Just before World War II and through it, there was a line of wooden kits under the
STROMBECKER name; they had
detail parts made of wood that was so hard that the turnings, such as engine
nacelles, couldn't be whittled to fit the wing sockets, etc. They were so hard
that it took hours of sanding to get them shaped; that's why my fleets of P-40s and
Stratoliners never got built*. Their railroad models were just as impossible to
complete properly; I still have an aluminum tire (must be just-post-war) from
Stephenson's Rocket (or some such engine, but it's NOT a StromBecKer and was red
or orange plastic!).
I put this page up (24 Jun 03) to see what shakes loose; on my other similar pages (
Comet/Authenticast and such), all sorts of wonderful images and links have
turned up. Let me know what you can contribute, please.
(Actually, instruction sheets may well serve the same purpose.)
I found my StromBecKer Beech Bonanza!
On 10 Aug 2005, I was advised of Steve Remington's
CollectAir commercial aviation art gallery site with a vast collection of aviation
history, apocrypha, and ephemera AND the absolutely incredible "THE
STROMBECK-BECKER STORY - THE STROMBECK-BECKER MANUFACTURING
COMPANY STORY",
Part One - prewar and WWII history and
Part Two - postwar history of the Strombeck-Becker Manufacturing Company
and the Strombecker Manufacturing Company. This appears to be the most
definitive history available*.
[* - apart from what I find to be an excessive injection of theology on page 2 -
implying that other beliefs (or lack thereof) preclude ethical business practices!]
The Dowst (Tootsietoy) firm of Chicago, Illinois, founded in the late 1890s by
Charles O. and Samuel Dowst, famed for making miniature cast-metal cars, trains, and
planes under the Tootsietoy name (introduced in 1922) was bought out by
Nathan Shure's Cosmo Mfg. in 1926, acquired the Strombeck-Becker toy line
in 1961, and changed its name to the Strombecker Corp. [Source:
History-of-Toys "The Wonderful World of Toy Collecting" and revised per
Strombecker's history].
Originally taken from Strombeckercanada.
com, which appeared to be affiliated with Disney in some way. As of the
creation of this separate page (24 Jun 03), the site is down.
WHOA! - Strombecker Corporation very much still exists! I
Googled "Tootsietoy" and was shocked to get a
TOOTSIETOY/Strombecker site! It has a complete history; rather than
plagiarize, I'll just add that they claim to be America's oldest toy company (Dowst
started in 1876) and to have made the world's first die-cast model toy car, that
Dowst's granddaughter was named Tootsie, and that Dowst made both Monopoly
markers and Cracker Jacks prizes. Strombecker is headquarted in Chicago.
According to hobby great Hal Carstens, Strombecker's (Tootsietoy) head honcho,
Myron B. Shure, with whom he was great friends and served on the HIAA Board of
Trustees, passed away in 2002 {Nathan's son?}.
StromBecKer Beech Bonanza
So, where did all my StromBecKer models go? ??? I was quite sure I
must at least still have had my post-war
Beech Bonanza, with my own intricately-crafted and detailed tricycle landing
gear, but where was it hiding (what if, like the SE-5A, it's NOT a StromBecKer)?
The kit came with wooden wheels to be pressed onto stamped aluminum "gear" but I
modified it with rubber tires and oleos and even a scale right-side step. Well,
along comes Dave Kingman on 28 Sep 01 to advise that it was probably
"Strombecker's kit number C41, a Beechcraft Bonanza in 1/48 scale (8¼" wing
span). That kit was introduced in 1948 or 1949, had stamped-metal main gear
with rubber tires and a wire nose gear with small wooden tire."; not quite as I
remember but almost certainly correct (I could have sworn the main gear wheels were
wood, but they could just have well been fairly crude rubber blobs which I either
replaced with hubs and rubber tires or painted to simulate hubs).
