# Anyone remember this toy (early-mid 70's) "cubes and tubes" ball track **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 9, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247 "2012-09-09T22:42:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/1 "2012-09-09T22:42:02Z")
We had this toy–sort of like a marble track on a larger scale, with these hard plastic balls that you’d make a track for. It was kind of an exercise in physics, figuring out how much height you needed at the beginning to build up enough speed to get through the whole thing. The pieces had little holes and pegs on each end, to hook them together. The cubes had tracks going either straight through them or curving, and there were long pieces that could be used as a flat track, or two of them could be put together to make a vertical tube. (These were absolute murder to step on in the middle of the night.) Some pieces were blue and yellow, and some were green and orange. (We might have had two sets–there were quite a lot of pieces.) My mom is pretty sure that “Cubes and Tubes” is the real name, and she thinks we bought it at a regular toy store. I can’t find anything like this on Google. Ring any bells? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2012, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/2 "2012-09-09T23:35:39Z")
It was called “Spacewarp” (the box is in the background of the video): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lL6HuTlVauU/hqdefault.jpg "Ball Bearing Roller Coaster Rock!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL6HuTlVauU) ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/3 "2012-09-10T00:13:00Z")
That’s totally different. (Actually we did have that too, coincidentally.) This was cubes. And tubes. The balls were about 2" in diameter. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/4 "2012-09-10T02:54:16Z")
Or probably closer to 3", now that I think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/5 "2012-09-10T14:35:30Z")
Here’s a list of [rolling ball tracked toys](http://www.marcdatabase.com/~lemur/rb-toys-com.html). Perhaps one of them is the answer to your query. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/6 "2012-09-11T23:17:34Z")
Were they sort of translucent plastic in different colors? I spent HOURS playing with something like this at school. I’d hurry through math worksheets to have some extra time. ---
**Author:** ![Deselle2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@Deselle2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deselle2)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/7 "2012-11-21T06:46:38Z")
Your mom was right. It was called cubes and tubes and it was so much fun! My mom bought the last three sets they had at the toy store back in the 70’s. Apparently it wasn’t selling too well, she thought because it was kind of expensive. I’ve been looking for it for years to add more sets to mine but so far, no luck. Most people don’t seem to know what I’m talking about. You’re the first person in decades to know about cubes and tubes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Deselle2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@Deselle2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deselle2)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/8 "2012-11-21T06:56:43Z")
Found a picture! [http://www.timewarptoys.com/cubest.JPG](http://www.timewarptoys.com/cubest.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![aztec7fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@aztec7fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aztec7fan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/9 "2012-12-29T22:19:04Z")
> [@Deselle2](#): > > Your mom was right. It was called cubes and tubes and it was so much fun! My mom bought the last three sets they had at the toy store back in the 70’s. Apparently it wasn’t selling too well, she thought because it was kind of expensive. I’ve been looking for it for years to add more sets to mine but so far, no luck. Most people don’t seem to know what I’m talking about. You’re the first person in decades to know about cubes and tubes. 🙂 Guess what. I saw your message and decided to sell my Cubes and Tubes on Ebay: [http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200871891537](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200871891537) Enjoy, Chris G. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/10 "2012-12-29T22:22:28Z")
That doesn’t look like 1970’s packaging. I grew up then too and I recall lots of colors on the toy boxes. Never had this toy. It looks like it would have been fun. Remember [Tip It?](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2471/3973506443_ac33bbc248_o.jpg) We played it several times a week. > [@Deselle2](#): > > Found a picture! > > [http://www.timewarptoys.com/cubest.JPG](http://www.timewarptoys.com/cubest.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/11 "2012-12-29T22:23:17Z")
Reported. **aztec7fan** , the rules here only allow posts of objects for sales in the Marketplace forum and you need to be a paid member to start a thread there. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/12 "2012-12-29T22:58:42Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > That doesn’t look like 1970’s packaging. I grew up then too and I recall lots of colors on the toy boxes. Never had this toy. It looks like it would have been fun. Remember [Tip It?](http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2471/3973506443_ac33bbc248_o.jpg) We played it several times a week. Oh yes, I remember Tip It. That’s from the 60’s, I think. My favorite toys were [Vac-U-Form](http://www.spookshows.com/toys/vacuform/vacuform.htm). We made Creepy Crawlers with plasi-goop too. I think they baked over the Vac-U-Form stove. Another fun toy from the olden days was a [Girder and Panel](http://spookyblue.com/spookyblog/why-a-girder-and-panel-construction-set-is-like-a-stuffed-squirrel)construction set. I think verisons of this are still made today. ---
**Author:** ![ed\_anger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbce88/32.png) [@ed\_anger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ed_anger)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/13 "2012-12-29T23:39:15Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Reported. > **aztec7fan** , the rules here only allow posts of objects for sales in the Marketplace forum and you need to be a paid member to start a thread there. his post seems kind of pertinent to the thread, no? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/14 "2012-12-30T00:11:41Z")
Perhaps a PM to the OP would be ok? Sounds like just what the OP wanted. \ don’t know the rules on PM’s. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/15 "2012-12-30T00:25:11Z")
Interesting, I had part of a Cubes & Tubes set (never knew it was called that!) but not any of the balls. I think my mother picked it up at a garage sale somewhere. My brother and I used the blocks to build things. A similar marble and track set I had (still have it in fact) is the Creative Playthings [Multiway Rollway](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/2744781442_4f67c2845f_o.jpg). My set is a more recent (late 1970s) vintage. ---
**Author:** ![TheBori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee7513/32.png) [@TheBori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBori)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/16 "2012-12-30T01:20:45Z")
> [@Deselle2](#): > > Found a picture! > > [http://www.timewarptoys.com/cubest.JPG](http://www.timewarptoys.com/cubest.JPG) YES! I had…well…the remnants of a set. I distinctly recall the cubes with the 90 degree turns. Probably contributed to my nerd status. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/17 "2012-12-30T01:33:44Z")
> [@ataraxy22](#): > > Interesting, I had part of a Cubes & Tubes set (never knew it was called that!) but not any of the balls. I think my mother picked it up at a garage sale somewhere. My brother and I used the blocks to build things. > > A similar marble and track set I had (still have it in fact) is the Creative Playthings [Multiway Rollway](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/2744781442_4f67c2845f_o.jpg). My set is a more recent (late 1970s) vintage. THAT’s the one I had, and I loved it, played with it more than about any other toy except my Legos and the hundreds of (used but washed) tiny plastic communion cups I snagged from our church. ---
**Author:** ![aztec7fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@aztec7fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aztec7fan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/18 "2012-12-31T05:30:16Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Reported. > **aztec7fan** , the rules here only allow posts of objects for sales in the Marketplace forum and you need to be a paid member to start a thread there. Sorry if I broke any rules. I just thought it was pertinant since the previous poster was actually looking for the item and hadn’t found any for sale. ---
**Author:** ![DCramming](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@DCramming](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCramming)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2013, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/19 "2013-01-20T03:28:49Z")
I have at least two sets of the Cubes and Tubes/Tubes and Cubes, one of my sets has a motorized lift to raise the balls up so that they can travel down the shutes. I have been wondering if there perhaps is a market for these toys since they appear to be rather rare. ---
**Author:** ![Jtrade34](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@Jtrade34](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jtrade34)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2022, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247/20 "2022-12-16T06:55:33Z")
They still make this toy just go to wall mart [Robot or human?](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Cuboga-Cubes-and-Tubes-Marble-Run-Basic/248068374) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-remember-this-toy-early-mid-70s-cubes-and-tubes-ball-track/634247.md?page=2)