by John Wright’s company, the Red Square Co., in 1918. (A red square was a mark used by his father.) The company name later became the John Lloyd Wright Toy Co. The name “Lincoln Logs” was registered in 1923. The other patent was granted in 1935 to James B. Forbes of Chicago and assigned to John Lloyd Wright, Inc., for the invention of a method of constructing the gable ends of a peaked roof. Playskool bought John Lloyd Wright, Inc., in 1943. Milton Bradley obtained the rights to Lincoln Logs in 1968 and Hasbro obtained the rights in 1984. Lincoln Logs are now sold by K’NEX. Your set was made between 1943 and 1968. The original box adds value, but the set won’t sell for a lot of money because it’s incomplete. Value, $50-$75.