The Ideal Toy Company was a beloved American toy company that was headquartered in New York City. The company was known for producing classic toys like Rubik's Cube, Magic 8 Ball, and Betty Boop dolls. In this blog post, we will explore the history of the Ideal Toy Company and their factory in Queens, New York.
The Ideal Toy Company was founded in 1907 by Morris and Rose Michtom. The Michtoms were Russian immigrants who lived in Brooklyn, New York. They were the first to mass-produce teddy bears, which they named after President Theodore Roosevelt. The bears became a huge hit, and the Michtoms decided to start their own toy company.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Ideal Toy Company experienced tremendous growth. They began to produce a wide range of toys, including dolls, action figures, games, and puzzles. Some of their most popular toys included the Rubik's Cube, Magic 8 Ball, and the Betsy Wetsy doll.
To keep up with demand, the Ideal Toy Company opened a factory in Queens, New York, in 1947. The factory was located at 58-32 57th Street in Maspeth. The factory was state-of-the-art and was one of the largest toy factories in the United States at the time. The factory employed thousands of workers and produced millions of toys each year.
The Ideal Toy Company continued to thrive throughout the 1970s and 1980s. However, in the 1990s, the company began to struggle. They faced increased competition from other toy companies, and sales began to decline. In 1997, the Ideal Toy Company filed for bankruptcy, and the factory in Queens was closed.
Today, the former Ideal Toy Company factory in Queens is home to a variety of businesses. The building has been repurposed as office and warehouse space, and it is no longer used for toy manufacturing.
In conclusion, the Ideal Toy Company was a beloved American toy company that was known for producing classic toys like Rubik's Cube, Magic 8 Ball, and Betty Boop dolls. The company's factory in Queens, New York, was state-of-the-art and produced millions of toys each year. Although the company faced financial struggles in the 1990s and ultimately filed for bankruptcy, the legacy of the Ideal Toy Company lives on through the many toys they produced and the memories they created for generations of children.
The Cabbage Patch Doll was created by artist Xavier Roberts in 1978. Roberts created a line of dolls called "Little People," which he sold at local craft fairs in Georgia. The dolls were made of cloth and had unique faces and names. Each doll was one-of-a-kind and had its own personality.
In 1982, Roberts partnered with the Ideal Toy Company to mass-produce the Cabbage Patch Doll. The doll was an instant success and quickly became one of the most popular toys of the 1980s. The dolls were marketed as "adoptable" and each came with its own birth certificate and adoption papers.
The Cabbage Patch Doll craze reached a peak in 1983 when stores across the United States sold out of the dolls, leading to long lines and even riots in some locations. The dolls remained popular throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and Ideal continued to produce different versions and accessories.
The success of the Cabbage Patch Doll was a major factor in the Ideal Toy Company's growth in the 1980s. The company's factory in Queens, New York, was one of the primary locations where the dolls were manufactured.
Today, the Cabbage Patch Doll remains a beloved toy that is still produced by Wicked Cool Toys, which acquired the rights to the brand in 2018. The dolls continue to be popular with children and collectors alike, and they are a testament to the legacy of the Ideal Toy Company and their commitment to creating high-quality and beloved toys.
