The factory
In 1952 in one of the workshops of TPK (producers' co-operative society) Metalik differentiated team of workers for toys manufacturing. With a great effort and ambition the first toy was handmade - a wind-up chain tractor. The production list was growing - trucks, dumpers, diggers, a cannon, a car, a rocket and more. The volume of production and the number of the workers were growing; these were factors for the creation of a new independent factory.
On January 1, 1967, it was established and independent producers' co-operative society for toys manufacturing with chairman Petar Petrov. A question then arose - how was the new manufacturer to be named? With a number of opinions and suggestions, the most adequate of them was "Peace", because peace means joy and carefree childhood for children all over the world.
In 1971, the workers moved into a new building. Introduction of new technologies had then begun. Typical for that time were battery-operated toys - machine guns, telephones, SAU tanks and more. The range of toys produced widened.
On July 1, 1971, the name was changed from "TPK Mir" to "Mir factory" and became a part of DSO Mladost, a part of Committee for Youth and Sport and later a part from the Ministry of Light industry.
The adoption of new series of Tonka (USA) toys has begun. The production list grew up to 40 different toys. The unification of parts and products started. For the first time, the company expanded out of Bulgaria and began exporting products to Czechoslovakia, Poland, Cuba, Albania, and Jordan. Almost 80% of the production was exported.
On August 1, 1980 the name was changed from "Mir factory" to "Mir Youth factory." In 1983, topyl printing, assembling the toy boxes with PVX glue, moulding, and plastic parts metalling. A the English company Matchbox's technology for the production of toys using the moulding method was licensed during this time. FIve different casts were made and eight more in 1984.
In 1984 the toys from the MUKPO series were awarded with a gold medal at the International Fair in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The toys from the HOBBY series were evaluated with the highest rank for "K" quality. In November 1986 a workers team for the manufacture of ski automates licensed from the West Germany company Marker was formed.
Matchbox
After making a deal with the Matchbox company in 1983 the factory initiated the production of the first five Matchbox Superfast models and the first few Superking models. The pearl-colored paint on the models was not very durable, although this problem later improved. The wheels sets were imported. Today it is very hard to find mint condition models from that time—even in Bulgaria. Up until 1989, seventeen Superfast models and seven Superking models were introduced. Although all of the models had minor variations, they were essentially alike. Importantly, there was one primary condition for leasing the dies to the Bulgarian manufacturer - all the models produced were intended to be sold only to the Bulgarian market—with no exports permitted. Around 100,000-150,000 pieces of each casting were made. Additionally, after using the new dies, the factory was expected to return them.
In 1991, after the Cold War had ended, production began on the "second wave" of Superfast models. In the beginning there were again limited variations, but some of the early editions have the decals and the colors of the original models. After a few years, business relations soured between the Matchbox company and their Bulgarian partner. It seemed that after opening the borders, many of these Bulgarian models were sold abroad and some were very popular. The Matchbox company eventually broke the contract with Mikro, but they were unable get back the dies for some models. The results of this split are that the nowadays Mattel does not recognize Bulgarian models as authentic Matchbox and that there are thousands of new variations by color, stamps, and wheels.
At the end of the 1990s Mukro'67 began offering advertising graphics for their models. Customers who wanted to personalize cars with a name, brand, or a graphic could get a manufacturing deal for customized Bulgarian Matchbox models. There was a condition - the customer had to order 100 pieces or more, although the models were allowed to be different. This marketing tool was used by local companies to promote products targeting children and adolescents and other companies related to auto care and auto parts. International Matchbox and other diecast model clubs also got some limited edition models for their members during special events. The quality of the models has slowly degraded. This, the uniform production list for more than 15 years, and the higher prices and other issues are all factors for lower production numbers nowadays. From time to time, shortages of certain parts cause new wheel variations to appear - sometimes even non-Matchbox models receive Matchbox wheels and vice versa.
A model car, or toy car, is a miniature representation of an automobile. Other miniature motor vehicles, such as trucks, buses, or even ATVs, etc. are often included in this general category. Because many miniature vehicles were originally aimed at children as playthings, there is no precise difference between a model car and a toy car, yet the word 'model' implies either assembly required or the accurate rendering of an actual vehicle at smaller scale. The kit building hobby became popular through the 1950s, while the collecting of miniatures by adults started to pick up momentum around 1970. Precision-detailed miniatures made specifically for adults are a significant part of the market since the mid-1980s.
Matchbox is a popular toy brand which was introduced by Lesney Products in 1953, and is now owned by Mattel, Inc, which purchased the brand in 1997. The brand was given its name because the original die-cast Matchbox toys were sold in boxes similar to those in which matches were sold. The brand grew to encompass a broad range of toys, including larger scale die-cast models, plastic model kits, and action figures.