Being quite sure where the Bonanza was, I had (24 Jun 03) checked again - no joy;
it just was NOT there. Curses; foiled again! On 24 Sep 05, showing
something unrelated to my grandson, there it was in a different box! 60 years
old and almost perfect! What a relief and what a charge! The years
haven't done the decals any good; they are slightly yellowed, there is a small chip
missing on the starboard cowl, a tiny tip of the number "3" in the registration number
on the starboard wing is gone, and the two sides of the windscreen are bubbling and
cracked. The rubber wheels are sound and still turn and the prop twirled freely
at the first puff of breath! Oddly, though, the grain shows through the silver
paint, which is no longer shiny. After all these years of searching, here she is:
Right front and left front views:
25 Sep 05 photos by and © 2005 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
[Thumbnailed images - click on pictures for larger images]
Left rear and right rear views:
25 Sep 05 photos by and © 2005 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
[Thumbnailed images - click on pictures for larger images]
Rear and front views:
25 Sep 05 photos by and © 2005 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
[Thumbnailed images - click on pictures for larger images]
Right front close-up showing damage to cowl and windscreen decals:
25 Sep 05 photos by and © 2005 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
[Thumbnailed image - click on picture for larger image]
Right and left sides of nose gear and inside view of starboard main gear:
25 Sep 05 photos by and © 2005 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
[Thumbnailed images - click on pictures for larger images]
Underside views of antenna and step and of tail skid:
25 Sep 05 photos by and © 2005 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
[Thumbnailed images - click on pictures for larger images]
Right rear view of step:
25 Sep 05 photo by and © 2005 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
[Thumbnailed image - click on picture for larger image]
Rear view of tail showing decal elevon hinge, scribed trim tabs, and unfilled groove
for elevon:
25 Sep 05 photo by and © 2005 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
[Thumbnailed image - click on picture for larger image]
There are a number of details I'd forgotten; the elevon hinges are decals but the
ailerons, flaps, and tail trim tabs are all painstakingly scribed in; the rear of the prop
spinner looks like my own doing, the antenna post on top and the antenna
underneath are mine, but the step is just as I remembered it. What a kick!
(25 Sep 05)
[Since I took the model out, the cowl decal has started cracking longitudinally.]
The original main landing gear struts
from the kit turned up, together with two failed attempts at the nose
gear strut!
(03 Feb 08)
BILL DING
An antiques dealer offered a 1952 magazine showing a Bill
Ding With Clowns Set made by, of all firms, the Strombeck-Becker Mfg. Co.!
If you don't remember, Bill Ding was a two-dimensional figurine somewhat like Jiggs
in the "Maggie and Jiggs" cartoon strip, about 5" (12.7cm) high, printed in
black on ¾" (19mm) thick hardwood painted in several strong colors, with little
notches on his hands, shoulders, and feet, and a ridge on his head, that allowed
stacking the figurines in various configurations:
The Strombecker Company began producing Bill Ding in the 1930's, but stopped
making them in 1965. In 1980, the product was sold to Chicago Cutlery.
Ed Stuhr bought Chicago Cutlery in 1985, including the rights to the original Bill Ding
pattern and he started making Bill Ding again in 1988 [Source:
Classic Toys 2001 - Stuhr Enterprises, "Dr. Toy" (Stevanne Auerbach, PhD)].
Stuhr Enterprises, the wood products manufacturer which sells a Bill Ding set at
$30.00, doesn't seem to have a Website but they are located in tiny, rural Wilton,
Iowa 52778, tel. 877-419-3878.
-
[They are NOT the
Stuhr Enterprises, Inc. of San Diego, which manufactures and distributes animal
feed ingredients.]
Who out there knows anything about Bill Dings printed on natural wood?
A fellow in Ralston, Pennsylvania, came across a set of nine Bill Ding Clown blocks that
are not painted but, instead, have the detail printed in different colors on natural
wood figures. He has not been able to find out when these were made.
The one with the black detail on natural wood is the only one to say "Bill Ding".
"Are these by the original Strombeck-Becker or one of the companies that had the
rights after them?"
[cropped and enhanced photo - all rights reserved
Thumbnailed image - click on the picture for a larger image]
My guess would be these were wartime specials, to save paint. Anyone?
Well, on 04 Dec 2005 I heard from a man who got his painted set for
Christmas in 1942, so they had to have been made before Dec 1942; there goes THAT
hypothesis, at least for the first year of the war. Is there anyone still alive (and
Web-enabled) who actually knows?
Dr. Toy knows; he writes, in response
to someone who was "desperately looking for the Bill Ding Stacking Clowns,
box of 14 figures": (undated) "some Bill Dings were manufactured
by Strombecker (1930's to 1965?), then later (in the 80's) by Stuhr
Enterprises. There are at least 6 varieties of Bill Dings I am aware of,
but I don't know which manufacturer is responsible for each, or whether the
same style is done by more than one. You've got the classic Bill Dings
(Bill Ding has two teeth showing and his buddies have one tooth showing each).
