The Story Of Nylint Toys
The Nylint Corporation was founded in Illinois in 1937. Known today for Nylint toys, the company began in the kitchen utensil market. They went on to manufacture military products during World War II and started to make toys after the war had finished. This move into toys was a practical one as they had the equipment to make pressed steel. These metal products proved very popular from the first wind up toy, called the Amazing Car, which had a pioneering design.
The line was admired for its realistic looking vehicles and Nylint toys were often accurate miniature replicas of real life cars and trucks etc. Other wind up toys followed the Amazing Car, including a front end loader and a motorcycle. The 1950s was the decade of construction toys. Nylint produced durable but affordable construction vehicles. Military replicas were also popular at this time. The company introduced a series based on Ford vehicles, including pick up trucks. During the 1970s and 1980s, the line expanded to Chevy and other types of truck. These pressed steel trucks are still made today.
Classic toys are found at toy fairs, flea markets, on the Internet and in specialist magazines. There is a big demand for the construction line that includes digger trucks, payloaders and trucks with telescoping cranes. An entire building site could be assembled with the addition of jack hammers, cement mixers and bulldozers. There are more unusual Nylint toys available too, such as a ranch truck with matching trailer. Some toy cowboys and steers would make a great play theme for a child. There is also a Safari Hunt set with nine jungle animals.
Even the old Amazing Car and the 1956 street sweeper are still around for collecting. Today’s children, more familiar with sophisticated electronic toys, are often fascinated with toys from the past and get a lot of pleasure from them. Of course, serious collectors wouldn’t dream of letting anyone play with them and would probably display them as a kind of trophy. Whatever the reason for buying, the market in nostalgic toys is set to stay.
