Maker record
Chein
J. Chein & Company was an American maker of stamped and lithographed metal toys. Its products included banks, holiday and transportation toys, and mechanical ride toys such as Ferris wheels, introduced in the 1930s. In 1949 the company moved its factory to Burlington, New Jersey, where it produced banks, globes, sand pails and other children’s goods. It later turned to lithographed metal housewares.
- Founded
- 1903
- Final year
- 1970
- Locations
- Harrison, New Jersey, United States · 1903
- Founders
- Julius Chein
The story of Chein
J. Chein & Company made stamped and lithographed metal toys. Its products included banks, holiday and transportation toys, and mechanical ride toys. The company introduced mechanical rides in the 1930s; Ferris wheels became a notable product. Its character toys included Popeye, Krazy Kat, and Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
In 1949, the company moved its factory to Burlington, New Jersey, under the ownership of Robert Beckelman and Irving Sachs. By 1960, it was producing 100,000 toys a day. The factory also made banks, globes, sand pails and other children’s goods. In 1976 the company turned to housewares, and the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia records its closure in 1992.