I classify Antique Toys as those made pre 1960. Antique dealers, appraisers and collectors may disagree but that is ok. For my purposes it will do. Any toy produced after 1960 I consider a collectible toy. While there is a big market for collectible toys I’m going to try and stick to offering only those made before 1960. This might prove to be a difficult task as some of the most popular toy makers that began in the early 1900’s were either sold or continued making toy’s well into the 70’s and some are still in operation today. I’ll provide a list of some of the more common Antique Toy Makers here with some descriptions of each. This will be an ever-growing list that will expand as I add offerings to our store here at The Old Toy Box.
One of my favorite toy makers was Buddy “L” manufacturing which was known as Moline Pressed Steel Company. The Moline Press Steel Company changed its name in 1930 to Buddy "L" Manufacturing Company when it shifted its production from stamped automotive parts to the classic toy trucks we’ve come to love today
Another of my favorite toy makers is the “Louis Marx & Company” was founded in 1919 and by the mid 1950’s became the largest toy maker in the world. They are know for making tinplate buildings, toy soldier's, toy dinosaurs, mechanical toys, toy guns, action figures, dolls, doll houses, toy cars, and HO scale and O scale toy trains. Marx was known for making a less expensive toy that was readily available to everyone in its time. Often carried at local dime stores and retail chains. Marx continued producing toys into the 1970’s when they sold out to the Quaker Oats Company. The Marx robots and space toys of the 1960’s are a highly desirable collectible toy that had a big explosion in demand about 10 yrs ago.
Antique Toy Makers
