All Metal Products Company

Lore & Background

All Metal Products Company initially specialized in toy guns, including pop guns, water pistols, and air rifles. Its 1920s slogan was 'Every Boy Wants a Pop Gun,' and by 1927 it had become the world's largest manufacturer of toy guns. The company stopped making air rifles in 1929 but continued dominating the toy gun market with pop guns, clicker pistols, dart guns, cap guns, and plastic pistols. To keep costs low, the company used scrap and surplus raw materials, often manufacturing toys from scrap metal obtained from local auto factories.

In 1929, the company added girls' toys and toy vehicles, and in 1936 it introduced lithographed novelty toys. Metal toys were banned during World War II because metals were needed for the war effort; the company survived by producing wooden toys and die-cut cardboard 'build-your-own' play sets. During the war, All Metal Products also manufactured en bloc clips for the M1 Garand rifle, stamped with 'AMP1' on the rear.

In 1946, the company purchased Hafner Manufacturing Company, maker of 'Hafner Clockwork' pressed-metal toy trains. In 1948, die-cast and plastic toys were added to the Wyandotte line. In the early 1950s, the company moved from Wyandotte, Michigan to Ohio, seeking proximity to steel mills and lower labor costs. This effort did not prevent bankruptcy in 1956, leading to the sale of part of its product line, including the former Hafner trains, to competitor Louis Marx and Company. A comeback attempt in 1957 ultimately failed.

Reader's Guide

All Metal Products Company is notable as a major American toy manufacturer that dominated the toy gun market for decades, producing inexpensive pressed-metal toys under the Wyandotte brand. Its use of scrap metal from local auto factories exemplified cost-cutting in toy production. The company's survival during World War II by switching to wooden toys and cardboard play sets, while also manufacturing military clips for the M1 Garand rifle, demonstrates its adaptability. The acquisition of Hafner Manufacturing Company in 1946 added pressed-metal toy trains to its line. The move to Ohio in the early 1950s failed to stave off bankruptcy in 1956, after which part of its product line was sold to Louis Marx and Company. A brief comeback attempt in 1957 was unsuccessful. The company's legacy includes its long-running Wyandotte brand and its role as a leading toy gun manufacturer in the United States.

Did You Know?

• All Metal Products Company was the largest manufacturer of toy guns in the US for several decades.
• The company used scrap metal from local auto factories to keep production costs low.
• In 1946, All Metal Products purchased Hafner Manufacturing Company, maker of 'Hafner Clockwork' toy trains.