Noma Electric Corp.
101+ years and still operating (founded 1925)
About Noma Electric Corp.
Noma produced electric toys and holiday decorations, particularly famous for their Christmas tree lights. It also made lighted electrical novelties and battery-operated toys, and Noma-marked accessories are commonly found in and around toy train layouts of the period. The Noma brand continues in the lighting business rather than in toys.
History of Noma Electric Corp.
Noma was the dominant American maker of Christmas tree lights, and its place in a toy encyclopedia comes from the overlap between electrical novelty and toy. The company grew out of the National Outfit Manufacturers Association — the initials give the name — a trade group of firms making decorative lighting sets that combined into a single business.
Noma's lighting sets are the ones that lit most American Christmas trees for half a century, and its bubble lights, figural bulbs and lighted decorations are collected as Christmas ephemera. It also produced electric toys and lighted novelties, and supplied train and toy makers with lamps and electrical components.
The company's electrical expertise put it alongside the toy-train trade at a time when household electricity was itself a novelty, and Noma-marked accessories turn up in and around toy train layouts of the period. The Noma brand continues in the lighting business.
Timeline
- 1925The National Outfit Manufacturers Association combines into Noma Electric
- 1935Noma is the leading American maker of Christmas tree lighting sets
- 1946Bubble lights and figural bulbs become signature products
- 1960Electrical toys and lighted novelties continue alongside the lighting business
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Noma Christmas tree lights
- Noma lighted electrical novelties
- Noma toy lamps and lights
- Noma battery-operated figures
Identifying & Dating Noma Electric Corp. Toys
- Look for "NOMA" on the box, on the cord tag, or moulded into sockets and plugs, usually with "Noma Electric Corp." and a set number.
- Boxes are the primary collecting object and carry dated graphic styles.
- Figural and bubble bulbs are identified by shape and by the manufacturer's mark on the base.
Collector's Notes
- Boxed lighting sets with intact graphics are the collected items; loose bulbs and cords are worth little unless figural.
- These are pre-modern electrical goods with cloth-covered wiring and no earth. Treat them as display objects — do not energise old sets without a proper inspection and rewiring.
- Bubble lights are collected by colour and pattern and should be checked for the presence of their liquid, which evaporates through the seal.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Noma Electric Corp. founded?
Noma Electric Corp. was founded in 1925, based in New York, NY.
Is Noma Electric Corp. still in business?
Yes. Noma Electric Corp. is still operating today, 101+ years after it was founded.
What is Noma Electric Corp. best known for?
Noma Electric Corp. is best known for Noma Christmas tree lights, Noma lighted electrical novelties, Noma toy lamps and lights, among other toys.
Where was Noma Electric Corp. located?
Noma Electric Corp. was based in New York, NY.
What kinds of toys did Noma Electric Corp. make?
Noma Electric Corp. is categorized under electrical toys, trains, novelty toys.
How can you identify genuine Noma Electric Corp. toys?
Look for "NOMA" on the box, on the cord tag, or moulded into sockets and plugs, usually with "Noma Electric Corp." and a set number. Boxes are the primary collecting object and carry dated graphic styles. Figural and bubble bulbs are identified by shape and by the manufacturer's mark on the base.
Are Noma Electric Corp. toys valuable?
Boxed lighting sets with intact graphics are the collected items; loose bulbs and cords are worth little unless figural. These are pre-modern electrical goods with cloth-covered wiring and no earth. Treat them as display objects — do not energise old sets without a proper inspection and rewiring. Bubble lights are collected by colour and pattern and should be checked for the presence of their liquid, which evaporates through the seal.