The Evolution of Toys

Saturday, February 25, 2012

The Evolution of Toys

From the 1920's

     I usually like to try and do things well, so buying and selling toys is no exception. I've purchased books on old toys, did my share of surfing the Net, and spoke or e-mailed people to ask all kinds of questions.  

   As with most things in our lives, we often think that we had the best of times when we were young, and the topic of toys is the same. Times were very different in the 1920's and  the toys that we now see on E-Bay were not in the hands of most children in the US. I mention US toys, because that is what I mostly deal with, although I have "ventured out" a bit. In the 1920's toys may have been inexpensive, but for a father making  an average salary  of $ 1238.00 (US) or about  $ 3.50 a day, buying even a 

 $ 3.00 toy was out of the question, since food, medical care and medicine had to be paid for, amongst other things.

   In the 1920's many toys were made of cast iron, a process that used lots of iron, and of course lead paint, which by the early 1960's was banned outright from being used toys. THe same would be said also of lead toys and especially toy soldiers. If you go on E-Bay today, and bid on certain toys, a warning at the top of the page will come up, warning you to read the notice with regard to  certain dangerous (small pieces) or harmful if ingested (eaten) lead toys.

Early 1930's Hubley Chrysler Airflow

Another Hubley Cast Iron Coupe, circa 1930's

A Barclay Slush Toy, circa 1930's

This toy was painted with lead paint, and the metal alloy was usually an alloy of zinc and other soft metals. Some manufacturers made these toys out of lead.

Another nice Barclay Slush Toy

   Of course, as time moved on, new processes of making metallic products evolved, and toys were no different. The die cast  process was 1 method that evolved. Molten metal forced under pressure into molds (moulds) allowed for faster processing with less materials. Naturally, costs would be lower and profits would allow for more diversity and variety of toys.

A Die Cast Tootsietoy Graham, circa early 1930's

     I don't know who was first in creating these small toys - Dinky or Tootsietoy, but I would suspect Dinky. With the die cast process, small toys could be made with lots of nice detail, both in large quantities, and at lower prices. Dinky toys were British made, and in canada, these toys most likely were imported more that the Tootsietoys. One also has to remember that Canada in those times had a population of about 11,000,000 compared with the USA with a population of 122,775,000. And with Canada being so spread out, distribution costs would have been very expensive.  Keep in mind that Canada is the second largest country in the world, after Russia.


   Another process that also found a niche (position) in you production was rubber and vinyl toys. The Sun Rubber company seemed to have produced solid black rubber toys which were finished with paint (probably lead-based). When I first started to buy these toys for an article, I was amazed at how well these toys had stood up over a period of 60 years! The rubber had ages and cracked, but for the most part, the paint seemed to adhere better to rubber than to cast iron or die cast toys.

A Beautiful Sun Rubber Coupe from the late 1930's-early 1940's

     Pressed Steel also evolved in the late 1930's and early 1940's. Dies or shapes were made and sheet metal was placed in these shapes and then heavy pressure was applied to bring out the design of a toy. Several different bending and cutting machines would be used to shape the toy. 2 good examples are found below.

A Nice Lumar Toy From the Early 1940's

(Pressed Steel)

A Nice Wyandotte Toy from the Early 1940's

(Pressed Steel)

     Anyway, the die process replaced the cast iron process and this process continues into the late 1940's and even into the early 1950's. However, WWII put a stop to the world and of course toy production. Many American companies stopped production to patriotically work producing armaments and accessories for the war effort. Rubber toy companies such as Sun Rubber made rubber products such as gas masks (the seals around the face were rubber), while metal toy companies made items such as gas cans, airplane nose cones, and so forth. Also, rubber became in short supply since most of the rubber had come from the Far East (Asian countries), which at the time were being occupied by the Japanese. 
American and Allied countries were to work on synthetic  materials to replace rubber. 


    The worst years in the world were to be from 1939-1945 (WWII), which unfortunately had replaced the "War to end All Wars" of  WWI (1917-1921). THe Allies were to be the victors, but with the German and Japanese economies in ruin, much investment poured in from the US and other countries to bring back the devastated Axis countries economies and societies. 


    I haven't purchased any "Made in Western Germany" or "Made In Japan" toys that were produced in postwar WWII, but they survive still,. Like all other toys, there are people who collect them, and of course they were imported into the former Allied Countries". THe US economy of post WWII thrived, and there was the greatest expansion of their economy probably up to that time and later on.


    Again, different material were being used, with the invention before of plastics. American toy companies who had produced war products, had to return and re-tool for peacetime. Some adapted to the new materials, and others were slow to adapt. As Japan started to heal from the devastating effects of WWII, their toy production thrived, along with their many other industries. COnsidering how inexpensive plastics and plastic toys cost to produce, the age of metal toys started to dwindle.


    Another factor that entered into the picture was more safety regulation into all areas of society, and toy safety was no different. Small toys with breakable parts, or toys previously made with lead and lead paints, had to be stopped, and new materials, such as plastics were used.  Also, again in Japan and other Asian countries, they started to produce all kinds of toys. When one looks at the toys of the 1920's and their diversity compared with the 1950's-1980's, one can easily see how much diversity there would become.

A Very Nice and detailed Matchbox Toy

Modelled after a Mercedes Fire Truck Engine

Made of Metal and Plastic.

     I need to research when it was made.However, it was made in China, and that should narrow the year.Of course, we all know how the world has migrated to China for inexpensive production of all kinds of things. I read last year, that there was a city in China that produced 97% of the world's socks. Aside fromm the political issues there, you just go to wonder!
    I found some information about Matchbox. It was created by the Lesney (Great Britain) in the 1930's, but like many other companies succumbed to prodution costs and a changing world. It was purchased a few times, and now is currently owned by Mattel.

Another Very Nice and detailed Matchbox Toy

Made of  plastic and metal

    I've only just touched the surface in this instalment about the history of toys in the US, and all is not "gloom and doom" even with today's Ipods, Blackberries, X-Boxes, and a myriad of other modern-era "toys".  I've had my eyes on a Schuco (Germany) wind-up toy, but even the old ones from post WWII  fetch a good price on E-Bay. So I found a seller on E-Bay from California who sold new one at a modest price of $ 29.99. I'll be playing with this toy (even at age 63) to see what all of the fuss is about, but I can tell you that it's a bargain form someone who had a 27" Imac but doesn't yet own a cellphone, XBox, IPAd, IPod or any other modern era toy device. My wife says I don't need them.


   So I go about my business buying an selling old toys, and writing about them. She doesn't yet know about this Schuco yet, and I hope our dog Buddy won't tell her!

A Very Nice Schuco Toy With a Wind-up Mechanism

Circa 2012

Here in Montreal, we had a snowstorm yesterday.

For the most part, Eastern Canada had been fortunate to have a mild winter. I think the last time it snowed here was about 3 weeks ago.

Mother Winter is not over yet.  I think the annual "ritual" of waking of the groundhogs here to forecast the spring (winter will continue or spring will start early). If they see their shadow winter will be longer, if not, spring will come early.

Sadly in Europe, it's been a devasting winter in some of the former communist countries mith many deaths from the cold (e.g. Poland).

So today, as with any other day, I bid everyone a good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, whereever you may be.