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Pressman Toy Corporation

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Pressman Toy Corporation
Company typeSubsidiary of Goliath Games
Founded1922
HeadquartersPlano, Texas, United States
Area served
North America
Key people
James Pressman
President and CEO
ProductsFamily games
Number of employees
1,600
ParentGoliath Games
Websitewww.pressmantoy.com

Pressman Toy Corporation is a toy manufacturer based in Plano, Texas which was founded in 1922 by Jack Pressman. It currently focuses on family games and licensed products.

Two boys playing "Hop Ching Checkers" (Chinese checkers) in a summer camp, Montreal, July 1942

History

The company was founded in 1922 by Jack Pressman, who brought in Max Eibitz as a partner in 1925, with Pressman doing sales and Eibitz managing the firm's Brooklyn factory.[1] One of the company's first hits was Chinese checkers, a game that Pressman acquired the rights to in 1928 after spotting the game on a trip to Colorado, and first marketed as "Hop Ching Checkers".[2]

The company was an innovator in licensing games and toys from popular media, such as the Little Orphan Annie and Dick Tracy comic strips. After the release of Walt Disney's first full-length animated feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, Pressman released a series of Snow White toys based on the film.[1]

Pressman ended his partnership in 1947. He reincorporated later that year as Pressman Toy Company and brought in his wife, Lynn Pressman (née Raymond), who had held senior positions in New York City department stores, as the new company's executive vice president. As Jack Pressman's health deteriorated, she took a greater role in the operation of the firm, and served as its president following his death in 1959.[3]

The 1950s brought the Doctor Bag, designed to help children feel more comfortable with visits to the doctor, which was followed by a Nurse Bag and corresponding Ken and Barbie versions licensed in 1962. A series of items were licensed from Walt Disney Productions, starting after the debut of The Mickey Mouse Club television series in 1955.[1] Lynn Pressman oversaw the signing of baseball star Roger Maris to promote the company's Big League Action Baseball, and later signed Tom Seaver of the New York Mets and Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox to represent the product.[3]

Inspired by a letter from the anti-war Westchester Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Raymond oversaw the creation of a series of Pen Pal Dolls, each approved by UNICEF, which included a pen, stationery and information about the doll's country including a simple dictionary, with the name and address of a girl in one of 20 countries around the world.[4]

James Pressman, son of Jack and Lynn, took over as president in 1977. Since that time, Pressman Toy Company has marketed a series of family games including the code-breaking game Mastermind, the tile-based game Rummikub and the dominoes variant Tri-Ominos. The company has also created licensed products for game shows such as Deal or No Deal, Jeopardy!, Wheel of Fortune and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and markets games based on such popular TV series and movies as Scooby-Doo, Hello Kitty, Dinosaur Train, Happy Feet Two, The Smurfs, Modern Family, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.[1]

In July, 2014, the Pressman Toy Corporation was bought by Goliath Games, a Dutch game manufacturer.[5]

