John William Toy (1905-1985) was apprenticed to a firm of weighing machine makers and in 1929, shortly after his marriage to Evelyn Marjorie Wilkinson, he formed a company to ‘carry on the business of manufacturers of and dealers in automatic machines’.

John W. Toy Ltd. was registered on 31 December 1929 with Toy in virtual sole charge as Managing Director and Secretary. The company was initially successful in supplying automatic shop scales through hire purchase agreements but as the market became saturated it was forced to diversify and it sold a range of goods such as refrigerators, electric clocks and other household goods from showrooms in West Bar.

By 1932 Toy was in financial difficulties and he survived by obtaining finance through false hire purchase agreements and the fraudulent use of cheque books. He was eventually charged with forgery, fraud and obtaining £750 by means of false balance sheets and found guilty at Leeds Assizes in 1936. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison and the company was wound up.

By 1939 Toy was living in Birmingham where he worked as a secretary and company accountant. He died in Birmingham on 27 July 1985, leaving £40,000