Nylint
56 years in operation (1945–2001)
About Nylint
Founded in 1937 as a Rockford machine shop by Bernard Klint and David Nyberg, Nylint moved into toys after the war using surplus steel. Their pressed-steel toys competed directly with Structo and Tonka. Nylint's Road Grader and 1950s car haulers are among the most accurate pressed-steel vehicle toys ever made.
Founding
Bernard C. Klint and David Nyberg, whose surnames combine to give the company its name — founded in Rockford, Illinois in 1937 and turning to toys after the war.
History of Nylint
Nylint was the last great American pressed-steel truck maker, and it stayed with heavy gauge steel long after the rest of the industry had moved to plastic. Its construction equipment and commercial vehicles were built to a standard that made them the natural successor to Buddy L: substantial, accurately proportioned, and mechanically functional.
The company held licences from real equipment makers — Michigan, Payloader, Euclid, Ford — and produced road graders, cranes, earth movers and car haulers with working booms, buckets and tipping beds. It also produced a memorable oddity, the Nylint version of the Ford-based Napoleon Solo car from The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Nylint continued into the 1990s and finally failed in 2001, taken down by the same combination that finished all the pressed-steel makers: plastic, imports, and the cost of making a heavy steel children's toy in the United States. Its late production is genuinely good and is underpriced relative to earlier Buddy L.
Timeline
- 1937Klint and Nyberg found the company in Rockford, Illinois
- 1946Pressed-steel toy production begins
- 1955Licensed construction-equipment models with working mechanisms define the range
- 1965Ford commercial vehicles and car haulers are major lines
- 2001The company closes
Notable & Best-Selling Toys
- Nylint Road Grader
- Nylint car hauler
- Nylint Payloader
- Nylint Michigan Crane
- Nylint Euclid earth mover
- Nylint Ford trucks
Identifying & Dating Nylint Toys
- Look for "NYLINT" in a decal or stamped on the cab door, bed or boom, with "Rockford, Ill." and often a model number.
- Licensed equipment names — Michigan, Payloader, Euclid — appear as decals and identify the real prototype.
- Boxes carry the model name and number and are the best dating reference.
Collector's Notes
- Working mechanisms and complete accessories decide value: booms, cables, buckets, ramps on car haulers, and the small loose pieces that came in the box.
- Original decals are the value driver on late pressed steel, since the paint itself usually survives well. Repainted and re-decalled examples are worth considerably less.
- Boxed 1950s and 1960s construction models are the strongest sellers, and 1990s production is worth buying to use — good quality at low prices.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When was Nylint founded?
Nylint was founded in 1945, based in Rockford, IL.
Is Nylint still in business?
No. Nylint ceased operations in 2001, after 56 years in business.
What is Nylint best known for?
Nylint is best known for Nylint Road Grader, Nylint car hauler, Nylint Payloader, among other toys.
Where was Nylint located?
Nylint was based in Rockford, IL.
What kinds of toys did Nylint make?
Nylint is categorized under pressed steel, trucks, construction toys.
Who founded Nylint?
Bernard C. Klint and David Nyberg, whose surnames combine to give the company its name — founded in Rockford, Illinois in 1937 and turning to toys after the war.
How can you identify genuine Nylint toys?
Look for "NYLINT" in a decal or stamped on the cab door, bed or boom, with "Rockford, Ill." and often a model number. Licensed equipment names — Michigan, Payloader, Euclid — appear as decals and identify the real prototype. Boxes carry the model name and number and are the best dating reference.
Are Nylint toys valuable?
Working mechanisms and complete accessories decide value: booms, cables, buckets, ramps on car haulers, and the small loose pieces that came in the box. Original decals are the value driver on late pressed steel, since the paint itself usually survives well. Repainted and re-decalled examples are worth considerably less. Boxed 1950s and 1960s construction models are the strongest sellers, and 1990s production is worth buying to use — good quality at low prices.