Nosco Plastics

Lore & Background

NOSCO's origins trace to 1934 when National Organ Supply created the division to make plastic parts for electric organs. The company's toy production began in earnest after 1948 with the screw injection molding process, which allowed mass production of tiny plastic figures. These "slum" toys were sold to wholesalers as carnival merchandise and used by the millions as prizes in Cracker Jack popcorn confection. Major wholesaler Levin Brothers advertised NOSCO's plastic animal stand-ups in The Billboard in 1948 for $0.95 a gross.

E. Joseph Cossman & Company contracted with NOSCO to produce flat toy soldiers for mail order, advertised in American comic books as "100 Toy Soldiers for $1." Other sets included "100 Cowboys and Indians" and "3 Ring Circus," both also found as Cracker Jack prizes. From 1948 through 1960, Cracker Jack used many millions of NOSCO toys, including animal stand-ups, alphabet animals, people stand-ups, spacemen, double-sided stand-ups, and zodiac coins.

NOSCO also produced larger toys: a 21-inch plastic wind-up train (1950), the Hot'See Hot Rod (1952) with a clear plastic motor housing showing moving pistons, and the Happy Harry musical pull toy (1953). Employees Bruno C. Roehrl and Harold S. Cloyd held patents for these mechanical toys. NOSCO was sold to Holgate Brothers in 1959, then to White Eagle International in 1961, and finally closed in 1977.

Reader's Guide

NOSCO Plastics holds a significant place in mid-20th-century American toy manufacturing as an early adopter of screw injection molding, which enabled the mass production of inexpensive plastic toys. The company's "slum" figures—sold by the gross to wholesalers and used as Cracker Jack prizes—represent a formative era in prize culture and mail-order marketing. The partnership with E. Joseph Cossman & Company produced iconic flat toy soldiers advertised in comic books, reaching millions of children. NOSCO's mechanical toys, such as the Hot'See Hot Rod and Happy Harry, demonstrated innovation in clear plastic housings and musical mechanisms, earning patents. The company's transition from organ parts to toys and later to industrial components reflects the broader shift in plastics manufacturing. Its legacy endures through collector interest in Cracker Jack prizes and early plastic figures, as well as the documented patents that influenced later toy design.

Did You Know?

• NOSCO's tiny plastic toys were called 'slum' and sold for as little as $1 a gross.
• The Hot'See Hot Rod toy featured a clear plastic motor housing with visible moving pistons.
• NOSCO's flat toy soldiers were advertised in nearly every American comic book of the time as '100 Toy Soldiers for $1'.