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Lesney Products
Lesney Products & Co. Ltd. was a British manufacturing company responsible for the conception, manufacture, and distribution of die-cast toys under the "Matchbox" name. The company existed from 1947 until 1982. History Lesney was founded on 19 January 1947 as an industrial die-casting company by Leslie Smith (6 March 1918 – 26 May 2005) and Rodney Smith (26 August 1917 – 20 July 2013). The name "Lesney" was a portmanteau from both partners' (who were not related by blood) names. They had been school friends and served together in the Royal Navy during World War II. Shortly after they founded the company, Rodney Smith introduced to his partner a man named John "Jack" Odell, an engineer he had met in a previous job at D.C.M.T. (another die-casting company). Mr. Odell initially rented a space in the Lesney building to make his own die-casting products, but he joined the company as a partner in that same year. Lesney originally started operations in a derelict pub in north Lo ...
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Matchbox (brand)
Matchbox is a toy brand which was introduced by Lesney Products in 1953, and is now owned by Mattel, Inc, which purchased the brand in 1997. The brand was given its name because the original die-cast toy, die-cast "Matchbox" toys were sold in boxes similar to those in which matches were sold. The brand grew to encompass a broad range of toys, including larger scale die-cast models, plastic model kits, slot car racing, and action figures. During the 1980s, Matchbox began to switch to the more conventional plastic and cardboard "blister packs" that were used by other die-cast toy brands such as Hot Wheels. By the 2000s, the box style packaging was re-introduced for the collectors' market, such as the 35th Anniversary of Superfast series in 2004 and the 50th Anniversary of Superfast in 2019. Products currently marketed under the Matchbox name include scale model plastic and die-cast vehicles, and toy garages. History Early years: Lesney, the origin of the Matchbox name and the ' ...
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Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She had been queen regnant of List of sovereign states headed by Elizabeth II, 32 sovereign states during her lifetime and was the monarch of 15 realms at her death. Her reign of 70 years and 214 days is the List of monarchs in Britain by length of reign, longest of any British monarch, the List of longest-reigning monarchs, second-longest of any sovereign state, and the List of female monarchs, longest of any queen regnant in history. Elizabeth was born in Mayfair, London, during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King George V. She was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother). Her father acceded to the throne in 1936 upon Abdication of Edward VIII, the abdic ...
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Toy Companies Of The United Kingdom
A toy or plaything 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 a fort with empty cereal boxes and tissue paper spools, or a toddler playing with a broken TV remote. 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 trai ...
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Benbros
Benbros (London) Ltd was a British toy company in existence from the late 1940s to 1965. The company was founded by two brothers, Jack and Nathan Benenson, the name, a contraction of "Benenson Brothers", was adopted in 1951 and the company was based at 145, Gosport Road, Walthamstow. Benbros produced: * Die cast metal model cars and farm machinery under the names of "Qualitoys" and "T.V. Series" that came packed in a box that looked like a television set that were later retitled "Mighty Midgets". * "Zebra Toys" that came in black and white striped boxes that were better quality models. * Hollow cast metal Robin Hood, cowboy and Indian figures and toy soldiers A toy soldier is a miniature figurine that represents a soldier. The term applies to depictions of uniformed military personnel from all eras, and includes knights, cowboys, American Indians, pirates, samurai, and other subjects that involve c .... Timpo Toys sold several of their moulds to Benbros, which can lead ...
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Collectible
A collectable (collectible or collector's item) is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector. Collectable items are not necessarily monetarily valuable or uncommon. There are numerous types of collectables and terms to denote those types. An antique is a collectable that is old. A curio is something deemed unique, uncommon, or weird, such as a decorative item. A manufactured collectable is an item made specifically for people to collect.Danziger, Pamela (July 1, 1069)''Why People Buy Things They Don't Need: Understanding and Predicting Consumer Behavior'' Kaplan Publishing. The business of collectables Created to be collected A manufactured collectable (often referred to as a contemporary collectable) is an item made specifically for people to collect. Examples of items commonly sold as collectables include plates, figurines, bells, graphics, steins, dolls, and art. Some companies that produce manufactured collectables are members of The Gi ...
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Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is an American media franchise and brand of scale model model car, cars invented by Elliot Handler and introduced by his company Mattel on May 18, 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox (brand), Matchbox until Mattel bought Matchbox owner Tyco Toys in 1997. Many automobile manufacturers have since licensed Hot Wheels to make scale models of their cars, allowing the use of original design blueprints and detailing. Although Hot Wheels were originally intended to be children's toys, they have become popular with adult collectors, for whom limited edition models are now made available. History Development The original Hot Wheels were made by Elliot Handler. Handler discovered his son Kenneth playing with Matchbox cars and decided to create a line to compete with Matchbox. Hot Wheels were originally conceived by Handler to be more like "hot rod" cars (i.e., Custom car, customized/modified or even Caricature, caricaturized or fantasy cars, often with Racing slick, ...
