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  Traditional toys made before the war continued to be popular, including toy vehicles made of lithographed metal. Thousands of these attractive and inexpensive toys poured out of Japanese factories and into the toy boxes of American children. In the 1950s, plastic could not yet compete with lithographed metal for detail and colorfulness.


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Josteele
Japan
Date: 1954
ID: 96.98.2
Gift of Robert H. Casey


Toy Fire Truck
Toy fire trucks have been popular children's toys for generations. This inexpensive friction-powered fire truck has a ladder that raises up.



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Linemar Toys
Japan
Date: 1955-1956
ID: 96.98.6
Gift of Robert H. Casey



 

Toy Forklift
Many toys marketed under the names of American manufacturers like Marx, Ideal and Hubley were actually made in Japan. This mechanical plaything was made by Linemar Toys, a Japanese-based subsidiary of Louis Marx.



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Japan
Date: 1950-1954
ID: 96.98.3.1
Gift of Robert H. Casey

Toy Automobile and Trailer
This car and trailer recall the simple metal cars played with by the parents of 1950s kids. But they also reflect the growing popularity of vacationing with the family by automobile in post-war America.



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