Tin Toys

At www.ginosbears.co.uk, as well as supplying lovely Old Teddy Bears, who are brimming over with charm, character and history, we also have a section on the site called Gino Racing where you will find an array of old and collectible toys, including some fine old tin toys and cars, from a variety of makers, including the ever popular Schuco Company. Nuremberg in Germany, was the birth place of tinplate toys where, originally they were made for children (just like the teddy bear). They were stamped out of metal and hand-moulded using only very basic hand-operated devices. Later on, however, as powered machinery began to take over the many processes, many more tinplate items could be produced. Nuremberg toys soon started to flood toy markets across the world. Many other countries started to produce tin toys but not as successfully as Germany. Of course German production was hampered by the two world wars and when, after the Second World War the Japanese market seemed to have taken over, due to their battery powered models which provided tin toys with movement, flashing lights and noises. By the late 1950’s/early 1960’s the tin toy market had started to decline dramatically. This was due to the safety issue, as tinplate toys had sharp tabs which by now were becoming a hazard for young children. Also, plastics had started to gain acceptance into the toy world. So, many large companies around the world went out of business. When old tinplate cars and toys come on to the market today, they are almost immediately snapped up by collectors. Many of these wonderful old models are nothing short of small pieces of artwork and therefore it is no wonder they are collected and admired by adults the world over. At www.ginosbears.co.uk we have some lovely examples of such models from makers such as the famous Schuco Company (which is one of our favourite makers). We also have some Japanese tinplate and even some more modern tin toy items from makers such as Schylling, who make tinplate racers such as Bluebird and The Golden Arrow. These more modern items make fantastic gifts for both collectors of tinplate and for car enthusiasts. They also make great gifts for the man or has everything. These models look fantastic when displayed on a desk or in a bookcase with say books on motor racing, etc. If you would like to see what models (old or new) we have in stock right now, then please take a moment to look at our site at www.ginosbears.co.uk where we look forward to meeting you.