I just found out the lili ledy áddress (yacatas), now is a foster home for handicapped persons, they told me that in here they received the toys for fixing them. I used to live 10 blocks away !!!....

I didn't bring my cámara but took 2 pics with my cámara!.. Will upload them in a sec.

General mills was the owner of lili ledy???...WOW, Let me confirm that info, as none of the lily experts have confirm that. Let double check that info, it was owned by 2 mexican brothers, and I have never heard about somthing like that,p.

Excellent info Merlin, great!!!!

Great post, Adolfo!

I wonder what is behind that door......

Two more addresses on the guaranty sheets which we haven't visited yet: Monterry and Merida.

Dr Dengar wrote:

I wonder what is behind that door......

Some great info for LL fans...in this here thread.

OZIO wrote:

Excellent info Merlin, great!!!!

Thanks my friend!!! ... some LL collectors told me to say HI to you!!!

Dr Dengar wrote:

Great post, Adolfo!

I wonder what is behind that door......

Two more addresses on the guaranty sheets which we haven't visited yet: Monterry and Merida.

Thanks Marco!! .. Merida is like 3 hours away from where I live, I don´t know if I´m going soon, but rest assure I will look for that address!!!

Dr Dengar wrote:

JC,

That's interesting information.

This means, we still have to hunt for the Lili Ledy factory which produced the Star Wars toy line in the 80s. I love this quest!

Lili Ledy was owned by General Milss. That's new information as well.

Hi Dengar,

In fact, it was a General Mills factory, not Lili Ledy . LL produced a lot of things including dolls (also SW) and some licensed Kenner stuff but no Star Wars action figures...sorry!!
All these left over found years ago are from the GM factory plant in Tijuana.

Lili Ledy producing Star Wars action figures or vehicles is just a "myth"...

There's an interview made by the 'Universo StarWars Magazine' with a former employee of the LL factory, and this is what she said about the SW line:

Celia Flores Jimenez, LL Color line Supervisor (1966-1985)
The company started on 1950, on those days the factory was on Street# 2 on Naucalpan, and the name was simply 'Lili Dolls' Mrs. Ciklik (former owner) gave that name based on a Movie called like that. On 1970 the company moved to the 'Sor Juana address on Tlanepantla (the one on the videos) and the name was changed to Lili-Ledy, through that same year Mr. and Mrs. Ciklik (former owners) sold the company to General Mills México. On 1980 Lili Ledy pays the copyrights to start producing figures from the Star Wars Line. On the 13th of August of 1985 Lili Ledy closed it's doors.


Celia's interview appeared on the october/november 2001 issue

Celia's interview by Luis Villagomez, Luis is also a very well know, respected collector.

General Mills México bought Lili Ledy on 1970, the name was not changed no untill the factory closed on 1985.
IMO these plant on Tijuana it's where the POTF Tatooine Skiff was made, and the MIM (Made in Mexico) figures, LL figures with kenner & LL mixed accesories packed on Kenner cards and made exclusively for the USA market:


Celia Flores worked on LL through 1966-1985, since 1979-1980 she worked on the 'Sor Juana' address on Mexico City making SW figures, she had a team of 4 painters, 3 engineers, 2 supervisors and 'her right hand' as she called a young girl that had a very specific job, to get the right colors in order to paint the figures.
And of course you can asked Adolfo and a lot of LL collectors from Mexico City about the school tours for small children back on the 80's to the LL factory and how the where give SW figures as a souvenir.

So LL was owned by General Mills Mexico when the SW line was made yes, but it was called Lili Ledy and it did produced SW figures and vehicles, both on Mexico City and Tijuana.

Hi OZIO,

That's a good and fair interview of the LL factory, but what Celia Flores was refering to were the 12" dolls, not the 3 3/4 action figures.
Lili-Ledy is the result of a merge with another mexican doll manufacturer(Ledy). The company closed down because GM decided in 85 to spun off its toy division and LL didn't survive the decision like many other companies like Palitoy or Meccano.

The action figures given at the end of the school tour were packaged items, not manufactured "in situ".

