Ganz Cottage Collectibles: Samuel Ganz

Established by Samuel Ganz and sons Jack and Sam in 1950, Ganz is now headed by the founder's grandson, Howard Ganz. Corporate Headquarters are located in Toronto, Canada, with U.S. offices in Atlanta and Los Angeles, and overseas offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in the year 2000.

As the story begins ... shortly after WWII, when Samuel Ganz, son of a candlemaker, made his way to New York City, his sons, Sam and Jack, settled in Toronto. On one of his visits to see them, Samuel brought along a doll he had seen produced in New York. After making a few contacts, and holding discussions, Ganz Toys was in business!

Through continuous improvements in production techniques, and a growing reputation for quality, Ganz Toys' list of products and customers grew steadily. Sam and Jack looked for ways to improve products based on customer needs. (Remember those 6'-tall fluorescent pink stuffed animals that were a big hit at carnivals from coast-to-coast?)

As the firm continued to grow and evolve, the company name was changed to Ganz, launching a serious expansion into the U.S.

Although Ganz no longer produces the very popular Ganz Cottage Collectibles, Beacon's Glow Collectibles still has some of these adorable plush animals in stock.