All of my FUN-e-FLEX listings will include this short account of what I know about this toy brand which is so very popular with Disney collectors today. You need read it only once.

THE FUN-e-FLEX STORY: There does not seem to be much clarity on what the name Fun-e-Flex means or what does it represent. Here is what I know from my own research & most importantly from my personal observations over the course of 45 years of buying/selling/collecting FUN-e-FLEX. FIRST, that is how it is spelled on the decals that I have seen with the middle letter e always in lower case & the other letters all in upper case. SECOND, FUN-e-FLEX is not a manufacturer nor is it a brand name of any one particular manufacturer. FUN-e-FLEX was the name chosen by the Geo. Borgfeldt company for the extensive line of all wood toys & figurines that they commissioned & marketed. Most but not all FUN-e-FLEX branded items featured copyrighted comic characters that Borgfeldt had acquired a license to produce. When you see the FUN-e-FLEX decal you are looking at a toy or figurine that was produced on behalf of the Geo. Borgfeldt company to be sold in toy stores or other retail locations that Borgfeldt distributed to. The Borgfeldt company was not a manufacturer but a distributor with a vast network of outlets that purchased goods from manufacturers for resale in locations all over the US including toy stores, department stores & most importantly the 5 & dime stores that flourished on Main Street America in the 1930s - 1950s. The power & influence of the Geo. Borgfeldt company was based on the volume of goods they sold & in the case of toys & figurines the licensing agreements that they had with copyright & trademark holders such as Walt Disney Enterprises. The license agreement with Disney may have begun as early as 1930 & ended in 1934. Starting around 1920 Borgfeldt signed licensing agreements with holders of copyrights & trademarks of comic strip & animated cartoon characters that gave Borgfeldt the right to issue sub licenses to manufacturers of dolls, toys, games, figurines & related memorabilia which would then be “exclusively” distributed by Borgfeldt. Because of the enduring popularity of comic strip & animated cartoon characters, Borgfeldt was able to command prime shelf space for their products in every toy store, department store & 5 & dime store in America. THIRD, the number of different companies that produced FUN-e-FLEX & their identities is unknown but it is undoubtedly very large. The production & popularity of FUN-e-FLEX peaked in the mid-1930s during the worst economic depression ever experienced in the US & the low cost to produce gave Borgfeldt a large amount of shelf space to sell items with great eye appeal to the public for as little as 10 cents. Occasionally a FUN-e-FLEX was produced to sell for a premium price & those items received additional Borgfeldt branding. They were designated NIFTY with the smiling sun face logo. NIFTY was the brand name that Borgfeldt used to designate their premium line of toys & dolls. NIFTY is most often found on licensed character toys but occasionally on dolls. I have seen the NIFTY decal on the 7” Mickey Mouse FUN-e-FLEX figure with the heavy metal wire arms & legs. I believe that all of the wood dolls, figurines & toys from the early to mid-1930s featuring Mickey Mouse were part of the Geo. Borgfeldt line branded FUN-e-FLEX and/or NIFTY. FOURTH, while FUN-e-FLEX is a brand name very closely linked with Walt Disney characters it should be remembered that the FUN-e-FLEX decal is also found on Felix the Cat figures as well as on generic animal figures & a line of small wood boats. FIFTH & lastly, the small FUN-e-FLEX Disney figures in combination with other genuine toy parts have been used by unscrupulous dealers to create new fantasy toys & then market them as “rare” at toy shows, toy auctions & with dismaying frequency on eBay. Someday I hope to publish a catalog of FUN-e-FLEX fantasy items. If you own any or see any for sale you can write to me & get my opinion on the authenticity of the item. Thank you. Carl Lobel