Gibbs Manufacturing Co.
135+ years and still operating (founded 1891)
About Gibbs Manufacturing Co.
Gibbs Manufacturing holds the distinction of being one of the longest-running toy companies in the United States. Its lithographed tin pull-along animals, spinning tops and gyroscopes were made from the 1890s onward, and the Gibbs Duck family pull toy is a classic of American tin lithography. The toy heyday is long past, but the company name persists in Canton.
Founding
Lewis Gibbs, who invented and manufactured a seed-planting drill in Canton, Ohio and moved into toys when the farm-implement side of the business slowed.
History of Gibbs Manufacturing Co.
Gibbs is a good example of how many American toy companies started: as something else. The firm made agricultural implements, and used its lithographed-tin and pressed-steel capability to fill the workshop with toys when implement orders were seasonal or thin. What began as a sideline outlasted the original business.
The toys are simple, cheap and charming — lithographed tin pull-alongs with jointed animals that waddle as the wheels turn, spinning tops, gyroscopes, whistles, yo-yos and small novelty items. The pull-along duck families and horse-drawn pieces of the early twentieth century are the ones collectors look for, and the lithography on the best of them is genuinely good.
Gibbs continued in business long after its toy heyday, latterly in the spinning-top and novelty trade, and the company name persists in Canton — one of the longer continuous industrial histories among American toy makers.
Timeline
- 1884Lewis Gibbs begins manufacturing farm implements in Canton, Ohio
- 1891Toy production begins as a sideline using existing tin and steel capability
- 1910Lithographed tin pull-along animals and horse-drawn toys are the best-known products
- 1950Spinning tops, gyroscopes and novelty toys form the bulk of output
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Gibbs tin pull-along Duck family
- Gibbs tin gyroscope
- Gibbs tin spinning top
- Gibbs 'Pony' pull toy
- Gibbs tin yo-yo
Identifying & Dating Gibbs Manufacturing Co. Toys
- Look for "GIBBS" or "Gibbs Mfg. Co." with "Canton, Ohio" lithographed on the toy or stamped on a metal component.
- Many small pieces are unmarked and are attributed on lithographic style; the printed artwork on Gibbs pull-toys is distinctive once you have seen a few.
- Later tops and gyroscopes carry printed Gibbs branding on the tin or on the card packaging.
Collector's Notes
- Early lithographed pull-alongs in bright unfaded condition are the desirable end, and value tracks the printing rather than the mechanism.
- Wheels, axle pins and the string or wire pull are commonly missing or replaced — worth checking, since they are easy to substitute invisibly.
- Tops and gyroscopes are inexpensive and are worth most on their original printed cards, which is where the graphic appeal lives.
Currently for Sale on eBay
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Gibbs Manufacturing Co. founded?
Gibbs Manufacturing Co. was founded in 1891, based in Canton, OH.
Is Gibbs Manufacturing Co. still in business?
Yes. Gibbs Manufacturing Co. is still operating today, 135+ years after it was founded.
What is Gibbs Manufacturing Co. best known for?
Gibbs Manufacturing Co. is best known for Gibbs tin pull-along Duck family, Gibbs tin gyroscope, Gibbs tin spinning top, among other toys.
Where was Gibbs Manufacturing Co. located?
Gibbs Manufacturing Co. was based in Canton, OH.
What kinds of toys did Gibbs Manufacturing Co. make?
Gibbs Manufacturing Co. is categorized under tin toys, novelty toys, educational.
Who founded Gibbs Manufacturing Co.?
Lewis Gibbs, who invented and manufactured a seed-planting drill in Canton, Ohio and moved into toys when the farm-implement side of the business slowed.
How can you identify genuine Gibbs Manufacturing Co. toys?
Look for "GIBBS" or "Gibbs Mfg. Co." with "Canton, Ohio" lithographed on the toy or stamped on a metal component. Many small pieces are unmarked and are attributed on lithographic style; the printed artwork on Gibbs pull-toys is distinctive once you have seen a few. Later tops and gyroscopes carry printed Gibbs branding on the tin or on the card packaging.
Are Gibbs Manufacturing Co. toys valuable?
Early lithographed pull-alongs in bright unfaded condition are the desirable end, and value tracks the printing rather than the mechanism. Wheels, axle pins and the string or wire pull are commonly missing or replaced — worth checking, since they are easy to substitute invisibly. Tops and gyroscopes are inexpensive and are worth most on their original printed cards, which is where the graphic appeal lives.