The company started as a metal foundry, whereupon it was natural to use sheet metal as a material for the toys, which gave them a durability that set them apart from many other toys on the market. Their motto "A toy shouldn't break just because a child plays with it" made them the first choice for sandbox toys that could be left outside all year round.
The authenticity went so far that in the beginning they chose rubber tires and the same sheet metal used by car manufacturers, which made the toys so heavy that children had difficulty playing with them.
The first truck weighed a good bit over 6kg, which was subsequently slimmed down considerably, even though they always had their motto as a guiding light.
History of Tonka Toys
Tonka Toys was founded in 1946 in Mound, Minnesota, USA. From the beginning, they mainly cast and sold garden tools, but over time came across rights to drawings for toys.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Tonka became a leading manufacturer of toy vehicles in the United States and worldwide.
A Swedish connection? The logo is drawn by Erling Eklöf, who one can suspect at least has Swedish ancestry considering the name and the brand's domicile in Minnesota.
The town of Mound is located on a peninsula that juts out into Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota from where it got its name.
Rise and fall
By 1975, Tonka Toys had become a global giant, with facilities spread across eight different countries and the Mound factory where the toys were made had over 2,000 workers.
In 1987 Tonka bought British toy giant Palitoy for $555 million which eventually became the downfall of the company. The purchase, which was mainly financed through debt, was unfortunately not very successful, which led to the closure of the factory in Mound and the company being bought up by Hasbro in 1991. The same company that owns My Little Pony, Magic The Gathering, Transformers, Dungeon & Dragons and many more famous trademarks.
Tonka's toys are unique due to their durability, quality and realistic design. What is your best memory of tonka?