About a year, someone atested that LL figures were packaged on spanish PBP cards. I immediately contacted with two former PBP employee; one Production Manager and Development Company Representative(DCR). I asked them what was the connection between PBP and the Mexican LL company...and both responses were "NONE".
The DCR was always in contact with a GM representative to discuss expansion procedures and futur projects;

Since the early 80, General Mills intention was to reorganize the production for the 2 major markets; Noth America and Europe, and slowly discontinue the production in the Far-East. At equal "Work-Force" price, reduce the shipping cost and impot taxes.

In 83, the Spanish company was tested as subsidiary for the production but it didn't met the expectatives... So General Mills invested in a totally new plant near the US borders; Tijuana. This new mexican factory would produce most part of the SW toy line for the continetal market and also supply the European market once the factory reach its maximum production level.

Mid 84, General Mills took the control over the PBP spanish company to concentrate the production for the European market and give up the factories of Calais(france) and Coalville(UK). Since then, the spanish company already imported mexican production from the factory of Tijuana. (what makes totally sense to me now)

The factory of Tijuana was funded by General Mills with their own funds and had no connection with the Mexican Lili-Ledy company unless to provide manufactured product too be packaged in their factory of Tlanepantla.

I also wished action figures were produced by LL but all my searchs proved me i was wrong. Lili-Ledy was an experimented company in production of dolls and soft vacumed plastic toys but it was never commissioned to produce action figures. LL was a too small company with limited resource to provide a continental scale production.

At the end of this month i'll meet a mexican ImportExport representative that worked for the LL company then moved to Spain in the early 2000. He promised me a couple of LL catalogs and paper stuff...

JC

So what you're saying is that GM made the 3 3/4 figures in Mexico, but Ledy packaged them?

tundra9 wrote:

So what you're saying is that GM made the 3 3/4 figures in Mexico, but Ledy packaged them?

Absolutely!!

So if General Mills Mexico bought Lili Ledy in 1970 and General Mills Mexico built and operated the factory in Tijuana, by default Lili Ledy and GM Mexico are one in the same. Seems like a glass half full, glass half empty debate.

I read it like this but pls correct when wrong..

1950 Lili Dolls founded by Mexican owners
~1970 Company sold to General Mills Mexico
~1970 Move to different factory
~1970 Name change to Lili Ledy
~1980 Star Wars license (12" produced in 'Lili Ledy factory')
~1983 New General Mills Star Wars 3 3/4 Factory in Tijuana
~1983 Exports to PBP spain -> european market
~1983 Lili Ledy just packs 3 3/4 and supplies local market (Mexico)
~1984 General Mills aquires PBP Spain
1985 Original Lili Ledy factory closes down

From the RS thread: http://forum.rebelscum.com/t1084964-2/#post18911399

Dr Dengar wrote:

Hey JC,

At some point a widespread and general accepted view is implicitly taken as a fact, till the moment someone proves it wrong at some day.

That day may be today or has this been discussed before?

Based upon what I have read sofar, I thought that all Mexican produced SW toys were produced by Lili Ledy:

Mexixan SW toy = Lili Ledy, as simple as that.

It seems not that simple.

Based upon your info (also in the TIG thread), the 3 3/4' action figures were produced by a newly founded General Mills factory in Tijuana. Figures for the Mexican market were then transported to a Lili Ledy plant in Tlanepantla (also GM owned at that time) and packaged there.

If that is the case, technically spoken all Lili Ledy figures could be best labelled "GM's Made in Mexico" figures. Still I prefer calling them Lili Ledy figures, as they were also released on Ledy cards (besides Kenner's MIM cards).

I hear what you saying about the skiff, it could best be labelled MIM, produced by GM, not by Lili Ledy.

Thanks for clearing that up, JC!

BTW:

- Were were figures put on MIM cards? In the GM or former Lili Ledy factory? Or US even?

On a side note:

Personally I would not give someone a neg for just presenting a new view on things, even if I would have another view.

Compensating + on your way, JC!

Panastur wrote:

The action figures given at the end of the school tour were packaged items, not manufactured "in situ".

