Tinplate

Tinplate

Tinplate

Tinplate toys emerged in the 1800s and provided an affordable and colourful alternative to wooden toys as they could be made more quickly and in far greater numbers.

Tinplate

Germany had the most sophisticated toy industry in Europe and became the leading producer with major companies that included Marklin , bing and lehmann.

America’s toy industry developed in the 19^th century, when one of the best-known temp toymakers was George Brown and co was the first to introduce clockwork mechanisms into American toys.

Tinplate

The important US manufacturers were Louis marx and Ferdinand strauss typical as template subjects included figures and vehicles the horse-drawn been a favourite of the Victorians.

Gradually giving way in the 1900s to the automobiles, aeroplanes, submarines and even airships, reflecting new developments in transport.

Tinplate

Automotive toys are very popular with collectors today and can command high prices, particularly the larger models, these would have been expensive at the time which was why the 1900s also saw a proliferation of penny Toys often cheaper, smaller versions of full-size toys were designed for the pocket money market.

Popular entertainment was in major influence on tinplate toys in the 1920s and 30s which reflected film particularly Disney productions, 

Tinplate

favourite radio programmes and contemporary music.

In post-war period Japan became a leading producer of tinplate toys.

Since costs were cheaper in the Far East, many American companies commissioned manufacturers in Japan.

A huge number of toys were made purely for export to the US and reflected contemporary American culture and tastes. Often however, toys were marked foreign rather than marked made in Japan, so as not to stirrup wartime resentments.

Tinplate

Beginning with clockwork and friction models, the Japanese were among the first to use batteries for active toys in the mid-1950s. 






There there are many Tinplate  reproductions on the market today catering for new interest and making it more affordable to start a collection.