When was the Japanese subsidiary of Marx toys named Linemar in business?

Answer 1

Linemar, a division of Louis Marx & Co. based in the USA was a brand, not a manufacturer.

The Linemar brand name was applied to toys manufactured in Japan by a variety of different Japanese companies for Marx. Most Linemar Toys appeared during the 1950s up until 1960. Interestingly these Japanese companies often marketed nearly identical products under their own brand names for many of the toys offered by Linemar.

However by 1961 Marx had realized the value of having their widely recognized brand name on all toys offered by the company. By 1963 nearly all Marx toys, no matter where they were made, were branded Marx and the Linemar brand name quickly faded away.

Some of the earliest examples of toys made in Japan but branded Marx instead of Linemar include Mr. Mercury (1961-1965) and the entire range of tin litho character toys from the Jetsons like Hopping Rosey, Hopping Astro, and the Jetsons Express Zig-Zag train (1962-1963).

Answer 2

Linemar

• Founded 1950's

• New York / USA

Linemar was the import subsidiary of Louis Marx & Co. Louis Marx was an early adopter of overseas manufacturing and distribution relationships and established Linemar to facilitate the importation of mechanical and battery-operated toys from Japan.

Linemar appears to have been in business from the late 1950's through about 1968, when Marx ostensibly disbanded the organization and assumed corporate responsibility for subsequent imported products.

Found the answer on this website: http://www.tanktoy.it/Web/Fabbrica.htm Sorry about the font color. I cut and pasted and did not know how to change it here.