Barclay Manufacturing Company

Barclay Manufacturing Company

Industry	Toy manufacturing
Founded	1922
Founder	Leon Donze Michael Levy
Headquarters	New Jersey
Website	barclaycompany.com

The Barclay Manufacturing Company was a New Jersey-based American firm known for producing metal toys, particularly diecast toy automobiles and hollowcast toy soldiers. Due to their common presence in five-and-dime outlets, Barclay’s toy soldiers earned the nickname "Dimestore soldiers" among collectors.

History

Established circa 1922 by Leon Donze and Michael Levy, Barclay Manufacturing took its name from Barclay Street in Hoboken, New Jersey, before later moving operations to North Bergen, New Jersey.

In 1939, Barclay expanded by acquiring Tommy Toy, a toy soldier manufacturer, along with its art deco sculptor Olive Kooken. The company modernized soldier uniforms to mirror current military attire, replacing closed collars with open shirt-and-tie styles and substituting wrap-around puttees for canvas leggings. Individual foot soldier figures were sold for five cents prior to the company’s temporary shutdown in 1942.

During the 1930s, early vehicle models were crafted using slush-cast white metal and featured art deco designs. Among these were a "Coast to Coast" bus and a two-tone oil tanker distinguished by contrasting fenders. A "Build and Paint Your Own Auto Set" included a four-door sedan, a two-door car, and a tanker truck, complete with paint and white rubber wheels.

From the late 1930s through the 1940s, Barclay also produced military vehicles such as tanks and trucks equipped with cannons, typically finished in brown paint.

Soldiers

Following World War II, Barclay relocated its headquarters to Union City, New Jersey. The company updated its soldier figures by adopting the M1 Helmet design. Around 1951, to reduce metal usage amid rising costs, bases were removed from the figures; these "podfoot" soldiers featured flat feet and were painted olive drab with green helmets for U.S. troops, while enemy figures wore red uniforms with white helmets. Prices rose to 15 cents per figure.

By 1960, lead toy soldiers had mostly vanished from Woolworths and similar dime stores, with sales shifting toward hobby shops. From 1964 onward, soldier uniforms were painted green to represent contemporary U.S. Army attire.

The ones with pinched axles

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Barclay’s diecast metal vehicles maintained popularity. Most models measured just over one inch in length, though some ranged from three to four inches. The lineup included a small VW Beetle, various sports and racing cars often featuring tiny metal driver figures, as well as generic trucks. Noteworthy sets included a compact car carrier with a fold-down ramp holding four cars and a tall-nosed pickup styled after GM Motorama designs carrying nine wooden 'beer' barrels; this set was also offered in a white 'milk and ice cream' version.

Barclay cars were characterized by simple single-piece cast bodies with separately cast and painted metal drivers seated inside. These vehicles lacked windows or interior details and were identified by their distinctive pinched flat axles protruding from the wheels. They were painted in vibrant colors such as blue, red, and orange.

Circa 1960, Barclay launched the Bottle Series Metal Miniatures—small-scale vehicles packaged in blister cards shaped like bottles featuring illustrated city skyline and countryside backgrounds. The compact packaging measured just under 4 by 2.75 inches and was prominently labeled "All American" in alternating red and blue lettering. These miniatures retailed for 19 cents each.

Challenging Periods

Barclay ended its operations in 1971, unable to keep pace with the rise of plastic toys and market transformations spurred by innovations such as Mattel's Hot Wheels.

Enduring Impact

In the 1990s, the rights to Barclay's trademarks were regained, enabling the ongoing manufacture of sturdy metal replicas of figures originally produced by Barclay and Manoil Manufacturing Co..

External links

• The Barclay Company