fall inside a hole

Who made who

There are a great deal of different toy makers, resellers, importers, distributers, etcetera mentioned on these webpages. In an effort to keep track of some of these different companies, I have arranged some of them by region and era alongside some basic information and links to where their products are represented on the site.

United States and the Americas

Company	Years Active	Description	Showcased products
Holgate Brothers Company Holgate Toy Company	1789 (wood products) 1929-1960s, 1980s- (toys)	Originally producing boxes and tool handles, began making early childhood toys which became popular in the 1930s and 40s, toy division was purchased by Playskool in 1958 where the brand was used into the 1960s while the Holgate Brothers Co. continued in industrial plastics with Nosco into the 1970s. In the 1980s the company was restarted in Pennsylvania and produced wooden toys including some Mister Rogers Neighborhood toys and in 2007 they merged with Pepperell Crafts. A handful of products still use the Holgate name, but it seems production has wound down	Holgate "New" Tot Railroad (1960-1961)
Illfelder Importing Company Illco	1861 (stationary) 1970s-1992	Originally the American importing branch of a German stationary company in New York, imported and marketed a range of toys in the 1970s and 1980s including the Squirmles worm-on-a-sting and a range of licensed character toys. Bought by Tyco in 1992 who continued their Muppets toy range	Mickey Mouse Fun Castle Roller Coaster Mickey Mouse Loop the Loop (~1979)
Simpsons Simpsons-Sears Sears Canada	1872-1984, 1984-2018 (Sears Canada)	Canadian department store that entered a joint venture with Sears in 1952 and became Simpsons-Sears with some shared products between the American and Canadian regions. Hudson's Bay purchased the Simpsons branded stores in 1978 and Sears operated the Simpsons-Sears stores they became owners of as Sears Canada until all stores were liquidated and emptied in early 2018	Highway Police-Chase (later 1970s) Flippity Flyer (later 1970s)
Montgomery Ward	1872-2001	Mail-order and later department store chain that imported and resold some toys under their own brand	The Little Engine That Could Train Set (1972-1976)
F. W. Woolworth Woolworth's Woolco	1879-1997	American discount and variety store with department stores under the Woolco name that, like other stores, occasionally resold imported goods under their own name. The chain declined in the 1980s and in the early 2000s evolved into Foot Locker	Shuttling Ferry-Boat (early 70s) Dead Heat racing games (1970s)
Borgfeldt Toys (Canada) Limited	1882-	Canadian importer and distributor of toys, Canada's exclusive dealer for Tamiya model kits	Flying Stunt Loco (Canadian import) (~1976)
Sears, Roebuck & Co. Sears	1892-	Department store chain known for many years for its extensive catalogue of nearly any product you could want, including many resold under in-house brands. Resold many toys (and many, many other goods) by many manufacturers	Giant Crane (1970-1976) Highway Police-Chase (1972-1979) Flippity Flyer (mid-late 1970s) Flying Stunt Loco (later 1970s)
Ferdinand Strauss Company F.J. Strauss Co. Inc. Straco	Early 1900s-	Early 1900s New York maker of lithographed tin toys, original owner seems to have left by the 1930s and may have been incorporated into part of Marx. In the 1970s some cheap imported plastic toys were sold under the Straco name attributed to F.J. Strauss Co. Inc. and the name was used at least as late as 1985	Straco My First Train Set (1975)
Keystone Manufacturing	1919-1958	Keystone Manufacturing of Boston, Mass. produced metal and wooden toys from the early 1920s until going out of business in early 1958. Playskool acquired some of their toolings, notably Tot Railroad, a plastic and wood train system that would become the basis for Tomy's Plarail	Keystone Tot Railroad (1950-1958)
Hasbro	1923 (textiles) Late 1940s- (toys)	American toy company that saw its first success with Mr. Potato Head, bought many other manufactures including Playskool in 1984, CBS Toys and Child Guidance in 1985, and Parker Brothers and Kenner in 1991
