Corgi International Limited
Encyclopedia
Corgi International Limited (formerly known as Zindart International Limited) is a company rooted in the old Welsh Corgi Toys started in the late 1950s. That company was later acquired by Mattel
around 1990, then made independent. Today, Corgi consists of three distinct brands that manufacture movie prop replicas, die-cast collectibles, and gift and toy products. Corgi International also distributes trading cards and movie memorabilia through a separate brand.
as a limited company
under the Hong Kong Companies Ordinance initially to operate a manufacturing facility. In February 1997, the company’s ADSs were listed on the NASDAQ Global Market.
In July 1999, the company acquired Corgi Classics Limited
, who made the classic diecast cars. Corgi was founded in 1956 in England
as Mettoy
. It is one of the oldest marketers of collectible die-cast
models of lorries, buses, cars and airplanes in the world, with its principal markets of its products in the United Kingdom
and Northern Europe
.
After renaming the company to Corgi International Limited, in December 2006 the company sold their Zindart Manufacturing division. Corgi also operated a book and paper division, Hua Yang, which Corgi acquired in February 1998 and had sold in May 2004. In December 2006, Corgi acquired Cards Inc. and merged with Master Replicas. After these acquisitions, Corgi began the process of reclassifying product categories and channels of distribution to be more closely aligned with the strategic direction and organization structure of the company.
In April 2008, Corgi International sold the Corgi Classics brand, tooling and intellectual property rights to Hornby Hobbies Ltd. This sale did not include licensed properties such as James Bond
and Star Trek
.
Corgi International Limited is a global Pop Culture company, which develops and markets innovative and high-quality licensed and generic toys, gifts and collectables distributed via direct, specialty, hobby, collector and mass retail channels worldwide. Marketed under the brand names Master Replicas, PopCo and H2go, the Company’s line of products range from premium entertainment prop replicas and limited edition memorabilia to traditional toys and gift merchandise.
The Company holds varying licenses for many of entertainment’s highest grossing franchises including Disney, Harry Potter
, James Bond
, Star Trek
, Nintendo
, Halo
and The Beatles
, amongst others. Corgi International Limited also has partnerships with cutting edge technology innovators around the world.
Master Replicas holds varying licenses for many of entertainment’s highest grossing franchises including Star Trek
, Disney, James Bond 007, Halo
, Nintendo
, and The Muppets
Previous to January 2008, the company manufactured and sold product under the Star Wars
brand before The Company chose not to renew the license upon expiration. While many of their items are props
at full-scale (particularly weapons like lightsabers, phasers, and swords), they also make many scale model
items, like spaceships, and characters.
Master Replicas has also been commissioned to make items for corporations to resell on their own. For example, MR made a 1/6 scale Master Sword and Hylian Shield for Nintendo
and Target Stores to coincide with the release of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
.
movies.
Master Replicas no longer produces this product line but has adapted the technology to other authentic replicas of other iconic items including the Halo
Energy Sword and Link's Sword from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda.
and Europe
. The Cards Inc brand name and its trading card game, sticker, and collectable trading card-based business was sold [cites] http://www.toynewsmag.com/news/29746/Corgi-sells-Cards-Inc-unit in April 2008 the remainder of the Cards Inc business continues its distribution of pop culture collectibles under the name of PopCo Distribution.
On October 31, 2008, PopCo Distribution was placed into administration, which is the rough equivalent to Chapter 11 reorganization in the United States.
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
around 1990, then made independent. Today, Corgi consists of three distinct brands that manufacture movie prop replicas, die-cast collectibles, and gift and toy products. Corgi International also distributes trading cards and movie memorabilia through a separate brand.
History
In July 1977, Zindart International Limited was incorporated in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
as a limited company
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
under the Hong Kong Companies Ordinance initially to operate a manufacturing facility. In February 1997, the company’s ADSs were listed on the NASDAQ Global Market.
In July 1999, the company acquired Corgi Classics Limited
Corgi Classics Limited
Corgi Classics Limited is a die-cast model manufacturer which has its origins in the Corgi Toys brand introduced by Mettoy in 1956.-The Corgi Toys era: 1956 to 1995:...
