Jack Odell, 1920-2007

Posted on July 18, 2007
Filed Under Uncategorized |

Of course you are probably wondering who Jack Odell is… he’s the creator of the venerable Matchbox toy. For $20 you can get an entire garage full of these indestructible toys, and regardless of how old you are you can still have fun with them.

My son has an entire basket of hot rods, race cars, trucks, and special purpose vehicles and he just loves playing with them. A handful stuffed in his backpack are a non-battery-powered distractor when the need arises. When I cleaned out the chimney in our house a few years ago I found a handful of matchbox toys stuffed in the cleanout, they were probably 30 years old and I hosed them off and gave them to my son. He still has them.

Matchbox toys are Barbie for boys and share the top shelf in the toy hall of fame with the diminutive blond from El Segundo.

The WSJ article on Odell is sub only, here’s a link to a copy of the article. The detail in these toys always amazed me, with attention to detail a trait Odell was well known for apparently.

His eye for detail and abilities as a die-cutter led to realistic dashboard dials and hoods and trunks that opened. Car companies, sensing free advertising, eagerly provided blueprints to ensure accurate reproduction. Clad in a white apron and sporting a close-trimmed mustache, Mr. Odell could be found checking on quality on the factory floor.

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