102-585: Polistil S.p.A. (initially called Politoys ) is an Italian toy brand and former manufacturing company headquartered in Milan , with production center in Chiari , near Brescia . Polistil specialized in die-cast and plastic scale model vehicles of all sizes. There is a new site about the world of toys and his History of Polistil Factory: "Quelli della Polistil" on www.quellidellapolistil.it The company also made toy and model tanks, dolls, robots and TV tie-ins. After
204-695: A 33-year span, and a collaboration with Tonka , Polistil went out of business in 1993, but now is a brand under the May Cheong Group (owner of the brand Maisto ), along with the name of former competitor Bburago . Traditionally, the principal Italian competitors to Polistil were Mercury , Mebetoys , and the shorter run Ediltoys. The origins of Politoys as a company are somewhat unclear. The company began as "Politoys APS" about 1960, and started production of 100 plastic cars in 1:41 scale (Sinclair 1979, pp. 387–388). Some of these were contemporary cars and some were veteran vehicles – like an Alfa racing car from
306-453: A Land Rover (one outfitted for desert photography), and a Lancia Beta coupe – one variation of which came handsomely equipped with bicycle rack and two bikes. These were well detailed, but for comparison of 'family' brands, the paint was done better on the later 1:24 scale Besana brothers Martoys. A few 1:30 scale trucks and vans were also made, like the FIAT 242 Attrez-Raid Rally Van. Why so many of
408-422: A Rolls Royce..be a collector and a mechanic all at the same time! With Politoys M, that's how" Below, the ad continued, "Assembled just like the big ones – real solid – with 52 parts, most of which you take apart piece-by-piece with the twist of a screwdriver, then put back together again..." The ad then concluded, "That's Politoys. Collect them. Tinker with them. Play with them." (Politoys by Polistil no date). By
510-792: A fort with empty cereal boxes and tissue paper spools, or a toddler playing with a broken TV remote control. The term "toy" can also be used to refer to utilitarian objects purchased for enjoyment rather than need, or for expensive necessities for which a large fraction of the cost represents its ability to provide enjoyment to the owner, such as luxury cars, high-end motorcycles, gaming computers, and flagship smartphones. Playing with toys can be an enjoyable way of training young children for life experiences. Different materials like wood, clay, paper, and plastic are used to make toys. Newer forms of toys include interactive digital entertainment and smart toys . Some toys are produced primarily as collectors' items and are intended for display only. The origin of toys
612-484: A forte. A variety of trucks and tanks (the 'CA' series) and other military vehicles were offered. One very nice military offering was an Afrika Corps BMW motorcycle with sidecar in desert beige. TV and movie figures and vehicles also appeared but were not as popular as those offered by Corgi Toys or Dinky Toys , and are somewhat more rare today. Batman, Superman, and Disney vehicles were examples. In addition, Mego and Lion Rock military action figures were marketed under
714-520: A large and important part of human existence, the toy industry has a substantial economic impact. Sales of toys often increase around holidays where gift-giving is a tradition. Some of these holidays include Christmas, Easter, Saint Nicholas Day , and Three Kings Day . In 2005, toy sales in the United States totaled about $ 22.9 billion. Money spent on children between the ages of 8 and twelve alone totals approximately $ 221 million annually in
816-408: A model Noah's Ark with miniature animals and objects from other Bible scenes. With growing prosperity among the middle class , children had more leisure time on their hands, which led to the application of industrial methods to the manufacture of toys. More complex mechanical and optical -based toys were also invented during the nineteenth century. Carpenter and Westley began to mass-produce
918-632: A roof luggage rack carrying two large plastic oil barrels, or the Porsche 912 Rally (a 911 in rally form) with rock guards in thin yellow plastic strips covering the front windshield and hood and also featuring red and chrome body and bumper supports which extended from front to rear bumper. This car, in 1:43 scale, was topped off, literally, with three spare tires on the roof. Mebetoys Innocenti Mini (Italian-made mini) appeared in several different guises – including with skis and sled on its roof rack. Other models were unique because they were not offered elsewhere, like
1020-540: A series of child labor laws, putting an end to child labor in nations such as the U.S. (1949). This fully entrenched, through law, the Western idea that childhood is a time for leisure , not work—and with leisure time comes more space for consumer goods such as toys. During the Second World War , some new types of toys were created through accidental innovation. After trying to create a replacement for synthetic rubber ,
1122-486: A single repository. Mebetoys Meccanica Bessana Toys (mostly known for its acronym and tradename Mebetoys ), was an Italian toy manufacturer that produced die-cast scale model cars during the 1960s and 1970s. The company was purchased by Mattel in 1969, which continued commercialising Mebetoy as one of its brands . Mebetoy's main competition in Italy was the earlier trailblazer Mercury , Polistil and
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#17328580950921224-478: A specific age range can even harm the development of children in that range, such as when for example toys meant for young girls contribute to the ongoing problem of girls' sexualization in Western culture. A study suggested that supplying fewer toys in the environment allows toddlers to better focus to explore and play more creatively. The provision of four rather than sixteen toys is thus suggested to promote children's development and healthy play. Age compression