, who made the classic diecast cars. Corgi was founded in 1956 in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
as Mettoy
Mettoy-Corgi
Corgi Toys is the name of a range of die-cast toy vehicles produced by Mettoy Playcraft Ltd. in the United Kingdom. The Mettoy company was founded in 1933 by German émigré Philip Ullmann in Northampton, England, where he was later joined by South African-born German Arthur Katz who had previously...
. It is one of the oldest marketers of collectible die-cast
Die-cast toy
The term die-cast toy here refers to any toy or collectible model produced by using the die casting method. The toys are made of metal, with plastic, rubber or glass details. Wholly plastic toys are made by a similar process of injection moulding, but the two are rarely confused...
models of lorries, buses, cars and airplanes in the world, with its principal markets of its products in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Northern Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
After renaming the company to Corgi International Limited, in December 2006 the company sold their Zindart Manufacturing division. Corgi also operated a book and paper division, Hua Yang, which Corgi acquired in February 1998 and had sold in May 2004. In December 2006, Corgi acquired Cards Inc. and merged with Master Replicas. After these acquisitions, Corgi began the process of reclassifying product categories and channels of distribution to be more closely aligned with the strategic direction and organization structure of the company.
In April 2008, Corgi International sold the Corgi Classics brand, tooling and intellectual property rights to Hornby Hobbies Ltd. This sale did not include licensed properties such as James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
and Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
.
Corgi International Limited is a global Pop Culture company, which develops and markets innovative and high-quality licensed and generic toys, gifts and collectables distributed via direct, specialty, hobby, collector and mass retail channels worldwide. Marketed under the brand names Master Replicas, PopCo and H2go, the Company’s line of products range from premium entertainment prop replicas and limited edition memorabilia to traditional toys and gift merchandise.
The Company holds varying licenses for many of entertainment’s highest grossing franchises including Disney, Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
, James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
, Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
, Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, Halo
Halo (series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, amongst others. Corgi International Limited also has partnerships with cutting edge technology innovators around the world.
Master Replicas
The Master Replicas brand (also known as MR) produce movie prop replicas and high end collectibles. Based in Walnut Creek, CA, the company was founded in 2003 by Michael Cookson. Cookson has served as Chairman of Master Replicas since it was founded and chief executive officer since August 2004. Master Replicas develops and markets innovative and high-quality licensed collectables distributed via direct, specialty, hobby, collector and mass retail channels worldwide.Master Replicas holds varying licenses for many of entertainment’s highest grossing franchises including Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
, Disney, James Bond 007, Halo
Halo (series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
, Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
, and The Muppets
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
Previous to January 2008, the company manufactured and sold product under the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
brand before The Company chose not to renew the license upon expiration. While many of their items are props
Theatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
at full-scale (particularly weapons like lightsabers, phasers, and swords), they also make many scale model
Scale model
A scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in...
items, like spaceships, and characters.
Master Replicas has also been commissioned to make items for corporations to resell on their own. For example, MR made a 1/6 scale Master Sword and Hylian Shield for Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
and Target Stores to coincide with the release of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
is an action-adventure game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development, and published by Nintendo for the GameCube and Wii video game consoles. It is the thirteenth installment in The Legend of Zelda series...
.
Force FX
Master Replicas is known for their Force FX product line which recreated various lightsabers used in the Star WarsStar Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
movies.
Master Replicas no longer produces this product line but has adapted the technology to other authentic replicas of other iconic items including the Halo
Halo (series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
Energy Sword and Link's Sword from Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda.
Closing
Master Replicas has since closed its doors, its assets being taken over by Factory Replicas and EFX.Cards Inc.
Cards Inc., based in Watford, England, was founded by Darren Epstein in 1989 and was a distributor of trading cards and pop culture memorabilia principally in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The Cards Inc brand name and its trading card game, sticker, and collectable trading card-based business was sold [cites] http://www.toynewsmag.com/news/29746/Corgi-sells-Cards-Inc-unit in April 2008 the remainder of the Cards Inc business continues its distribution of pop culture collectibles under the name of PopCo Distribution.
On October 31, 2008, PopCo Distribution was placed into administration, which is the rough equivalent to Chapter 11 reorganization in the United States.