Spirograph

WOW - Ebay has dozens of Spirograph toys on its site. I'd love to have one -- the 1967 Kenner original. I had one as a child (possibly more than one) and played with it for years. I remember the feel of the gears, the colors of the pens. I remember the trickier football-shaped gear, and the other angled gears that jumped if you weren't careful but always made thrilling swoops and curves in the intricate designs. I never thought of making a card or a book cover out of these patterns -- never saw them as something decorative. But they were magic. I've read online that the newer versions from the 80s and 90s (available on Amazon) are poor quality, flimsy things; the gears snap and jump easily off their tracks. But I feel a jolt of recognition when I see those box tops on Ebay, the cardboard cover and the funky font types. I swear my son would go nuts over something like that. They seem to be cheap. I could buy two, one for each of us. What fun!
http://search.ebay.com/spirograph_W0QQfnuZ1QQfsooZ2QQfsopZ32QQrprZ300QQxpufuZx