All-NU Products Inc. New York City, New York
1938-1945
Other name: Faben Products Inc.
Founder: C. Frank Krupp
Specialty: Military Miniatures. Krupp designed and fabricated Barclay's tin helmet line of soldiers, then left to start his own company. He declared bankruptcy in 1945, but was back in business a year later.

Alps (Shojo Ltd.) Tokyo, Japan
1948 to date
Specialty: Toy vehicles and novelties. A lot of these toys were battery operated; mixed tinplate and tin. Space toys are among the most popular..

Althof, Bergmann New York City, New York
1867-1880
Founder: Three Bergmann brothers and the jobber, L. Althof.
Specialty: Tinplate trains, bell toys, still banks, horse drawn vehicle. One of the first U.S. toy makers to build carpet running trains, renowned for painted clockwork toys, notably the hoop variety.

American Flyer Chicago, Illinois
1907-1938
Acquired by A.C. Gilbert
Specialty: Electric train engines and rolling stock. Also produced a popular line of comic figures on bicycle gravity toys, including Charlie Chaplin, Uncle Sam, Roosevelt Bears (Circa 1912). A.C. Gilbert revitalized the ailing American Flyer line; following the second world war , it moved to "S" gauge models, retaining the American Flyer name..

American National Co. Toledo, Ohio
Early 1900s to ?
Trade name: Giant
Slogan: "Raise the Kids on Wheels"
Founder: Walter, Harry, and William Diemer
Specialty: Scooters, bicycles. Produced sidewalk toys including pressed-steel trucks, competing briefly with Keystone and Buddy "L" in the late 1920s.

Andes Foundry Co. Lancaster, Pennsylvania
1919 - 1930s
Other names: Merged with Kilgore and Federal Mfg. In 1927, and became American Toys.
Founder: Eugene Andes
Specialty: Paper caps and components, airplanes, trucks. First made paper caps and cast iron components for Kilgore cap guns and cannons. Merged with Kilgore and Federal Mfg. In 1927 and became American Toys until the company dissolved a few years later. Specialized in Arctic ice cream wagons, airplanes, stake and dump trucks..

Arcade Mfg. Co. Freeport, Illinois
1868 - 1946
Founder: E.H. and Charles Morgan
Specialty: First made toys and coffee mills in 1884. As late as 1939, Arcade's toy line included over 300 toy items. Yellow Cab was their first successful toy. Andy Gump in 348 and Chester Gump in His Pony Cart were other popular toys for collectors. Arcade also made toy banks, doll house furniture, and cast-iron penny toys.

Arnold Co. Nuremberg, Germany
1906 to date
Founder: K. Arnold
Specialty: Stationary steam accessories; nautical toys. Introduced "Rapido" gauge "N" model railroads in 1960s.

Auburn Auburn, Indiana
1913 - 1968
Other name: Double Fabric Tire Corp.
Specialty: English Palace Guards toy soldiers and military miniatures. Made English Palace Guards toy soldiers, as well as miniatures for the European and American branches of the military service. Also made a number of animal and wheeled vehicle toys. Toy division moved to Deming, New Mexico..

Automatic Toy Works New York City, New York
1868 - 1874
Founder: Robert J. Clay
Clockwork tin toys
Girl Skipping Rope, Toy Gymnast, Creeping Baby were precursors of all Ives articulated dancing platform toys. Bought out by Ives in 1874.

Barclay Mfg. Co. Hoboken, New Jersey
1923 - 1971
Founder: Leon Donze, a Frenchman, and Michael Levy
Toy soldiers
Introduced a line of toy soldiers in 1932; became the largest U.S. producer of toy soldiers up to World War II.

Barton & Smith Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1890s - ?
Founder: J.Barton
Mechanical Banks
Made cast-iron mechanical banks, including "Boy on Trapeze".

Bassett-Lowke Northampton, England
1899 to date
Founder: Wenman J. Bassett-Lowke
Innovated mail-order catalog of toys concept.
The first to recognize the quality workmanship of German toy train manufactures (i.e. Bing, Maerklin, Carette, and Ismayer) and to commission specific British designs. Bassett-Lowke also innovated the mail order catalog of toys concept, mailing its first edition, with tipped-in photographs, in 1899.

Bing Corp. New York City, New York
1924 - 1935
Founder: John Bing
Spin-off of German firm, Gebruder Bing.
Served as jobber for parent firm with mechanical boats, zeppelins, and steam engines.

