Here is the info I have so far.
Barberton's rubber industry grew stronger with the introduction of the Seiberling Rubber company and Sun Rubber Company during the early 1920s. Seiberling Rubber was started in 1921 by the founders of Goodyear Tier & Rubber, Frank and Charles Seiberling. It was located in the former Portage Rubber Company buildings on the north side of the Erie Railroad tracks. Sun Rubber was located on Fairview Avenue; its Art Deco style building from the late 1920s or 1930s remains today. Each of these factories had access via the Belt Line Railroad to the four trunk line railroads that served Barberton.
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http://omp.ohiolink.edu:
The Sun Rubber Company of Barberton, Ohio, was incorporated on April 4, 1923, with the intention of manufacturing hard rubber radio panels. When the scheme proved unsuccessful, an employee came up with the idea of manufacturing toy hot water bottles for dolls. Within a short time the company expanded and began manufacturing rubber dolls and other types of rubber toys at its headquarters on Fairview Avenue in Barberton. Marketed as soft, unbreakable vinyl toys, they were safe, durable, and colorful.
During World War II, Sun Rubber supplied military products such as gas masks, respirators, rubber gloves, flexible tubing, grommets, and gaskets to the armed forces. After the war, Sun Rubber went back to their regular products, which included a complete line of rubber accessories for the home and office as well as custom-molded rubber surgical products and interior trim for automobiles. The company closed in 1974 after a prolonged strike by the United Rubber Workers Local 58.
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There are 3 toys displayed on the Barberton Public Library Website:
http://omp.ohiolink.edu/OMP/NewSearch?searchstring=Sun+Rubber+Company+Toys&fieldname=collection&searchmark=1&scrapid=3538----------------------------------------------------------
www.toycollector.co mIn 1931, the Seiberling Latex Products Company established operations in Barberton, a suburb of Akron, Ohio. In opening shop there, Seiberling joined the Sun Rubber Company in producing rubber toys in Barberton. Initially it made doll parts, later adding small dolls to its product line.
Unlike small manufacturers such as Seiberling, and sellers like Gift Craft, much is known about The Sun Rubber Company of Barberton, Ohio. Sun had been successfully producing a toy line, including a small rubber doll, and a very popular toy hot water bottle, since 1924. Over the next decade, growth continued at Sun with sales of a teething ring and bath sets, as well as more dolls and doll accessories. The company entered into the rubber toy car business in 1934 with a patent for a 1934 DeSoto Airflow. The company prospered, and the toy line continued to expand.
One distinct difference between the very successful Auburn and Sun rubber toys is the styling. While Auburn focused on making their toys realistic miniatures of the automobiles and trucks of the day, Sun took a long-term view designing its toys. Cars and trucks were meant to defy obsolescence and hold childrens' interest year after year. Simple, colorful, and sleek vehicles later were joined by a line of Disney and Warner Brothers toys, including Porky Pig, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse.
Sun airplane and Disney car
Sun also sold many race cars, military vehicles, and airplanes. The race cars are readily found, though like the Disney and Warner Brothers toys the heads of drivers often are severely damaged or missing.
As is clear from the photos included here, most rubber toys were played with, not kept on the shelf. Collectors find them in condition ranging from battered and torn to pristine, as with most old toys. One of the many charms of rubber toys, however, is the aging of their wonderful paint. When they came out of the press, the toys were a mottled beige or solid black. Colors were added by dipping, spraying and hand-painting, and the finishes were very durable.
