Discovery Toys Marbleworks Deluxe Marble Run - STEM Educational Building Blocks for Kids Ages 5+ | Creative Learning Toy for Problem Solving & Motor Skills Development | Perfect for Playrooms, Classrooms & Family Game Nights

If you're looking for the original one from the 80s-90s this is the one to get. We previously bought one of the off-brand marble runs on here and it was a waste of money. Our child couldn't even use cause it was so cheaply made. All the other brands are half the cost but the pieces are half the size, they dont stay together and the marbles get stuck. Our child is 3 and this is the only toy we've bought so far that he hasn't lost interest in, by far his favorite toy. The only few complaints I have are some of pieces were scratched up from shipping. The plastic used for the pieces seems a little different than the 30 year old original my parents still have. Only time will tell if that makes a difference. Also I wish there were a few more pieces in this starter set but there's still plenty enough to build a cool marble run.Unfortunately things are not made as well as they once were. My 5 year old grandson is rough on toys so I figured if I buy a name brand (Discovery) it would be better quality. Constantly having to remind him to be careful he does not break the plastic. Marbles are tinier than in the past.We've had cheaper versions and knock-offs, but when my youngest was interested in getting a marble run, I wanted to get the same version as the one I had as a kid and lasted for years!I was very happy to see little has changed as far as quality and design. There were a few changes and new pieces that were added at some point in the last 30 years. A good product and worth the price!I do love this set, which I bought for my three year old. It's sturdy, and he is able to build it with some slight help from me because it needs more firm pressure than he can provide. Thankfully he's not super interested in rearranging the set. My issue is that one of the pieces arrived broken, and I tried contacting Discovery Toys, and they wont provide me a replacement piece since it was purchased through Amazon. And Amazon doesn't offer to exchange it since it's just fulfilled by Amazon, not sold by. I can return it and try and order a new one, however, we just got the set yesterday and my son is obsessed with it, and he would be so heart broken if I took it away. It is worth that fight in order to replace the start gate? (One of the nubbins that connects the start gate together is missing) I'm not sure yet...I have to think about it. It's truly a shame that I can't get someone to just send me the one piece that we got broken.Update (7/9/2014):I'm happy to say that I've upgraded my review from a 3 to 5 stars. I was contacted by the seller after my purchase to see if I was satisfied. I told them my issue and they, without hesitation, sent me a brand new set out (arrived quickly, two days later). Super happy! I just wish the settings on Amazon was a little more helpful in resolving this type of issue. Oh, and my 3 year old son has been playing with this set daily since we got it 3 weeks ago.I have a 4 year old son and three 2 year old sons. The year my older son turned 3, we got him the Marbulous marble run for Christmas. I chose the Marbulous that year because it was a little more moderately priced than the Discovery toy and seemed to have more ramp types. While the Marbulous is not a bad toy, it is unstable enough that any moderate amount of play with it by very excited 2 year olds would cause it to tip over and fall apart. They're too young to really put it back together again, and I found myself having to repeatedly build and rebuild marble courses, so it got very frustrating for me. I tried out the Discovery Marbleworks beginner set because other reviewers commented on how stable it is, and I have to agree. Once I tried out and liked the starter set, I bought the ultra deluxe set to go with it and put together a fairly complex run for my kids to play with. In the week since it's been set up, it hasn't tipped over and fallen apart a single time. Recently I tried to incorporate the pieces from another competitor, the Imaginarium one, that also has some cool pieces. While I've been able to Frankenstein the two sets together using certain pieces of PVC pipe, I would definitely recommend the Discover toy over the Imaginarium toy as the Imaginarium toy seems flimsy and very unstable in comparison. If you are trying to decide between the three brands I've mentioned, let my trial and error help you. I wholly recommend the Discovery brand marble run!I recently bought a set of Marbleworks as a birthday for my grandson. We chose the Discovery Toys set because of the quality and attractiveness of their pieces. We still have a set from 40 years ago that my sons played with and seeing my grandson loved playing with them too, I decided he should have his very own set! The original set and the new one still connect to one another which makes my grandson very happy!My almost 4-yr old grandson LOVES this, as did my son 29 years ago! So glad it’s still made! Reconfiguring and altering the designs take some brain power, which I love! A little physics at play too!Much like the one I played with as a kid. Wish the colors were the original red, yellow, green, blue. I think the price point is extremely high for this toy, but I purchased because I wanted something that I knew would be durable and high quality. I am not sure of either of these points after playing with it for a bit. I wish it all came in one box for easier storage. One big kit would make so much more sense. My kids are entertained by this toy, but it takes some adult involvement to show them what to do. At least for my kids.