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Tin Toys and Sixpenny Notions |
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Our
founder, Frank Woolworth, launched his first range of toys in
America at Christmas in 1879. The simple range of glass
marbles, tin toy dustpans (for dolls houses) and novelty soaps in the
shape of animals was the start of something big.
Back then Toys were only for rich kids, with most ordinary children receiving something practical like clothes (often socks) or sometimes fruit (traditionally oranges) or nuts - and then only at Christmas. Frank and his brother Sum remembered being laughed at when they asked for a toy for 5 cents (about 1p) and were determined to change things. |
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| They sparked a fun revolution by putting a range of simple novelties - paper and cardboard games, bouncy balls, dolls and dolls house furniture on sale. They invited people to come and look, play and buy. |  |
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Everyone
told Frank that all of the best toys came from Europe, so in 1890 he
sailed from New York to find out. They were right - in England he
could buy board games, india rubber balls and paint boxes, and in
Sonneberg, Germany, well he couldn't believe his eyes. Dolls large
and small, some made of "composition" (painted papier maché
and cardboard) and some of china and cloth. Every house was a toy
factory!
On March 14th Woolworth noted in his diary "The usual price they get for a good 10 cent doll is about 3 cents here and they are obliged to buy the hair, shirts and other materials, to put them together, and they probably get about 1 cent each for the labor they put in." He went on "I found where these Sailor Dolls that we sold so many of are made here and we can save considerable by buying them direct." Frank taught the toymakers to mass produce, often taking the toys loose and adding the packaging at his own warehouses in Calais, France or New York, USA. |
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| Our first British store opened in November 1909, in Church Street Liverpool. Among the most popular ranges in the store that Christmas were toys - with the coloring books (Woolworths learnt to add the "u" to the American spelling the following year), china dolls and musical instruments particularly popular. |  |
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| British-made tin whistles were a major success on both sides of the Atlantic in the early 1910s at threepence in Britain and five cents over the pond (both equivalent of about 1.25p) . Mouth organs at sixpence (2½p) from various suppliers in Germany were also very popular with children, and Woolworths also ran a line in ear-plugs for their long-suffering parents ! |  |
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During
the 1920s the Woolworths Buyers showed enormous creativity and flair to
develop amazing ranges of toys - and none costing more than
sixpence. Cricket bats and balls, model cars and aeroplanes, dolls
and miniature tea sets and soft toys were all available at pocket money
prices.
Woolworths toys had a classless, universal appeal. |
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Commentators at the time noted that a Lord and Lady could often rub shoulders with a labourer at Woolworths' novelty counter. Only the high-ups might be in disguise! |
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| In the 1930s the range grew rapidly - with the first character merchandise from Disney hitting the shelves, and an increasing number of items made of bakelite (a rigid plastic-like material). As prices went up in competitors' stores, the Woolies range got to be better and better value. There a lot more information about the development of toys in the 1930s in our 1930s Gallery here in the Woolworth Virtual Museum. Click here to take look. |  |
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| The late 1930s were marked by an increasing fear of war. There was a brief respite after the Munich crisis when Neville Chamberlain's piece of paper, proudly waved at Croydon Aerodrome, looked as if it might save the day but then in September 1939 war broke out. For a while life continued as usual, with virtually no sign of war until Christmas. But behind the scenes suppliers were switching from making toys to making armaments and instruments to help Britain to win a world war. In 1940 this led to shortages and rapidly rising prices, and Woolies had abandon their upper price limit "for the duration of the emergency". It never came back. | ||||
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| Toys were scarce - with those that there were generally made of cardboard and paper rather than wood or tin. Supply lines were cut, meaning that no toys could be imported from Japan and the Far East, let alone Germany. Most of the toys sold in wartime were in some way war-related - jigsaws of spitfires, plane spotter books and stories of the bravery of the RAF in overcoming the enemy. With products in short supply, extra space was given over to books and more practical items. | ||||
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| According to Guernsey folk lore, when the islands were occupied in 1940 and the Germans ordered local people to hand in their guns, local men marched to Woolworths in St Peter Port and bought sixpenny cap guns and handed those in. Fortunately the Germans saw the funny side and let the incident pass. |  |
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| Removing the maximum price limit of sixpence opened up many new possibilities for the Woolies toy range, as you'll see in other exhibits in our Virtual Museum. But many a grandparent and great grandparent will still tell you that sixpence worked wonders at Woolies when they were growing up ! | ||||
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Toys and Stationery Gallery Home F.
W. Woolworth & Co. Ltd. Toys The
Chad Valley Toy Company Ltd.
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