SCHUCO HISTORY
One the best selections of novelty tin toys to ever appair in the toy shops come
from the german firm Scrayer & co, that was founded by Heinrichs, Schreyer
and Muller, two years prior the outbreak of the 1914-1918 World War .Heinrich Muller
was the expert in the toy creation: as a young man started work with the old toy factory
Bing in Nurenberg.
The first trademark was the figure of a chubby boy resembling one of those
so-called 'kelly' toy figures that always resumed an upright position when
they were pushed over. This was only in use up to 1930, later to be changed
to the more familiar script 'Schuco' trademark.
By now the firm was noted also for their successful series of tinplate
mechanical toys they had introduced into their production line. Amongst
the earlier Schuco clockwork toys was a tinplate Charlie Chaplin figure
with fabric clothing in the style of his famous 'Little Tramp' outfit.
Of course, he also carried his walking-stick. When wound up he would wobble
about and twirl his cane in the manner of the original character. The secret
of the wobbling resulted simply from the internal clockwork motor having
one of the 'wings' of its governor removed. Such a 'lop-sided' governor
allows the mechanism to run, but much less smoothly, creating the peripatetic
action to offer the toy jerky mobility. There were similar figures produced,
including a Waiter, a Boxer with Punchball, and a Chef. These earlier figures
were 16 to 17 cms tall.
These fabric-clad novelty figures obviously proved popular and were to
be issued in various forms right up to the early post-Second World War
years. However, their size was reduced to around 30 cms in height. So examples
appeared in the form of Clowns, 'Holländeren' with wooden clogs, various
animals, German Soldiers, Sailors, 'Three Little Pigs' and 'Donald Duck' from Walt Disney
, Gnomes, and even 'Hitler Youth'. Most of these were
'wobblers' but others played violins, drums, or quaffed from 'Steins'.
Some of the figures would dance with a youngster, juggle with coloured
balls, or performed acrobatic movements with a ladder.
One such toy from the mid-1930s featured a 'Father and Son' dancing together.
These were well-known German strip cartoon characters came from the "Berliner
Illustrirten" publication of the day. They had moulded celluloid heads
- not the usual tinplate ones. The 'Father' was also issued singly, drinking,
playing a violin, or a drum. In the 'Father and Son' toy the figures were
separate, unlike the other 'double' counterparts that were actually permanently
joined at the hands. This allowed the 'Father and Son' more freedom to
perform various acrobatics. If it was desired that the Father should swing
his Son round by holding his feet, this was possible! Some figures, including
one of the 'Three Little Pigs' and a Hitler Youth, were featured playing
a drum with a slot in its top, for use as a money-box. All these figures
are most collectable. They are ideally so because of their appealing colourful
appearance and their simple mechanical ingenuity.
Schuco was responsible for a wide range of cuddly bears, rabbits, and other
loveable animal toys. They even produced tiny teddy bears for the ladies.
These would hold within their bodies a bottle for scent - or perhaps a
surreptitious 'nip' of the hard stuff! One teddy-bear example was designed
to open up to reveal a powder compact, mirror, and lipstick holder! A very
rare item was a powder compact with mirror that was designed to look like
a duck! Some of the smaller toys, especially in the freewheeling three-wheeler
'Roller' range had tiny chimpanzees as drivers. Some of these early 'Rollers'
had a tinplate wing added to turn it into an aeroplane. One bore the legend
on its sides 'Spirit of St Louis', in memory of the famous pioneering flight
by Lindberg in 1927 from New York to Paris.
The company produced a series of tinplate clockwork birds under the name
'Pick-Pick' during the late 1920s. The bodies were suitably covered in
a woven plush fabric and, when their clockwork motors were fully wound
they would happily peck away at invisible seeds and breadcrumbs. They were
inexpensive novelties that sold by the million! There were tiny chickens
to be had, too, in the same range. Mice were also well represented and
would scuttle about realistically. The Scottie dog was a favourite Schuco
toy that would run about on its four legs in a very natural manner. There
was a Spaniel and a Cat variety but the Scotch Terrier toy appeared more
popular and appeared later as 'Schuco-Tippy'. On this example a small rotating
ball (hooked to its nose by a short length of thin wire) was designed to
choose random symbols to help in filling a football coupon, or numbers
to act as dice in games of chance.
Schuco also produced a great range of motor vehicle toys, including a fine
series of 'Oldtimer' cars that we will mention in a future article. In
spite of selling a hundred-million toys around the world in 1962 the company
became bankrupt in 1976. Today, a new Schuco company is reproducing many
of the old firm's favourites. Most collectors, however, still prefer to
obtain the earlier examples from the good old days of the original Schuco
firm!
(from Vectis collectors newsletter)
