A Little History of Antique Wind-Up Toys

In the 1880's European toy makers started producing windup or spring driven tinplate toys on a large scale. Recognizing the great appeal of this ever expanding market, American toy producers also began making large quantities of spring driven, tinplate toys in the early 20th century.

The quality of the earliest windup toys was certainly found lacking, but the action the toys provided was enough to attract an extremely loyal following.

A few of the first major American companies to offer these type of toys were those of Julius Chein - starting in 1903, Strauss - beginning in 1914, and Louis Marx, who in the 1920's and 1930's manufactured a large and wide variety of finer quality, more creative (and now extremely rare and collectible!) windup toys. These toys often depicted popular radio or movie celebrities and cartoon characters of the time, and are still heavily sought after by avid collectors.

At the end of the 19th century, European makers of spring driven and friction toys were quite successfully pushing their toys into the U.S. market. The toys were so inexpensive that they were costing consumers less than the toys produced by American clockwork toy makers.

American toy producers quickly responded and began to sell spring driven toys. Before 1900 one of the more famous toy makers was Sehlesinger, whose windup toys are heavily sought after today by collectors, but are extremely difficult to find. Strauss and Marx also manufactured many windup toys of tinplate around 1910. Shortly after, Marx became the leading maker of these type of toys with colorful painted and lithographed designs.

Later, with the introduction of plastics into the toy making process, these metal toys gradually faded out of the market after World War II. Although there were some lower quality Chinese and Japanese models produced, these toys are still considered less desirable as collectibles.

One of America's more famous toy manufacturers, Ives - better known as the E. R. Ives & Company - was one of only a few companies to make windup trains, which became one of their hallmark product lines. These trains are extremely rare and hard to find now. However, if you happen to find one, consider yourself one lucky hunter. By the time that Lionel took over the Ives company in 1929, the manufacturing of windup toy trains had stopped. Electric trains were the new train of choice, and the market headed in a different direction.

Be sure to check out our store's selection of vintage toys and games and bookmark us so that when these rare treasures come by, you'll find them!