YONEZAWA TOYS CO. LTD.

Company Name/s: Yonezawa Toys Co. Ltd.

Name Derivation / Meaning: 

Location/s:  

Trade Mark/s: The letter "Y" within a cherry blossom motif. The cherry blossom, known as "sakura" in Japan, is the country's national flower. It symbolises renewal, hope etc.

Dates:  Founded in the 1950's (exact date not known) -  Merged with Sega / Sega Toys in 1994. The company was briefly known as Sega Yonezawa. The Yonezawa name was dropped in 1998.

Notes:

Checklist For Yonezawa Tin Toys (links lead to images in my photo-gallery).

COMPILING NOW - Last Updated 16/02/2016

YONEZAWA CATALOGUE 1969

YONEZAWA CATALOGUE 1969 - FULL 34 PAGE CATALOGUE
(Added 03/11/2019).

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 Yonezawa - Pictures and links to other pages with Yonezawa tin toys. Includes items for sale on auction sites etc.

IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON YONEZAWA TOYS CO. LTD. I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

TOPLAY (T.P.S.) LTD

Company Name/s: Toplay (T.P.S.) Ltd. / Tokyo Plaything Shokai

Name Derivation / Meaning: 

Location/s:  

Trade Mark/s: The company initials "T.P.S." within a band. A hand motif, holding up three fingers, protrudes upwards through the band. The three fingers on the trade mark represent the three founders of the company.

Dates: Founded 1956 - to present.

Notes: Founders Yoshio Udagawa, Yukio Miyakawa and Yasuo Kushida. 

Checklist For T.P.S Toys (links lead to images in my photo-gallery).

COMPILING NOW - Last Updated 15/04/2016-

TPS TOPLAY CATALOGUE 194-65

TPS TOPLAY CATALOGUE 1972

TPS TOPLAY CATALOGUE 1973

P-145 Combat Tank (15.00 inches long) W/U.

P-167 Loco Cab Overland (16.50 inches long) W/U.
P-170 Figure 8 Highway (15.00 inches long) W/U.
P-179
P-187 Highway Set (16.25 inches long) W/U.
P-194 Champion Autorace Tournament (16.25 inches long) W/U.
P-196 Highway Patrol (15.00 inches long) W/U.
P-317 Lady-Bug Family Parade (12.25 inches long) W/U.
P-331 
P-338 Sparking Caterpillar Bulldozer (9.00 inches long) W/U.

P-343 Super Police Helicopter (13.5 Inches Long) B/O.

P-345 Mustang Stunt Car (11.00 inches long) B/O.
P-349 Dune Buggy With Surf Board (11.00 inches long) B/O.
P-351S Walking Silver Robot (5.00 inches long) W/U. Plastic.
P-352 Missile Tank (9.50 inches long) W/U. Part plastic.
P-357 Silver Sparking Tank (9.50 inches long) W/U. Plastic
P-363 News Service Car (10.00 inches long) B/O.
P-364 Stunt Car - Open-Shut Bonnet (11.00 inches long) B/O.

P-365 The Swinger (11.00 inches long) B/O.

P-366 Hightechnical Rally Car (10.00 inches long) B/O.

P-367 Hightechnical Rider (10.25 inches long) B/O.

P-368 Stunt Plane (9.50 inches long) B/O.
P-371 Mini Walking Robot (3.00 inches long) W/U. Plastic.
P-371S Silver Mini Walking Robot (3.00 inches long) W/U. Plastic.
P-374 Silver Tiger Tank With Spark (9.00 inches long) W/U. Plastic.
P-175 Silver Missile Robot (5.50 inches high) W/U. Plastic.

P-381 Mini Helicopter, Police & Fire versions (8.00 inches long) B/O.
P-382 Lady-Bug With Baby (3.25 inches long) W/U.

P-385 U-Turn Pop Loco (10.50 inches long) B/O.

P-386 U-Turn TV Car (10.00 inches long) B/O.

P-387 U-Turn Rally Car (10.00 inches long) B/O.

P-388 U-Turn Caterpillar Bulldozer (9.50 inches long) B/O.
P-349 Dune Buggy With Skin-Diver (11.00 inches long) B/O.

P-390 Police Sidecar (7.00 inches long) B/O. Mostly plastic.

P-391 Mini Motorcycle (5.50 inches long) B/O R/C. Mostly plastic.

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).  

Useful References: Japanese Toys - Amusing Playthings From The Past, by W.C. Gallagher, published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd, 2000. Review in preparation.

Pinterest Board for T.P.S - Pictures and links to other pages with T.P.S. tin toys. Includes items for sale on auction sites etc.

IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON TOPLAY (T.P.S.) LTD I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

TPS CIRCUS-ACROBATIC SEAL & BALL

FUJI PRESS KOGYOSHO CO., LTD.

Company Name/s: Fuji Press Kogyosho Co., Ltd.

