American Toy LLC has been making wooden toys for 30 years, and is located in Corvallis, Oregon, a community of about 50,000 people.

Our company manufactures about a dozen different wooden toys and games. These include traditional toys like Hooey Sticks, Spinning Tops, and Rubber Band Shooters, and also some new toys that incorporate original designs, like Marble Shooters, Catapult Toys, and the Marble Whacker game. All are designed for fun and enjoyment, and also to be as safe as possible.

The business began as many have, as a hobby. It then evolved into a part-time and later a full-time operation. In the early 70s, toymaker Mike Spikes was an industrial arts student at Oregon State University. While there, he made the most of the opportunity by building some of his early woodworking equipment. A wood-turning lathe, a drill press, and a wooden band saw were built as class projects, and outfitted part of his early shop. A table saw and jointer (acquired in a trade) and a homebuilt disk and belt sander completed a basic woodworking setup.

In the beginning, toys were made during the week, and then sold on weekends at art and craft shows throughout the Northwest. As time went by, selling toys at the many craft shows brought Mike in contact with owners of stores who also wanted to carry quality wooden toys as part of their inventory. The wholesale part of the business had now begun, and gradually expanded over the years. Today, American Toy LLC remains something of a cottage industry, but has expanded and sells to stores throughout the U.S., through national catalogs, and also to individual retail customers by mail order. It employs a handful of talented elves who help craft, assemble, package and ship the toys.