General Toy Product (GTP) Plane

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Hello Ian.
The picture in question was posted here from my laptop that since then, has had the hard drive removed and awaiting data recovery, so I can not check to see where the picture came from, but it is very likely from the internet.

Other 'GTP' toys do exist with...MADE IN GT BRITAIN...and because of the link to 'METTOY' mentioned in my earlier post, the dating of these can be based on what happened at Mettoy immediately after the Second World War.

Toys marketed by 'METTOY' upto 1946 were marked with...MADE IN ENGLAND...their address being Finsbury Pavement, London, E.C. 2. During 1946, they moved production into a big new factory in Swansea, South Wales and the toys started to appear with...MADE IN GT BRITAIN...they did not have to define England, Scotland, Wales or N. Ireland any more, just...GT BRITAIN and this could still be seen on much later 'CORGI TOYS' products into the 1980's.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[toysnz]

Hello Ian.
The picture in question was posted here from my laptop that since then, has had the hard drive removed and awaiting data recovery, so I can not check to see where the picture came from, but it is very likely from the internet.

Suspected as much... I've seen only one other GTP Fire Chief (in very bad condition) and it too had the "Made in Gt Britain" legend.

Other 'GTP' toys do exist with...MADE IN GT BRITAIN...and because of the link to 'METTOY' mentioned in my earlier post, the dating of these can be based on what happened at Mettoy immediately after the Second World War.

Toys marketed by 'METTOY' upto 1946 were marked with...MADE IN ENGLAND...their address being Finsbury Pavement, London, E.C. 2. During 1946, they moved production into a big new factory in Swansea, South Wales and the toys started to appear with...MADE IN GT BRITAIN...they did not have to define England, Scotland, Wales or N. Ireland any more, just...GT BRITAIN and this could still be seen on much later 'CORGI TOYS' products into the 1980's.
GHOSTHUNTER.

I've found a source on the web that states GlamToy Limited was founded in 1935 and dissolved in 1953... based in Port Talbot which was in the Glamorgan area too, not far from Swansea. Port Talbot was one of a number of towns with several tinplate works in them. I'm now wondering if the GTP change was for a similar reason to Mettoy's and the last batches of toys went out with the new legend on them. I have seen several references to the GTP toys being manufactured between 1950 and 1959 but given the dissolution of the company in 1953 (if correct - i'm trying to get info on this from the source) then the toys were probably marketed, at least post-ww2, from 1945 to 1953/4.

Ian

[Idris]

. I have seen several references to the GTP toys being manufactured between 1950 and 1959 but given the dissolution of the company in 1953 (if correct - i'm trying to get info on this from the source) then the toys were probably marketed, at least post-ww2, from 1945 to 1953/4.

Companies' House should be able to help with the dissolution date.

[toysnz]

. I have seen several references to the GTP toys being manufactured between 1950 and 1959 but given the dissolution of the company in 1953 (if correct - i'm trying to get info on this from the source) then the toys were probably marketed, at least post-ww2, from 1945 to 1953/4.

Companies' House should be able to help with the dissolution date.

Companies House online databases don't come up with anything remotely similar to Glam Toy or Glamtoy - perhaps it doesn't go back far enough.

Ian

[toysnz]

RE: Glamtoy Limited: the information came from 'British Tin Toys' by M. Fawdry which stated "Glamtoys Ltd 1935-1953. Port, South Wales. Manufactured cheap small racing cars, trains, clicking frogs and animals for Woolworths". It is assumed "Port, South Wales" is a typo and should read "Port Talbot, South Wales". I found the quote on Kevin Dockerill's site http://tinplatetoys.blogspot.co.nz/p/in ... e-toy.html and Kevin was kind enough to look it up again for me.

Ian

[GHOSTHUNTER]

Here are Two more interesting 'GLAMTOYS' models, interesting in that garages and Road Rollers were also in the 'METTOY' range!

Automatic garage.jpg (68.11 KiB) Viewed 6061 times

Road Roller.jpg (49.96 KiB) Viewed 6061 times

As for Port Talbot, Glamtoys were actually based on the Treforest Industrial Estate, near Pontyprid, The oldest Industrial estate in Wales and now owned by Slough Estates International, famous for 'Mars' confectionary, the making of the TV series "The Office" and for having studios for the making of Gerry Anderson's "Thunderbirds" and "Captain Scarlet". I live less than Half an Hour away from the estate by car and have an interest in the estate through previous jobs and the TV shows I mentioned above, but also because it had a servicing site for the many World War I Staff cars, Ambulances and service tenders built on British automobile chassis.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[toysnz]

(EDIT....)
As for Port Talbot, Glamtoys were actually based on the Treforest Industrial Estate, near Pontyprid, The oldest Industrial estate in Wales and now owned by Slough Estates International, famous for 'Mars' confectionary, the making of the TV series "The Office" and for having studios for the making of Gerry Anderson's "Thunderbirds" and "Captain Scarlet". I live less than Half an Hour away from the estate by car and have an interest in the estate through previous jobs and the TV shows I mentioned above, but also because it had a servicing site for the many World War I Staff cars, Ambulances and service tenders built on British automobile chassis.
GHOSTHUNTER.

Now I find that very interesting Kevin... is there any corroborating evidence of them manufacturing there... I ask, not in doubt, but because another of my interests is Jolly Roger Toys and, pre-war, TREMO UK (WALES) who operated from 1937 - 1940 are recorded as being based at "Treforest Trading Estate, Treforest, near Cardiff". The company was wound up during the early part of World War 2 when the owner Freidrich Winkler, a Jewish refugee, was interned as an enemy alien. Circa 1940, a new firm Tremo Mouldings Ltd. was instituted with premises at John Street, Cardiff. In 1941, they were using the trade marks of "Jolly Roger" and "Little Ann." Winkler was a former employee of Wiking.

Ian

[Idris]

...another of my interests is Jolly Roger Toys...

At last! Someone else who is interested in Jolly Roger!

[GHOSTHUNTER]

This website says 'Treforest Industrial Estate' for 'GLAMTOYS'...www.museumwales.ac.uk/rhagor/article/toys/

'GLAM' comes from GLAMorganshire, which was trimmed to become 'MID-GAMORGAN' during 1974. They may have had an office address in Port Talbot as other toy and model companies for example including 'REVELL' and 'CORGI' have the factory address and then an office address, and I may be wrong, but I don't think Glamorganshire has a border with Port Talbot, maybe Hugh ("Idris" can clarify this), had they been in or near Port Talbot, I would expect them to be called 'PORTOYS' instead of 'GLAMTOYS'.

It would be nice to know how many toy or model companies were working out of the South Wales area, if we could find some sort of register for them and Companies House (mentioned by "Idris" earlier), would seem to be the answer.

GHOSTHUNTER.

[Idris]

'GLAM' comes from GLAMorganshire, which was trimmed to become 'MID-GAMORGAN' during 1974. They may have had an office address in Port Talbot as other toy and model companies for example including 'REVELL' and 'CORGI' have the factory address and then an office address, and I may be wrong, but I don't think Glamorganshire has a border with Port Talbot, maybe Hugh ("Idris" can clarify this), had they been in or near Port Talbot, I would expect them to be called 'PORTOYS' instead of 'GLAMTOYS'.

Port Talbot was in the old county of Glamorgan.