I just want to add my 2 cents to this thread,

As I have told this forum several times, I went to the factory ( school tour) and we got an action figure , NOT packaged , but probably some schools got package and unpackaged (I guess it depend on the availability and the costs) so I´m happy that somebody out of our facebook group and my friends that went with me are telling the same story , anyway, I talk to Luis Galvez about this action figures that were given away in charity´s events and/or school tours ( that ones that are call "frankestein figures") and we agreed that this were given BUT only the sonic welded figures , NOT the ones that are pasted with glue or something like that. ( fakes)

I´m happy with this story as many forum members told me ..... " childhood memories can be wrong "... , well , my stories about the Lili Ledy factory that I wrote in here are getting more and more close to the truth every single second!!

NOW I just have a doubt , I also told this forum I saw a production line , but now that I read all this , maybe it was the packaging line??? OK , OK ,OK now you can say ..... " childhood memories can be wrong "...

As I wrote before I will do my research in all this interesting info....

Ok I see JC but I still can't agree with you, not because I want to 'believe' LL made SW figures, etc. as I don't really care about that, I do care about facts and I really think there's always more to learn each day, that's the reason of me taking part of this very interesting thread
This is why I can't agree with you:

That's a good and fair interview of the LL factory, but what Celia Flores was refering to were the 12" dolls, not the 3 3/4 action figures.
Lili-Ledy is the result of a merge with another mexican doll manufacturer(Ledy). The company closed down because GM decided in 85 to spun off its toy division and LL didn't survive the decision like many other companies like Palitoy or Meccano.

Well...no. Celia talks about her team or 'line' beeing in charge of the 'Tropa Imperial' Stormtroopers and biker scout, thankfully these figures don't belong to the 12" dolls and as I've all ready mentioned she worked on the Mexico City Factory.

About a year, someone atested that LL figures were packaged on spanish PBP cards. I immediately contacted with two former PBP employee; one Production Manager and Development Company Representative(DCR). I asked them what was the connection between PBP and the Mexican LL company...and both responses were "NONE".
The DCR was always in contact with a GM representative to discuss expansion procedures and futur projects;

I really think there's a big connection on these specific figures, which by the way where made also on the Mexico City Factory, as Celia was part of this production too and she talks about it on her interview but not only she talks about the 'Imperio Contraataca' Line (made on 1980), there's another interview with Alejandro Becerra, LL Quality Control Director (1981 to 1985) both used to work on the LL factory on Tlanepantla untill it closed on 1985, Mexico City, not Tijuana.

Alejandro's interview appeared on the may/june 2003 issue

Alejandro's interview by Julio Moreno, Josefina and Luis Galvez, Josefina and Luis are two of the most respected LL experts and LL collectors.

These is what they said about the 'Imperio Figures' made by LL on Mexico City on 1980:
Alejandro Becerra, LL Quality Control Director (1981 to 1985)
'The 10 figures from the ESB LL line where fully produced in Mexico, molds where imported from kenner's factories on Asia'

Celia Flores Jimenez, LL Color line Supervisor (1966-1985)
'Nothing came from outside, we manufactured absolutely all, clothes, accesories, guns.

Now remember we are talking about the 3 3/4 action figures, and these was just the beginning of the SW line.

As I told you before Celia mentioned that LL was bought by General Mills Mexico on 1970! way long before the SW toys and o course before the Tijuana Factory started to work, so since 1970 Lili Ledy kind of was to General Mills Mexico what Kenner was to General Mills Inc.

Since the early 80, General Mills intention was to reorganize the production for the 2 major markets; Noth America and Europe, and slowly discontinue the production in the Far-East. At equal "Work-Force" price, reduce the shipping cost and impot taxes.

The 'Imperio' ESB Line (10 figures) and the ROTJ line where made on the factory on Mexico City, I don't know about the spaceships, Jabba, etc. I don't have the info but what I do l now is that it would be VERY expensive to produce all these toys on Tijuana (near to the US border) and ship all those toys to Mexico City for packaging and then distribute to all Mexico which by the way it's a big country, it just doesn't make any sense.
I been told about union problems that became expensive, so they decided to move the factory away from the problem, the factory closed on the 13th of August on 1985, until that day SW toys where produced on the Mexico City Factory.
IMO The Tijuana factory was the one not related anymore with Lili Ledy, the MIM figures where made there and some SW toys (just as the Tatooine Skiff) exclusively for the US market, if you think it through, making SW toy on Tijuana gives you a low price production and an easy not expensive distribution because of the factory being so close to the US border.