1326-427: A study found that parents who demonstrated some androgynous behavior have higher scores in support, warmth, and self-worth in regards to the treatment of their children. Even as this debate is evolving and children are becoming more inclined to cross barriers in terms of gender with their toys, girls are typically more encouraged to do so than boys because of the societal value of masculinity. With toys comprising such
1428-629: A surge in competition in the larger scales and contributed to Polistil's demise. By 1993, just as the demand for 1:18 scale models was starting to peak, Tonka dropped the name, dropped Italian production, and venerable Polistil was gone. In 2014, the Polistil name was relaunched by the May Cheong Group, manufacturer of the Maisto brand. Now Polistil sells different products: slot car systems, radio controlled cars, die cast models of construction machinery, tractors, caricature cars, Formula One cars and so on. So, this
1530-513: A toy bow and arrow from their father while young girls receive a toy basket from their mother. In North African and Saharan cultural communities, gender plays a role in the creation of self-made dolls. While female dolls are used to represent brides, mothers, and wives, male dolls are used to represent horsemen and warriors. This contrast stems from the various roles of men and women within the Saharan and North African communities. There are differences in
1632-755: A wide range of other skills. One example of the dramatic ways that toys can influence child development involves clay sculpting toys such as Play-Doh and Silly Putty and their home-made counterparts. Mary Ucci, Educational Director of the Child Study Center of Wellesley College , has demonstrated how such toys positively impact the physical development , cognitive development , emotional development , and social development of children. Toys for infants often make use of distinctive sounds, bright colors, and unique textures . Through repetition of play with toys, infants begin to recognize shapes and colors. Play-Doh , Silly Putty and other hands-on materials allow
1734-476: A wood base with a decorative identification plate and covered with a clear plastic display box. These were reissued in the late 1970s. The original Mebetoys logo was an 'opening eye' that looks very similar to the American CBS TV logo. Packaging was often a wood grain beige style with a plastic window – always including the 'eye' logo. Some boxes were other colors like a bright yellow. Then Mattel took over and
1836-767: Is prehistoric ; dolls representing infants, animals, and soldiers, as well as representations of tools used by adults, are readily found at archaeological sites. The origin of the word "toy" is unknown, but it is believed that it was first used in the 14th century. Toys are mainly made for children. The oldest known doll toy is thought to be 4,000 years old. Playing with toys is an important part of aging. Younger children use toys to discover their identity, help with cognition , learn cause and effect, explore relationships, become stronger physically, and practice skills needed in adulthood. Adults on occasion use toys to form and strengthen social bonds, teach, help in therapy, and to remember and reinforce lessons from their youth. A toymaker
1938-647: Is an interesting case where the Asian toy giant is responsible for resurrecting two well-known Italian brand names – Bburago and Polistil, but the products are now made in China, and no longer in Italy. On the boxes now is printed "Manufactured by: Polistil International LTD, Hong Kong", or "Manufactured by: Most Success Trading LTD, Hong Kong". The new company was apparently created in Hong Kong on August 27, 2013 (Hong Kong Business Directory n.d.). Toy A toy or plaything
2040-509: Is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment . Simple examples include toy blocks , board games , and dolls . Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pets. Toys can provide utilitarian benefits, including physical exercise, cultural awareness, or academic education. Additionally, utilitarian objects, especially those which are no longer needed for their original purpose, can be used as toys. Examples include children building
2142-413: Is facilitated by children through the use of toys to enact scenes recognizable in their community such as hunting and herding. The value is placed in a realistic version of development in preparing a child for the future they are likely to grow up into. This allows the child to imagine and create a personal interpretation of how they view the adult world. However, in other cultures, toys are used to expand
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#17328580950922244-490: Is generally not as looked down upon for girls to play with toys designed "for boys", an activity which has also become more common in recent years. Fathers are also more likely to reinforce typical play and discourage atypical play than mothers are. A study done by researcher Susan Witt suggests that stereotypes are oftentimes only strengthened by the environment, which perpetuates them to linger in older life. This stereotypical attribution of sex-typical toys for girls and boys
2346-408: Is gradually changing, with toys companies creating more gender neutral toys, as the benefits associated with allowing children to play with toys that appeal to them far outweighs controlling their individual preferences. For example, many stores are beginning to change their gender labels on children's play items. Target removed all identification related to gender from their toy aisles and Disney did
2448-518: Is isolated and independent of the social constraints placed on society leaving the children free to delve into the imaginary and idealized version of what their development in life could be. In addition, children from differing communities may treat their toys in different ways based on their cultural practices. Children in more affluent communities may tend to be possessive of their toys, while children from poorer communities may be more willing to share and interact more with other children. The importance
