What is penny toy?

Penny toys are small mechanical or static toys made of inexpensive materials, designed to be sold for a penny or a few pennies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They were mass-produced in Europe and America and were popular because they were affordable and accessible for children and adults alike. Penny toys were often made of tin or other cheap materials and were decorated with lithographic images. These toys may have included trains, cars, figures, animals, dolls, and other small objects. They were powered by clockwork mechanisms, wind-up springs, or were static, relying on the child's imagination for play. Penny toys have since become collector's items, and some of the rarer ones can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.