Original Lite Brite

Who is the person behind the item?

Hasbro is the company behind this item. The Original Lite-Brite was created by Marvin Glass and Associates, a Chicago-based toy and game design firm, and licensed to Hasbro by Burt Meyer and Joseph M. Burck. 

Time magazine called Lite-Brite one of the best 100 toys of all time. It was also a finalist for the National Toy Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 admission. 

Marvin Glass and Colleagues were strolling down Fifth Avenue in New York City while visiting the 1966 Toy Fair. Both the trio and other passers-by got amazed by the spectacle. The colorful window display uses hundreds of bright lights from an open new window, marking the beginning of Lite-Brite.

Image By PCjs Machines

What makes this item so rare?

In 1967, The Original Lite-Brite was born with 400 plastic pegs in eight distinct colors: green, blue, red, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and colorless.

From Action Lite-Brite to Lite-Brite numbers, to Lite-Brite alphabet to an opening in new window shapes, toy retailers had an extensive accessory range by 1968. As time went on, templates of trademarked characters like Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny opened separately and became available.

Mickey Mouse, My Little Pony, and Scooby-Doo featured famous TV characters in the first Lite-Brite kit templates. Blue, red, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and clear pegs are the ones you’ll find in the kit. 

Image By WorthPoint

How much is it worth today?

When Lite Brite first came out in 1967, it was lit up a grid covered with black pieces of paper that youngsters could poke multicolored pegs through to make patterns. It’s still currently available for $15 to $20, but a set of original Lite Brites is presently on sale for $300. 

The creative outlet that The Original Lite-Brite has afforded millions of youngsters and adults alike is undeniably responsible for the company’s long-lasting appeal.  

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