Buddy L

Buddy L

Toys are very important devices especially in the lives of children as they use them to play a vital part of growing up. There are numerous brands available in the market where one can choose the one that is most appropriate for the child. One of the best options the children have is Buddy L. These are toys that were manufactured by Moline Pressed Steel Company that was founded in 1910 by Fred A. Lundahl. The company started out by making automobile fenders and a variety of stamped auto body parts that were used by the automobile business.

The company mostly manufactured and supplied the parts for the International Harvester Company and McCormack Deering line of farm implements. They later got into the business of manufacturing toys in 1921 when the founder wanted to try something durable, new and different for one of his sons known as Arthur. He produced and came up with a great design of a miniature truck that was made entirely of steel. This concept was borrowed from one of the International Harvester truck models that was manufactured from 18 -20 steel gauge that had been thrown away by the company and labeled as a scrap pile. Some of the products that were made by Buddy L include; dump trucks, toy cars, construction equipment, trains, and delivery vans. Lundahl usually made the items for International Harvester trucks. From the scrap material that was left after a project was done, he made his own toy dump truck that was specifically made for his son whom he called Buddy. This is where he got the name for his brand and he started selling the toys for boys. All the toys were made from pressed steel. Most of them were big enough for children to straddle as they propelled themselves with their feet.

Mr. Lundhal also made another line of toys in line with Buddy L that were known as pull toys. These were the pioneer items in the steel toys field. At this point, he managed to persuade F.A.O Schwarz and Marshall Field’s to carry his line so that sales could increase. This was a smart move as they sold very well in the market until during the depression period when he was forced to sell his company to Richard Keats who owned it from 1976 to 1990. It was then sold to one of the subsidiaries of Carolina Empire known as the Empire industries in Florida.

All the toys from Buddy L line have very many beneficial features that made them popular among many kids for example they were durable as they were made from steel thus one could use them for a long time without a problem. This helped the parents to save a lot of money. The toys were also divided into different ages which made it easier to shop for them to get the one that is most appropriate for the child. They were also offered at reasonable rates and could be found in a number of stores thus one did not have to go through a lot of problems to get them.