#1069 BUDDY L – SPIDER´S CAR (SECRET WARS, SPIDERMAN) (1986)

Buddy L was another big American toy company from the 1920´s on. As it is usual in these cases, the company went under many names and owners over the years, and disappared sometime in the mid-1990s to the early 2000s. They were focused on tin and metal vehicles, being their most remembered works a series of metal vans and trains in larger scales. 

The parent company of Buddy L was called Moline Pressed Steel Company (founded by Fred A. Lundahl in 1910). This company produced fenders and body parts for the automobile industry, being their main customer the McCormick-Deering (farm implements) and the International Harvester Company (trucks). 

In 1921, the Moline Pressed Steel Company started selling toys, because Mr. Lundhal wanted to make a toy for his son. He took a piece of steel from the scrap pile and built an steel miniature truck (based on an International Harvester). Nice story.  The truck was so well-done and durable, that shortly afterwards, the company started selling toys made of pressed steel under the brand „Buddy L“, „toys for boys“.  Some were small such as this one presented here, but others were big and sturdy enough to allow the kids to ride on them, or to be pulled around.

The company was very popular during the 1920s until the great depression. Their toys were offered in the Marshall Field´s department stores or in the F.A.O: Schwarz toy stores.

The next owner was Henry Katz and Company, who bought the brand Buddy L from Molene Manufacturing Company in 1941. In 1976 is was sold again to Richard Keats, a toy designer and long time employee of Buddy L. In 1978, the company was based in Clifton, New Jersey. In 1990, Keats sold Buddy L again to SLM international, and from here on, it was a fast decadence the company suffered until it disappeared in the 2000s.

The toys from the 1920s to the 1960s are rare and valuable pieces, but with the increasing industrialization of the manufacturing process, the Buddy L Toys were manufactured in great numbers and sold for cheaper prices (also introduced plastic parts in the 60s). Being so sturdy, many have survived until today in such a great shape. The toy I am presenting today belongs to the late 90s, when their production was being carried out in Japan or Macau in order to compete with the toys from Hong-Kong and China. That is why the car is rather simple and has a lot of plastic parts. 

Still it is a very interesting toy, considering it has a license from Marvel´s Secret Wars. The car originally came in a set of four pieces, including also a van, a helicopter and a motorbike, all with Spidey´s stickers. But there was at least another set in which this car was decorated with Dr. Doom colours and stickers, the Van with Dr. Octopus´, the motorbike with Captain America´s, and the helicopter with Wolverine´s. These two sets are today scarce, and rare collectibles in their original box. Still the individual toys can be purchased for almost no money, let´s say around 10 US$/piece or even less.

This car is in an excellent shape with no cracks on the plastic parts, opening doors and very little or no use. The stickers are also excellent. Very cool!

FACTS AND FIGURES: 

• Name: Spider´ Car
• Scale: Around 1:38
• Year: 1986
• Company: Buddy L (U.S.A.)
• Size: approx. 12 cm