Maco (toy company)

Maco Toys, Inc., was the name of a popular toy company ^[1] based in Brooklyn, New York^[2] which produced war-themed toys for children in the 1950s and 1960s.^[3] Their toys were sold in a catalog that was illustrated by Tony Tallarico and printed by Charlton Comics^[4]which presented itself as a war comic book.^[5] (These toys were also sold in toy stores.) Products included plastic guns (including the M1903 Springfield rifle^[6] and an Army Paratrooper Carbine ^[7]), grenades, and a plastic Molotov cocktail.

The company's products were available in stores throughout the United States, but had a limited range of products and did not operate in other countries. Competitors included Hawk Model Company, Applause Inc, and Louis Marx and Company.^[8]

Anti gun toy controversy

In 1955, the New York City Council passed a bill to ban the manufacture, sale or possession of imitation revolvers that resemble the real article too closely. In a debate about the measure, an Army .45 caliber automatic manufactured by Maco was used as an example of a toy gun which was similar enough to the real model to be used as a weapon in a robbery.^[9]

External links

• Company information from the Truly Awful Stuff blog
• Catalog information from Comic Book Resources

References