A young Navy veteran and engineer had an idea. With World War II over, warehouses were piled high with surplus military equipment. No one knew what to do with it—but Isaac "Ike" Heller did.
Spending his days visiting warehouse after warehouse, Heller searched through tons of material to locate every last set of aviator's earphones in New York City.
Heller was repurposing the earphones to make walkie-talkie toys of his own invention, which were fast becoming big sellers in his burgeoning one-man toy business, Remco. Soon joined by his accountant cousin, Saul Robbins, they formally established the business in Newark, New Jersey, in 1949.
The name Remco was a combination of "REM" for remote and "CO" for control. Heller and Robbins were early innovators, bringing together technology and toys designed specifically for children. Starting with crystal radios and walkie-talkies, Remco became increasingly sophisticated, releasing a variety of electric, motorized, and battery-operated remote-control toys.
Heller and Robbins wanted to stay ahead of the curve not only in technology and products but also in marketing.
In 1952, Remco recognized the potential of television advertising. The partners sought a marketing director who understood how to push the limits of this new medium.
At a toy manufacturers' luncheon, they met Bernie Schiff, then marketing director of the American Character Doll Company. Schiff was just the person for the job.
Starting with their electronic Radio Station toy, Remco saw annual sales skyrocket to $1–2 million. This success drove increased investment in innovation, television commercials, and sponsorships, leading to even greater sales.
The combination of new products and television advertising allowed Remco to expand its product lines and grow the business.
During the postwar boom of the 1950s, Remco hit its stride. Toys such as the Space Commander Walkie-Talkies, Big Max, Flying Fox Airliner, Whirlybird Helicopter, and many others provided thrills and excitement for children. Remco and its toys became part of the mid-century modern era.
With his background in engineering and technology, Heller brought new products to market to meet the growing interest in electronics and science.
Long before STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) became a familiar educational term, Remco released science kits covering mechanics, electromagnetism, and electronic circuitry for budding engineers of the Space Age.
Moving into the 1960s, Remco expanded its business strategy through licensing.
The company recognized how licensing well-known entertainment properties could help sell toys. Popular brands and franchises included:
Remco was also among the early companies to advertise dolls on television, helping its doll lines grow in popularity.
While baby dolls remained perennial favorites, the company also produced hard-plastic and vinyl dolls featuring its own brands and characters. Among the best-known were the Littlechap Family and the Heidi Pocketbook doll series.
Alongside its original doll brands, Remco featured celebrity characters and entertainment personalities.
Remco's success continued throughout the peak years of the 1960s. The toy market was thriving, with companies such as Mattel, Hasbro, and Ideal also experiencing growth. It was an exciting time for American children during the baby boom.
With a strong economy, stable revenues, and years of successful growth behind them, Heller and Robbins sold Remco in 1966.
The dawn of a new decade brought changes both to Remco and to America.
Without the leadership and innovation of its founders, and amid the economic difficulties of the early 1970s, Remco encountered financial problems.
In 1974, the company's assets were sold to Marvin Azrak's Azrak-Hamway International, Inc. (AHI).
Based in New York City, AHI was known for its strong licensing program and creative products, including dress-up utility belts, accessory kits, and a wide variety of battery-operated toys.
Following the sale, Remco continued producing toys based on popular entertainment properties and expanded its licensing portfolio to include:
Despite the competitive and turbulent toy market of the 1970s, Remco continued introducing new ideas.
Notable products included Rainbow and Her Electric Fashion Computer Center, battery-operated "energized" Spider-Man, Green Goblin, Superman, and Batman figures, controllable Batcopters, Star Trek Enterprise toys, and Rescue Choppers.
These imaginative toys thrilled a new generation of children.
Remco continued developing new products in the 1980s, bringing renewed success and another heyday for the company.
Following the popularity of 3¾-inch action figures such as Hasbro's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Kenner's Star Wars figures, and Mattel's He-Man, Remco introduced several action-figure lines spanning imaginative genres.
The company produced figures featuring karate fighters, military adventurers, monsters, ninjas, robots, and pirates—everything children of the 1980s loved to play with.
Licensing remained a major part of the company's success, with popular action figures based on:
Introduced in 1981, Remco's licensed Universal Monsters collection featured 9-inch and 3¾-inch action figures.
These figures became a memorable part of the company's 1980s toy lineup.
The power of the right license at the right time can supercharge sales and create historic product lines.
Remco's Vice President of Marketing, Steve Rosenthal, understood this potential.
Inspired by watching professional wrestling with his son, Rosenthal reached out to legendary professional wrestler and promoter Verne Gagne.
Eager to be first to market with action figures based on wrestling's biggest stars, Rosenthal and his team signed a deal with Gagne to produce AWA Wrestling action figures.
The figures became a tremendous success, selling millions of units.
Today, these iconic 1980s wrestling figures can fetch hundreds of dollars from collectors. They also helped establish what would become a multimillion-dollar toy category.
The 1990s brought additional entertainment-based toys, including products inspired by:
This decade also saw the introduction of Steel Tec, a line of construction sets compatible with Erector and Meccano systems.
Featuring innovative tools and components, Steel Tec encouraged creative building and mechanical assembly.
Steel Tec kits featured popular franchises and iconic vehicles, including the Star Wars Millennium Falcon, the Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
These construction sets brought new excitement to builders of all ages.
In 1997, Jakks Pacific acquired Remco from Azrak-Hamway.
For years afterward, the beloved Remco brand remained dormant within Jakks Pacific as the company continued to grow.
As the new century progressed, purchasing vintage collectibles online became an increasingly popular pastime.
Remco fans of all ages discovered that collecting the toys of their childhood brought renewed excitement and nostalgia.
These toys were passed down to new generations, continuing Remco's legacy.
Now with the Brand's 2024 relaunch by BuzzIQ, LLC the company is devoted to continuing the brand and it's history and growing it into new products and even new media and new product categories.
We believe in unlocking the power of play and its ability to develop creativity, learning, and imagination.
Remco is dedicated to making the world more fun for everyone.
No matter which generation you come from, Remco is there.
Join us as we enter our next heyday and blaze new paths in the 21st century!