| Topper Corporation | |
| Former Names: | Deluxe Toy Creations (1953), Deluxe Reading Topper Toys |
| Fate: | Went into bankruptcy in 1973 [1] [2] |
| Predecessors: | --> |
| Successors: | --> |
| Founded: | 1951 |
| Founder: | Henry Orenstein |
| Defunct: | [3] [4] |
| Hq Location City: | Elizabeth, NJ |
| Hq Location Country: | United States |
| Areas Served: | --> |
| Products: | Scale model cars, toy weapons, dolls, toy robots, action figures, board games, |
| Owners: | --> |
| Brands: | |
Topper Corporation was a United States toy and board game manufacturer based in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The company, founded and run by Henry Orenstein, a holocaust survivor, produced toys under several brand names including: Johnny Lightning (scale model cars, released in 1969), Johnny Seven OMA (toy weapon), Dawn doll, and Suzy Homemaker.
Products manufactured and commercialised by Deluxe Reading included scale model cars, toy weapons, dolls, toy robots, board games, action figures, among others. After a failed attempt to take the company public, Topper Toys closed in 1971[3] and went into bankruptcy in 1973.[1] [2]
The company was originally established by Henry Orenstein as "Deluxe Toy Creations" in 1951. In late 1950s, Orenstein sold the company for $2 million (although he continued in charge of the business), and the name was changed to "Deluxe Reading Toys". Orenstein would buy back the company in 1966 for $49 million, also bringing back the "Deluxe Topper Toys" name.[5]
The toys were packaged in large, colorful boxes that could be easily seen atop grocery store shelves. The top shelf is typically unusable for typical grocery items and this sales gimmick was used by Deluxe Reading as a selling point to retail store owners. The large, electrically operated Crusader 101 toy car is an example of the marketing concept.
The Topper Toys trademark and assets were liquidated in the late 1970s, with the marks and toy molds purchased by Jay Horowitz of American Plastic Equipment, who later transferred all rights to American Plastic Equipment's subsidiary, American Classic Toys.