2550-428: Is key in the toy industry and to succeed one must create a 'wow' moment for kids by designing toys that have fun, innovative features and include new technologies and engaging content." In an effort to reduce costs, many mass-producers of toys locate their factories in areas where wages are lower. China manufactures about 70 percent of the world's toys and is home to more than 8,000 toy firms, most of which are located in
2652-403: Is no gender neutral section on their website. Those which are generally deemed for both genders more closely resemble what many would label "boy toys," as they relate closer to the stereotype of masculinity within play. Traditions within various cultures promote the passing down of certain toys to their children based on the child's gender. In Indigenous South American communities, boys receive
2754-424: Is the modern trend of children moving through play stages faster than was the case in the past. Children have a desire to progress to more complex toys at a faster pace, girls in particular. Barbie dolls, for example, were once marketed to girls around 8 years old but have been found to be more popular in recent years with girls around 3 years old, with most girls outgrowing the brand by about age 7. The packaging for
2856-466: Is the name of someone who makes toys. Toys and games have been retrieved from the sites of ancient civilizations, and have been mentioned in ancient literature. Toys excavated from the Indus valley civilization (3010–1500 BCE) include small carts, whistles shaped like birds, and toy monkeys that could slide down a string. One of the earliest examples of children's toys is a set of three stone balls found in
2958-399: Is the use of meta-analysis , which provides a way to assess patterns in a systematic way, especially relevant for a topic such as gender, which can be difficult to quantify. Nature and nurture have historically been analyzed when looking at gender in play, as well as reinforcement by peers and parents of typical gender roles and consequently, gender play. Toy companies have often promoted
3060-429: Is tracked in young infants, infant girls show a visual preference for a doll over a toy truck (d > 1.0). Boys showed no preference for the truck over the doll. However, they did fixate on the truck more than the girls (d = .78). This small study suggests that even before any self-awareness of gender identity has emerged, children already prefer sex-typical toys. These differences in toy choice are well established within
3162-510: The Chiari , Brescia manufacturing center which focused on the production of diecast vehicles (Polistil 1975). Whereas more collector driven lines such as Rio Models or Brumm made the same models sometimes for decades, David Sinclair says that Polistil was more likely to confront market trends more directly – changing model lines every two or three years (Sinclair 1979, p. 387). As seen below, Polistil kept track of its vehicle lines using sets of capital letters followed by numbers, and not
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3264-564: The Hello Kitty brand and the Disney Princess franchise. Boys have shown an interest in computer games at an ever-younger age in recent years. Certain toys, such as Barbie dolls and toy soldiers, are often perceived as being more acceptable for one gender than the other. The turning point for the addition of gender to toys came about in the 1960s and 1970s. Before 1975, only about two percent of toys were labeled by gender, whereas today on
3366-551: The Pearl River Delta of Guangdong Province . 75% of all toys sold in the U.S., for example, are manufactured in China. Issues and events such as power outages, supply of raw materials, supply of labor, and raising wages that impact areas where factories are located often have an enormous impact on the toy industry in importing countries. Many traditional toy makers have been losing sales to video game makers for years. Because of this, some traditional toy makers have entered
3468-494: The kaleidoscope , invented by Sir David Brewster in 1817, and had sold over 200,000 items within three months in London and Paris. The company was also able to mass-produce magic lanterns for use in phantasmagoria and galanty shows, by developing a method of mass production using a copper plate printing process. Popular imagery on the lanterns included royalty , flora and fauna , and geographical/man-made structures from around
3570-538: The "must-have toys" of the 1940s ), Mr. Potato Head , the Barbie doll (inspired by the Bild Lilli doll from Germany), and Action Man . The Rubik's Cube became an enormous seller in the 1980s. In modern times, there are computerized dolls that can recognize and identify objects, the voice of their owner, and choose among hundreds of pre-programmed phrases with which to respond. The act of children's play with toys embodies
3672-454: The "toy" market with gimmicks and TV and movie vehicles. Politoys, however, went for consistent realism. Another unique advertising angle of Politoys M was to emphasize how they could be taken apart. One ad in the American market by U.S. representative Lynn International showed the 518 1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III (Mulliner Park Ward "slant eye" version) in pieces and asked "How can a boy own
3774-445: The 1750s, including A Journey Through Europe . The game was very similar to modern board games; players moved along a track with the throw of a die (a teetotum was actually used) and landing on different spaces would either help or hinder the player. In the nineteenth century, Western values prioritized toys with an educational purpose, such as puzzles, books, cards and board games. Religion-themed toys were also popular, including
3876-464: The 19th century. In 1903, a year after publishing The Tale of Peter Rabbit , English author Beatrix Potter created the first Peter Rabbit soft toy and registered him at the Patent Office in London, making Peter the oldest licensed character. It was followed by other "spin-off" merchandise over the years, including painting books and board games. The Smithsonian magazine stated, "Potter
