By Larry LeMasters
Note: This feature is in the July TT&C 2013 issue.
Note: This feature is in the July TT&C 2013 issue.
 Vintage 1950s Wyandotte Moto-Fix wrecker truck; $140 with fabulous decorative lithographic markings.  Wyandotte pressed steel stake truck, 12 inches long with original box; $750.  Rare 1930s Wyandotte circus toy truck with beautiful lithograph detailing; $385. This truck has working rear drop-down tailgate.  Wyandotte heavy tin Metropolitan Garbage Truck from the early 1950s, 17 inches long; $300. The rear dump box rises manually and the rear chute opens. This truck has rubber-embossed “Wyandotte” tires. | Toy truck collectors search for Wyandotte trucks, but the majority of toy collectors know the name Wyandotte for its toy guns. The company’s slogan in the 1920s was “Every Boy Wants a Pop Gun,” and by 1927, Wyandotte was the world’s largest manufacturer of toy guns, holding this designation until 1950. In 1929 the company added toy trucks to its expanding line of toys. Wyandotte’s 12-inch-long dump truck of heavy-gauge steel proved an instant success. The truck had a bright steel radiator grille on a red cab with a green cargo bed. It was beautiful and quality built. In 1936, Wyandotte added lithographed novelty toy trucks to its line. Its circus truck with colorful lithographed designs was so beautiful that it caught the eye of artist Brad Clever, who featured it in one of his still-life paintings. As all toy truck collectors know, Wyandotte toy trucks were top of the line, making them highly sought after today. The toy trucks manufactured before WWII were mostly made of metal and many of them survived, albeit some are in less than mint condition. However because of their simple metal designs, Wyandotte toy trucks are easily restored. The early Wyandotte toy trucks were assembled from pressed metal and often painted in bright colors such as red, yellow, silver and olive green. Wyandotte toy trucks were loosely based on actual vehicles, so collectors today often refer to them based on the vehicles to which they bear the closest resemblance. Wyandotte toy trucks manufactured after WWII are easily distinguished from pre-WWII toys by their elaborate decorative lithographic markings. Post-WWII Wyandotte toy trucks were manufactured using much thinner metal and noticeably weigh less than the pre-WWII trucks. All Metal Products Company of Wyandotte, Mich., manufactured Wyandotte toy trucks. Founded in 1920, All Metal Products became famous for manufacturing inexpensive pressed metal toy trucks under the Wyandotte Toys brand name. Due to the millions of toys manufactured by Wyandotte, the company has been referred to as “Santa’s Downriver Workshop.” Wallace Hayden (“Remembering Wyandotte Toys,” December 07, 2008, Denver’s The News Herald) stated, “It’s a part of our history worth remembering, that millions of toys placed under Christmas trees in the 20th century were not from the North Pole, but from its Downriver branch—Wyandotte Toys.”  Want to read the rest of the story? It's available in the July TT&C 2013 magazine! Download here: JULY TT&C 2013 Call (701) 883-5206 or (701) 883-5206 to purchase or order online at: http://www.toytrucker.com/past-issues.html |
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