Strombecker did these and Stuhr did them - Stuhr's have colored outlines on
top of the base color - the white guy is outlined in a kind of pink. Then
you have the more harmless looking clowns with 3 clown buttons on their
costume. These come in regular size (4+ inches) and Bill Ding Jr. (3.5
inches). The juniors come in a variety where there is no background
paint - just the outlines on a plain wood background. There is also a
kind of clown that has just one clown button on his outfit. Stuhr was
making them until recently at least. I read somewhere they are out
of business." That sounds authoritative enough for me (my thanks
to G. L. Shugars for sending this along to me).
Ebay item #6030121656 is for "Strombecker BILL DING Balancing Clowns" in a sealed
box (looks more like an unopened shrink-wrapped card inside an opened box to me).
The seller advises that the maker is only shown as "STROMBECK" (weird)
and was kind enough to allow me to post the pictures:
[slightly cropped photos - all rights reserved to seller
Thumbnailed images - click on the pictures for larger images]
Notice both the three-button jacket and the one-tooth smile (smile?) on the primary
figure. My thanks to MM who put me on to the item.
An anonymous e-correspondent (you KNOW how I hate that!) sent
me a message to which I could not take exception; he sent along three lo-res. pix
that I absolutely love:
Some of the sender's comments (edited): "this wood is so tough that the
termites can't or won't eat it" (I responded that they can't!). "If you notice one
picture of the end of the box in the dark box under the StromBecKer oval clearly states:
'No Carving Tools or Skill Needed', yeah right, just pass me that sandpaper!"
"I'm no ____ Makita sander". No carving tools or skill (not even a Skilsaw)
were needed because nothing then available could cut that wood! Actually, I
think modern lasers might cut that so-called wood. I also notice that the box
says "All Parts Cut to Shape"; that was quite true. The only problem was that
they were never cut to the RIGHT shape!
I never realized (or forgot) that StromBecKer made naval spotter/recognition models.
Looking a gift horse in the mouth, I asked for high-res. photos and also pix of the glue
packet and of the box contents.
I also note that the label CLEARLY shows the capitalization of the "B" and "K" and the
lower case usage of the terminal "R"; contrary to my "clear" recollection of it being:
"STROMBECKER",
the name is unmistakeably:
"STROMBECKER".
(If this turns out to be wrong, I'll be really ticked,
having revised all occurences hereon, even to the title!)
Our anonymous friend came through; here are a bunch of clearer shots (including the
contents of the kit and the instruction sheet!):
[Thumbnailed image - click on the picture for a larger image]
[Thumbnailed image - click on the picture for a larger image]
There's that Casco casein glue packet; what a nostalgia kick that is! This
reminded me that my airplane kits came with a second strip of sandpaper and a wood
stick; the sandpaper was orange-brown and coarser than the tan sheet and you
glued the strip to the stick (which was about 1" x 6" x 1/8"
thick, sort of like a miniature paint stirrer) and used it like a file or rasp, not that it
made any dent in those awful, rock-hard Stratoliner nacelles*!
Hey! Isn't that it at the far right? I still have one somewheres; wonder
if I can find it.
Does anyone have a StromBecKer catalog to share with us?
Korean-Vintage Airplane Kits - moved to
StromBecKer Continuation Page 1 on 03 Nov 05
About 300 or so mint Korean Police Action vintage Strombeck airplane kits turned up
and are covered in quite some detail on the continuation page.
Hal Carstens remembered that the tiny die-cast toys in boxes of Cracker Jacks were
made by StromBecKer (Dowst might have been the original name and then
they bought Strombecker or v.v. I could only find one reference to Dowst,
about a "1930's Cracker Jacks diecast bus, an early Cracker Jack premium made by
Dowst (Tootsietoy)" - make of that what you will; the link was broken.
I heard (02 Dec 03) from Ron Schauble, of Kansas City, who confirmed that it was
quite impossible to sand or cut that fool wood*! He reminds me that the
"absolutely best thing about Strombecker {airplane} models was the chance to join
their model builder's club and get a swell set of Strombecker pilot wings". He
thinks I need a picture of those wings on my website. Since neither of us ever
got any such thing, can anyone out there provide a photo?
