Schuco Modell

Schuco is a German toy maker 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 usually cars and trucks in tin, plastic and diecast. The company went bankrupt in 1976 but was reorganized in 1993 and then totally independent again by 1996.

History

Originally named Spielzeugfirma Schreyer & Co, the company changed its name to the more succinct Schuco in 1921 (likely a derivation of Schreyer und Company; see Knox 2002, p. 4; Rixon 2005, p. 64). At its beginnings, the company made unique clockwork tin toys (Johnson 1998, p. 210). Some of these were clever in that, instead of using a key, one would wind an arm or another feature (King 1986, p. 173).

In the 1920s it introduced its famous Pick-Pick bird (over 20 million were made up until the 1960s). A wind-up mouse, a dancing mouse and trotting dog wearing a cape were other popular offerings (King 1986, p. 173). Before World War II there were also a number of 'gnome'-like wind-up figures and soldiers sometimes called blacksmiths - and done in creative colorful attire.