Vintage Toy Trucks

It should be of no surprise that early toy trucks resembled the old-time truck vehicles in use at the time. Arcade, Hubley, and Dent produced an amazing variety of old toy trucks ranging from toy dump trucks and tow trucks to delivery vans and even lifesaving equipment. Also common were such highly specialized vehicles as water and pumper trucks. Many of these trucks were commonly seen on the streets of early America.
Early on, sheet-steel was used as a material and a number of "friction" trucks and vehicles we produced. However, cast iron soon became the primary material for toy trucks because the casting process allowed for more accurate replication of details than sheet steel. The largest miniature trucks were called "construction toys". Made of heavy-gauge sheet steel, they were often more than 2' long and strong enough for small children to sit on. Although toys, many were very accurate reproductions of dump trucks, hauling trucks, timber trucks and even into the earth movers, steam shovels, derricks, sand loaders, pile drivers, overhead cranes, and concrete mixers trucks.