Multiple Toymakers

Multiple Toymakers was an American toy manufacturer that developed from Multiple Products Corporation, or MPC, in postwar New York City. Established around 1950, the company initially concentrated on molded plastic toy figures and gradually built a broader catalogue of inexpensive play products. Its range included army men, so-called ring-hand figures, miniature subjects such as pirates and farmers, historical figures, accessories, and toy vehicles. These products placed the company within the mass-market plastic-toy sector that expanded in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s. The company’s identity and ownership changed several times as it faced competition and financial pressure. In 1965, Multiple Products Corporation was sold to Loral Corporation, an aerospace company. Under Loral, the toy operation was presented as Multiple Products Co., a Division of the Loral Corporation. Loral did not remain in the toy business for long, however, and the operation was sold again in 1967 to Miner Industries. Packaging then identified the business as Multiple Products Corp, a Division of Miner Industries, while the name Multiple Toymakers became increasingly prominent and eventually displaced the earlier corporate branding. Multiple Toymakers is particularly remembered for its licensed Superman-shaped water gun, produced in 1967. The item is notable because the company was among the early toy manufacturers to obtain permission to use the DC Comics character commercially. Rather than being a conventional figure or playset, the product translated the superhero’s recognizable body and costume into a functional novelty toy, illustrating how character licensing could be applied to everyday toy formats. The company’s later history was affected by the financial problems of Miner Industries. Miner declared bankruptcy in 1979 and subsequently emerged with a new partnership involving Toy Major. Multiple Toymakers continued on a reduced scale, but its operations declined during the early 1980s. Production ultimately ended around 1984 or 1985. The company no longer operates as an independent toy maker, although some of its original molds were later acquired by other firms. Its historical significance rests less on enduring corporate scale than on its place in the development of low-cost plastic toys and early licensed character merchandise.

Multiple Toymakers originated as Multiple Products Corporation, commonly abbreviated MPC, around 1950. It began in postwar New York City at a time when inexpensive molded-plastic toys were becoming increasingly important in the American toy market. The company’s early products were plastic figures, a category that could be manufactured in quantity and sold at accessible prices through mass retail and other widely distributed channels. By the middle of the 1950s, the business had expanded beyond a narrow range of figures. Its catalogue included army men, ring-hand figures, pirates, farmers, historical subjects, accessories, and vehicles. The variety suggests a business model based on related miniature play products rather than a single enduring character property. Figures could be used independently or combined with vehicles and accessories to create inexpensive imaginative play scenarios. The company entered a period of ownership changes in the 1960s. In 1965, Multiple Products Corporation was sold to Loral Corporation, an aerospace manufacturer. The toy business was subsequently identified as Multiple Products Co., a Division of the Loral Corporation. Loral’s involvement was brief because the company soon moved to divest itself of the toy operation. In 1967, Miner Industries acquired MPC. Packaging during this period referred to Multiple Products Corp, a Division of Miner Industries, while the Multiple Toymakers name became more visible and eventually replaced the original corporate designation in public-facing use. The year 1967 also brought the company one of its most distinctive products: a Superman-shaped water gun. Multiple Toymakers was among the early toy manufacturers to license the use of DC Comics’ Superman. The product is historically notable because it combined a recognizable comic-book character with a functional novelty item, rather than limiting the license to a conventional action figure, statue, or playset. It exemplified the increasingly important connection between entertainment properties and consumer products. The company’s later development was constrained by the financial condition of Miner Industries. Miner filed for bankruptcy in 1979 and later emerged through a new partnership under Toy Major. Multiple Toymakers continued operating after the restructuring, but its activities diminished during the early 1980s. Production ended around 1984 or 1985, bringing the company’s independent manufacturing history to a close. Some of its molds were subsequently acquired by other companies, allowing elements of its product tooling to survive even after the original business had ceased production. Multiple Toymakers is therefore best understood as a defunct American toy manufacturer rather than as a continuing consumer brand. Its historical relevance comes from three connected features: its participation in the postwar expansion of low-cost plastic figures, its shifting corporate identity under successive owners, and its early experiment with licensed DC Comics merchandise through the Superman water gun.

