Reliable Toy Company - 8th in Canadiana Series
Vintage Toy Collecting has become very popular in recent years, thanks to the Baby Boomers approaching or in their retirement years. Folks LOVE to relive their childhoods through the toys they remember!
There were many toy production companies in Canada in the early part of the 20th Century and on into the Post War years. Unfortunately the Canadian Toy Industry virtually collapsed in the late 1950's to early 1960's due to competition from USA and Japanese makers. Though a few managed to limp into the 1990's, there are now very few Canadian Toy makers in existence in Canada, except for Boutique/Cottage Industry Companies or those that are simply importers.
Reliable was founded in 1920 as Canadian Statuary and Novelty Company, making plush and novelties in a 500 square foot room on Queen Street, Toronto, Ontario Canada. That partnership dissolved and the name became Reliable Toy Company in 1922. At first, during the original partnership, the company imported doll heads from Germany and composition doll parts from USA, but Reliable began making original dolls c1922.
An example of a Reliable plush toy, an adorable synthetic silk plush dog with a vinyl collar. For more details, please click HERE.
In 1933, Reliable bought the assets of former competitor Dominion Toy and became the largest doll maker in Canada. In 1935, Reliable became the largest toy factory in the British Empire, occupying 72,000 square feet in their new location on Carlaw Avenue, Toronto. The factory had a complete knitting mill to make doll clothing, a hair dressing department, and a specialty section for making voice boxes, squeakers, shoes and eyes. In 1936 their annual production of dolls reached over 1.5 million in over 300 varieties.
Reliable made the first Canadian PLASTIC toys in the early 1940's, using left over scraps from their production of plastic bullet tips and oil bottles for the War Effort and employing their new skill of injection molding.
An example of Dollhouse Furniture, a sewing machine cabinet, made from hard plastic by Reliable.
With moving parts!
For more details, please click HERE
A unique clear/see-through Dollhouse plastic Piano.
Embossed on the underside "Made in Canada, A Reliable Product (in a diamond logo outline) 5". 5 is likely the style/mold number.
For more details, please click HERE.
Reliable Toy is particularly noted for the production of Native and Inuit style dolls, and Souvenir of Canada dolls wearing traditional outfits.
An early c1950's hard plastic, string-jointed, Eskimo or Native Inuit Canadian ethnic doll, dressed in sueded leather trimmed with genuine rabbit fur, she has gorgeous brown sleepy eyes. She is 8 inches tall.
Embossed "Reliable" in script, on her back. For more details, please click HERE.
Reliable also shared some doll molds and styles with USA maker's, producing the same popular children's play dolls in Canada, usually with different "names".
Here is a "Suzy Walker" hard plastic doll from 1957, with sleepy blue eyes, a mohair strawberry blonde braided pigtailed wig and her original pinafore dress with matching bonnet. Propel her by the hand and her legs move in a walking motion while her head turns from side to side. She is 9 inches tall.
For more details, please click HERE.
Reliable Toy merged with Viceroy Manufacturing Company (merger date unknown) who began manufacture of rubber toys in Toronto in 1930 in conjunction with Sunruco (Sun Rubber Company, Ohio USA).
Though Reliable Toy remained in production till the early 1990's, they no longer produce toys in Canada. Of Canadian historical significance, Reliable designed and manufactured a 6 inch plastic jet fighter toy which was an accurate representation of the Avro CF-100 "Canuck", the first fighter jet designed and produced in Canada. This was one of several Canadian heritage specially produced toys. The loss of the toy industry in Canada has resulted in such significantly cultural items as being RARE or at least hard to find.
Happy Hunting!
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Mandy
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Interesting Links:
The Collectors Marketplace & Community
Canadian Toy Collectors Society
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