Gebbruder Bing Nuremberg, Germany
1866 - 1933
Karl Bub; toy trains/Fleischmann; toy boats
Founder: Brothers Ignatius and Adolph Bing
Spring-driven toys
Wide-range of spring-driven, cars, buses ,boats. Perhaps its biggest coup was a line of trains initiated in 1882. Bing went under during the crash of 1929; Karl Bub acquired the toy trains division and Fleischmann the toy boats.

R. Bliss Mfg. Co. Pawtucket, Rhode Island
1832 - 1914
Sold to Mason & Parker, Winchendon, Massachusetts.
Founder: Rufus Bliss
They were in the toy business for 100 years.
Bliss had over a one hundred-year history, although the earliest ad for toys appeared in the New England Business Directory in 1871. Pioneered in development of lithographed paper on wooden toys including dolls' houses, boats, trains, and building blocks.

Blomer & Schuler Nuremberg, Germany
1930 to date
Tin mechanical motor toys.
Logo features an elephant with howdah..

George Borgfeldt & Co. New York City, New York
1881 - 1962
Founder: George Borgfeldt, and Marcell and Joseph Kahle.
Importer and wholesaler of toys.
Toys which included comic novelty tin wind-ups under the name "Nifty." Trademark was "Nifty" smiling moon face. Also distributed "Oh Boy" pressed steel trucks and cars.

James H. Bowen Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1877-1906
Founder: James H. Bowen
Pattern maker for J. & E. Stevens mechanical banks.
Designed such classics as "Darktown Battery", "Girl Skipping Rope", "Reclining Chinaman.

Bowman Norwich, England
1920s - 1935
Steam-driven locomotives and rolling stock.

Milton Bradley & Co. Springfield, Massachusetts
1861 to date
Variously identified as Milton Bradley Co., Milton Bradley & Co., Milton Bradley and company.
Founder: Milton Bradley
Board games.
Launched his business with "The Checkered Game of Life", a board game of high moral overtones. Milton Bradley also became well known for educational games, books, kindergarten teaching aids, and school supplies, as well as a small range of toys.

William Britains Ltd. London, England
1893 to date
Founder: William Britain
Three dimensional hollow toy soldier, largest producer of toy soldiers
Introduced a three dimensional hollow toy soldier line, faithfully replicating over 100 British Army regiments in their first decade of doing business. Britains expanded to become the world's largest producer of lead toy soldiers. (Since 1966, alas, the figures have been made of plastic..

George W. Brown & Co. Forestville, Connecticut
1856 - 1880
Merged with J. & E. Stevens in 1868
Founder: George W. Brown and Chauncey Goodrich
First manufacturer to produce toys with clock-work mechanisms.
Beginning perhaps as early as 1850. Known for classic boats, vehicles, animal platforms toys, dancing figures, and hoop bell toy, fashioned in painted tin.

Karl Bub Nuremberg, Germany
1851 - 1966
Founder: Karl Bub
Enameled tin transportation toys,
Superbly enameled and later lithographed line of clockwork tin transportation toys including trains. Many Bub toys reached the American market via exclusive distributor F.A.O. Schwartz, New York City, during the 1920s-1930s.

Buddy L Salem, Massachusetts
1910 to date
Other names: Moline Press Steel(1910-1913); Buddy L Wood Products(1944); Buddy L Manufacturing (1930); Buddy L Corp.(to date).
Founder: Fred Lundahl
Cranes, steamrollers, trucks, construction toys.
Buddy L toys were named after the founder's son. Lundahl introduced the line in 1921, starting with a pressed steel pick-up truck that expanded into a veritable fleet of almost 30 cranes and other construction toys some five years later.

Buffalo Toy & Tool Works Buffalo, New York
1924 - 1968
Lightweight pressed-steel aeronautical, automotive, and carousel toys.
Many of the toys were activated by a special spiral rod connected to a spring.

Burnett Ltd. London, England
1920s - 1930s
Painted and lithographed tin clockwork vehicles, including London autobuses.

Butler Brothers New York City, New York
1876 - 1950s
Largest wholesale distributors of toys in the U.S. during the first quarter of the 20th century.
Carried the most elite lines. Sold by catalog exclusively to merchants, with sample houses in most major cities.

Cardini Omegna, Italy
1922 - 1928
Five main lines of small toy automobiles
Cardini's innovative packaging included outer box that could be transformed into the cars garage. Toys were marked by a large Cardini crest and the tires were marked Pirelli-cord.

