Hustler Toy Corporation
A.K.A. Hustler Pre-School Toys
Frantz Manufacturing Company
Sterling, Illinois
1909-Present – Frantz Manufacturing producing building hardware
1920 -1934 – Produced wooden toys
Frantz Manufacturing was founded to produce building materials. Because of World War I’s decrease in these materials, Frantz Manufacturing Company made a decision to product toys, with the first being a new baseball game which would utilize their woodworking department. Their first wooden toy was the Hustler Pup, which proved to be a big seller. In 1925, because of the confusion of producing toys under the same name as their building hardware company, a subsidiary company named Hustler Toy Company was created. Since this change in name took place five years after Frantz started making toys, it is possible to find the Hustler Toy Company logo over the first Frantz logos.
Hustler Toys were made from the best Poplar Wood from Arkansas and many of their toys are named after board members.
In the late 1920’s, Frantz Manufacturing took over the Toylander Corporation. By 1929, they were shipping toys all over the world, designing and producing over 100 unique toys. In 1934, Frantz’s toy division stopped making wooden toys and started only putting their name on roller skates.
For toys made by Frantz and Toylanders, please click on those chapters of our website. For more information on Hustler Toys, please visit OldWoodToys website at: http://www.oldwoodtoys.com/hustler_toys1.htm.