Dinky Toys was the brand name for a range of die-cast zamac zinc alloy miniature vehicles produced by British toy company Meccano Ltd. They were made in England from 1934 to 1979, at a factory in Binns Road in Liverpool.
A die-cast toy is a toy or a collectible model produced by using the die casting method of putting molten lead, zinc alloy or plastic in a mold to produce a particular shape. Such toys are made of metal, with plastic, rubber, glass, or other machined metal parts. Wholly plastic toys are made by a similar process of injection moulding, but the two methods are distinct because of the properties of the materials.
Sieper Lüdenscheid GmbH & Co. KG is a German manufacturing company headquartered in Lüdenscheid. The company produces model cars and related products. Among the range of vehicles manufactured, the Super Series 1:55 scale plastic line is the core product, thus Siku historically could be seen as the "German Matchbox". The company also owns the well known HO scale producer Wiking-Modellbau.
Schuco is a German manufacturing company founded in 1912 by Heinrich Müller and the businessman Heinrich Schreyer in Nuremberg Germany's toy capital since early days. The company's specialty was making toy reproductions of cars and trucks in tin, plastic and die-cast. The company went bankrupt in 1976 but was reorganized in 1993 and then totally independent again by 1996.
Majorette is a French toy manufacturer which mostly produces small Die-cast scale model cars, commercial vehicles, aircraft, and other vehicles, particularly in 1:64 scale. This is a normal 2.5–3 in (64–76 mm) size, thus Majorette has sometimes been called "the Matchbox of France". Traditionally, production was centered in the urban area of Lyon, but models are now made in Thailand.
1:43 scale is a popular size of die-cast model cars in Europe, Asia and the US. It has its origins in the British / European O scale for model trains and the rise of certain accessories made for that scale which since have become popular in their own right.
Tekno is a Danish manufacturing company of scale model trucks and other vehicles, currently headquartered in De Lier, Netherlands. Originally established and based in Copenhagen, Tekno began manufacturing construction toys in 1928 and model vehicles immediately after World War II, selling 1 million a year during its peak.
1:18 scale diecast replicas are 1/18th the size of the real vehicle. Most popular in this category are 1:18 scale automobile replicas – usually made out of Zamak zinc diecasting alloy with plastic parts. "1:18 scale" is the colloquial reference to this class of toy or replica.
Schabak is a die-cast toy producer based in Nuremberg, Germany. The company is well known for its line of German cars and commercial airline models. The company's on and off relation with German Schuco Modell is particularly notable.
Conrad GmbH is a German manufacturer of diecast scale model trucks, primarily in 1:50 scale for use both as toys and promotional models by heavy equipment manufacturers. Conrad is one of the few European diecast companies which have not outsourced production to China or elsewhere in Asia. Conrad Modelle is headquartered in Kalchreuth, just northeast of Nuremberg.
NZG for Nürnberger Zinkdruckguß-Modelle GmbH is a German manufacturer of diecast scale models primarily in 1:50 scale for use both as toys and promotional models mainly by heavy transport and construction equipment manufacturers.
Solido is a French manufacturing company based in Oulins, 40 miles (64 km) west of Paris, which produces die-cast scale model cars, military vehicles, and commercial vehicles. Vehicles are usually made of zamac alloy in varying scales, but mostly 1:43 and 1:50. Typically, Solido's main competition in France was Norev, but internationally, Polistil, Corgi Toys, Dinky Toys, Mercury, and Tekno produced similar style toys.
Polistil S.p.A. is an Italian toy brand and former manufacturing company headquartered in Milan, with production center in Chiari, near Brescia. Polistil specialized in die-cast and plastic scale model vehicles of all sizes.
Gama is a German maker of toys, usually cars and trucks, dating from before World War I. The company is headquartered in Fürth, Bavaria, near Nürnberg, a traditional German toymaking center. Other German companies that competed with Gama Toys were Schuco Modell and Conrad Models.
Gescha was the name of a toy manufacturer established in Nuremberg, Germany in 1923. Sometime around 1980, the name was changed to Conrad Models, after the family that owned the company.
Sablon was a Belgian company near Brussels that made diecast zamac toy cars in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Models were mostly in 1:43 scale and were similar in concept to Dinky Toys or Solido.
Fun-Ho! Toys were a brand of diecast toy cars and trucks manufactured and distributed by Underwood Engineering Co. Ltd. of Inglewood, New Zealand. Production was started by Jack Underwood about 1935 and continued until 1982. Since this time reproductions have been made also in Inglewood (Taranaki) at the Fun Ho! Toys Museum. Currently toys are occasionally cast as museum memorabilia using original molding plates and boxes. The name was always portrayed with the exclamation following Fun Ho!
