Category:FAO Schwarz

1962: Centenary issue (1862-1962) of the FAO Schwarz catalogue, styled to look like a Nineteenth Century "Schwarz Toy Bazaar" catalogue cover [image info]

1967: "Toys and Togs" Schwarz Children's Bazaar catalogue cover [image info]

The Schwarz brothers' Toy Bazaar opened in Baltimore in 1862, headed by Frederick August Otto Schwarz (1836-1911). After opening more stores in Philadelphia and Boston, Schwarz opened their first New York store in 1870 as Schwarz Toy Bazaar. The store branding became FAO Schwarz in 1889.

After moving between several New York locations, the flagship store settled in 1931 at 745 Fifth Avenue.

Takeovers

After the Schwarz family disposed of their last shares in the company in 1963, the company was repeatedly sold and resold an improbable number of times, as different investors found themselves unable to resist the idea of owning such an iconic American brand, and then a few years later ended up putting it back on the market.

In 2009, the brand was bought by Toys "R" Us, who closed the New York flagship store as a cost-cutting exercise, and then ended up re-selling the company about six years later, in 2016, as Toys "R" Us' own financial troubles began to bite.

The 2016 sale was to 360 Group Inc., which is owned by the Schwarz family.

Cultural influence

In the 1988 film Big, starring Tom hanks, the lead character is a child who transforms into a thirtyyearold and ends up working at FAO Schwarz, NY, in the toy development department. The store features in the film's famous "giant musical piano keyboard" scene, and has also appeared in a number of other films with toyshops.