Back in 1974, Jack Schylling, working in Cambridge, MA, saw a wind-up bird fly past his third-floor office window. He immediately ran down to the street and bought one from a vendor.

Enchanted with the item, he then wrote to the manufacturer in France to order his own supply, and subsequently went into business selling the toy birds on the streets of Boston.

Twenty-five years later the Schylling Toy Company sells more than 300 different types of toys in some 15,000 retail locations around the world.

Schylling offers one of the most complete library of tin toys ever made. Some of Schylling’s reproductions are toys from fifty years ago, and others were originally made in the turn of the 20th century. Tin toys were made as early as 1895, but after WWII the Japanese renewed the industry with high quality mechanized tin toys, many with battery-powered flashing lights and motors.

schylling robot

Schylling value

What's it worth? Take a look at this Schylling price guide: sold listings for a value indication.

Schylling forum (2 comments)

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Cece - April 6, 2012

just bought the Schylling Collector Series "horse racing derby track" - used but in working order. i know it is a reproduction but when was it first introduced?? any ideas or more info about it?? thanks for ur help.
►reply: Well I think the first tin horse racing games were made in the late 19th century, like this one from the 1890s. As for Schylling, they started making toys from mid 1970s. I don't know when they started with the horse racing tracks though.

Rick - August 17, 2011

I have this tin toy made by Schylling Collector Series that is called "New York Express". Its a wind up toy. You take the key and wind it up, attach the airplane on a shaft