Post updated - 23/04/2019
Company Name/s: Glamorgan Toy Products Ltd. / Glam Toy / G.T.P.
Name Derivation / Meaning: From the location in the historic County of Glamorganshire in South Wales.
Location/s: Hannah Street, Porth, Mid Glamorgan, South Wales.
Trade Mark/s: Usually marked G.T.P followed by a reference number.
Dates: Founded by Jacob Beatus in 1935 - dissolved 1953.
Notes: There has been some confusion as to the exact location of this company. Some sources maintain that the company was located on the Treforest Industrial Estate, just north of Cardiff (i.e. National Museum Of Wales - see lower part of page). Other sources, for instance a brief entry in M. Fawdry's book "British Tin Toys" gives the location as "Port, Glamorganshire". Initially I assumed that this was a misprint and should read Port Talbot (and this assumption was incorporated into previous versions of this Post). It appears that I was only partially correct. It turns out that there is an error in the text but it is the omission of only one letter 'h'. Thanks to the information below it is now clear that the company was located in Porth, South Wales.
The following extract is taken from an article ‘Penny Trains’ to Hornby Packaging by Ian Layne.
Company Name/s: Glamorgan Toy Products Ltd. / Glam Toy / G.T.P.
Name Derivation / Meaning: From the location in the historic County of Glamorganshire in South Wales.
Location/s: Hannah Street, Porth, Mid Glamorgan, South Wales.
Trade Mark/s: Usually marked G.T.P followed by a reference number.
Dates: Founded by Jacob Beatus in 1935 - dissolved 1953.
Notes: There has been some confusion as to the exact location of this company. Some sources maintain that the company was located on the Treforest Industrial Estate, just north of Cardiff (i.e. National Museum Of Wales - see lower part of page). Other sources, for instance a brief entry in M. Fawdry's book "British Tin Toys" gives the location as "Port, Glamorganshire". Initially I assumed that this was a misprint and should read Port Talbot (and this assumption was incorporated into previous versions of this Post). It appears that I was only partially correct. It turns out that there is an error in the text but it is the omission of only one letter 'h'. Thanks to the information below it is now clear that the company was located in Porth, South Wales.
The following extract is taken from an article ‘Penny Trains’ to Hornby Packaging by Ian Layne.
"Jacob Beatus (pronounced Bee-art-uss) was a pre-war emigre from Nazi Germany. Like his compatriot Phillip Ullman of Mettoy he set up himself in the business of making tin toys, but on a rather more modest scale. He settled in Porth, South Wales and called his firm Glamtoys after the County of Glamorgan. His specialty was toys in the cheapest range; small racing cars, clicking frogs and animals and unpowered toy trains of the smallest sizes. In short, what has become known as 'Penny toys'. Woolworths were a particular customer for these products, which were displayed and sold loose from their toy counters. In post-war years Woolworth's requirements became more sophisticated and they decided that the toys which they sold should be individually packed in printed cartons. Jacob set up his own small carton-making plant within his factory, only to find that he was making more profit from the cartons than from the contents. Toy making was abandoned and he went over exclusively to carton manufacture under the title of Jacob Beatus Ltd.
When Jacob retired my good friend Philip Mee, a fellow member of the Institute of Packaging, became managing director of Jacob Beatus Ltd. At the back of a drawer in Jacob's former desk he came across a small parcel of the original tin toy products, the sole relics of the company's former activity. They remained there for several years until Philip in turn vacated the position. Knowing my particular interest in tinprinting history he passed them over into my care. The small package which reached me contained a typical range of the Former Glamtoy products; three clicking frogs of various sizes, a small tin pistol and four items of Glamtoy train rolling stock but alas no engine! The final item sets the approximate date when toy production ceased. It is a diorama about the size of a throat lozenge tin and commemorates the present Queen's Coronation in 1953. The lid has a rectangular aperture representative of a theatre proscenium or cinema screen. Rotate the handles at either end and the procession passes by on a paper reel".
Published in Train Collectors Society News No.62, November 1989.
I'm very grateful to Ian Smith, Senior Curator, Modern & Contemporary Industry, National Museum of Wales for sending me this very useful information.
Toys may be marked either "Made In England" or "Made In Great Britain". As noted in the extract above most Glam Toys were sold without packaging. As a result, although they are very common, they are usually found in a fairly worn condition.
Checklist For G.T.P. Toys (links lead to images in my photo-gallery).
COMPILING NOW - Last Updated 23/04/2019
Latest additions - 542 Breakdown Wagon, 582 Combination Safe.
GTP Numbered Toys
G.T.P. 506 Saloon Car - N/M. Two tone red & green.
G.T.P. 508 Police Car - N/M. Black & white. May have bell mechanism.
G.T.P. 509 Taxi - N/M. Black and white.
G.T.P. 510 Ambulance - N/M. White with red detailing, red cross on roof.
G.T.P. 511 Railway Locomotive - N/M. Marked BR. Red or green
G.T.P. 512 Railway Tender - N/M. Red or green
G.T.P. 511 Railway Locomotive - N/M. Marked BR. Red or green
G.T.P. 512 Railway Tender - N/M. Red or green
G.T.P. 513 Railway Coach - N/M. Red or Green.
G.T.P. 514 Railway Dining Coach - N/M. Red (or Green?).
G.T.P. 517 Railway Livestock Wagon - N/M.
G.T.P. 519 Railway Open Wagon - N/M.
G.T.P. 520 Railway Petrol Tank Wagon - N/M.
