17 Apr 2006 :: Toltoys (NZ) Ltd, Part 1
Toltoys (NZ) Ltd, the New Zealand subsidiary of Toltoys Proprietary Ltd, manufactured and distributed a wide range of licensed and original toys, games and models in New Zealand over a period of a number of decades. The dominant bulk of famous Toltoys product originated through a wide network of licensing relationships with other well-known toy companies, including the likes of Airfix, Parker Brothers, Atari, and, well known to Star Wars fans, Kenner Products (owned by General Mills, hence the reference to this parent company on many Toltoys products). Despite this significant role, a comprehensive archive of their history, particularly in relation to their Star Wars license, is hard to come by. Many aspects of their tale make for interesting storytelling. For the sake of completeness, I'll start at the beginning...
Toltoys began under the name of Alex Tolmer & Associates Pty Ltd, in the late 1940s, lead by managing director Alexander Richard Tolmer (prior to this, Tolmer was sales manager with John Brent and Company, in Australia - their wares included diecast models sometimes advertised using the brand Brentoys in Australia and Brentware in NZ). The company was originally engaged in the sale and manufacture of toys and related products in Australia only. One of Toltoys' initial claims to fame was the introduction of, via agreement with the original manufacturers, hula-hoops and frisbees to Australia in the 1960s (fans of the Coen brothers' "The Hudsucker Proxy" will see the humour in that otherwise trivial coincidence). Management of Toltoys stayed in the family, with Alex's son David Tolmer taking the reigns through the 1970s and into the 1980s.
Kenner's history is even more complicated, but it explains a lot of the product relationships behind Toltoys lines. The ridiculously quick version goes something like this: ...formed as a company on Kenner Street, Cincinnati, Ohio, by Albert, Philip and Joseph Steiner; original products include the 'Give-a-Show' projectors, from 1959, and 'Spirograph', from 1966; purchased by General Mills in 1967 - General Mills other acquisitions had included the originator of Play-Doh, and, in 1968, Parker Brothers; Kenner negotiates the Star Wars license in 1977, and goes on to double its sales over the next 3 years.
The balance of Kenner's history is of less significance to the Toltoys tale, but is fun to follow anyway:
Kenner Parker Toys Inc is spun off from General Mills in 1985, and then purchased by Tonka Corporation in 1987; Tonka reorganises this group into 4 operating divisions, Kenner Products, Parker Brothers and Tonka Products (US) and Tonka International; Hasbro Inc buys the Tonka Corporation in 1991 (Kenner retains it brand and name at this stage - Hasbro's other divisions include Milton Bradley, Playskool, and the Hasbro toy division); Hasbro restructures in 1994, forming 2 groups � the Hasbro Toy Group (Kenner, Tonka and Playskool) and the Hasbro Games Group (Parker Brothers and Milton Bradley); Star Wars action figures are reborn under the Kenner name in 1995; in 1997, Hasbro announces that it has negotiated the rights with Lucasfilm to produce the toys from the Star Wars prequel movies; Hasbro closes Kenner in 2000 - Star Wars products live on under the Hasbro brand. (Thanks to KennerToys.com, and RebelScum.com who cover this in much greater details).
We can see now that once Toltoys established a relationship with General Mills to market, distribute, and in a number of instances, manufacture, the product of the latter organisation, it became the Australasian interface for the many subsidiaries of General Mills. Thus, when we inspect the packaging of a 'Made in New Zealand' MPC X-wing, the small-print reveals its full lineage: "Made in New Zealand by Toltoys NZ Ltd under license to MPC, a division of the General Mills Fun Group Inc."
Next page: Toltoys (NZ) Ltd, Part 2
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Matt G