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Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company headquartered in El Segundo, California. Founded in Los Angeles by Harold Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Ruth Handler, Ruth and Elliot Handler in January 1945, Mattel has a presence in 35 countries and territories; its products are sold in more than 150 countries. It is the world's second largest toy maker in terms of revenue, after the Lego Group. Two of its historic and most valuable brands, Barbie and Hot Wheels, were respectively named the top global toy property and the top-selling global toy of the year for 2020 and 2021 by the NPD Group, a global information research company. History Origins and early years Businessman Harold "Matt" Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Elliot and Ruth Handler, Ruth Handler founded Mattel as Mattel Creations in January 1945 in a garage in Los Angeles. The company name chosen is a portmanteau of the surname of Mat ...
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Lledo
Lledo was a British manufacturing company founded in 1982 by Matchbox co-founder Jack Odell, and Burt Russell, and based in Enfield. The factory produced mainly die-cast scale model commercial vehicles, and also cars, from 1983 to 1999, when the company went into bankruptcy. Models were later made in China. "Lledo" was a reversal of Odell's own surname, a mnemonic device from war days in the African desert so as not to forget his wireless call sign. History Days Gone left, 150px, 936 Packard - McVitie and Price of the "Days Gone" series Lledo set out to specialise in replicating early Matchbox series styles, particularly the Models of Yesteryear range. Odell and Russell bought machinery from the Universal company, which had purchased the Matchbox plant and shipped it to Macau. The tooling they purchased was re-shipped back to Enfield, England where in April 1983 the new "Days Gone" range was launched. The name is a nice continuation of Matchbox's nostalgic "Yesteryear" t ...
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Meccano Ltd
Meccano Ltd was a British toy manufacturing company, established in 1908 by Frank Hornby in Liverpool, England, to manufacture and distribute Meccano and other model toys and kits created by the company. During the 1920s and 1930s it became the biggest toy manufacturer in the United Kingdom and produced three of the most popular lines of toys in the twentieth century: Meccano, Hornby Railways, Hornby Trains and Dinky Toys. Financial problems beset the company in the early 1960s and Meccano Ltd was taken over by Lines Bros Ltd in 1964. History Beginning and development In 1901 Frank Hornby, a clerk from Liverpool, England, invented a new construction toy called "Mechanics Made Easy", which soon became known as Meccano. To manufacture and distribute Meccano, Hornby needed to raise Capital (economics), capital to invest in factory and plant, and this resulted in the establishment of Meccano Ltd in 1908, with Hornby as the sole proprietor. A factory was acquired in West Derby R ...
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Corgi Classics Limited
Corgi Classics Limited was a British die-cast scale model manufacturer established as an independent company in 1995, which has its origins in the Corgi Toys brand introduced by Mettoy in 1956. It is known for its British and North American vehicle models. Products manufactured and marketed by Corgi included die-cast scale model cars, airplanes, buses, and military. In 2008 the company was acquired by Hornby Railways,Hornby PLC acquires toy car maker Corgi Classics in 7.5 million-pound deal
on ''The Economic Times'', 1 May 2008
who has owned the ''Corgi''

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Mettoy-Corgi
Corgi Toys (trademark) is the brand name of a range of die-cast toy vehicles created by Mettoy and currently owned by Hornby Railways, Hornby,"Retail"
''The Guardian''.
after it acquired the Corgi Classics, Corgi Classics Limited Company in 2008.Hornby PLC acquires toy car maker Corgi Classics in 7.5 million-pound deal
on ''The Economic Times'', 1 May 2008
The Mettoy ("Metal Toy") company was founded in 1933 by German people, German émigré Philip Ullmann in Northampton, England, where he was later joined by ...
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Lesney Bus No34
Lesney Products & Co. Ltd. was a British manufacturing company responsible for the conception, manufacture, and distribution of die-cast toys under the "Matchbox" name. The company existed from 1947 until 1982. History Lesney was founded on 19 January 1947 as an industrial die-casting company by Leslie Smith (6 March 1918 – 26 May 2005) and Rodney Smith (26 August 1917 – 20 July 2013). The name "Lesney" was a portmanteau from both partners' (who were not related by blood) names. They had been school friends and served together in the Royal Navy during World War II. Shortly after they founded the company, Rodney Smith introduced to his partner a man named John "Jack" Odell, an engineer he had met in a previous job at D.C.M.T. (another die-casting company). Mr. Odell initially rented a space in the Lesney building to make his own die-casting products, but he joined the company as a partner in that same year. Lesney originally started operations in a derelict pub in north Lo ...
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