“Toy industry dates from 1903” Featuring ROM Space Knight Pic
This 1979 newspaper article from The Argus Press talks of the licensing history of the toy industry, starting with the “Teddy Bear” in 1903 and running all of the way through 1979, the short article is actually a pretty decent overview for anyone unfamiliar with the history of licensing in the toy industry.
These days, of course, licensing is far more important than it ever was. Still, it’s fun to look back at these old articles. And that picture of a little girl playing with the (then-new) ROM Space Knight toy is simply icing on a fun bit of the toy industry’s past.
Related articles
- “In toy industry, big things come from small packagers” (battlegrip.com)
- Toymakers, the Economy, and Bernie Loomis in 1981 (battlegrip.com)
- 1979 Star Wars Action Figures Newspaper Ad (battlegrip.com)