Products

  • 1 vs. 100 Board Game
  • 24 DVD Board Game
  • Ad Liners
  • Addams Family Family Reunion Game, The
  • Addams Family, The: Find Uncle Fester! Card Game
  • Alva
  • Amazing Race DVD Board Game
  • American Chopper DVD Board Game
  • Animal MASTERMIND Towers
  • Annoying Thing Game, The
  • Atmosfear the DVD Board Game
  • Bank On It!
  • Beakman's World Beakmania Game
  • Big Brother – The Game
  • Black Box (out of production)
  • Blockhead!
  • Cardcaptors: Challenge of the Clow Spirits Game
  • Careers
  • Catch Zoboo If You Can!
  • Charade Game, The, 1992
  • Charades for Dummies Game
  • Charades for Kids
  • Chess Empire
  • Chicanery
  • Chick-A-Boom
  • Chimp and Zee Dinosaur Whirl
  • Chimp and Zee Going On Vacation
  • Chimp and Zee Pesky Pirates
  • Chimp and Zee Who's the Princess
  • Chimp and Zee Zoo Who?
  • Clash
  • Coffee Talk
  • Combo
  • Concentration
  • Crosswords for Dummies
  • Cube Fusion (originally by House of Games)
  • Deal or No Deal Board Game
  • Dennis the Menace
  • Devil's Dice
  • Devil's Triangle
  • Dexter's Laboratory – The Incredible Invention Vs Dee Dee
  • Dexter's Laboratory: Race to the Brainergizer!
  • Divin' Dolphins
  • Dizzy Dizzy Dinosaur
  • Domino Rally
  • Don't You Forget It
  • Doorways to Adventure
  • Doorways to Horror
  • Double Dare Home Game
  • Double Decker
  • Drag-Ominos
  • Dream Star
  • Dungeon of Doom
  • EXO-Squad Game
  • Extreme Rock Climbers
  • Fantastic 4 vs. Dr. Doom Game
  • Fib Finder Extreme
  • Flyin' Frogs
  • Fortune
  • Franklin and the Green Knight Adventure Game
  • Franklin Goes to School The Game
  • Frog Pond
  • Fun House
  • Ginnykub
  • Gooey Louie
  • Grave Danger
  • Great Day in the Park Game
  • Green Lantern Power of the Ring
  • Green Lantern Quickshot
  • Guess-a-Doodle
  • Hammerons
  • Happy Feet 2 Freezing Frenzy
  • Hidden Talents
  • Hi-Spot
  • Hold Everything!
  • Home Game
  • Hulk Busts Loose
  • Hydro Strike
  • I'm Telling!
  • iGAMEz
  • Jay Jay The Jet Plane Fly On Over Game
  • Jeopardy!, 1986
  • Jeopardy! - Simpsons Edition
  • Judge for Yourself
  • Jumpin' Monkeys
  • King Kong Skull Island Game
  • Know The USA
  • Legends of the Hidden Temple game, 2017
  • Let's Go Fishin'
  • Let's Go Shopping
  • Let's Make A Deal
  • Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: The Game
  • Like Minds
  • Likes 'N Gripes
  • Littlefoot Make a Match game
  • Lucky Ducks
  • Marvel Super Heroes Game
  • Marvel Trivia Game
  • Mastermind
  • Mastermind for Kids
  • Mastermind Secret Search
  • Mental Floss Game
  • MindTrap
  • MindTrap II
  • Modern Family
  • Monkey Swing
  • Mouse, Mouse! Get Outta My House
  • Mr. Bucket
  • MTV Remote Control
  • Muscle Man
  • Mutant Chronicles: Siege of the Citadel
  • My First Rummikub
  • Napoleon Dynamite: It's Pretty Much My Favorite Animal Game
  • NCIS the Game
  • The Newlywed Game
  • The Oregon Trail
  • Othello
  • Overturn
  • Perpetual Notion
  • Pirates' Plunder
  • Pokerkub
  • Powerpuff Girls – Save the Day Game
  • Precious Moments Game
  • Quad-Ominos (out of production)
  • Quarto!
  • Read My Lips, 1990
  • Real Dumb Laws
  • Reggi un attimo!
  • Revenge of Dracula
  • Ring Around the Nosey
  • Rock Paper Scissors Game
  • Rock Trivia
  • Rummikub, 1980
  • Rummikub 500
  • Rummikub Rummy Dice Game
  • Running Charades
  • Rushin' Russian
  • Saved by the Bell Game
  • Saved by the Bell: The New Class
  • Schampus
  • Scooby-Doo Cyber Chase
  • Scooby-Doo Mystery Mansion Game
  • Scooby-Doo The Movie Game
  • Scooby-Doo! Get That Dog
  • Scooby-Doo! Thrills and Spills
  • Scooby-Doo Bobblehead Game
  • Scooby-Doo Hide & Shriek
  • Scooby-Doo Trivia Game
  • Scooby-Doo! Who Are You? Game
  • Senseability [sic]
  • Shark Bite
  • Shift Tac Toe
  • Silly Soup
  • Skill Ball
  • Slap Happy
  • SMATH
  • Snapple Real Facts Game
  • Sneaky Pete
  • Soldiers with Repeating Cannon Game
  • Spawn: The Game
  • Speedboard – a Nintendo licensed accessory made for the Nintendo Entertainment System
  • Spelling Bee Bingo
  • Spellway
  • Spider-Man 2 Make a Match Game
  • Spider-Man vs the Green Goblin
  • Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock Game
  • Spider-Man Web Attack
  • Spider-Man Web Launch Game
  • Squiggly Worms
  • Star Poker
  • State the Facts
  • Stone Protectors
  • SuDoku – The Board Game
  • Switch 16
  • Talk About
  • The Office Trivia Board Game
  • The Office DVD Board Game
  • Therapy
  • Therapy: The second session
  • Therapy: V.I.P. Edition
  • Thin Ice
  • Think Ominos
  • Think Tac Toe
  • Three Stooges VCR Game, The
  • Tick, the: Hip Deep In Evil!
  • Tigo
  • Tilt'n Tumble
  • Topple
  • Tough Luck
  • Treasure Trolls
  • Tri-Ominos
  • Tri-Ominos for Kids
  • Trivia Adventure, 1983
  • Trivia Adventure Plus
  • Trivia for Dummies
  • True Colors
  • Truth or Consequences
  • Twist & Hold 'Em Poker Cube
  • VH1 Pop Up Video Game
  • Wavelength game
  • Weapons & Warriors – Castle Siege Game
  • Weapons & Warriors – Cavalry Attack Set
  • Weapons & Warriors – Lashout Launcher
  • Weapons & Warriors – Pirate Battle
  • Weapons & Warriors – Power Catapult Set
  • Weapons & Warriors – Star Fort
  • Wheel of Fortune Game, 1986
  • Wheel of Fortune Game Junior Edition
  • Where's the Ostrich?
  • Who Said That?
  • Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
  • Who Wants To Be A Millionaire Junior
  • Who's Riding On the Bus?
  • Win By A Nose
  • The Wizard of Oz Game
  • Wizard of Oz Trivia Game, The
  • Wizard of Oz Yellow Brick Road Game, The
  • Wonder Art
  • Wordkub
  • Wordsearch
  • X-Men: Under Siege
  • Yes! No! Game
  • Zoboomafoo
  • Zoom Ball
  • Zathura

References

  1. ^ a b c d Company History, Pressman Toy Company. Accessed August 2, 2009.
  2. ^ Staff. "Marbles: Don't lose them, collect them", Republican-American, July 21, 2008. Accessed August 2, 2009.
  3. ^ a b Grimes, William. "Lynn Pressman Raymond, Toy Executive, Dies at 97", The New York Times, August 1, 2009. Accessed August 2, 2009.
  4. ^ Cook, Joan. "Dolls Are Ambassadors for Peace; Foreign Costumes Lead Little Girl to Pen Pals", The New York Times, May 8, 1965. Accessed August 2, 2009.
  5. ^ "Goliath Games acquires US firm Pressman Toy Corporation". www.toynews-online.biz. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
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