Mantua Metal Products Tyco	1926-1997 2000s	Model railroad and die-cast company that saw great success in the 1970s and 1980s with their range of ready-to-run HO trains and slot cars. Purchased Illco in 1992 and expanded their Muppets/Sesame Street toy lines up to the massive success of Tickle Me Elmo in 1996 before selling to Mattel in 1997. The Tyco name remained on some remote control products into the 2000s
Playskool	1928-	Originally a division of several lumber companies making wooden toys and teaching aids, became independent in the 1940s and bought several other companies including Holgate Toys and the J.L. Wright Company behind Lincoln Logs; became a subsidiary of Milton Bradley in 1968 who were acquired by Hasbro in 1984	Lincoln Logs Tot Railroad (1958-1959) Son Premier Train (French Tot Railroad export) (1958) Holgate "New" Tot Railroad (1960-1961) Playskool Talk 'n Play (1986-1992) Playskool Alphabet Roadway (1988-1990s)
Fisher-Price	1930-	American infant, toddler, and preschool toy manufacturer founded in New York. Makers of Power Wheels, Little People, View-Master, and more. Wholly owned by Mattel since 1993	Take-n-Play Thomas & Friends (2010-2016) Thomas & Friends TrackMaster (2010-2014)
Connecticut Leather Company Coleco Industries, Inc. Coleco	1932-1988 2005-	American leather products company that entered the plastic and toy-making markets in the 1950s, eventually gaining popularity in the late 1970s and early 1980s with electronic video games and later the Cabbage Patch Kids. Went bankrupt in 1988, with most products being bought by Hasbro. Since 2005 the name has been used on various sometimes-vaporware video game related products	ColecoVision (1982-1985)
Mattel	1945-	California-based toymaker famous for Barbie, Hot Wheels, and early childhood toys like the Corn Popper and See 'n Say. Purchased Fisher-Price in 1993 and rights to Thomas the Tank Engine toys and later the brand outright from HiT Entertainment	Take-n-Play Thomas & Friends (2010-2016) Thomas & Friends TrackMaster (2010-2014)
Ertl Company ERTL	1945-	Former manufacturer of die-cast farm toys from Dyersville, Iowa; bought out by Racing Champions in 1999 and later became part of RC2 and was acquired by Tomy in 2011 who still manufactures and markets die-cast farm toys under the ERTL range	ERTL Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends range (1989-2001) Gold Rail (Bandai import)
Mound Metalcraft Tonka Toys Incorporated	1946-	Originally a metal garden tool company, toymaking quickly became the primary business and the company renamed Tonka in 1955. Collaborated with Bandai of Japan in the 1980s and purchased Kenner Parker and Palitoy in 1987 before having to sell to Hasbro in 1991	GoBots (remarketed Bandai Machine Robo Series)
Child Guidance Toys	1953-1980s	Originally the toy division of New York Archer Plastics, developed Child Guidance Railroad as well as a variety of other childhood development toys in the 1960s. Imported some Tomy toys. Sold to Dunhill-Questor around 1967 and sold Sesame Street toys in the 70s, bought by CBS toys in 1978. Child Guidance name phased out around 1985 when Hasbro bought CBS Toys	Child Guidance Railroad (1961-1980s) Musical Railroad (~1963) Child Guidance Highway (1963-late 60s) Guidancetown U.S.A./Constructive Thinking (1963-1960s) Shuttle Train (1969) Mini-Car Factory (1970) Talk 'n Play (1984-1986)
Cragstan	1950s-1960s	Formed at least as early as 1956 as Craig-Stanton-Emaleh Inc. in New York selling imported Japanese tin toys
Dunhill International Inc. Questor	1962-1968 (Dunhill) 1969-1978 (Questor)	Originally related to a London tobacconist and imports of their cigarettes into the United States starting in the late 1930s, in 1962 Dunhill International was founded and in the later 1960s diversified into auto parts, infant and children's products, and sports and leisure products. Renamed Questor after a series of mergers in the late 1960s including the acquisition of Child Guidance in 1967. Bought by CBS Toys shortly after they began operation in 1978	Mini-Car Factory (1970) Musical Railroad (late 1960s-1970s) Other Child Guidance toys
Wolverine Toy Company Today's Kids Today's Plastics	1964-2003	Renamed Today's Kids in 1984 and Today's Plastics around 2000; molding company in Booneville, Arkansas that made a range of large hollow plastic toys like slides, sand boxes, basketball hoops, and similar "playground" toys, also offering custom molding in later years. Also responsible for arguably the first "gamer chair" circa 1999	Japanese Today's Kids catalogue (late 1980s)
