The popularity of windup toys began in the 1880s. At that time, European toy creators saw the sales potential in creating tin windup toys, and soon began to make the toys in mass quantities. American toy makers soon followed suit, and in the early part of the 20th century, they, too, began to produce the popular tin toys that were available in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Windup toys that were offered early on were not of the highest quality. However, their ability to move when about when wound made them quite desirable and consumers were soon hooked.
When American companies began to produce the tin windup toys, there were a few that were very popular among consumers. Among them were Julius Chein, who began producing the toys in 1903; Strauss, who began producing them in 1914; and also Louis Marx, who produced a huge selection of windup toys in both the 1920s and the 1930s.
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The windup toys created by Louis Marx were much more creative than others available on the market, and were even of a higher quality, which makes them very desirable among collectors even today. These toys often depicted movie or radio celebrities, as well as cartoon characters.
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