3978-405: The 1:24 scale vehicles were rather mundane sedans is an interesting question since manufacturers often make sportier cars for play. Whether any of these were used for promotional purposes is unknown. Some of the later cars (and some of the last made by Mebetoys) had rather fat plastic tires and unwieldy wheel designs. Some of the cars seemed spot on in detail and proportions like the Porsche 924 and
4080-462: The American Earl L. Warrick inadvertently invented "nutty putty" during World War II . Later, Peter Hodgson recognized the potential as a childhood plaything and packaged it as Silly Putty . Similarly, Play-Doh was originally created as a wallpaper cleaner. In 1943 Richard James was experimenting with springs as part of his military research when he saw one come loose and fall to the floor. He
4182-416: The American market after 1967. Similar to Corgi, Dinky, and Mebetoys, Politoys M used jewels for headlights, while French Solido chose more realistic clear plastic lenses. Still Politoys often had delicately rendered headlight bezel surrounds and other carefully done details (Gardiner and O'Neill 1996, p 72). While competitor Solido's niche in the diecast market was offering unique wheel styles for each model,
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4284-479: The American market, but the new series never gained their popularity so most were sold within Italy (Breithaupt No Date). Mint boxed examples are thus difficult to find (Rixon 2005, 54). In the late 1970s a variety of previous Polistil castings were shipped to Mexico and sold as the McGregor brand (Force 1992, 208). McGregor sold both plastic and diecast versions of Polistil toys and models were usually marked with both
4386-620: The Disney store's website, considered a dominating global force for toys by researcher Claire Miller, all toys are labeled by gender. The journal Sex Roles began publishing research on this topic in 1975, focusing on the effects of gender in youth. Too, many psychological textbooks began to address this new issue. Along with these publications, researchers also started to challenge the ideas of male and female as being opposites, even going as far as to claim toys which have characteristics of both genders are preferable. A milestone for research on gender
4488-608: The E, EL and HE. Some of the early models in these series were still up to the Politoys M in detail like the well done Lamborghini Espada and Islero (which had folding headlights)(Gardiner and O'Neill 1996, p. 73). Body details were often very good with clever features, such as the Alfa Romeo Alfasud with complete ski equipment on the roof. On later 1970s issues like this one, however, the models sported toy-like generic chrome plastic wheel designs that were pretty ugly. The EL-Series
4590-451: The English lawyer Angelo John Lewis , writing under the pseudonym of Professor Hoffman, wrote a book called Puzzles Old and New . It contained, among other things, more than 40 descriptions of puzzles with secret opening mechanisms. This book grew into a reference work for puzzle games and was very popular at the time. The Tangram puzzle, originally from China, spread to Europe and America in
4692-821: The ISO Fidia S4 grand touring sedan. Politoys had the Rivolta and Corgi and Matchbox made the Grifo ubiquitous, but nobody else made the Fidia S4. Models such as the Lamborghini Urraco, Maserati Bora, Toyota 2000 GT, and Ferrari 365 GTC-4 were also special and not often seen in 1:43 scale. Corgi Toys made the Bora, but the Mebetoys version was much better proportioned, detailed and painted. Sinclair's Auto Miniatures, largely responsible for bringing
4794-599: The Iso Rivolta seen above, a later Chevrolet Corvette Pininfarina Rondine Coupe, and the first Lamborghini – bugeye – 350 GT (Rixon 2005, p. 37). From the start, the M-Series had tremendous competition. During the 1960s, each diecast model company had a unique approach and a unique market. Dinky and Corgi generally had different market areas, but were more popular in the U.S. French Dinky and Solido were more popular in France. Tekno
4896-553: The M-Series’ generic wire wheels were not authentic to real vehicles, but were quite attractive, classy and typical to the look of the time. By 1968, the company had also experimented with plastic wheels on low-friction axles – similar to changes made by Dinky, Corgi, Lonestar and others in reaction to the success of Hot Wheels. These added to the play value but detracted from the realism. As the 1960s progressed, Politoys produced more sports and exotic cars and fewer mundane everyday cars. This
4998-623: The Mattel red pointed circle was added alongside the Mebetoys logo. In 1969, Mebetoys was bought by Mattel , which carried on Mebetoys models and began to market new 1/43 scale cars. At first, these were the same realistic Mebetoys European models and had many opening features, rubber tires, and excellent detail. Incrementally, however, Mattel changed many aspects of Mebetoys. Hard plastic 'speed' tires replaced rubber and new California custom body designs were introduced in 1:43 scale and marketed as Hot Wheels Gran Toros, though they still said Mebetoys on
5100-555: The Polistil name. The J series were larger colorful toy-like trucks which used more plastic for bodies and larger plastic wheels. One example was the J85 Mercedes-Benz Unimog dump truck. One area where Polistil probably did better than any of the competition was in racing vehicles of various scales, mainly covering Formula 1 , and at reasonable retail prices. The F and FK series were in 1:32 scale and first introduced in 1970 and ran until about 1980, changing wheel designs as
5202-479: The Politoys and McGregor names. Some models also seem to have made their way to the U.S.S.R. to be molded there in plastic, like the Maserati Mistral. By the early 1970s, Polistil diversified somewhat, offering slot cars and larger scales in metal. In 1973, the 1:24 scale S series (1:22 scale was used as well) competed directly with the new Martoys (later to become Bburago ) (Rixon 2005, p. 14). Politoys
