TootsieToy

Tootsietoy is a manufacturer of die cast toy cars and other toy vehicles which was originally based in Chicago, Illinois. Though the Tootsietoy name has been used since the 1920s, the company's origins date from about 1890. An enduring marque, Toys with the Tootsietoy name were consistently popular from the 1930s through the 1990s.

Tootsietoy had its beginnings in the two diecasting companies of the Dowst and the Shure Brothers who were established near the same time in the 1890s (Strombecker 2004). The Dowst brothers originally established a trade paper called the National Laundry Journal and later purchased a linotype machine to cast metal buttons and cuff links related to the laundry business (Strombecker 2012).

Meanwhile, the Tootsietoy brand also had origins in a range of miniature cars in the form of charms, pins, cuff links and the like, introduced circa 1901 by the Chicago based Cosmo Company owned by the Shure Bros. which bought Dowst in 1926. The name, however, remained Dowst Manufacturing Co. (see brochure in Seeley No Date). The first actual model car from the company was produced between 1909 and 1911. One was a closed limousine which was followed by a 1915 Ford Model T open tourer.

By the early 1920s the name 'tootsie' was being used as a brand name and "Tootsietoy" was registered as a trade mark in 1924. The 'Tootsie' moniker apparently came from one of the Dowst Brothers' granddaughters, whose name was "Toots" (Waggoner 2007). Tootsietoy made metal prizes for Cracker Jack boxes (Rogers 2009, p. 65), and this success in the 1930s may also led to Dowst providing cast pieces for the game Monopoly (Strombecker 2004). The company also produced a large assortment of die-cast dollhouse furniture (Scott 2010).

In the 1920s trains, cars, trucks, military vehicles, aircraft, pistols and a variety of other toys were manufactured by Dowst. Vehicles often had white rubber tires which over time become brittle and often have not survived play-wear and time. One of the unique offerings were a set of 1932 Graham diecast cars - Tootsietoy offered a Graham sedan, town car, coupe, roadster, dual cowl convertible, delivery panel truck and tow truck (Seeley No Date a). A marque not often seen in miniature since, Graham was a household name at Tootsietoy. The Tootsietoy Grahams were available in boxes with "Graham" on the sides - indicating that they may have been used as promotional models for the Graham company. If so, these would have been just about the earliest promotional automobile toys seen anywhere (Seeley No date a).

One car that definitely was a promotional model was the 1935 Lasalle made for General Motors that came in sedan and coupe versions packaged in a special smallish blue and dark rose box. Another interesting model was the 1936 Lincoln Zephyr which was available in a gift set with a 'Roamer' camper trailer (Seeley No Date b).

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