Name Derivation / Meaning: Possibly from the Japanese family name Fuji. Press refers to the machinery used in making tinplate products like toys. The significance of the lettering "m.n" is not known.

Location/s:  Katsushika Ku, Tokyo, Japan

Trade Mark/s: The letters "m.n" at the base of a mountain motif.

Dates: Founded not known - dissolved not known 

Notes: Fuji Press seem to have specialised in the manufacture and/or distribution of plush covered, mostly novelty toys. There is little or nothing in the way of planes, trains, cars etc. The toys are made from tinplate pressings but are covered with material of various types. It's an ideal combination for the production of sweet and cuddly toys which when combined with various ingenious mechanisms have a very strong appeal (see also Shuco). As a result there are many furry animals playing instruments, chasing butterflies, somersaulting etc. in the Fuji output. Lithography is at a minimum with only the occasional base or accessory being tin printed in the normal way. The vast majority of Fuji Press toys are powered by clockwork motors with just the occasional item being battery operated. The company name, Fuji Press, suggests that it may have been a manufacturer rather than just a distributor. A press being the large machine used to press out toy parts from sheet metal.

Checklist For Fuji Press Tin Toys (links lead to images in my photo-gallery).

COMPILING NOW - Last Updated 15/02/2017 - Added 537 Bear Hunter- 

Earlier (Unnumbered boxes).

Accordion Bear - W/U.
Accordion Bunny - W/U.
Animal Swing - W/U.
Happy Bird - W/U.

Available In 1969 (Numbered boxes).

503 - Romp Chick - W/U.

510-B - Dancing Doll - W/U.

517 - Hopping Dog With Basket - W/U. 

519 - Bunny Jockey - W/U.

524 - Santa On Reindeer - W/U.

543 - Musical Elephant - W/U.

545-B - Jumping Dog - W/U.

549 - Flapping Goose - W/U.

550 - Jumping Rabbit - W/U.

552 - Dwarf Rider - W/U.

565 - Mascot Playing Dog - W/U.

572 - Hoppie The Rabbit - W/U.

573 - Hoppie The Squirrel - W/U.

584 - Twin Puppies - W/U.

585 - Lovely Duck - W/U.

593 - Hopping Chick - W/U.

602 - Happy Monkey - W/U.

603 - Monkey The Drummer - W/U.

607 - Happy Duck - W/U.

612 - Happy Bunny - W/U.

614 - Waddling Duck - W/U.

615 - Musical Monkey - W/U.

631 - Mascot Dog - W/U.

644 - Playful Cat - W/U.

649 - Monkey-A-Go Go - W/U.

652 - Hungry Couple - W/U.

653 - Walking Puppy - B/O R/C.

654 - Eating & Loving Bunny - W/U.

655 - Playful Dog - W/U.

656 - Happy Puppy - W/U.

658 - Walking Pig - W/U.

660 - Hunting Duck - W/U.

661 - Tea Cup Pets (Dog) - W/U.

662 - Tea Cup Pets (Monkey) - W/U.

663 - Tea Cup Pets (Cat) - W/U.

664 - Bell Ringing Pup - W/U.

665 - Tottering Spaniel Pup - W/U.

666 - Ding-Dong Doggie - W/U.

667 - Duckling In Tea Cup - W/U.

668 - Jook-O-Stick - W/U.

669 - Tea Cup Penguin - W/U.

670 - Naughty Pup - W/U.
673 - Jumping Dog - B/O R/C.
800 - Mascot Dog - W/U.
810 - Mascot Bunny - W/U.
815 - Mascot Squirrel - W/U.
945 - Jock-O-Panda - W/U.

Other Toys (Numbered).

537 - Bear Hunter - W/U
558 - Nice Soldier With Drum - W/U. Lithographed tinplate.
589 - Happy Doggie - W/U.
611 - Lovely Lady Bug - W/U. Lithographed tinplate. String pull mechanism.
625 - Boxing Bunny - W/U.
638 - Acrobat Clown - W/U.
685 - Jolly Kitten - W/U.
692 - Walking Family Duck - W/U.
693 - Happy Kitty With Butterfly - W/U.
699 - Frisky Bunny Band - W/U.
727 - Ducks Family - W/U.

Most Fuji toys are not marked although they may have a "Made In Japan" label attached to them. Boxes are marked with the Fuji logo and may even have the company address included on them. Late examples (after 1971) are marked with the Japanese ST (Safe Toy) mark.

Hunting Duck No. 660

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 Fuji Press - Pictures and links to other pages with Fuji Press tin toys. Includes items for sale on auction sites etc.

IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON FUJI PRESS I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

GLAMORGAN TOY PRODUCTS / GLAM TOYS / G.T.P.

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. 

"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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 

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.

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).

G.T.P. MINIATURE GOODS TRAIN SET

Other Items

Coronation Display - H/O turn handles to change scene. Probably the last tin plate product produced.

G.T.P. CORONATION DISPLAY SOUVENIR.

Frog Clicker - H/O. Made in three sizes.

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.