Gabriel	1964-1985	Gabriel expanded in the 1960s by purchasing other toy companies like Gym-Dandy and Hubley in 1966 and the bankrupt A.C. Gilbert company in 1967, continuing production of many of their products. They were purchased by CBS Toys in 1978 who continued to market some toys under the brand until it was dissolved when CBS Toys was sold to Hasbro in 1985	Erector (1967-1976) Child Guidance Railroad/Busy Railroad (1979-early 1980s)
Azrak-Hamway International, Inc. AHI	1950s 1964-1997	The "AHI" mark was used on several imported Japanese tin toys in the 1950s and early 1960s, although some sources say the New York toy company Azark-Hamway International was started in 1964. Bought Remco Toys in the 70s and produced some TV licensed figures and accessories. In the 1990s they began a Child Guidance division (no relation to the other, older Child Guidance of New York), with Jakks Pacific acquiring Remco and Child Guidance in 1997	Shuttle Train (early-mid 1960s) City Interchange (import) (1985)
CBS Toys	1978-1985	Television network CBS purchased Creative Play Things in 1966 and Wonder in 1977, beginning to produce their own toys in 1978 including Muppets and Sesame Street toys. CBS Toys then purchased Gabriel and Questor/Child Guidance in 1978 and in 1982 bought Ideal, selling them off in 1984 and then the rest of their toy division to Hasbro in 1985 where they were mostly rebranded into the Playskool range	Child Guidance Talk 'n Play (1984-1985)
International Playthings, Inc.	1967-	American toy importer and distributor based in New Jersey, became part of Canadian toy distributor Grand Toys International Ltd. in 2005	Tomica World (U.S. distributor) (later 1990s-2000s) Thomas Big Loader (U.S. distributor) (later 1990s-2000s) Thomas Motorized Road & Rail (U.S. distributor) (2001-2005)
Intoport Development Co. Inc.	1969-1970s	New York distributor that sold folding playsets starting in the late 1960s and licensed toys in the 1970s including Disney transistor radios and vehicle sets	Walt Disney Character Fold-A-Way Play World (1972)
Tomy Kyogo Co.* Tomy Corp.	1975-1989	Tomy's first American headquarters and distribution warehouse located in Long Beach, CA. Released the Big Loader and other later 1970s exports, entered a partnership with Coleco in 1986 who folded and sold to Hasbro in 1989, at which point Tomy bought back their American distribution rights	The Little Engine That Could Train Set (1972-1976) Playrail (1975-~1980) Big Loader (1977-1987) Atomic Arcade Pinball (1979)
Playmates Toys	1977-	American subsidiary of Hong Kong-based Playmates Industries that distributed their toys for American export	Disneyland Play Set (1986) Li'l Playmates (1980s-1990s)
Tomy Canada	1981-1989	Tomy's Canadian division opened in 1981 that merged with Coleco alongside the American Tomy Corp. in 1986, bought back in 1989
Tomy America Inc.	1988-	Tomy's next American offices in Edison, New Jersey; later in Brea, California. Purchased the American and Canadian Tomy distribution rights Coleco had from the 1986 deal when they went bankrupt in 1989	Tomy Train (1988-1996) Atomic Pinball (late 1980s-) Big Loader (1989-) Thomas the Tank Engine Wooden Railway (2012)
Racing Champions RC2	1989-2011	Diecast racing car company that purchased ERTL, Learning Curve, and others in the late 90s and early 2000s. Bought by Tomy in 2011, name and toolings occasionally used under license by Round 2
THQ Toy Head Quarters	1989-2013	Toy manufacturer that shifted to focus on video games in the 1990s, seeing success in the 2000s before going bankrupt in 2012 and merging with another video game studio in 2014	Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends Battery Operated Railway (1993) Thomas the Tank Engine Wind-ups (1993)
Learning Curve RC2	1992-2011	Chicago, Illinois based company best known for producing the 1990s and 2000s wooden Thomas the Tank Engine trains. Learning Curve was bought by RC2 in 2003 and Tomy in 2011 who did not continue to use the name	Thomas the Tank Engine Wooden Railway (1993-2011) Thomas and Friends Take-Along (2003-2009)

