We were curious to see how Tinker Toys had fared in the ever-cheapening world of classic American toys. Many toys and games from the 1950s through 1970s have far poorer-quality replicas in circulation today (Cootie was my big wake-up call), and we wondered if these might be an exception to the rule. Hasbro sent us a 66-piece starter set so we could find out. Unfortunately, our findings are a bit more ambivalent.

The pieces are still durable and well-made, and I can't think of any important pieces from my father's handed-down set that are absent in this new version. Most of the parts that were once wood still are, and I think there is even one part that used to be plastic that is now made of wood (in the photo above, you can see them - small wooden cylinders with holes at both ends and one through the center - those used to be made of orange plastic, didn't they?).

Although you get fewer pieces for your money (even in inflation-adjusted dollars, I'd wager) most of the new plastic comes in the form of new piece designs, some of which are genuinely useful. We also like that the company kept the cardboard and metal cylinder as the container of choice. This was smart from a nostalgia angle but is also functional, durable, and environmentally preferable to a plastic case.

However, I must warn you that there is something in this set that emits an unholy odor whenever you open the tin to play with these things. There are some serious VOCs coming out of our kit. I have no idea whether it's coming from the plastics or the paints, whether the off-gassing would dissipate after a while like that "new car" smell, or how harmful these particular compounds might or might not be. But it smells highly huffable and like stuff you don't want close to anybody's nose, and it makes us a bit wary of what would otherwise be a very recommendable toy.