Metalcraft Corporation
17 years in operation (1920–1937)
About Metalcraft Corporation
Metalcraft produced pressed-steel toy trucks that were often produced as advertising premiums for companies including Shell Oil, Heinz, and Coca-Cola, carrying real brand livery. These advertising trucks are extraordinarily collectible today.
History of Metalcraft Corporation
Metalcraft of St. Louis made pressed-steel trucks, and it made them for advertisers. Its business model was to produce a delivery truck in the livery of a real company — Shell, Heinz, Coca-Cola, Goodrich, Pure Oil — which the company then used as a premium or promotional item, or which was sold at retail carrying the brand.
That makes the toys unusually interesting as artefacts. A Metalcraft Coca-Cola truck complete with its miniature wooden crates and bottles is a piece of 1930s American advertising history as much as a toy, and the range documents a whole roster of period brands, some long vanished. The construction is solid pressed steel with lithographed or painted panels and, on the better models, headlamps that light from a battery.
The Depression and the advertising-premium market's contraction ended the business in 1937. Because these were promotional items, distribution was uneven and some liveries are far scarcer than others.
Timeline
- 1920Metalcraft Corporation is established in St. Louis
- 1928Pressed-steel trucks in real advertisers' liveries become the company's speciality
- 1932Shell, Heinz, Coca-Cola and Goodrich trucks are produced as promotional items
- 1937The company ceases production
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Metalcraft Shell Oil truck
- Metalcraft Heinz truck
- Metalcraft Coca-Cola truck
- Metalcraft Goodrich truck
- Metalcraft standard pressed-steel trucks
Identifying & Dating Metalcraft Corporation Toys
- Look for "Metalcraft Corp." and "St. Louis" stamped or decalled on the chassis or cab, alongside the advertiser's own branding on the body panels.
- The advertiser livery is the primary identification and is what collectors index by.
- Battery-lit headlamps and the wiring provision inside the cab appear on the better models and help identify them.
Collector's Notes
- Livery decides value. Coca-Cola and Shell are the best known, and scarce or short-run advertisers can be worth far more than the common ones on identical bodies.
- Accessories are what complete these trucks — the Coca-Cola crates and bottles, oil drums, delivery loads — and they are almost always missing. Reproductions exist and should be disclosed.
- Original decals and painted lettering are frequently restored. Because the advertising graphics are the point of the toy, restored graphics affect value more here than on a plain truck.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Metalcraft Corporation founded?
Metalcraft Corporation was founded in 1920, based in St. Louis, MO.
Is Metalcraft Corporation still in business?
No. Metalcraft Corporation ceased operations in 1937, after 17 years in business.
What is Metalcraft Corporation best known for?
Metalcraft Corporation is best known for Metalcraft Shell Oil truck, Metalcraft Heinz truck, Metalcraft Coca-Cola truck, among other toys.
Where was Metalcraft Corporation located?
Metalcraft Corporation was based in St. Louis, MO.
What kinds of toys did Metalcraft Corporation make?
Metalcraft Corporation is categorized under pressed steel, trucks, advertising toys.
How can you identify genuine Metalcraft Corporation toys?
Look for "Metalcraft Corp." and "St. Louis" stamped or decalled on the chassis or cab, alongside the advertiser's own branding on the body panels. The advertiser livery is the primary identification and is what collectors index by. Battery-lit headlamps and the wiring provision inside the cab appear on the better models and help identify them.
Are Metalcraft Corporation toys valuable?
Livery decides value. Coca-Cola and Shell are the best known, and scarce or short-run advertisers can be worth far more than the common ones on identical bodies. Accessories are what complete these trucks — the Coca-Cola crates and bottles, oil drums, delivery loads — and they are almost always missing. Reproductions exist and should be disclosed. Original decals and painted lettering are frequently restored. Because the advertising graphics are the point of the toy, restored graphics affect value more here than on a plain truck.