This is what I know through these 2 interviews with former employees of LL, I believe in them, I haven't found a good reason for them to lye and I don't think they are lying. LL was bought by General Mills Mexico on 1970 and SW figures where made on the Mexico City factory. After this factory closed on 1985 a new factory was created on Tijuana and none of the SW products made there got to the Mexican Market. If some one has prove of this information shared by Celia and Alejandro being a lye please share it whit us.

tundra9 wrote:

So what you're saying is that GM made the 3 3/4 figures in Mexico, but Ledy packaged them?

General Mills Mexico was Lili Ledy

As always Great info OZIO!!!!!

SO I guess I wasn´t wrong... the thing I saw was the production line!!!!! ... again glad about it!!! ...

Excellent information Ozio.... and I always believed your story Adolfo of the Ledy tours. Those are some great, historical memories my friend.... Not to mention interesting toys that the kids received at the end of the tours.
-Steve

I agree. Good little read that all was. Went down well with my cuppa this morning.

stevefdwyer wrote:

Excellent information Ozio.... and I always believed your story Adolfo of the Ledy tours. Those are some great, historical memories my friend.... Not to mention interesting toys that the kids received at the end of the tours.
-Steve

Quite a remarkable memory and experience! These first hand accounts from that period of time is greatly appreciated.

Hi Guys,

All is acceptable as far as it is confirmed and your POW is totally respectable...

Again, i have no interest in LL production, i am more in the European companies and stuff. I made my home work just because the hypotetical connection with the spanish PBP company and it lead me to that conclusion.

OZIO wrote:

Well...no. Celia talks about her team or 'line' beeing in charge of the 'Tropa Imperial' Stormtroopers and biker scout, thankfully these figures don't belong to the 12" dolls and as I've all ready mentioned she worked on the Mexico City Factory.

I tried to read the pics you posted with part of that interview and what i understand is that they worked on things like detailling weapons and fashion fabric... It seems that she was speaking about the dolls, not the action figures.

¿Can you please post a pic where she's refering to the Stormtrooper and Biker Scout???

As you said, she's refering also to a small paint goup. Don't forget that it was a common procedure to "touch up" the figure that came in bulk boxes before they were packaged.

OZIO wrote:

I really think there's a big connection on these specific figures, which by the way where made also on the Mexico City Factory, as Celia was part of this production too and she talks about it on her interview but not only she talks about the 'Imperio Contraataca' Line (made on 1980), there's another interview with Alejandro Becerra, LL Quality Control Director (1981 to 1985) both used to work on the LL factory on Tlanepantla untill it closed on 1985, Mexico City, not Tijuana.

Alejandro's interview appeared on the may/june 2003 issue
Alejandro's interview by Julio Moreno, Josefina and Luis Galvez, Josefina and Luis are two of the most respected LL experts and LL collectors.

These is what they said about the 'Imperio Figures' made by LL on Mexico City on 1980:
Alejandro Becerra, LL Quality Control Director (1981 to 1985)
'The 10 figures from the ESB LL line where fully produced in Mexico, molds where imported from kenner's factories on Asia'

Celia Flores Jimenez, LL Color line Supervisor (1966-1985)
'Nothing came from outside, we manufactured absolutely all, clothes, accesories, guns.

Now remember we are talking about the 3 3/4 action figures, and these was just the beginning of the SW line.

As I told you before Celia mentioned that LL was bought by General Mills Mexico on 1970! way long before the SW toys and o course before the Tijuana Factory started to work, so since 1970 Lili Ledy kind of was to General Mills Mexico what Kenner was to General Mills Inc.

Since the early 80, General Mills intention was to reorganize the production for the 2 major markets; Noth America and Europe, and slowly discontinue the production in the Far-East. At equal "Work-Force" price, reduce the shipping cost and impot taxes.

Yes, The "Imperio Contrataca" line is a real enigma for me and i won't question Aejandro Becerra's words. They could be made in the LL factory.
But sincerely, how much cardback survived??, even loose??? They just seems to be a really, really short batch, just like a test batch or some kind of prototype packaging. I really don't know...

