Banner Plastics Corp.
10 years in operation (1945–1955)
About Banner Plastics Corp.
Banner Plastics produced cheap injection-moulded polystyrene toys in the postwar era, including character figures, vehicles, and novelty items sold through five-and-dime stores. The company was one of the firms that proved plastic could displace tin and cast iron at the bottom of the market.
History of Banner Plastics Corp.
Banner was a New Jersey moulder that took the opposite approach to Aurora: rather than pursue accuracy, it produced very cheap injection-moulded polystyrene toys for the dime-store and grocery trade — small vehicles, tea sets, doll furniture, sand toys, simple playsets — at prices that made them impulse purchases rather than presents.
The company occupies a specific place in American toy history as one of the firms that proved plastic could displace tin and cast iron at the bottom of the market, which is where the volume was. Its own run was short: the margins that made the business possible also made it fragile, and Banner did not survive the middle of the 1950s.
Timeline
- 1945Banner Plastics begins moulding low-cost polystyrene toys in New Jersey
- 1950Dime-store vehicles, tea sets and doll furniture form the bulk of the output
- 1955Production ends
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Banner plastic character figures
- Banner plastic vehicles
- Banner plastic novelty toys
Identifying & Dating Banner Plastics Corp. Toys
- Pieces are marked "BANNER" in the mould, sometimes with "MADE IN U.S.A." and a pennant or banner device.
- The plastic is early polystyrene: hard, slightly brittle, with visible sprue marks and mould-line flash that a later moulder would have cleaned up.
Collector's Notes
- Individually these are low-value toys, and their interest is largely as period documents of dime-store retailing.
- Carded and boxed examples are the exception, because nearly all of it was sold loose or on a header card that was thrown away, and those carry most of what value exists.
- Early polystyrene yellows and cracks. Look for clean colour and unbroken thin sections such as steering wheels and tea-set handles.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Banner Plastics Corp. founded?
Banner Plastics Corp. was founded in 1945, based in New York, NY.
Is Banner Plastics Corp. still in business?
No. Banner Plastics Corp. ceased operations in 1955, after 10 years in business.
What is Banner Plastics Corp. best known for?
Banner Plastics Corp. is best known for Banner plastic character figures, Banner plastic vehicles, Banner plastic novelty toys.
Where was Banner Plastics Corp. located?
Banner Plastics Corp. was based in New York, NY.
What kinds of toys did Banner Plastics Corp. make?
Banner Plastics Corp. is categorized under plastic toys, figures, novelty toys.
How can you identify genuine Banner Plastics Corp. toys?
Pieces are marked "BANNER" in the mould, sometimes with "MADE IN U.S.A." and a pennant or banner device. The plastic is early polystyrene: hard, slightly brittle, with visible sprue marks and mould-line flash that a later moulder would have cleaned up.
Are Banner Plastics Corp. toys valuable?
Individually these are low-value toys, and their interest is largely as period documents of dime-store retailing. Carded and boxed examples are the exception, because nearly all of it was sold loose or on a header card that was thrown away, and those carry most of what value exists. Early polystyrene yellows and cracks. Look for clean colour and unbroken thin sections such as steering wheels and tea-set handles.