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#17328580950925304-461: The U.S. It was estimated that in 2011, 88% of toy sales was in the age group 0–11 years. Toy companies change and adapt their toys to meet the changing demands of children thereby gaining a larger share of the substantial market. In recent years many toys have become more complicated with flashing lights and sounds in an effort to appeal to children raised around television and the internet. According to Mattel 's president, Neil Friedman, "Innovation
5406-443: The United States nor did they produce as wide a range of models as those two leaders in the field. Politoys’ 1:43 scale diecast M-Series line was introduced in 1965. The company had previously focused on plastic. The M series were precisely detailed with a wide range of offerings. Sixteen vehicles were introduced in the first year, with numbers starting at 500. The cars had many moving parts (normally 2 doors, hood and trunk opened) and
5508-456: The Volkswagens. Others were less confident in their realism. The Porsche 924 had nearly perfect proportion and the details were exquisite. The wheel design was generic but detailed and attractive with five larger and five smaller slots. Everything opened, including the rear plastic hatch. Even the hidden headlights popped up by moving a lever at the front of the chassis. When fully opened, however,
5610-617: The Western World. At this point, name-brand toys became widespread in the U.S.–a new phenomenon that helped market mass-produce toys to audiences of children growing up with ample leisure time and during a period of relative prosperity. Among the more well-known products of the 1950s there was the Danish company Lego 's line of colourful interlocking plastic brick construction sets (based on Hilary Page 's Kiddicraft Self-Locking Bricks, described by London's V&A Museum of Childhood as among
5712-465: The archaeological record. Small figurines and models found in tombs are usually interpreted as ritual objects; those from settlement sites are more easily labelled as toys. These include spinning tops, balls of spring, and wooden models of animals with movable parts. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome , children played with dolls made of wax or terracotta : sticks, bows and arrows , and yo-yos . When Greek children, especially girls, came of age, it
5814-495: The base. Thus the marque became less 'European' with more Mattel influence. In order to attract buyers in the U.S. market, models like the realistic Toyota 2000 GT were augmented with ones such as Tom Daniel's fantasy custom Twin Mill (a model still used in the standard Hot Wheels line). The Hot Wheels flames-off-the-wheel emblem was applied to some Mebetoys packaging. "Hot Wheels" was translated into Italian as "Sputafuoco", or literally,
5916-469: The building of working models and mechanical devices. Dinky Toys pioneered the manufacture of die-cast toys with the production of toy cars, trains and ships and model train sets became popular in the 1920s. The Britains company revolutionized the production of toy soldiers with the invention of the process of hollow casting in lead in 1893 – the company's products remained the industry standard for many years. Puzzles became popular as well. In 1893,
6018-843: The cars that "spit fire". Thus Mebetoys were marketed as a sort of larger Hot Wheels range. In an interesting twist Mattel's 'Flying Colors' normal sized smaller Hot Wheels were offered in Italy in Italian Mebetoys boxes in the late 1970s. The 1:43 scale line was discontinued entirely around 1983. Mebetoys under Mattel also made a 1:24 scale line which included a BMW 323 coupe, Porsche 924, Porsche 928, Ford Fiesta, Citroen Dyane (one with Zodiac style rubber boat!), Citroen Visa sedan, Alfa Romeo Alfetta (one in Carabinieri livery), Alfa Alfasud Sprint, Alfa Giulietta sedan, FIAT Uno sedan, Volkswagen Beetle, Volkswagen Golf sedan, Talbot Horizon sedan / Simca 1308 sedan, Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL sedan, Opel Kadett,
6120-427: The child by the age of three. Another study done by Jeffrey Trawick-Smith took 60 different children ages three to four and observed them playing with nine different toys deemed best for development. They were allowed to play with the toys in a typical environment, a preschool classroom, which allowed for the results to be more authentic compared to research done in a lab. The researchers then quantified play quality of
6222-595: The child places on possession is dictated by the values in place within the community that the children observe on a daily basis. Toys, like play itself, serve multiple purposes in both humans and animals. They provide entertainment while fulfilling an educational role. Toys enhance cognitive behavior and stimulate creativity. They aid in the development of physical and mental skills which are necessary in later life. Wooden blocks , though simple, are regarded by early childhood education experts such as Sally Cartwright (1974) as an excellent toy for young children; she praised
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#17328580950926324-478: The child to make toys of their own. Educational toys for school age children of often contain a puzzle , problem-solving technique, or mathematical proposition. Often toys designed for older audiences, such as teenagers or adults, demonstrate advanced concepts. Newton's cradle , a desk toy designed by Simon Prebble , demonstrates the conservation of momentum and energy . Not all toys are appropriate for all ages of children. Even some toys which are marketed for
6426-431: The children with each toy based on factors such as learning, problem solving, curiosity, creativity, imagination, and peer interaction. The results revealed that boys generally received higher scores for overall play quality than girls, and the toys with the best play quality were those identified as the most gender neutral, such as building blocks and bricks along with pieces modeling people. Trawick-Smith then concluded that
6528-563: The company name was changed to Polistil, possibly because of the similarity with the name of the British Palitoy (Breithaupt No Date; Force 1992, 208–209). Still, some early toy boxes had the names 'APS', 'Polistil'. 'Politoys', and 'Policar' all on the box simultaneously (as seen on the blue Penny series boxes and in that order). The company's main research and design center was in Milan . Larger toys for children were produced here, including large trucks and dolls. Most vehicles were made at
