Maker record
Wolverine
Wolverine was an American toy maker based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded as the Wolverine Supply and Manufacturing Company, it began producing toys after acquiring the Sand Toy Company in 1909, including the Sandy Andy line of sand-operated tin toys. Its products later ranged from tin battleships and mechanical toys to toy household appliances, games and career-themed playthings. The company became the Wolverine Toy Company in 1962 and moved its factory to Booneville, Arkansas, in 1970; production was later phased out under new ownership.
- Founded
- 1903
- Countries
- United States
- Locations
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · 1903 · Booneville, Arkansas · 1970
- Founders
- Benjamin Franklin Bain
The story of Wolverine
Benjamin Franklin Bain founded the Wolverine Supply and Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh in 1903. The company first made metal kitchen tools and household supplies. In 1909 it acquired the Sand Toy Company through a bankruptcy settlement, gaining the Sandy Andy line of sand-operated tin toys. Over the following decades Wolverine concentrated on toys, expanding Sandy Andy and making products that included tin battleships and household appliances.
Wolverine’s later ranges reflected distinctions common in mid-century toy marketing. Its Sunny Suzy and Little Queen appliances were aimed at girls, while pinball games and career-themed toys were marketed to boys. The company updated familiar products over time, including refrigerators in changing colors and a supermarket playset that replaced an earlier corner grocery model. In 1962 it changed its name to Wolverine Toy Company. It moved from Pittsburgh to Booneville, Arkansas, in 1970; under new ownership, toy production was eventually phased out.