The New Lindy Flying Game, ca. 1927
Parker Brothers said the game based on Charles Lindberg’s historic 1927 flight was their game. Everything about the two games, especially the cards, is almost identical. Parker’s game was mass produced and copies can still be found; Paul Guillow’s game is much harder to come by.
Lindy, The New Flying Game, 1927, Parker Bros.
Paul K. Guillow, Inc. – The Guillow model airplane company had its beginnings as Nu Craft Toys in 1926. Founded by Paul K. Guillow, a World War I U. S. Navy Aviator whose experience as a Navy pilot kindled in him a great interest in aviation and lead to the creation and marketing of a line of small balsa wood construction kits of famous World War I combat aircraft. In 1927 Charles A. Lindbergh flew the “Spirit of St. Louis” from New York to Paris on the first successful solo flight across the Atlantic. National interest in all matters pertaining to aviation peaked. With that came the success of his card game “The New Lindy Flying Game”. Paul K. Guillow found his model airplane kits in great demand.
Crash, 1928, Paul Guillow, Wakefield MA
The company which originally started in the barn of the family home soon required a larger facility and subsequently was moved to the second floor of a service station. In 1933 his rapidly expanding business was again moved to its present day location. Then, operating under the name of Paul K. Guillow, the business sold it’s first shelf model kits to a national chain and was besieged with orders, catapulting Paul into his role as a major player in the balsa model industry. The first line of Guillow balsa shelf model kits offered consisted of 12 different W.W.I biplane fighters that retailed for 10¢ each. Each kit contained a 3-view plan, balsa wood cement, 2 bottles of colored dope, a strip of bamboo for wing and landing gear struts…a great value even in those distant days. For several years up to the mid 40′s, this initial line of balsa shelf model kits sold well all over the country and many more models were added. Paul Guillow, as a recognized authority on aviation history, supplemented his production of model airplanes with the publication of four aviation books.
During the Second World War most of the balsa wood was being diverted for military use, making balsa nearly impossible to acquire. Balsa wood comes from Ecuador and the war effort and German U-boats conspired to make life difficult for balsa model builders. This did not deter Paul from supplying his customers with model kits. Anxious to build the new WWII aircraft Hellcats, Avengers, Mitchells, Mustangs, Messerschmitts, Stearmans, Corsairs and Lightnings model builders were forced to switch to paper, cardboard, and pine. Guillow also served the war effort by supplying the armed forces with a number of drone aircraft to help U.S. gunners sharpen their skills. Post war prosperity and the new plastic models caused a decline in the “stick and tissue” business. With plummeting sales in the kit business, Guillow’s concentrated on producing inexpensive hand launched and rubber powered gliders. Gliders were merchandised in a large variety of attractive displays to suit the needs of all customers from the “mom and pop” stores to the larger department stores. In the 1950′s a resurgence in the demand for “stick and tissue” kits brought new prosperity to Guillow’s.
Paul K. Guillow passed away in 1951. His widow Gertrude H. Guillow incorporated the company and became both President and Treasurer.
In 1953 the “Jetfire” glider was introduced as the first glider to be mass-produced and packaged on a high speed packaging machine. This new technology enabled Guillow’s to place its gliders in the up and coming chain stores. As America’s war veterans had children of their own, the baby boomers started to become model airplane builders. Guillow answered their call by producing hundreds of thousands of flying model airplane kits to satisfy their building and creative needs. As the 60′s approached, Guillow’s furthered their marketing by introducing many different counter and floor stand displays, using their vast assortment of hand launched and rubber powered toy planes.
Not all of Guillow’s customers were happy and devoted to their new hobby as stated by this excerpt from a letter, dated 7/14/59, that still hangs in the lobby of Guillow’s today – “I think that you have the lousiest planes made from the lousiest wood (please take this as an insult). If you make planes like that put extra parts in them so I can fix the broken, rotten, lousy, dirty, crummy airplanes. …if your planes aren’t better I will sew you for fraud. Sincearly, Robert Higgins… P.S. drop dead!” Fortunately, Guillow’s has millions of loyal and satisfied customers and has received many complimentary letters over the years.
Mrs. Gertrude Guillow retired as President in 1980 and was succeeded by Earl Smith as President. Retiring in 1983, Earl passed the gavel to William Colwell. William Colwell retired in 1989 promoting Alson Smith to President.
In the mid 1980′s Guillow’s diversified its business and entered into the promotional products industry by custom printing messages on the wings of inexpensive hand launched gliders. With the purchase of Tiger Inc. in 1994, Guillows acquired foam products to enhance its business. In early 1998, Guillow purchased long time competitor Comet Industries/North Pacific. This purchase transformed Paul K. Guillow, Inc. into one of the worlds largest toy airplane manufacturers and created one of the most complete lines of flying toys available.
Paul Guillow’s dream still lives on in the company today as they continue to strive to keep young and old happily building and flying toy and hobby airplanes models. For the past 75 years nearly every American boy, girl and young at heart have enjoyed the inexpensive balsa wood gliders of the Paul K. Guillow Company. They have gone from “one mans dream” to a leader in the toy industry!
–From Paul Guillow customer service
Paul K. Guillow, Inc.
40 New Salem Street, P.O. Box 229
Wakefield, MA 01880 United States
tel: 781.245.5255 fax: 781.245.4738
www.guillow.com
Email: cust_service@guillow.com
We know of no other games by Paul Guillow or Nu Craft other than the two mentioned above. The company, Paul K. Guillow, Inc., continues to make balsa wood toy airplanes and model kits.