G.T.P. 514 Railway Dining Coach - N/M. Red (or Green?).
G.T.P. 517 Railway Livestock Wagon - N/M.
G.T.P. 519 Railway Open Wagon - N/M.
G.T.P. 520 Railway Petrol Tank Wagon - N/M.
G.T.P. 522 Racing Car - N/M. No. 8. Red & gold or blue & gold.
G.T.P. 526 Steamroller - N/M. Wooden front roller.
G.T.P. 527 Railway Locomotive & Tender - N/M. Red & green versions.
G.T.P. 531 Redline Taxi - N/M.
G.T.P. 532 Ambulance - N/M. Red & cream.
G.T.P. 533 Monte Carlo Rally Car - N/M.
G.T.P. 534 Police Car - N/M. Police No.5 car on side.
G.T.P. 535 Fire Chief Car - N/M. Red with yellow stripe.
G.T.P. 536 Chauffeur Driven Car - N/M. Red & yellow. GB badge on boot.
G.T.P. 538 Motor Boat - N/M.
G.T.P. 541 Aeroplane - N/M.
G.T.P. 542 Breakdown Wagon - N/M.
G.T.P. 543 Fire Service Fire Engine - N/M.
G.T.P. 542 Breakdown Wagon - N/M.
G.T.P. 543 Fire Service Fire Engine - N/M.
G.T.P. 550 Children's School Bus - N/M.
G.T.P. 551 Radio Coach - N/M.
G.T.P. 552 GTP Tours Coach - N/M. GTP Motorways on side.
G.T.P. 553 Pullman Coach - N/M.
G.T.P. 554 Swift Coach - N/M.
G.T.P. 555 Starline Coach's Coach - N/M.
G.T.P. 561 Royal Mail Van - N/M.
G.T.P. 563 Ice Cream Van - N/M.
G.T.P. 564 GTP Mobile Shop - N/M.
G.T.P. 565 Mobile Television Unit - N/M.
G.T.P. 566 GTP Circus Van, Big Top Circus - N/M.
G.T.P. 568 GTP Express Engine - N/M.
G.T.P. 570 Saloon Car - N/M. Blue
G.T.P. 571 Saloon Car - N/M. Red
G.T.P. 574 Saloon Car - N/M. Two tone blue & white.
G.T.P. 576 Saloon Car - N/M. Two tone green.
G.T.P. 577 Police Car - N/M. Patrol No. 3 on side.
G.T.P. 578 Taxi - N/M. Red & yellow.
G.T.P. 579 Ambulance - N/M. White with red detailing, red roof, white cross.
G.T.P. 580 G.T.P. Pleasure Launch - N/M.
G.T.P. 581 Police River Patrol Launch - N/M.
G.T.P. 582 Combination Safe - Combination lock.
G.T.P. 584 Automatic Garage - Opening garage door.
G.T.P. 582 Combination Safe - Combination lock.
G.T.P. 584 Automatic Garage - Opening garage door.
G.T.P. 584 Royal Air Force Staff Car - N/M.
G.T.P. 585 Royal Navy Staff Car - N/M.
G.T.P. 586 Army Staff Car - N/M.
* The Automatic Garage and Royal Air Force car appear to have been allocated the same number.
* The Automatic Garage and Royal Air Force car appear to have been allocated the same number.
Boxed Sets
Automatic Garage Set - Boxed set with Automatic Garage G.T.P. 584 and cars.
Miniature Passenger Train Set - Boxed set with locomotive G.T.P. 511, tender G.T.P. 512, two carriages G.T.P. 513 and an unmarked signal.
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| G.T.P. MINIATURE PASSENGER TRAIN SET |
Miniature Goods Train Set - Boxed set with locomotive G.T.P. 511, tender G.T.P. 512, Railway Open Wagon G.T.P. 519, Railway Cattle Wagon G.T.P. 519, Petrol Tank Wagon G.T.P. 520. Produced at some point between 1948 (formation of British Rail) and 1953 (cessation of toy production at Glam Toys).
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| G.T.P. MINIATURE GOODS TRAIN SET |
Coronation Display - H/O turn handles to change scene. Probably the last tin plate product produced.
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| G.T.P. CORONATION DISPLAY SOUVENIR. |
Frog Clicker - H/O. Made in three sizes.
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| G.T.P. FROG CLICKER |
Pistol - H/O.
Abbreviations Used.
N/M = no mechanism.
H/O = hand operated.
Friction = friction wound flywheel mechanism.
Crank = crank wound flywheel mechanism.
W/U = wind up / clockwork (spring) mechanism.
B/O = battery operated.
B&G = bump and go / mystery action.
R/C = remote control.
Name In Italics = exact name unknown (updated when I spot an original box or obtain an original catalogue).
Pinterest Board for G.T.P. - Pictures and links to other pages with G.T.P. tin toys. Includes items for sale on auction sites etc.
IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON G.T.P I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
Good morning. I have recently discovered your site and have a few queries which I hope you can help me with. When did GTP change to the smaller scale cars was it up to 538. I have a 522 racing car in blue and gold which is not listed. Lastly 584, did they put any 3 cars in or was always red blue and green/ Thank you, Nigel.
ReplyDeleteHello Nigel, I'm not sure I can answer your questions exactly. I do have some additional information on the company (I'll see if I can add it to the post in the next day or two). The list above is actually compiled by periodically searching internet sources like auction records etc. so it's unlikely to be complete.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kevin. I have just bought 584 RAF car in all blue not two tone like the others,
ReplyDelete