Thursday, July 11, 2013
The Kelmet Corporation
Today's post is about the Kelmet Corporation which is a follow-up to a few posts from this week. There doesn't seem to be much information about the company. It was created in 1920 and stayed in business into the late 1920's. Their specialty was in producing large-sized painted pressed steel trucks. They used the name Kelmet and also Trumodel for their toys, as well as manufacturing for the J.C.Penny company, under the name "Big Boy". Other manufacturers at the time would also make toys under catalogue companies such as Sears, and J.C.Penny. The "Big Boy" decal that appears on the sides of Kelmet toy trucks also has the name "White' on it. That name is for the famous "real" truck manufacturer White. Parts for the Kelment trucks would be subcontracted out to the A.C.Gilbert company, which was famous for construction sets and model trains.*
*http://www.jodysattic.com/pages/makermarks
I often visit Jodysattic.com, among other sources and references as a reference for old toy histories. Her site is great for searching out old and long-since closed companies that once made toys.
If you read the descriptions, you'll also see the dimensions of these toys. They certainly were large-sized! In one of my previous posts, I wrote about a fabulous modern-era toymaker by the name of Mr.Brian Cowdery, who makes modern-era toys based on old ones. One of his was actually was a Kelmet, but I only write about it, and didn't have a photo. People and companies may make reproductions of old toys when the original manufacturer is no longer in business, and nobody after that ever purchased the plans, copyrights, or the name, or other proprietary rights. An example of that is T-Reproductions, which I have also written about.
Because I prefer to post with just one seller, collector, or auction house, the following post will also be about Kelmet toys,but will be those that were sold by another auction house. I like to give each post an exclusive for each person, company, seller, or collector.
Thanks for dropping by,
and have a great part of the day,
wherever you may be.
Stacey
3 comments:
I bought an old Kelmet truck not too long ago. It is in rough shape, but I believe I can fix most of it. I have not been able to find out a lot about these trucks. Do you know where I might possibly find more information and maybe some parts. The truck is missing the right front fender. Any info would be greatly appreciated. My e-mail is coolbreezemc@gmail.com. Thanks
Hello,
Thanks for visiting my blog and asking a question:
1.The first seller that I would recommend (Not in any order or preference) is Thomas Antique Toy Parts. The link below is specific to Kelmet parts.
http://thomastoysantiquetoyparts.com/category.sc?categoryId=52
2. The second seller is Classictintoys - he only has replacement tires
http://store.classictintoy.com/mm5/
3. Try a search on ebay for Kelmet toys or Kelmet toy parts and see what arises.
Have a nice day,
(Mr.) Stacey Bindman
oldantiquetoys.blogspot.com
In case you want to know the real history, which toy experts do NOT know:
In the last picture there is a Kelmet Corp. Catalog that shows a large derrick on the front. That toy was designed in 1924 by Kenneth B. Noble. He filed the patent application in 1925 and was granted the patent in 1926. The patent is for a derrick swinger and includes the motor, the drums, the bull wheel, and the cable arrangements. Mr. Noble's patent was for an actual piece of construction equipment, not a toy, that would be built by his company, Noble Manufacturing Co. of Hartford, CT.
However, as all good designers do, Mr. Noble built a scale model of the Swing-Arm Derrick to check for design flaws and insure operating characteristics. This is where the history gets a little murky.
I suspect that Mr. Noble ended up taking the scale model home and presenting it to his only son, Dana. I suspect that young Dana's wealthy friends were envious, and their parents encouraged Mr. Noble to branch out. I do know that shortly after the patent application was filed Mr. Noble decided to turn the scale model into a toy. That was 1925, and this particular Swing-Arm Derrick ended up being the only toy manufactured and sold by Noble Manufacturing Co. and marketed under the name of Trumodel Toys.
At some point 1926 Mr. Noble apparently decided that the toy business was just too much and he would be better off concentrating on the construction equipment his company was supposed to build. He subsequently sold the Trumodel name and the derrick to AC Gilbert Company, who began using the name in 1927 when they marketed Erector Set #8 - The Trumodel Set.
I know this because the Swing-Arm Derrick that I own has a manufacturer's tag from Noble Manufacturing Co. that indicates that the toy was built while the patent was still pending. In addition to the toy, I have the parts and specifications manual in which Kenneth B. Noble, as the designer, dedicates to the toy to Dana. The original motto of Trumodel Toys was "Construction Equipment in Miniature", and the only toy they manufactured was an exact, miniature replica of the full-size piece of equipment it emulated. I also have the instruction manual that describes how to assemble and work this toy.
Incidentally, the Dana Noble mentioned in this post is Dana Gibson Noble, the semi-famous Connecticut seascape painter.
Post a Comment