Irwin Toy

Irwin Toy Limited

Company type	Private
Industry	Toys
Founded	Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1926
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Key people	Sam Irwin
Website	www.irwintoy.com

Irwin Toy Limited was a Canadian distributor and manufaturer of toys. Their most remembered motto was We remember when we were kids!. It was Canada's oldest toy company and remained independent and family owned.

History

The company began in 1926 as an importer and distributor of dry goods and clothing, located in Sam and Beatrice Irwin's house. Later, the company moved to a warehouse in the west end of Toronto and focused mainly on toys, Sam and Beatrice's sons had taken over management in the years to follow.

Most of Irwin's profits came from distributing other (usually American) companies' toys and as a result, almost all popular toys available in Canada until the 1990s were distributed by Irwin. This was because many major American companies wished to sell their toys in Canada however, it was not seen as a useful business practice to open a Canadian branch because of the lower population and tariffs which would generate less income.

However, in the 1980s and 1990s major American companies such as Hasbro and Mattel acquired many of the companies that Irwin did business with. In the 1980s, with the introduction of the Free Trade Agreement and later, the North American Free Trade Agreement, it became less expensive for American companies to form Canadian branches. As a result, Irwin lost many business deals and major toy companies began to distribute toys themselves.

In 2002, the company offically closed down due to financial concerns. In 2003, it re-formed as itoys Inc..

Toys and Brands Distributed

• Bandai toys
• DragonBall Z toys
• Kenner toys (prior to Hasbro's purchase)
• Ideal toys
• Mighty Max
• Sailor Moon toys
• Square 1
• Tyco toys (prior to Mattel's purchase)
• Wham-O toys

Toys Manufactured

• Trouble (under the name Frustration)
• Powerplay Hockey

References / External Links

• KidScreen