George Carette Nuremberg, Germany
1886 - 1917
Founder: George Carette (with Gebrudern Bing's backing).
Mechanical tin boats, cars, and trains.
Many of these toys were lithographed. Best known for electric streetcars and model trains. Carette, as a French citizen, was deported from Germany in 1917, thus closing the firm.

Carlisle & French Co. Cincinnati, Ohio
1895 - 1915 (for toy line)
Founder: Robert Finch and Morton Carlisle
First successful electric train
Produced the first successful electrically run toy train in the United States in 1879. Later expanded line included steam outline locomotives and rolling stock. Also functioned a distributor, handling the first toy automobile. ( made by Knapp Electric in 1900).

Francis W. Carpenter Port Chester, New York
1880 - 1890
Sold patent rights and inventory to Pratt & Letchworth
Cast-iron, horse-drawn vehicles.
These Toys included what many collectors view as the creme de la creme, the tally-ho.

Champion Hardware Co. Geneva, Ohio
1883 - 1954 (toys from 1930-1936)
Founder: John and Ezra Hasenpflug
Champion Hardware made cast iron transportation toys, banks and cap pistols. They also made cast iron parts for other leading toy manufacturers. (Thanks to Mark Schupska for information provided.)

J. Chein & Co. New York City, New York and Harrison, New Jersey.
1903 - 1979 (toy producing years)
Other names: Became known as Chein Industries, Inc., in the 1970s.
Founder: Julius Chein
Specialty: tin mechanical toys, banks, drums, and tea sets.
Tin toys were lithographed. Chein's line of comic and circus tin toys received wide acceptance in the 1930s and leading up to World War II. .

D.P. Clark Dayton, Ohio
1898 - 1909
Other names: Re-named Schieble Toy & Novelty in 1909
Founder: David P. Clark
Specialty: Sheet-steel novelty and automotive toys with friction and flywheel mechanisms.

Clark & Sowdon New York City, New York
Early 1890s - 1910
Specialty: Board games
Board games such as "Rough Riders", "Game of Golf", and "Yacht Race"..

E.O. Clark New York City, New York
1897 - early 1900s
Founder: E.O. Clark (Successor to Clark & Sowdon).
Specialty: Board games.
Board games, including "The Charge", "The Hippodrome", and "The Owl & The Pussycat."

Morton E. Converse Co. Winchenden, Massachusetts
1878 - 1934 (Mason & Converse until 1883)
Founder: Morton Converse
Specialty: Toytown Complex
"Toytown Complex" was once recognized as the largest wood toy factory in the world. Known for Noah's arcs, ABC blocks, and doll furniture, many of which were lithographs on wood. Made steel toys in the 1890s, comprised mainly of transportation vehicles with clockwork mechanisms.

Corcoran Mfg. Co. Washington, Indiana
1920s - 1940s
Specialty: Large, pressed-steel riding toy autos and trains under the trademark "Cor-Cor".

Corgi Toys, Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. Swansea, South Wales
Since 1956 (Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. Originated in 1934)
Specialty: Miniature toy vehicles in metal and plastic.

Courtenay Miniatures (an extension of a Doran toy makers which dates back to 1892) Duran, England
1938 - 1963
Founder: Richard and Vida Courtenay
Specialty: very limited production of lead royalty figures including Knights of the Round Table. Frederick Ping with Courtenay made many of his own medieval figures.Courtenay chose Ping to take over his molds upon his death (1963). Ping was one of the most incredible makers of 54mm figures, working in the French style of building each figure from layers of lead, on a simple lead figure. Ping kept the molds from 1963, until Peter Greenhill purchased the Courtenay molds in 1978 and continues to market miniatures under Courtenay and Greenhill. (Credit for this information goes to Glenn)

Charles M. Crandall Covington, Pennsylvania
1867-1905
Specialty: Inter-locking tongue and groove lithograph paper-on-wood joints.
Interlocking tongue in groove wooden joints that children used to create multiple figure forms. Some of the more popular sets; "District School House", "Acrobats", and "Treasure Box". Charles' son Jesse started his own toy business soon after the Civil War, relocating in Brooklyn. Jesse Crandall was issued a number of patents for rocking toys, alphabet blocks, and construction toys. Relocated to Montrose, Pennsylvania in 1875, to Waverly, New York in 1888.

Jesse Crandall Brooklyn, New York
1840s - 1880s
Specialty: Hobby horses, rocking horses, velocipedes, and board games.

Crescent Toy Co., Ltd. Great Britain
1921-late 1970s
Specialty: Hollow cast lead soldiers and plastic figures, including "Dan Dare, Pilot of the Future"; also made die-cast motor miniatures.