By Morton Hirschberg

In Toys We Trust

by Morton A. Hirschberg

The history of toys and toy manufacturers has long been a subject discussed in books and articles. Yet, one of the most fascinating aspects of toy history has only been written about in fits and starts­­—monopolies.

In this article I attempt to cover, as completely as possible, the toy trusts or monopolies that were formed, and in two cases, still exist. A short description of the main items produced by each firm as well as individual membership information is given when known. Dates for when a company was in business are approximate, since sources often vary on this point.

National Novelty Corporation

In December 1902, the National Novelty Corporation was incorporated under New Jersey laws. The main purposes of the corporation were: 1) to reduce competition that severely reduced profits and 2) to counter the expanding imports from foreign markets, especially toys imported from Germany.

According to Playthings, a toy publication, the National Novelty Corporation consolidated in 1903 with 19 member manufacturers of toys and novelties. A later 1903 issue of Playthings listed as many as 41 companies as members of the National Novelty Corporation. A 1904 edition of Moody’s Manual of Corporation Securities differs from Playthings but I believe the Playthings list to be more accurate.

The corporation was authorized $5 million in capital stock and $5 million in common stock. None of the stock was offered to the public. Member companies’ properties were turned over to the corporation in all cases in exchange for securities. A bonded debt of  $1.25 million was authorized. Bonds were due on August 21, 1933.

The initial corporate officers were:

Nicholas H. Colwell – President. 

Mr. Colwell had been the superintendent and manager of

Kenton, a position he would later refill.

W. E. Kidder – Vice President.

F. W. Crandall – Treasurer.

E. S. Coe – Secretary and Assistant Treasurer. 

Coe was from Coe & Sniffen of Stratford, CT, which

manufactured ice skates.

The New York office was initially located at 820 Broadway and later moved to the National Building at 826-828 Broadway.

When the National Novelty Corporation was formed, Playthings predicted the corporation would control 95% of all toys produced in America. It also thought the corporation would be a success.

While many prominent companies did join, a few of the largest toy companies did not.  Major opposition came from Atherton D. Converse of the Morton E. Converse Company of Winchenden, MA. At the time, Converse was a powerhouse in the toy industry. It was recognized as the largest wood toy factory in the world.

Converse used its drum line and started a price war, which reduced the profitability of the National Novelty Corporation. Later Converse did indeed become a part of the corporation. In 1905, Ralph B. Cooley, one of the corporation’s influential directors, resigned. Cooley had started his firm in the 1880s in New York.

The National Novelty Corporation struggled along and finally was dissolved in 1907. Member companies either went out of business, were able to reclaim their property and rights to their products and continue on as toy manufacturers, or entered into a new toy trust.

The Hardware and Woodenware Company

In late 1907 or early 1908, the Hardware and Woodenware Company was established.

According to Moody’s, it aquired the property and businesses of the National Novelty Corporation, which was composed of manufacturers of toys, house furnishings, hardware specialties, and novelties. The company was placed in the hands of Nicholas H. Colwell as receiver. It had capital of $3,750,000.

The Hardware and Woodenware Company seems to have lowered its sights far below that of the National Novelty Corporation. It had 21 member companies.

The company occupied the same location as the National Novelty Corporation at 826-828 Broadway, NYC. On September 8, 1908, A. E. Cudworth, an attorney, and F. W. Crandall succeeded Mr. Colwell, who had resigned. They relocated the company’s offices to 693-697 Broadway, NYC. In 1911 the receivers, Cudworth and Crandall, sold the Logan and Strobridge Factory in New Brighton, PA, for $20,000. In 1912 or 1913, the Hardware and Woodenware Company was dissolved.

Toy Manufacturers of the U.S.A.

Toy manufacturing in the United States was about an $8 million industry in 1916. European toys, again primarily German, outsold U.S. toys by a large margin.

When the war in Europe started, there was an opportunity for the U.S. to obtain parity. Encouraged by Robert McCready of Playthings and others in the industry, Albert C. (A.C.) Gilbert convened a group of representatives from 50 manufacturers. In April 1916 they met at the Hotel McAlpin in New York City to create a toy trade association. In one day, they drafted a Constitution and by-laws, signed up 38 American toy companies as charter members and selected a Board of Managers (see reference 2).

The officers were:

Albert C. Gilbert – President

Harry C. Ives – Vice President

Atherton D. Converse – Second Vice-President

Leo Schlessinger – Treasurer

Fletcher Dodge – Executive Secretary.

The mission of the Toy Manufacturers of the U.S.A . was “to cooperate and help toy merchants in every conceivable way.”

Gilbert was a multifaceted talent—collegiate wrestling champion, Olympic gold medalist in the pole vault, amateur magician, Doctor of Chemistry, avid hunter, and sportsman.

The A. C. Gilbert Company of New Haven, CT, opened in 1908 and was sold to Lionel in 1966. The company began by manufacturing a boxed magic set, introduced the Erector Set, and produced pressed steel automobiles and trucks, plus a variety of scientific toys. Gilbert purchased American Flyer in 1938.