Japan and Asia

Company Region	Years Active	Description	Showcased products
Tomiyama Tomy トミー Takara Tomy タカラトミー Japan	1919-	Tin and later plastic toy manufacturer that saw great success with a variety of electromechanical toys, the ever popular Plarail line, and a variety of other toys. Merged with Takara in 2006	Plarail (1959-) Shuttle Train (early 1960s) Atomic Pinball (1979-2000s) Dead Heat (1970s-2000s) Super Rail (1975-1990) Big Loader (1977-) Potch (1985-2000s)
Bandai Japan	1950-	Originally a spinoff from a textile company, Bandai produced toys from the 1950s to present day and also spent time as a video game developer and console manufacturer	Mini Mini Rail (1975-1982) Machine Robo (1982-1993) Departing Now/Puradera (1991-1997) All Aboard! Thomas and Friends (1991) Thomas Engine Collection Series (1992-2005) Thomas Mini Diecast Collection (2002-2006)
Takara タカラ Takara Tomy タカラトミー Japan	1955-	Japanese toy company founded in 1955, produced dolls, board games, and video games. Merged with Tomy in 2006 into Takara Tomy	Choro Q
Dah Yang Toy Company Taiwan	1958-	Founded by Chie-Teh Yang, produced a range of cheap toys of both licensed and knockoff varieties, often of the downhill trackway type of toy	D-51 Deluxe Freight Train Set (1970s) City Interchange (1985) Playful Penguin Race
Toy Town トイタウン Toybox Japan	1960s-2000s	Brand with ties to Tomy and Tomy's work in the Toy Town toy factory complex, used on a variety of mostly electromechanical toys that were often also exported for foreign markets	Oyama Shuppo/Mountain Railway (1969-2000s) Flippity Flyer (1970s) Speed Circuit (1975-1990s) Aerial Tank Engine (1976) Working Robot Busy Robot Factory (1984)
Playmates Industrial Playmates Toys Hong Kong	1966-	Founded by Sam Chan Tai-ho, originally produced dolls for other companies but began producing their own toys in 1975. In the 1980s and 1990s they exported their own toys overseas and had some success with licenses like Disney and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In the 1990s they became involved with Unimax, another Hong Kong-based company	Disneyland Play Set (1986)
Tomy (Hong Kong) LTD Hong Kong	1970-	Tomy's first overseas manufacturing subsidiary that would produce some toys for export throughout the 1970s	Discovery Time Junior Train Set (for Palitoy, U.K.) (1977) C-12s (Palitoy and Stelco, U.K. and W. Germany) (1977-1979)
Tomy Singapore Singapore	1972-1995	Tomy began producing toys in a new Singapore factory in the early 1970s. Tomy would occasionally produce export toys or other variants of originally Japanese-made toys here until manufacturing stopped in late 1991 in favor of the expanding Thailand production center. The office remained as a sales and distribution center until March 1995	Big Loader (Singapore variations) (1979-1987)
People Japan	1977-	Japanese infant toymaker that seems to outsource some of their design work and manufacturing to outside firms (like Tomy Engineering Services)	Train Unlimited series (1999)
Tomy Thailand Thailand	1987-	Tomy started producing toys in Thailand in 1987 and throughout the 1990s Thailand would expand to be Tomy's major region of manufacturing	Plarail (1989-)
Tomy Engineering Service 株式会社トミーエンジニアリング	1996-2014	Tomy offered design and engineering services for a time, although it seems either few toys were developed this way or few have been documented. Merged into Takara Tomy Ibis	Train Unlimited series (1999)

Europe and the U.K.