OZIO wrote:

The 'Imperio' ESB Line (10 figures) and the ROTJ line where made on the factory on Mexico City, I don't know about the spaceships, Jabba, etc. I don't have the info but what I do l now is that it would be VERY expensive to produce all these toys on Tijuana (near to the US border) and ship all those toys to Mexico City for packaging and then distribute to all Mexico which by the way it's a big country, it just doesn't make any sense.
I been told about union problems that became expensive, so they decided to move the factory away from the problem, the factory closed on the 13th of August on 1985, until that day SW toys where produced on the Mexico City Factory.
IMO The Tijuana factory was the one not related anymore with Lili Ledy, the MIM figures where made there and some SW toys (just as the Tatooine Skiff) exclusively for the US market, if you think it through, making SW toy on Tijuana gives you a low price production and an easy not expensive distribution because of the factory being so close to the US border.

Yes, i agree with you; producing the figures in Mexico was much cheaper and set the factory in the other side of the US borber will reduce the shipping cost at its minimum.
I don't think that providing the Tijuana production to Mexico City was a big broblem. These 2 cities are well connected by rail and road... Really don't know where's the problem. The real problem was to ship them from the Far-east factories...(time consumming, taxes, etc)

Mike_Z wrote:

So if General Mills Mexico bought Lili Ledy in 1970 and General Mills Mexico built and operated the factory in Tijuana, by default Lili Ledy and GM Mexico are one in the same. Seems like a glass half full, glass half empty debate.

Yes, they are all in the same company, the all mighty General Mills inc. US company, but they don't mix their business... Each subsidiary do their own work and just the benefits goes to the mother HQ.
General Mills Mexico is just a delegation of the mother company to operate on the Mexican territory. They also operate food, fashion and other consumer products... Following your thinking, Haagen Dazs Ice cream company is also a LilyLedy.... ¿¿no??

So No!!! The new factory of Tijuana was a reliable and economical response to provide all the toys subsidiaries arround the world...including LL.

OZIO wrote:

This is what I know through these 2 interviews with former employees of LL, I believe in them, I haven't found a good reason for them to lye and I don't think they are lying. LL was bought by General Mills Mexico on 1970 and SW figures where made on the Mexico City factory.

There's no doubt about their saying. They are better placed than i to confirm these facts. But we need a firm confirmation that they worked on 3 3/4inch line in the LL factory...That would be good for all.

OZIO wrote:

After this factory closed on 1985 a new factory was created on Tijuana and none of the SW products made there got to the Mexican Market. If some one has prove of this information shared by Celia and Alejandro being a lye please share it whit us.

Again, there's no causal on the fact that one company closed and the other openned... The Tijuana factory opened in 1983 for economical reason and decion of the General Mills HQ... and the close of the LL company was due to the fact that GM decided to spun off all its Toys and Fashion activities to center on the food only in 1985!!!
There's a 2 years time frame between these two events.

Well, this is just my point of view. I know that if it was definitively confirmed, a lot of thing should be changed from "LL" to "MIM"...

The info i get can be totally wrong. It's just based on interview with involved persons and documentation. Sometimes we have to cross many sources as possible to bring just a bit of the truth.

Just go on...

JC

Dr Dengar wrote:

On a side note:

Personally I would not give someone a neg for just presenting a new view on things, even if I would have another view.

Compensating + on your way, JC!

Thank you Marco. As said, just another respectable point of view.... ¿and if it was true???

About the packaging; I really don't know where the Tijuana production could be packaged. I doubt they were packaged by LL factory since LL quality cardbacks are totally different.... As the poor quality cardback PBP made for the 4 Cantina Aliens they packaged for Kenner...

JC

OZIO wrote:

tundra9 wrote:

So what you're saying is that GM made the 3 3/4 figures in Mexico, but Ledy packaged them?

General Mills Mexico was Lili Ledy

mmmmm a bit reductive, don't you think???

Lili-Ledy was acquired by General Mills inc. (USA). General Mills Mexico is just a delegation created to operate all these acquisitions on the mexican territory. Not only Lili-Ledy, but also Häagen-Dazs ice cream, Nature Valley granola bars, Pillsbury baking mixes and Betty Crocker... and a hundred more

LL never packaged Ice Creams for Haagen-Dazs even if they are in the same company!!!

A more appropriate term for all these acquisions proscess is "holding": General Mills is just an International Holding, but all these acquisitions worked for their own, making their own profit under one and only owner(GM)

This is just marketing