Gebruder Bing
67 years in operation (1866–1933)
About Gebruder Bing
At its peak, Bing was the largest toy company in the world, employing thousands in Nuremberg. The company produced extraordinary lithographed tin toys including steam engines, automobiles, ships, trains, and kitchen toys of remarkable quality. Weakened by the First World War and the Depression, the business was broken up in 1933 as its Jewish owners were forced out under the incoming Nazi regime; the train tooling passed to Bub and Trix.
Founding
The brothers Ignaz and Adolf Bing, who began in Nuremberg in 1866 as a metalware and kitchenware business before moving into toys.
History of Gebruder Bing
Bing became the largest toy manufacturer in the world. At its peak the Nuremberg works employed thousands and produced an extraordinary breadth of product: clockwork and live-steam locomotives in every gauge, stationary steam engines, tin limousines and tourers, model ships and battleships, carousels, kitchen ranges, magic lanterns and optical toys. If a European child's toy could be made from tinplate before 1930, Bing probably made a version of it.
The trains and the steam engines are the historical core. Bing effectively created the export market for gauge 1 and gauge 0 tinplate railways, supplying its own brand and also manufacturing for others — including a long relationship with Bassett-Lowke in Britain, which sold Bing-built models to British outline. Bing "table railway" gauge 00 work in the 1920s anticipated the small-gauge era.
The company's Jewish owners were forced out under the rising Nazi regime, and the business — already weakened by the Depression and by the loss of export markets after the First World War — was broken up in 1933. Parts of the train business passed to Karl Bub and to the firm that became Trix.
Timeline
- 1866Ignaz and Adolf Bing found a metalware business in Nuremberg
- 1880Toy production begins in tinplate, including stationary steam engines
- 1895Clockwork and live-steam trains in multiple gauges become the company's core product
- 1902A long manufacturing relationship with Bassett-Lowke supplies British-outline models
- 1922The gauge 00 "table railway" anticipates the small-gauge era
- 1933The business is broken up as its Jewish owners are forced out; train tooling passes to Bub and Trix
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Bing live steam engines
- Bing tin limousines and tourers
- Bing model ships and battleships
- Bing clockwork trains
- Bing tin carousel
- Bing tin kitchen sets
Identifying & Dating Gebruder Bing Toys
- Look for the "GBN" mark — Gebrüder Bing Nürnberg — in a diamond or lozenge, used until roughly 1919, and thereafter "BW" for Bing Werke, usually with "Bavaria" or "Made in Germany".
- The GBN-to-BW change is the single most useful Bing dating tool and is worth memorising.
- Models built for Bassett-Lowke may carry the retailer's name rather than Bing's, and are identified by construction.
Collector's Notes
- Gauge 1 and larger live-steam locomotives are the top of the market and should be assessed as pressure vessels as well as toys — check the boiler, fittings and any evidence of amateur repair before considering firing one.
- Tinplate ships are highly sought after and almost never complete; masts, rigging, lifeboats and flags are routinely missing or replaced.
- Condition of hand-painted and lithographed finishes governs value, and Bing pieces have often been restored. Look for overpaint in corners, on roofs and inside cab openings.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Gebruder Bing founded?
Gebruder Bing was founded in 1866, based in Nuremberg, Germany.
Is Gebruder Bing still in business?
No. Gebruder Bing ceased operations in 1933, after 67 years in business.
What is Gebruder Bing best known for?
Gebruder Bing is best known for Bing live steam engines, Bing tin limousines and tourers, Bing model ships and battleships, among other toys.
Where was Gebruder Bing located?
Gebruder Bing was based in Nuremberg, Germany.
What kinds of toys did Gebruder Bing make?
Gebruder Bing is categorized under tin toys, trains, steam engines, ships.
Who founded Gebruder Bing?
The brothers Ignaz and Adolf Bing, who began in Nuremberg in 1866 as a metalware and kitchenware business before moving into toys.
How can you identify genuine Gebruder Bing toys?
Look for the "GBN" mark — Gebrüder Bing Nürnberg — in a diamond or lozenge, used until roughly 1919, and thereafter "BW" for Bing Werke, usually with "Bavaria" or "Made in Germany". The GBN-to-BW change is the single most useful Bing dating tool and is worth memorising. Models built for Bassett-Lowke may carry the retailer's name rather than Bing's, and are identified by construction.
Are Gebruder Bing toys valuable?
Gauge 1 and larger live-steam locomotives are the top of the market and should be assessed as pressure vessels as well as toys — check the boiler, fittings and any evidence of amateur repair before considering firing one. Tinplate ships are highly sought after and almost never complete; masts, rigging, lifeboats and flags are routinely missing or replaced. Condition of hand-painted and lithographed finishes governs value, and Bing pieces have often been restored. Look for overpaint in corners, on roofs and inside cab openings.