Gescha tin toys
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Gescha (Gescha Patentspielwaren) was a German toy manufacturer established in Nurnberg in 1923. German tin toys, plates and other products from about 1900 to 1920 or so were often marked Ges. Gesch. (gesetzlich geschützt) which meant "trademark registered" in German.
Today in the U.S. especially, many people think this is a toy brand. While Gescha Toys is reported to have been established in 1923, it is uncertain whether its name grew out of the copyright abbreviation or not, but if so, it was an ingenious idea. Conversely, tin toys (buses, cars etc.) until the 1940s marked "Gesch" are often attributed to "Gescha" when they may not have been made by the company, but simply marked "registered".
With this in mind, it can carefully be said that Gescha had a long history of toy manufacturing similar in many ways to Schuco or Gama Toys. Most of its early products were tin wind-up toys that did a variety of creative things.
One example was a wind-up bellhop that would push a large trunk along a flat surface. Another example was tin butterflies, but then again, these may simply have been from a variety of manufacturers marking "registered" on their toys. Thus the name Gescha seems somewhat of a mystery, and muddies the waters when ascertaining which toys were specifically Gescha.
Gescha value and price guide
What's your 'Gescha' worth? Here are some recently sold items (USA):
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Gescha forum
Colin - April 12, 2011
I have a tin wind up duck with the markings "made in germany ges gesch followed by a simbal in the shape of a triangle with what appears to be GNK in squared off design and each letter inter drawn crossing over into the other." Any idea where to find more info on this toy. when running the lower beek vibrates as do the eyes rapidly then the head extends out and down, the the whole body leans forward simulating eating from the ground, body then turns left or right, head retraacts to start position and repeats this till toy stops.