Lido Toy Corporation
16 years in operation (1944–1960)
About Lido Toy Corporation
Lido was an early and prolific producer of plastic toy vehicles, figures, and novelty items sold through five-and-dime stores in the postwar era. Their plastic cowboys and Indians sets and small plastic cars were inexpensive and widely distributed.
History of Lido Toy Corporation
Lido belongs to the wave of American companies that saw injection-moulded polystyrene as the future in the years right after the war. Its products were cheap moulded plastic figures and vehicles — cowboys and Indians, soldiers, farm animals, race cars, playset accessories — sold loose from counter bins, bagged, or as boxed sets, and priced to be an impulse purchase.
The output competed directly with Marx, Ideal, Auburn and a dozen others in the same trade, and it is characteristic of that market: single-colour mouldings, simple poses, no painting, and a scale that varied according to whatever the tooling produced. Lido also supplied figures and accessories to other companies, which is why Lido mouldings turn up inside playsets branded by someone else.
The company ended around 1960. Documentation is limited, as it is for most of the small postwar plastics firms, and identification of loose figures relies on collector reference work comparing mouldings rather than on company records.
Timeline
- 1944Lido Toy Corporation is established in New York
- 1950Moulded plastic figures, vehicles and playset accessories are the core business
- 1955Lido supplies figures and accessories to other toy companies
- 1960Production ends
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Lido plastic cowboys and Indians
- Lido plastic vehicle sets
- Lido plastic farm animals
- Lido plastic race cars
Identifying & Dating Lido Toy Corporation Toys
- Look for "LIDO" moulded on a base, underside or interior surface; many small figures carry no mark at all.
- Unmarked figures are identified by pose and mould detail against collector reference lists for postwar American plastics.
- Bagged and boxed sets carry Lido branding on the packaging, which is the only reliable attribution for loose contents.
Collector's Notes
- Value sits in complete bagged or boxed sets with their header cards, since loose figures of this kind are extremely common and worth very little individually.
- Polystyrene of this period becomes brittle and snaps at thin points — rifle barrels, arms, axles. Check before handling firmly.
- Because Lido supplied other firms, a Lido moulding inside a branded playset is normal and is not evidence of a mixed-up set.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Lido Toy Corporation founded?
Lido Toy Corporation was founded in 1944, based in New York, NY.
Is Lido Toy Corporation still in business?
No. Lido Toy Corporation ceased operations in 1960, after 16 years in business.
What is Lido Toy Corporation best known for?
Lido Toy Corporation is best known for Lido plastic cowboys and Indians, Lido plastic vehicle sets, Lido plastic farm animals, among other toys.
Where was Lido Toy Corporation located?
Lido Toy Corporation was based in New York, NY.
What kinds of toys did Lido Toy Corporation make?
Lido Toy Corporation is categorized under plastic toys, vehicles, figures.
How can you identify genuine Lido Toy Corporation toys?
Look for "LIDO" moulded on a base, underside or interior surface; many small figures carry no mark at all. Unmarked figures are identified by pose and mould detail against collector reference lists for postwar American plastics. Bagged and boxed sets carry Lido branding on the packaging, which is the only reliable attribution for loose contents.
Are Lido Toy Corporation toys valuable?
Value sits in complete bagged or boxed sets with their header cards, since loose figures of this kind are extremely common and worth very little individually. Polystyrene of this period becomes brittle and snaps at thin points — rifle barrels, arms, axles. Check before handling firmly. Because Lido supplied other firms, a Lido moulding inside a branded playset is normal and is not evidence of a mixed-up set.