Metals Used for Toys in the 1900s
During the early 1900s, toys were simple -- powered by imagination and wheels. You can find metal toys of that time in antique shops around the world, usually still in good condition and able to work. The metals used for building the toys were not always the most safe or versatile, but the toys were sturdy and functional.
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Tin Metal Toys
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Tin was the main type of metal used to create toys from the 1820s until WWII. It was flexible enough to cover toy cars, trucks and houses with tin-plating over wood. The toy cars evolved into spring loaded toys made entirely out of tin. The tin ore mines discovered in Illinois were depleted during WWII and tin was replaced by plastic sheeting. After the tin was no longer used, the toys became discarded or melted down for other manufacturing purposes.
Cast Iron Toys
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Cast iron toys began mass production in the middle of the 20th century as the high quality and low cost of the metal was discovered. Manufacturers could easily manipulate cast iron into any form using heat and molds. This discovery brought the idea of bringing entertainment marketing mainstream as the brand names were placed on toy cars and marketed to happy children at Christmas time. Cast iron rusted easily, though, so a toy's shelf life would be prolonged with nickel plating.
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Lead Toys
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Some toys were once made of lead, as were paint and building materials. The toys were mostly found and melted down once the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discovered and announced that lead was poisonous. Most of the lead toys were the little inch-high soldiers that many boys had. The lead was pliable when heated and easily mass produced to create fun army soldiers.
Steel Toys
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Toys made entirely out of steel did not replace the tin-plated or cast iron toys until after the Second World War. The steel sheets were heavier than the tin-plate used prior, but steel was cheaper and more abundant. Steel had been reserved for use on mobile toys such as bicycle and wagon wheels, but was soon discovered to make reliable toy cars. Die cast toy cars became a major seller and steel became the most used toy metal before plastic replaced everything.
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References
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