6630-619: The daily flux of making and consuming, of getting along. They had no autonomy, separate statuses, privileges, special rights or forms of social comportment that were entirely their own." As these ideas began changing during the Enlightenment Era, blowing bubbles from leftover washing up soap became a popular pastime, as shown in the painting The Soap Bubble (1739) by Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin , and other popular toys included hoops , toy wagons , kites , spinning wheels and puppets . Many board games were produced by John Jefferys in
6732-461: The development of a child's cognition in an idealistic fashion. In these communities, adults place the value of play with toys to be on the aspirations they set forth for their child. In the Western culture, the Barbie and Action-Man represent lifelike figures but in an imaginative state out of reach from the society of these children and adults. These toys give way to a unique world in which children's play
6834-411: The diecast collector hobby to the United States, discussed that many people were not aware that Mebetoys also made a few promotional issue diecast cars. In the 1960s the company issued a couple of 1:24 scale Alfa Romeos, referred to as the "le veterane" set. These two cars were a 1925 P2 World Champion Grand Prix car and a 1951 Alfetta racer. They had exquisite detail with rubber tires and were mounted on
6936-520: The dolls labels them appropriate for ages 3 and up. Boys, in contrast, apparently enjoy toys and games over a longer timespan, gravitating towards toys that meet their interest in assembling and disassembling mechanical toys, and toys that "move fast and things that fight". An industry executive points out that girls have entered the " tween " phase by the time they are 8 years old and want non-traditional toys, whereas boys have been maintaining an interest in traditional toys until they are 12 years old, meaning
7038-725: The end of the 1970s, Polistil started mass-producing electric racing car tracks . They were very popular in Europe. By the late 1980s, Polistil had released over 500 different vehicles of all sizes (Force 1992, 62–89). In the late 1980s, the larger scales were marketed in the U.S. in a new relationship with Tonka. Apparently, Tonka had purchased Polistil. Vehicle boxes remained red at this time, but were now labeled Polistil/Tonka. This included larger 1:14 scale cars. Unfortunately, competition with newer and upcoming Bburago, Maisto and mail order firms like Franklin Mint Precision Models provided
7140-544: The engines and even undercarriage had good detail. Plastic seats almost always tilted forward, and on some models they were covered with a fuzzy material that imitated velour. Though companies like Corgi claimed to have the first model with all opening features in their 1963 Chrysler Ghia L6.4, Politoys M was the first diecast line where (for a time) all apertures opened on every model ! (Politoys 1968; Rixon 2005, p. 79; Gardiner and O'Neill 1996, pp. 72–73). This contrasted with Dinky and Corgi which tended towards
7242-514: The entire car – simulating snow and dirt. The TG series of even larger 1:16 scale cars such as the Alfa Romeo 1750C, BMW 328 roadster, Lamborghini Countach, Ferrari GTO, Ferrari 250 California roadster and the Morgan Plus 8 were introduced about 1980. Some of these models, however, did not have the details of competitors Bburago or Maisto . The Morgan, for example is beautiful with opening doors, but
7344-608: The fact that they are relatively easy to engage with, can be used in repeatable and predictable ways, and are versatile and open-ended, allowing for a wide variety of developmentally appropriate play. Andrew Witkin, director of marketing for Mega Brands , told Investor's Business Daily that "They help develop hand-eye coordination, math and science skills and also let kids be creative." Other toys like marbles , jackstones , and balls serve similar functions in child development, allowing children to use their minds and bodies to learn about spatial relationships , cause and effect , and
7446-488: The field of electronic games and have even been turning audio games into toys, and are enhancing the brands that they have by introducing interactive extensions or internet connectivity to their current toys. In addition, the rise of distributed manufacturing enables consumers to make their own toys from open source designs with a 3-D printer . As of 2017 consumers were already offsetting millions of dollars per year by 3D printing their own toys from MyMiniFactory ,
7548-568: The headlight lever stuck out from under the front bumper like some kind of strange antenna. The seats tilted forward, but chrome plating the steering wheel and gear shift was not so realistic. Another negative was that though the doors opened they did not include the door frame window surround. After selling the brand to Mattel , the Besana brothers set up Martoys . This firm made car models in 1/24-scale for only two years, from 1974 to 1976. Then, possibly because of confusion with Louis Marx and Company ,
7650-444: The late 'teens and an 1899 French Gobron Brillie (Smeed 1980, p. 35). As the 1960s progressed, some models were produced in fiberglass – tougher than the plastic and less prone to warping. Following trends set by fellow Italian trailblazer Mercury , and Corgi Toys , Dinky Toys , Norev , and Solido , the company changed over to diecast metal vehicles in 1964 or 1965 (Rixon 2005, p. 36, Sinclair 1979, p. 387). About 1970,
7752-535: The late 18th and early 19th century, many families needed to send their children to work in factories and other sites to make ends meet—just as their predecessors had required their labor producing household goods in the medieval era. Business owners' exploitation and abuse of child laborers during this period differed from how children had been treated as workers within a family unit, though. Thanks to advocacy including photographic documentation of children's exploitation and abuse by business owners, Western nations enacted
