A Century of American Toys and Games by Jim and Donna Pressman

1133 Broadway,New York NY 10010

29 November, 2022

Description

We ask guests to please wear masks at our events. Preorder your copy here. When Jack Pressman went into business as a manufacturer of basic playthings like lead soldiers and toy xylophones in 1922, he could little have imagined that his small venture would become one of the iconic American toy companies. The firm scored its first megahit in the 1920s, when it popularized Chinese checkers, and it went on to introduce enduring favorites like Rummikub and Tri-Ominos. Today the Pressman Toy Corporation remains well known for its line of classic board games in eye-catching red boxes, as well as games based on popular TV shows. This centennial history traces the growth of the company under the leadership of three successive Pressmans: Jack, his wife Lynn (one of the first female CEOs in the industry), and their son Jim. It is a story that reflects the development of the toy industry as a whole—encompassing the rise of plastics, the emergence of character licensing and TV advertising, and the surprising endurance of the physical board game in our digital age. Abundantly illustrated with new color photography as well as rare archival images, this will be an essential volume for anyone with an interest in the history of play. Jim Pressman, a 2021 inductee to the Toy Industry Hall of Fame, was president of the Pressman Toy Corporation from 1977 until the company’s sale to Goliath Games in 2014. Donna Pressman is his wife and frequent collaborator. She was instrumental in the research and organization that made the book a reality. Donna’s passion to tell the company’s story grew from her desire to ensure that future generations of the family would know how it all began and became what it is today. Bob Fuhrer, founder of Nextoy, is considered one of the world’s top toy industry experts. Since 1981, Nextoy has been connecting original toy and game ideas with companies such as Hasbro, Mattel, Spin Master, Goliath, The New York Times, and many others. Nextoy is a four-time nominee for Most Innovative Toy of the Year (TOTY), and classic products include Crocodile Dentist, Gator Golf, KenKen® and iTop.