Tin Plate Toy
The history of toys has been and still continues to be a fascinating story, and one of the items that has played an important part in this, is the Tin Plate Toy.
Although Tin Plate Toys are still manufactured today in some parts of the world, particularly in Asia, they will always have an element of nostalgia about them, and it’s the rare and/or collectable Tin Plate Toys from decades past that are fondly remembered.
The Tin Plate story can be traced back as early as the 1800’s, with Germany leading the way with companies like Bing, Fleischman, and Lehmann, becoming success stories in the Tin Plate industry. Europe swiftly became one of the key manufacturers for this brand of toy, with Rossignol in France, and the well-known Chad Valley Toys also popular. Other British manufacturers included Lines Brothers, and the British Subsidiary of Louis Marx. Finally, there was The Mettoy Company, who were suppliers to the early Marks and Spencer stores, and Brim Toy, one of the more unusual Tin Plate Toy producers. This company has produced some of the more collectable items dating from the 1940’s and 1950’s such as Clockwork Fish, Flying Superman, and their Walking Pigs.
Japan was also a long-standing producer of Tin Plate Toys, but it wasn’t until the mid 1900’s that they really became known for this type of toy production. Tin Cars and other modes of transport, along with some animals, came off the Asian production lines and headed for sale in America.
It’s easy to see that the one thing the Tin Plate Toy Market was known for, and that was variety. Manufacturers all over the world produced diverse ranges of pull-along, windup, and battered operated Tin Toys, which along with animals and vehicles, also included toys that made a noise. Popular examples of this brand of toy include The Tin Plate Drum, The Humming Top, and The Tinkle Tonk Music Box. Their designs are almost as iconic as the Tin Plate Toys themselves, with animals, cute characters, pictures of Victorian and Edwardian Toys, and Carousel Designs commonplace.
In essence, Tin Plate Toys became a reflection of society at the time in which they were made. Many reflected popular entertainment characters, some company brands, while the changes in transport design were most often brought to life in miniature. Although plastic soon over took Tin Plate in toy production, tinplatetoy.co.uk is here to recognise its part in toy history, and the colourful products this medium was used to produce.