7854-458: The late 1960s, the M-Series range had expanded to 37 models: Numbers 526 (Fiat 1100), 535 (Porsche 904), and 538 (Volkswagen 1600 TL) are not mentioned in this data from an original catalog sheet as they were introduced later (Politoys 1968). The M-Series obviously concentrated on Italian vehicles. For example, 76 percent of this catalog's models were Italian, 37 percent alone being Alfa Romeo. Unique models produced that were not found elsewhere were
7956-482: The name was changed to Bburago , with two 'Bs' (the first B stood for the creator's name, Besana, while the remainder was for the town of Burago di Molgora where the models were made). Bburago became probably the most well-known and popular producer of 1:18 scale models through the 1980s and 1990s. Bburago's assets were sold in 2006 to Maisto. The present list was compiled using Mebetoys catalogues and information from Besana Mebetoys website, The Gran Toros website and
8058-533: The pieces. In Iran , "puzzle-locks" were made as early as the 17th century (CE). Toys became more widespread with changing Western attitudes towards children and childhood brought about by the Enlightenment . Previously, children had often been thought of as small adults, who were expected to work in order to produce the goods that the family needed to survive. As children's culture scholar Stephen Kline has argued, Medieval children were "more fully integrated into
8160-450: The primary influencer on the gender roles of their children. Parents, siblings, peers, and even teachers have been shown to react more positively to children engaging in sex-typical behavior and playing with sex-typical toys. This is often done through encouragement or discouragement, as well as suggestions and imitation. Additionally, sons are more likely to be reinforced for sex-typical play and discouraged from atypical play. However, it
8262-532: The rarer Ediltoys. Mebetoys was started by Ugo and Martino Besana in 1959 in Oleggio Castello , Italy. Their brother Mario Besana joined the company in 1967, one year after the company started. A diecast car line was started that same year, rather late compared to the entry of many other companies in the early-to-mid-1950s. In detail and proportion, Mebetoys joined superior model producers of French Solido and fellow Italian Polistil , in many ways these became
8364-519: The same for their costumes. The Disney store is an especially prevalent example of gender in play because they are a global identity in the toy world. A study done regarding their website found that though they have removed gender labels from their costumes, the toys online reflect more stereotypical gender identities. For example, toys depicting males were associated with physicality and females were associated with beauty, housing, and caring. Though Disney promotes their toys as being for both genders, there
8466-410: The segregation by gender in toys because it enables them to customize the same toy for each gender, which ultimately doubles their revenue. For example, Legos added more colors to certain sets of toys in the 1990s, including colors commonly attributed to girls such as lavender. It has been noted by researchers that, "Children as young as 18 months display sex-stereotyped toy choices". When eye movement
8568-425: The study encourages a focus on toys which are beneficial to both genders in order to create a better balance. While some parents promote gender neutral play, many parents encourage their children to participate in sex-typed activities, including doll-playing and engaging in housekeeping activities for girls and playing with trucks and engaging in sports activities for boys. Researcher Susan Witt said that parents are
8670-401: The supply to meet this rising demand. Intellectual emphasis was also increasingly being placed on the importance of a wholesome and happy childhood for the future development of children. Franz Kolb , a German pharmacist, invented plasticine in 1880, and in 1900 commercial production of the material as a children's toy began. Frank Hornby was a visionary in toy development and manufacture and
8772-579: The tires are hard plastic, not rubber; the steering wheel and front wheels are fixed; and the hood does not open, saving the cost of additional parts. The Alfa Romeo 1750, however, did come in two versions; top up and top down. By the late 1980s, though, the larger models were the backbone of Polistil sales, while it would last, and the 1:43 size was now being left to higher end collector brands like Eligor , Vitesse , and venerable Solido . The MS and MT series of 1:15 scale Motorcycles also appeared about 1980. Racing series (see next heading) of all scales became
8874-400: The tomb of a four-year-old girl at Xi'an Banpo Neolithic site. The earliest toys were made from natural materials, such as rocks, sticks, and clay . Thousands of years ago, Egyptian children played with dolls that had wigs and movable limbs, which were made from stone, pottery, and wood. However, evidence of toys in ancient Egypt is exceptionally difficult to identify with certainty in
8976-536: The toys that are intended for girls and boys within various cultures, which is reflective of the differing roles of men and women within a specific cultural community. Research on the repercussions of gender in toys suggests that desegregation of the genders can be achieved by encouraging more gender-neutral play. Researchers Carol Auster and Claire Mansbach have argued that allowing children to play with toys which more closely fit their talents would help them to better develop their skills. In terms of parental influence,
9078-575: The traditional toy industry holds onto their boy customers for 50% longer than their girl customers. Girls gravitate towards "music, clothes, make-up, television talent shows and celebrities". As young children are more exposed to and drawn to music intended for older children and teens, companies are having to rethink how they develop and market their products. Girls also demonstrate a longer loyalty to characters in toys and games marketed towards them. A variety of global toy companies have marketed themselves to this aspect of girls' development, for example,
