Chad Valley - Quality toys since 1860

Our richest treasury

Toys present our richest treasury of heritage items. Our founder, Frank Woolworth, was a true toy pioneer, introducing budget toys for everyone for the first time. The company pioneered the use of celluloid for dolls, bakelite for a bright colour, durable designs of models, figures and playthings and tinplate for cars, trains and planes. We also pioneered licensed and character-branded products from 1928 onwards.

Their Royal Highnesses the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, modelled by Chad Valley in 1937. The designs resulted in a Royal Warrant the following year

Early Chad Valley toys are uniquely collectable and include many items that remain topical to this day. They were originally intended for the children of the rich and famous but, thanks to Woolworths, Chad Valley is now available to everyone. We own the rights to a unique array of designs which could form the basis of a remarkable heritage range. Consider some of the Chad Valley pedigree:

  • Toymakers to the White Star Line providing accurate scale models of the vessel to sell in the shop onboard the Titanic
  • Toymakers to each of the major steam railway companies, commissioned by the Directors to model all of the major locomotives
  • Toymakers to Her Majesty the Queen, receiving a royal warrant for "Royal Princesses" (left)
  • amazing dolls, scale models and card games

Woolworths Value

Woolies have always been famous for value. Rich and poor alike would visit the stores for jokes, tricks and novelties - with nothing over sixpence. Again we have the designs and original marketing for some of these early products. And Woolies tinplate models and toy trainsets were a must-have when many of today's parents were growing up. We've got the treasure for nation's pleasure.