Paya (tin toys)
Paya (also known as Payá Hermanos ) was a Spanish manufacturer of mechanical tin toys, as well as model cars and model trains. The company was founded by the brothers Pascual, Emilio and Vicente Payá Lloret in Ibi (Spain) .
Company history
In 1902, the Payá Lloret brothers started making metal toys in the tinware and metal foundry factory their father Rafael Payá Picó had built in Ibi. Three years later, in 1905, they founded the company La Sin Rival Payá Hermanos, única en España en trabajos adelantados (which means: "The unrivaled Payá Hermanos, unique in Spain for advanced work"); an advertising slogan at the time.
From 1909 the Payá Hermanos company was represented at regional and national exhibitions as well as international trade fairs, where the good quality of the toys often received the highest awards. In 1910, Payá Hermanos was the first in Spain to start making spring-operated tin toys , mainly car models . This made it possible to compete with other international tin toy manufacturers. From 1986 onwards, the successor company Sociedad Cooperativa Payá continued this tradition at the Nuremberg Toy Fair .
After the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Payá increased production as the other European manufacturers were engaged in the production of war material. From this time on, Payá Hermanos experienced a steadily growing development, which reached its peak when Raimundo Payá took over the management of the company. In 1930 this innovative entrepreneur had the famous toy Bugatti made for cafés Marcilla. In addition, he started the production of tin toy trains in 1933 . While clockwork trains were initially produced in 00 gauge , from 1948 electrical three-wire direct current trains were produced with S gauge, and from 1959 onwards, the H0 gauge was used. In the 1970s, the model railway range was switched from sheet metal to cheaper plastic.
During the Spanish Civil War , the Payá Hermanos company was collectivized and ammunition was produced in the workshops. From 1940 the production of toys started again and new items were also included in the production, for example the models of the Packard automobiles. In 1950, Payá Hermanos was the first Spanish company to use an injection molding machine for plastic and light metal alloys adapted for toy manufacturing. From now on, numerous new production methods have been introduced, such as assembly line work, the mechanization of work processes, the use of plastics has been expanded, and the quality and design of toys have been improved.
Before the Payá Hermanos company, which existed until 1982, was finally transferred to a foundation in 1984 and parts of the factory halls came to the Museo Valenciano del Juguete , the successor company “Sociedad Cooperativa Payá” celebrated the company's centenary in 2005.
Today the toy manufacturer no longer exists.