9180-526: The triumvirate of diecast models on the European continent, though Danish Tekno and Italian Rio Models also were important. Models were exact to scale with many moving parts, and generally more sophisticated than venerable British producers Corgi and Dinky Toys . Mebetoys models were known for well-done castings. Some were very clever model selections such as the Autobianchi A66 Elaf petroleum with
9282-546: The use of series of numbers only. Most, but not all, of Polistil's lines were prefaced with letters: CE, RJ, S, MS, etc., but the company did not start with the beginning of the alphabet. With Politoys’ diecast 1:43 scale M-Series starting 1965, the company arguably became one of the most respected names of the decade in accurately diecast vehicles along with French Solido , fellow Italian Mebetoys and German Schuco (Rixon 2005, p. 80). Dinky and Corgi were also strong competitors and Politoys never matched their success in
9384-418: The values set forth by the adults of their specific community, but through the lens of the child's perspective. Within cultural societies, toys are a medium to enhance a child's cognitive, social, and linguistic learning. In some cultures, toys are used as a way to enhance a child's skillset within the traditional boundaries of their future roles in the community. In Saharan and North African cultures, play
9486-630: The world. The modern zoetrope was invented in 1833 by British mathematician William George Horner and was popularized in the 1860s. Wood and porcelain dolls in miniature doll houses were popular with middle-class girls, while boys played with marbles and toy trains. The golden age of toy development occurred during the Industrial Era . Real wages were rising steadily in the Western world, allowing even working-class families to afford toys for their children, and industrial techniques of precision engineering and mass production were able to provide
9588-545: The years passed. The 1:41 scale CE series appeared in 1978 and featured Renault, Ligier, Lotus, Brabham, Alfa Romeo and Williams, among others. Oddly, a few tractors also appeared in the CE series (Force 1992, 81–88). The RJ series ( Penny Series) carried at least 45 Grand Prix and Formula 1 cars, while the TG and L series were 1:16 scale. Like many other teams, the fascinating Tyrrell P34 6-wheel F1 car appeared in two different scales. At
9690-605: Was a Danish mainstay as were Gama, Schuco, and Marklin in Germany. More importantly, the Italian market was full. Mercury had been a leader of the Italian diecast industry for a long time, but no sooner had Politoys brought out the M-series, they were joined by Mebetoys and Edil , the latter only briefly, but the competition with Mercury and Mebetoys – who often offered similar models – was a challenge. Furthermore, Mattel's Hot Wheels diminished
9792-462: Was also an entrepreneur and a pioneer in licensing and merchandising literary characters. Potter built a retail empire out of her "bunny book" that is worth $ 500 million today. In the process, she created a system that continues to benefit all licensed characters, from Mickey Mouse to Harry Potter ." In tandem with the development of mass-produced toys, Enlightenment ideals about children's rights to education and leisure time came to fruition. During
9894-421: Was customary for them to sacrifice the toys of their childhood to the gods . On the eve of their wedding, young girls around fourteen would offer their dolls in a temple as a rite of passage into adulthood. The oldest known mechanical puzzle also comes from ancient Greece and appeared in the 3rd century BCE. The game consisted of a square divided into 14 parts, and the aim was to create different shapes from
9996-485: Was intrigued by the way it flopped around on the floor. He spent two years fine-tuning the design to find the best gauge of steel and coil; the result was the Slinky , which went on to sell in stores throughout the United States. After the Second World War , as society became ever more affluent and new technology and materials (plastics) for toy manufacture became available, toys became cheap and ubiquitous in households across
10098-554: Was much better than the E in this regard. David Sinclair, an Erie, Pennsylvania, importer who was responsible for starting much of the diecast car collecting hobby in the states noted that one interesting model in the EL line was an AMC Gremlin (Sinclair's 1977; Levine 2009). It was unique enough to see any American cars in European diecast, much less an AMC model! Starting in 1967, Politoys also offered its 1:66 scale Penny series to compete with smaller Matchbox and Majorette , probably aimed at
10200-599: Was one of the first companies to move into this larger and more lucrative size, thus was a trend setter for larger diecasts that is still popular today. Though proportions on the larger scale Polistil vehicles was sometimes slightly off (so were some of the Martoys, and both Bburago and Maisto later improved), creative presentation made up for it. For example, rally vehicles such as the Lancia Fulvia polar expedition were stunning. This car featured white and brown paint speckled across
10302-402: Was responsible for the invention and production of three of the most popular lines of toys based on engineering principles in the twentieth century: Meccano , Hornby Model Railways and Dinky Toys . Meccano was a model construction system that consisted of re-usable metal strips, plates, angle girders , wheels, axles and gears , with nuts and bolts to connect the pieces and enabled
10404-437: Was the same tactic used by Solido at the time, but Corgi, Dinky, and French Dinky continued to offer many common sedans. In 1968, the 500-series started including models labelled as "Export." These were slightly cruder than the M-series, with fewer opening features. By 1970, Politoys has "used up" the numbers from 500 to 599, including some metal versions of models previously produced in plastic. Later 1:43 scale series were
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