after the Chevrolet truck cab. After the mid-1970s, Nylint began producing Private Label Collectibles. The company continued to have some generic toys among its products as well as toys patterned after Chevy trucks. For an additional 25 years Nylint made many realistic toys patterned after real-world trucks using actual corporate logos. Nylint made toy replica truck/trailer rigs for hundreds of companies. Most of these rigs used a truck cab resembling a GMC Cabover or a Conventional Freightliner, although a newer Ford Conventional cab was used as well. Nylint, in the mid-'70s, was one of the first toy manufacturers to produce collectibles and it was a significant part of their output during their last 25 years. Nylint continued to make many other “non-collectible” toys during this period, as well. 1970s to 1990s Through the 1970s and into the 21st century, Nylint had continued to make pressed-steel trucks. Most of the other popular pressed-steel producers had gone out of business, were bought by larger companies, or entered other toy-making arenas. They released a series of moderately successful Thomas the Tank Engine toys in the early to mid-1990s. 1996 Nylint Celebrate the 50th Anniversary and relays a Limited Edition Freightliner 18-Wheeler. In 1996 the Nylint Corporation would celebrate 50 years in the toy making business but also lost their founder Bernard Klint, who died on September 2; his wife Grace passed a year earlier on October 24, 1995. The company was left in the hands of their sons. Nylint continued to make pressed-steel toys. Decline In January 2001, declining sales forced Nylint to file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection, but some operations continued. In April 2001, Funrise Toy Corporation of California bought Nylint Corporation securing the rights to the Nylint branding. All of Nylint's new inventory and current toy molds were moved from the Rockford, Illinois headquarters to Funrise's operations, officially ending Nylint's production of toys. Finally, in June 2001, all remaining Nylint assets including many vintage toys, some metalworking machines, a few vehicles and office equipment were sold at auction at its headquarters in Rockford, Illinois. The facility was then shuttered. After an era of 55 years, Nylint toymaking had ended. While firm employment numbers are elusive, it is believed Nylint employed nearly 400 people during its manufacturing peak in the early 1970s. But by the time Funrise had announced its purchase of Nylint, only about 80 people remained. Still, Nylint managed