TOY SOLDIER HQ INC

MPC TOY SOLDIERS, FIGURES AND ITEMS ID GUIDES

One of the producers of plastic army men in the 1950s 60s & 70s was the Multiple Products Corporation better known as simply MPC by collectors. They came into business after WWII and were located located at 55 West 13th Street in New York City with Marvin Ross as their president. They also set up a subsidiary in Canada known a Multiple Toys. In 1950 they showed a game at the toy fair in NY and we know they were selling toys by 1955. Among the first figures they made were copies of Tim-Mee Toys Indians. Their “ring hand” Ramar of the Jungle African natives and a big game hunter playset is dated 1955. They took the idea of using clip on accessories from the line of PECOs figures made earlier in the 1950s. They continued to add more “ring hand” figures to their line up including pirates, farmers, Revolutionary War, Civil War and WWII themes. Mostly sold in header card bags, blister cards or small plastic cases(totters), but they did make play sets as well to compete with toy king Louis Marx & Co. By the end of the 1950s competition from cheaper Asian markets caused companies to open factories in Hong Kong, Taiwan and or Japan and many started going out of business. MPC did get some toys made in Hong Kong. In 1963 Marx came out with WWII German and Japanese toy soldiers and Lido and MPC quickly followed suit. Kids went nuts and bought millions as they finally had bad guys for their US troops to whip. Lido was sold in 1964 and their German & Japanese molds disappeared leaving MPC to duke it out with Marx. The new MPC Germans and Japanese were not “ring hands” but had their weapons integrally molded the same as Marx. They also made US & Russian toy soldiers with integral weapons. It seems the ring hand figures were phased out during this time period. Plasticraft has the MPC ring hand GIs in their 1965 catalog and may have bought the mold. They had purchased molds from both Archer and Renwal. In 1965 perhaps having financial issues MPC was sold to the Loral Corporation who made components for rockets and other space gear. They had been looking to buy unrelated businesses to expand their market. Packaging was now marked MULTIPLE PRODUCTS CO. A DIVISION OF THE LORAL CORPORATION. They quickly realized they knew nothing about toys and in 1967 they sold MPC to Miner Industries. Packaging was now marked MULTIPLE PRODUCTS CORP A DIVISION OF MINER INDUSTRIES. They also started using MULTIPLE TOYS on packaging and eventually phased out the Multiple Products name. In 1979 Miner Industries declared bankruptcy emerging with a new partner TOY MAJOR. The Mulitple name was no longer used and packaging was now marked MINER INDUSTRIES or TOY MAJOR or both names or no company identification at all. About 1985 they went out of business and American Plastic Equipment Inc. owned by Jay Horowitz bought the molds. Mr. Horowitz had also purchased many of the former Marx molds when they closed in 1980. He started ReMarx to try and bring back the Marx line of toys. Many of the Marx figure molds were not available so the exMPC American & German infantry were used in his “Marx” WWII playsets.

MPC minis were sold in boxed, blistercard and headerbag packaging as well as out of comic books.

These were made in army green and metallic blue.

- Set #602 Classic Cars of the World, 35 cars MIB, dated 1969.

First Series 1955 MINI CARS MADE BY MPC WITHOUT LOGOS

Photo courtesy Jack Gardner Worcester MA.

MPC Mini Cars NO MPC LOGO (Thanks to Ben Houghton for the information that these were MPC)

UNKNOWN MAKER VEHICLES

Made in HONG KONG mini cars

ID'd by Michael von Glahn as made by Processed Plastic.

These MPC ships were made with tiny pieces that plugged onto the ships. These little pieces always seem to have been lost.

NON MPC MINI SHIPS

From China these are made of a very rubbery material.

MPC MADE 58 DIFFERENT PLANES. Propellers are usually missing. We think we have all of them pictured. If we don't please let us know.

Unmarked probably not MPC. Scans are 100%.

Most likely Payton or LIDO

Hong Kong WWI Mini Planes, planes have US or British markings at random. MADE IN CHINA missing gunner in all 2 seaters have US, British & German markings at random