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JAYMAR SPECIALTY Co.

The Jaymar Specialty Company produced many different wood jointed toys during the 1920s and 1930s in Brooklyn, New York.  Many of their toys were character pieces representing familiar cartoon and radio characters of the 1920s and 1930s including Little Orphan Annie, the Popeye family, Amos and Andy, Puss 'n' Boots, Moon Mullins, and Ignatz the Kat to name a few.

Puss n Boots

Jaymar toys are held together using small cloth covered rubber cords running inside arms and legs similar to Schoenhut construction. However, unlike Schoenhut, who terminated each end of a rubber cord with a nail, Jaymar terminated its rubber cording with a small metal ring or eyelet. Most character face features look like they are stamped-on rather than hand painted.

Jaymar History

Jaymar Specialty Company was started by famous toy maker Louis Marx's Father Jacob Marx and Jacob's daughter Rose and son David.

Ostrich

The company produced toys from the last 1920s until 1990. During this period, while Louis manufactured metal toys, Jacob and Rose manufactured wooden toys. 

Early toys were mainly comic character toys - Betty Boop, Joe Palooka, Popeye, and so on. Other, generic, characters such as a witch, pelican, and  sailor were also produced. Faces were stamped rather than hand painted. The name of the character was often stamped on the toy's body. Sometimes, "Made in USA" was stamped on the sole of the foot or shoe. These character toys were made from the 1920s into the 1950s.

Bottom of shoe showing
 "Made in USA" stamp and
 metal eyelet.

 

 

After WWII, Jaymar additionally made puzzles and pianos until they ceased business in 1990.

 

 

Jaymar set - 10 inch cannon
 with four different soldiers.


Photo courtesy of Muriel Carter

Dapper Dan
Jigging Toy


Photo courtesy of Muriel Carter

Dapper Dan Box

Jaymar's Humpty Dumpty Circus

Ring-A-Ling circus set

ca 1930s

from the collection of Veronica Morrison


Jaymar three little pigs musical picture. 
Date of production unknown.

Photo courtesy of Jim Polyzotis.

Jaymar Toy List

Here is a list of early Jaymar character-type toys. Undoubtedly, there were many more manufactured. Your contributions would be appreciated.  Puzzles and pianos are not included.

Name Description
Amos From Amos and Andy, black face
Andy From Amos and Andy, black face
copyright marked "Correll & Gosden"
Andy Gump Two sizes, green pants, wooden nose
Bear Blue body, brown head
Bear Orange body
Betty Boop Popular cartoon figure
Boy Rider Boy with cap riding horse pull toy
Boy Scout In shorts
Cannon with troops Set, 10 inch cannon with 4 different soldiers
Cat  
Chinaman Red jacket, hat
Clown Multi colored
Daffy Duck A Warner brother's character
Donkey Brown - smiling face
Ed Wynn Two sizes, in fireman's suit
Elephant Red with yellow blanket
Elephant Dark gray with trunk beads and white piope cleaner tail
Frog  
Gator Green body, orange head, arms, legs
Giraffe Long beaded neck
Horse Red, black and yellow
Horse White with red platform - for circus
Humpty Dumpty red body, green hat
Ignatz From Krazy Kat
Indian Colorful
Jeep Popeye character
Joe Palooka Several sizes, marked
Jiggs From Bringing Up Father
Kangaroo  
Kayo Moon Mullins character
Little King Red robe, yellow crown, has box
Little Orphan Annie Usually marked, red costume, various sizes
Little Red Riding Hood Red body
Moon Mullins Two sizes, orange cap
Occident Flour Man Advertising piece, baker
Olive Oyl Popeye character
Ostrich Long beaded neck
Pelican  
Pinocchio  
Pig Red body
Pig Pink body
Policeman Blue uniform
Popeye Various sizes, some with green pants
Popeye set Popeye, Olive Oyl, Jeep, and Wimpy boxed set
Puss 'n' Boots Orange cat with boots
Rabbit  
Ring-A-Ling set Circus set, clown, pig, donkey, and pieces
Rooster Blue body, orange head
Soldier Red hat and coat, blue pants
Sandy Orphan Annie's dog
Santa Claus Pull Toy - Santa riding Rudolph
Sailor Blue suit
Soldier set Four soldiers with cannon in box
Witch Broom, pointed hat
Wimpy Popeye character, some hold hamburger
Wolf