Reconversion for Santa

In the breakneck race to deliver postwar toys in time for Christmas, the $200 million toy industry was falling behind. By last week manufacturers were ready to admit that this will be another year of cardboard and wood makeshifts: there will be few, if any, dolls of prewar quality, few rubber balls that really bounce, few electric trains, velocipedes, roller skates, bicycles and other wheeled and metal toys.

The industry was hobbled by shortages and reconversion problems. Examples: Not for 1945. The lifting of restrictions on the nonessential use of rubber came too late in the season for manufacturers of balls and rubber novelties.

Dolls. Doll production was held up by a lack of suitable stuffing and paint. Low-priced textiles for dolls' clothes were scarce. After thoroughly combing the market, Fleischaker & Baum Co. gave up the search for human hair for their life like EffanBee Dolls. (Prewar EffanBee Dolls wore human hair imported from Italy and China.) In Leominster, Mass., F. A. Whitney Carriage Co. was ready to make doll carriages again, but could not recruit enough ex-war workers who were willing to work for peacetime wages.

Trains. The two largest manufacturers of electric trains were swamped with orders. The A. C. Gilbert Co. (American Flyer trains) hoped to get its assembly line started some time in October. Lionel Corp. did not expect to deliver trains before Oct. 15, would have few in time for Christmas; but did promise some tracks and other model railroad equipment for the Christmas trade.

Wheels & Runners. The Northrop Aircraft Inc., through its toymaking subsidiary Northrop-Gaines Inc., will roll out before Christmas 75,000 aluminum wagons, scooters, and a tricky combination-a toddler-tricycle. Murray Ohio Manufacturing Co. started to make bicycle parts three months ago, will deliver a few bicycles in October. But it will be November before Murray Ohio and most other manufacturers begin mass production of velocipedes, tricycles, small automobiles and other wheeled toys. S. L. Allen & Co. was ready to make Flexible Flyer sleds again, believed it could turn out about 10% of its normal prewar production before snow flies.

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