Maco Toys, Inc., was the name of a popular toy company [1] based in Brooklyn, New York [2] which produced war-themed toys for children in the 1950s and 1960s. [3] Their toys were sold in a catalog that was illustrated by Tony Tallarico and printed by Charlton Comics [4] which presented itself as a war comic book. [5] (These toys were also sold in toy stores.) Products included plastic guns (including the M1903 Springfield rifle [6] and an Army Paratrooper Carbine [7] ), grenades, and a plastic Molotov cocktail.
The company's products were available in stores throughout the United States, but had a limited range of products and did not operate in other countries. Competitors included Hawk Model Company, Applause Inc, and Louis Marx and Company. [1]
In 1955, the New York City Council passed a bill to ban the manufacture, sale or possession of imitation revolvers that resemble the real article too closely. In a debate about the measure, an Army .45 caliber automatic manufactured by Maco was used as an example of a toy gun which was similar enough to the real model to be used as a weapon in a robbery. [8]