The Ives Corporation, originally founded in Plymouth, CT, in 1868, subsequently moved to Bridgeport, CT. It operated into the early 1930s, when it went bankrupt and was sold to Lionel. Ives was probably the most beloved of American toy manufacturers. Its slogan was “Ives Toys Make Happy Boys.” It started with mechanical toys, and then went on to floor trains and finally electric trains. An unprofitable line of toy boats, the Great Depression, and its policy of replacing damaged trains and cars lead to its demise.

The Morton E. Converse Company of Winchenden, MA , operated from 1878 to 1934. Once the largest manufacturer of wooden toys, it suffered hard times starting in the 1920s.

Leo Schlessinger started his company in 1875 in New York City. It manufactured tin and mechanical toys.

Toward the end of World War I, Gilbert and a group of prominent toy manufacturers met with the War Department and convinced the government that continued toy manufacturing would not hurt the war effort. Thus Gilbert became known as “the man who saved Christmas for children.” In 1921 he again went to Washington on behalf of the Toy Manufacturers to ask Senator John Nance Garner (later Vice President under Franklin D. Roosevelt) to help pass a 60% tariff. He was so successful, the Senate passed a 75% tariff. The tariff helped American toy manufacturers achieve near parity with the German toy manufacturers.

Somewhere along the line, the Toy Manufacturers of the U.S.A changed its name to Toy Manufacturers of America. Still later, perhaps in the late 1920s or early 1930s the name changed once more—this time to Toy Industry Association, Incorporated or simply TIA. TIA is still very active with over 300 members. It sponsors a large toy fair, now held yearly in New York City, where it has been located since 1934.

NOMA – National outfit Manufacturers Association

How surprising it was to learn that the onetime largest Christmas light manufacturer also made toys. Following is a short history of NOMA and its entry into the world of toys.

Although Thomas Alva Edison invented the incandescent light in 1879, it was not until 1901 that Christmas lights were offered to retailers as window displays. It was another few years before General Electric offered them to the public. Soon many companies were manufacturing strings of Christmas lights. One problem was that the strings came in lengths of 8, 16, or 32 bulbs, but there was no way to attach them together so a single electric outlet could be used. Lester Haft of the C. D. Wood Electric Company solved this problem. He invented and patented a device called the Tatchon (also called a Tri-Plug connection)—an extension device to adjust the number of strings attached to it, allowing the use of a single electric outlet. Now, all the companies wanting to use and sell the Tatchon had to pay royalties, a costly proposition.

Early in 1925, the Sadacca Brothers, Albert, Henri and Leon, proposed that a trade organization be started, whereby any company who wanted to would be able to join, reducing licensing and advertising costs to everyone. From 11 to 15 companies joined but continued to sell under their own names until 1926 when they merged and became NOMA (readers can find most of the initial member companies in reference 5 below.

NOMA was extremely successful. Then came World War II. Production of Christmas lights stopped because the materials used to make them were essential to the war effort. NOMA did manufacture weapons. It  hit upon the idea of using non-essential materials and began producing toys made of wood and later plastics. In 1942 NOMA began its production of wooden toys. There were the NOMA Woodies train sets, automobile trailers, tractors, toy ducks and other animals, and the Plain-Jane toys. Plastic toys included the NOMA Talking Train Station, the NOMA squirt gun, and parts for the Effanbee Norma
Talking Doll. NOMA made toys into the 1950s.

In 1946, NOMA manufactured its wildly successful bubble lights. At least one string was on 90% of all household trees. As competition grew, NOMA was not able to compete with the foreign markets and declared bankruptcy in 1965. After a succession of name changes, Inliten LLC secured the rights to bubble lights in 1968, so NOMA lights are still being made. This ends our amazing story of Toy Trusts in America.

The complete article with manufacturers listing can be found in the Readers Room on the ATCA website.

Acknowledgements:

Cheryl Dishon Cain, Research Librarian, of the Business, Science & Technology Branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD.

Diane Cardinale, the Public Information Manager of the Toy Industry Association, Inc. (TIA), (Formerly Toy Manufacturers of America, Inc.) of New York, NY for providing me her article (reference  2).

Milt Boyd, The ClampGuy, for providing information about Rufus Bliss.

Robert Saylor for providing copies of pages from Playthings.

Bill and George Nelson for their wonderful website on Antique Christmas Lights and especially the NOMA information.

References:

1. Boyd, Milt (The ClampGuy). www.clampguy.info

2. Cardinale, Diane. “Toy Industry Association: 86 Years Young and Still at Play,”Playthings, October 2002.

3. Jacobs, Charles M. Kenton Iron Toys, Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 1996,

Atglen PA.

4. McClintock, Marshall & Inez. Toys in America, Public Affairs Press, 1961, Washington D. C.

5. Nelson, Bill & George. www.oldchristmaslights.com

6. Santa Barbara Antique Toys. www.antiquetoys.com

7. Mr. Robert Saylor, Personnal Communications, 2008.