Corgi Collectables

Corgi International Limited is a well known business which was established in Wales in the late 1950s. The business is a well established toys producer; in 1990 the firm was taken over by Mattel, the owners of Fisher Price, the business then went on to become independent. Corgi is still active in todays markets and their current brand lines include movie prop replicas, die cast collectables and toy products. Other lines which are also operated by Corgi include the recent popular revolution of trading cards and also movie memorabilia.
Many people collect the products which the Corgi Company produces, especially the items such as move prop replicas. The company has secured many contracts with major shows and companies including, Star Trek, Disney, James Bond, Halo, Nintendo and The Muppets. One of the most lucrative contracts which Corgi had held was a contract to produce Star Wars memorabilia, although when this contract expired in 2008 it was decided not to renew the contract. Items which were produced for Star Wars included action figures, weapon, lightsabers, phasers and swords.
The Corgi organisation has a long history and also the business has held many different owners. In 1977 the firm Zindart International Limited was registered as a limited company in Hong Kong. This firm then went on to purchase the Corgi Classics organisation, who at the time specialised in the production of small replica classic cars. At this time Corgi Classics was a high profile name within the UK and was one of the oldest firms producing replica models of lorries, cars, buses and airplanes. The firm had also started trading extensively in North Europe.
In 2006, the holding company Zurich renamed the Corgi Classics firm to the new name of Corgi International Limited. This began the main business focus and the Zindart Manufacturing division was off loaded. A book firm which was also owned by Corgi was purchased in 1998 and then sold in 2004. December 2006 saw Corgi extended their business operations further when they purchased another company, Cards Incorporated. The firm also merged with another business, Master Replicas. The year 2008 was an iconic year for the Corgi International organisation as they sold the original arm of their business, the Corgi Classics brand. This sale included the name of the business but also the brand, tooling and intellectual property rights to previous products produced. Although some licensed property was not passed on with this sale, James Bond and Star Trek memorabilia remained to be owned by Corgi International Limited.
Corgi International Limited still produces many products despite the sale of Corgi Classics; these include generic toys, gifts and collectables. The products which are produced by the organisation are distributed through distribution channels such as direct selling, speciality shops, hobby shops, collector stores and also mass retail stores. The Corgi International Limited organisation is also marketed under the names Master Replicas, PopCo and H2go. The recent recession within the UK is believed to have impacted greatly upon the operations of the core business.