Built at 225 Parsons Street

[FredZepp]

During the Great Depression, the wizards at Kalamazoo struggled like everyone else.

In 1930 and 1931.. the yearly production slowed to 250 guitars per year.

So...

Under the names of Kalamazoo Playthings Company and Kel Kroydon Toys... the Gibson plant produced wood toys from 1931-'33.

Items varying from toddlers toys to working replicas of racing yachts.

Or wagons with blocks, a pull-toy with barnyard animals or Mother Goose characters.

The top of the line were "running" models with a horse , rabbit , or bear that had wheels instead of feet.

 

The "pieces-de-resistance" were the boats. There were 5 Kel Kroydon sailboats, the largest of which sported a 26-inch hull and a 30-inch sail.

The speed boats (12 and 15 inch) had a hull of cedar and mahogany and were powered by a rubber band that gave a 5 minute running time.

The Kalamazoo line featured a scale replica of the Enterprise and the Yankee and were shown in 1932 at Marshall Field and Company.

( Both names, Kalamazoo and Kel Kroydon would be used on some budget instruments later on. )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the 1980's, Jim Deurloo revived these ideas to try to keep Kalamazoo running. Both plants were only running at half capacity.

So the Parsons St. plant started turning out chronometer cases, and oak trim for van conversions and even waterbeds.

But at that point the end was inevitable.. the move to Nashville was soon to happen.

[hiro]

interesting . . . awesome how they were thinking out of the box to keep doing what they normally do

[High Flying Bird]

Heck, these are about the only thing to come out of that plant that I can play.

 

Water beds? I hear a wah in the background.......