* - Let's be fair to StromBecKer; I really DID finish one each of the P-40 and
Stratoliner kits, even though it took most of my youth! If you skipped meals
and sleep, never did any homework, cut Sunday School (no Truant Officer there!), and
avoided any sports, and sanded every waking moment, you could actually (eventually)
remove tiny smitches of so-called wood from the nacelles; of course, by then, you'd
worn through several sanding stick resurfacings! Also, if you drilled VERY slowly
and pulled back constantly to clear shavings, you could even actually make holes into
which the propellor pins would fit. REALLY! I also completed the
De Witt Clinton (see below) and the Rock Island ROCKET, one of the world's
first locos and one of the world's first Diesel streamliners.
Speaking of locomotives, here's a pre-war (WWII) StromBecKer loco, of which I'd
never even heard; it's apparently one of a series based on the 1934 Chicago Century
of Progress exposition and is labelled a "Modern Locomotive 1934". HA!
The 4-6-0 Ten-Wheeler steamer was rarely (if ever) built by 1934; it was a popular
commuting engine in the WWI era.
(image from D'Antiques site)
It also shows no main or side rods! It's not really a model of any real loco but
a crude toy; without rods, it's an even-cruder toy.
Too funny! D'Antiques notes it as made from "pine"; if it's like later
StromBecKer kits, I'd suggest it's more likely made of "ROCK maple"!
StromBecKer HO Katy Box Car - Pat Kroll turned up an old (ca. 1948?)
StromBecKer HO-scale kit R-12, which builds a Missouri, Kansas & Texas (MKT or Katy)
box car, and was kind enough to send photos:
(photos courtesy of P. Kroll - all rights reserved)
There's that Casco glue packet but where's the sanding stick? Maybe it wasn't
needed for the car kit; just the sheet for smoothing. I remember people buying
working HO trucks and couplers ("t&c") and converting StromBecKer cars to actually
run (as the box bottom notes).
From the notations on the box ends and top, it would appear that this kit cost a
whopping 40¢!
Ooooh! Look! Side "2" states "WESTERN PINE WOOD"; they must have
meant pine from the ROCKy Mountains! Maybe it meant
pitch pine because, after a few attempts at cutting and sanding,
you were likely to pitch it!
[Of course, it could have been fir because it resisted
all efforts fir so long!]
Which reminds me; if you tried to force those axles into the wheels, they (the wheels)
would split, and there was no way any ordinary kid could drill out the holes [I had
a Foredom Electric flex-shaft drill (still do) so I could do it]!
Speaking of StromBecKer trains, a gentleman picked up an unbuilt De Witt Clinton
train kit ca. Jul-Aug 2005 and wrote to me about it; here it is:
StromBecKer Kit No. 1831-GT
Now that I see it, I realize I had that! The Casco glue packet was printed blue
on white but otherwise that's it! Bet whoever started it quit after forcing that
one wheel on the axle; good thing the wheel didn't split! Not only did I once
have it, I have a photo of it in my pre-teen toy cabinet, on the top shelf, posted on my
Hobby Continuation Page 2, except that it's quite invisible;
here's that cabinet (with the invaluable Foredom flex shaft unit hanging at the left):
(cropped from ca. 1945 photo by and © 2005 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
and an enhanced over-enlargement of the top shelf, showing the two passenger cars
(stage coach bodies) and a smitch of the tender:
(enhanced from ca. 1945 photo by and © 2005 S. Berliner, III - all rights reserved)
How's THAT for recollection (and proof)? Now, who has a copy of the instruction
sheet for this kit that they'd copy off for this gentleman?
- Another
correspondent also needs an instruction sheet, for the J. T. Bowker; please
send me a copy or a hi-res scan. I'll post these sheets, as I did above,
so all can benefit.
See also the StromBecKer Continuation Page 1:
THUMBS UP!
THUMBS UP! - Support your local police, fire, and emergency personnel!
S. Berliner, III
To contact S. Berliner, III, please click here.
© Copyright S. Berliner, III - 2000, 2001, 2002,
2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,
2008
- All rights reserved.
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times since the counter was installed.
Even more to the point, the StromBecKer line is going to be
REINTRODUCED and old catalogs are urgently needed to identify molds;
please get in touch with 