Company Region	Years Active	Description	Showcased products
Payva Spain	1912-1985	Spanish toy company that originally made tin toys	Tren Verbena Electrico (late 1960s-early 1970s)
Mettoy Mettoy-Playcraft Wales/U.K.	1933-1984	Welsh diecast toy maker, merged with Playcraft in 1956	Child Guidance Railroad (U.K. version) (1960s-1970s)
Palitoy U.K.	1935-1984	Originally the toy division of a British fancy goods company, began making early injection-molded plastic toys in the 1940s. Bought by General Mills in 1968, design department closed in 1984, became part of Kenner in 1985 before being sold to Tonka in 1987 who folded into Hasbro in 1991. Marketed or localized Star Wars, G.I. Joe (as Action Man), Play-Doh, Big Loader, and more for the British market	Discovery Time Junior Train Set (1977) Big Loader (1979)
Spielwarenfabrik Dr. Adolf Kürschner - owner Stelter & Co. A.K. Stelco Stelco West Germany	1935-1979	Metal and later soft vinyl and plastic toymaker in Fürth, Germany that produced a variety of toys as well as imported some toys from Tomy. After a factory fire in 1976, Tomy bought out Stelco in early 1979 and operated out of the same buildings as Tomy Spielwaren GmbH	Stelco Junior Express (1978-1979)
Tomy Spielwaren GmbH West Germany	1979-1990s	Tomy's seemingly short-lived West German operation out of the Stelco facility with whom they had previously worked with. By the mid 1980s European distribution was handled through Tomy UK Ltd, although the Furth offices did apparently remain in use at least into the early 1990s	Stelco Junior Express (1979-1980)
Geyper Spain	1970s-	Spanish importer and distributer that sold a range of Tomy, Child Guidance, Hasbro/Palitoy, and other brands in Spain. Geyper sold Plarail, Super Rail, Hornby Playtrain, and other popular foreign train systems	Tren Minero (Shuttle Train import) (early 1970s)
Tomy UK Ltd., European Headquarters	1982-	Tomy's UK offices and European headquarters in Sutton, Surrey	Atomic Pinball (1980s-) Tomy Train (Eur. & Aus.) (1988-1997) Tomy-Express (Germany) (1989-1993) Tomica World (Eur. & Aus.) (1998-2003) Thomas Motor Road & Rail (Eur. & Aus.) (2003-2008) Thomas & Friends TrackMaster (U.K.) (2008)
ERTL U.K.	1982-	ERTL's U.K. offices, now owned by TOMY	ERTL Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends range (1985-2003)
HiT Toy Company	2007-2009	British toy company owned by HiT Entertainment (originally Henson International Television, now part of Mattel Television) to produce high-quality toys for its Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends, and other children's TV properties. Ceased operations when Mattel gained toy right to HiT's franchises in 2009, with Mattel buying HiT Entertainment in 2012	Thomas & Friends TrackMaster

Australia

Company	Years Active	Description	Showcased products
Toltoys	1970s-1980s	Australian importer bought by General Mills in the mid 70s similar to Palitoy who imported the Star Wars action figure range as well as Child Guidance Railroad, Big Loader, and other toys to Australia	Child Development Railway (1970s-1980s) Stunt Flyer (Flippity Flyer) (late 1970s-early 1980s) Big Loader (Australian import) (late 1970s-1980s)
JNH Toys	-2000s	Australian toy importer and licensee, major competitor to Funtastic who bought them in 2002 when they had the rights to Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank, Bratz, and more	Thomas Big Loader (Australian import) (late 1990s) Tomica World (Australian import) (late 1990s-2000s)
Funtastic Toys Funtastic Limited Toys"R"Us ANZ Limited	1994-	Australian toy importer and seller that licensed Spider-Man and the Wiggles amongst others in Australia, bought JNH Toys in 2002 and eventually became Toys "R" Us Australia in 2021 after buying them out