• 1985

  Production ends

  [1]Multiple Toymakersen.wikipedia.org

  Multiple Toymakers’ operations, already reduced during the early 1980s, cease around 1984 or 1985.

• 1979

  Miner Industries enters bankruptcy

  [1]Multiple Toymakersen.wikipedia.org

  Miner Industries declares bankruptcy and later reorganizes through a new partnership involving Toy Major.

• 1967

  Acquisition by Miner Industries and Superman licensing

  [1]Multiple Toymakersen.wikipedia.org

  Miner Industries acquires the business, while Multiple Toymakers produces a Superman-shaped water gun under an early DC Comics character license.

• 1965

  Acquisition by Loral Corporation

  [1]Multiple Toymakersen.wikipedia.org

  Multiple Products Corporation is sold to Loral Corporation and becomes a Loral toy division.

• 1955

  Product range expands

  [1]Multiple Toymakersen.wikipedia.org

  By the mid-1950s, the company offers army men, ring-hand figures, accessories, and vehicles alongside other miniature subjects.

• 1950

  Multiple Products Corporation begins operations

  [1]Multiple Toymakersen.wikipedia.org

  The company begins in postwar New York City as a producer of plastic toy figures.

A mass-market American plastic-toy manufacturer focused on inexpensive miniature figures, play accessories, vehicles, and licensed novelty products.

• Toy figures · 1950

  Plastic toy figures

  The company’s original and foundational product category consisted of molded plastic figures. These products formed the basis of its early business and were suited to economical mass production and broad distribution.

• Toy soldiers · 1955

  Army men

  Multiple Toymakers produced miniature army men as part of its expanding mid-1950s range. The figures fit the period’s popular military-play format and were marketed alongside other small plastic subjects and accessories.

• Miniature figures · 1955

  Ring-hand figures

  Ring-hand figures were small plastic characters designed with a ring-like hand feature. Multiple Toymakers used the format for subjects including pirates, farmers, and historical figures, extending the company’s catalogue beyond military toys.

• Toy accessories · 1955

  Toy accessories and vehicles

  Accessories and toy vehicles complemented the company’s miniature figures and broadened the ways children could stage play scenarios. These items supported the company’s position as a supplier of coordinated low-cost plastic play products.

• Licensed novelty toy · 1967

  Superman-shaped water gun

  Released in 1967, this water gun was molded in the shape of Superman and used the DC Comics character under license. It is the company’s best-documented product and an early example of applying a major comic-book property to a functional novelty toy.

• 1979

  Post-bankruptcy restructuring under Toy MajorStrategy

  Background

  Miner Industries declared bankruptcy, creating uncertainty for businesses operating within its corporate structure.

  Action taken

  Miner emerged with a new partnership under Toy Major, while Multiple Toymakers continued at a reduced scale.

  Aftermath

  Multiple Toymakers’ operations dwindled during the early 1980s and production ended around 1984 or 1985.

  Source

• 1967

  Acquisition by Miner IndustriesM&A

  Background

  Loral exited the toy business after its brief ownership of Multiple Products Corporation.

  Action taken

  Miner Industries acquired the toy operation and presented it as Multiple Products Corp, a division of Miner Industries.

  Aftermath

  The Multiple Toymakers name became increasingly prominent and ultimately replaced the earlier Multiple Products branding.

  Source

• 1967

  Launch of the licensed Superman water gunProduct launch

  Background

  Character licensing was becoming a way for toy makers to connect familiar entertainment properties with physical merchandise.

  Action taken

  Multiple Toymakers introduced a Superman-shaped water gun using DC Comics’ Superman license.

  Aftermath

  The product became the company’s most notable surviving example of early licensed character merchandise.

  Source

• 1965

  Sale to Loral CorporationM&A

  Background

  Multiple Products Corporation faced a changing competitive and financial environment as the toy industry developed during the 1960s.

  Action taken

  The company was sold to Loral Corporation and operated as a toy division under the Loral name.

  Aftermath

  Loral soon divested from the toy industry, leading to another ownership transfer in 1967.

  Source

1. 1Multiple Toymakersen.wikipedia.org