Playmobil
This German company pivoted from making casket accessories to producing plastic playthings and became one of the country’s most successful toy companies along the way.
ThinkFun
ThinkFun rose from obscurity to become a respected game publisher thanks to the tenacity of the founders and its clever brain-challenging games.
Steiff
Steiff grew from a one-person seamstress business to become a pioneer of plush toys and maker of the highly collectable Teddy Bear.
Leslie Scott
Leslie Scott turned childhood play with wooden building blocks into Jenga, a game that continues to attract board game enthusiasts of all ages almost four decades after its initial release.
Richard T. James and Betty M. James
The couple who created Slinky, one of North America’s most popular toys, saw their personal lives spiral in unexpected directions.
Mego Corporation
From dime-store toys to action figures and playsets, Mego Corporation led the industry in manufacturing efficiencies and display packaging innovations.
Bruder
This family business weathered economic and cultural shifts to become one of the most recognizable European and international toy brands.
Reliable Toy Company
Founded by three brothers in Toronto in the 1920s, Reliable Toy Company grew from tiny toy producer to become the British Empire’s largest toymaker.
Galoob
Lewis Galoob Toys, Inc. evolved from distribution to manufacturing and battled a video game giant along the way.
O-Pee-Chee
Founded by two entrepreneurial brothers, O-Pee-Chee gained fame for its signature trading cards packaged with a stick of bubble gum.
Irwin Toy Limited
A modest home-based operation that evolved to serve American toy manufacturers and Canadian consumers, Irwin Toy Limited pioneered toy licencing and distribution agreements.