Office Party

Before Topps settled in at Bush Terminal in Brooklyn, they had a succession of office and plant spaces that they leased in Brooklyn.  I've briefly covered some of them here in the past but it turns out I posted an incorrect picture of their second address so I figured since all the buildings are still there, why not look anew. Today we'll examine their pre-Bush Terminal buildings and next time out the mothership at BT.

Topps started out in the residence of Philip Shorin at 582 Montgomery Street in Brooklyn as they were setting up the company in 1938:

The ended up leasing a production floor in the Gretsch Building at 60 Broadway in Williamsburg by the end of 1938, filling it with ancient machinery that would still be in use almost thirty years later:

Morris Shorin bought a house at 1460 President Street in Crown Heights from the Gretsch family in 1920 to boot, I assume they were family friends. 

By late 1944 they also had some space at 134 Broadway, a stone's throw away from no. 60:

Some premiums may have been stored and shipped from this address.

Also in 1944 came the purchase of the Shapiro Candy Company and assumption of its attendant lease at 383 3rd Avenue in Gowanus, although Shapiro had a mail drop at 60 Broadway during the transition:

Topps primarily made candy here.  Help wanted ads during the war offered free gum!

What's amazing is that all three buildings were still in use by Topps until they moved production and warehousing to Duryea, Pennsylvania in 1966!

Next time out, the mysteries of Bush Terminal.