Gibsons Games facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Games |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
Gibsons Games is a family-owned company in the United Kingdom. They make fun board games and jigsaw puzzles. It's one of the oldest game companies in the UK! The Gibsons family has run the company for four generations. Their main office is in Sutton, England.
Contents
History of Gibsons Games
How it All Started: The International Card Company
Gibsons Games started in 1919. A man named Harry Percy Gibson borrowed some money to buy a company called the International Card Company (ICC). This company was known for selling playing cards. Harry Gibson and ICC were the main sellers for the popular De La Rue playing card brand. They also sold postcards and other card games to shops.
H. P. Gibson & Sons Ltd. is Born
The ICC company was sold in 1919. In the same year, Harry Gibson started his new company, H. P. Gibson & Sons Ltd. This new company still focused on card games. But it also started making and selling board games and other fun new products.
Some games were made right in their London office. Other games came from different companies. H. P. Gibson & Sons then sold them. The company became famous for its HPG brand of indoor games. They were well-known for "The Big Four" games. These were military-themed board games. They included L'Attaque, Dover Patrol, Aviation, and Tri-Tactics. By 1939, H. P. Gibson & Sons was as big as other leading game companies.
The company kept growing between the two World Wars. Harry Percy Gibson retired in the early 1930s. His sons, Robert and Harry Aisbitt, took over the business. Sadly, their office and equipment were destroyed during the Blitz in London in 1940. But they quickly found a new place and started selling games again.
After World War II
After the Second World War, the company focused on selling games for other companies. They also kept making their own family games. In 1949, they added new products. These included paddling pools, kites, and beach toys. This helped them keep busy all year long. It also helped them find new customers in sports shops.
Michael Gibson and New Games
In 1966, Michael Gibson joined the family business. He was Harry Percy's grandson. In the early 1970s, Michael had a great idea. He suggested bringing back old games that another company, Waddingtons, had stopped making. This idea worked very well! H. P. Gibson & Sons started making and selling games like Risk and 4000 AD. This became a big part of their business.
Michael Gibson took charge of the company in the 1970s. He changed the company's name to Gibsons Games. By the mid-1980s, Gibsons Games had about 25 different board games. These included Diplomacy and Wembley. They also had the rights to sell 221b Baker Street and the popular UNO card game. These games helped make Gibsons Games even more famous.
In the late 1980s, Gibsons Games started making jigsaw puzzles. Their first puzzles showed pictures of Britain from above. The company was proud of its high-quality puzzles. They also offered great customer service. In 1996, Gibsons Games started selling playing cards from Piatnik. They also sold Piatnik's popular game Pass the Bomb in the UK.
Gibsons in the 21st Century
In the new millennium, the company shortened its name again to "Gibsons". Michael Gibson's daughter, Kate Gibson, joined the team. Her cousin, Nicki Gumbrell, also joined. In the early 2000s, almost half of Gibsons' sales came from jigsaw puzzles. In 2024, about 70% of their sales were from puzzles. In 2006, the company moved to its current office in Sutton. In 2019, they launched their own website where customers could buy games directly.
Michael Gibson worked for Gibsons for 50 years! In 2016, his daughter Kate became the Managing Director. Nicki Gumbrell became the Sales Director. Kate wanted Gibsons to help more people and charities. They support many good causes. They also offer work experience to young people.
In 2019, Gibsons celebrated its 100th birthday! They released a special version of L'Attaque, one of their first games. They also launched a new collection of puzzles called the White Logo Collection. In 2021, Gibsons started offering personalized puzzles. Customers could upload their own pictures to make a puzzle. Also in 2021, Gibsons gave £50,000 to different charities.
The Gibsons Green Game Plan
In 2019, Gibsons started a team to make their company more eco-friendly. One of their big projects was the Perfect Puzzle Project. They stopped using plastic wrap on their jigsaw puzzles. Now, the puzzles are sealed with special biodegradable seals. They also made their puzzle boxes almost 30% smaller.
The games in Gibsons' traditional collection are made from wood from special forests. These products are also plastic-free. Their Little Gibsons range of puzzles and games for children is also plastic-free.
Products by Gibsons
- Piecing Together Collection – for people living with dementia
- Little Gibsons – for children; plastic-free
- White Logo Collection – for young adults who want to take a break from screens
- Made For You by Gibsons Personalised Puzzles – customers can upload their own image
- Jigsaw Puzzles – many with hand-drawn art, from 2 to 2000 pieces
- Board Games
- 221b Baker Street
- Auto-Go
- Aviation (a version of L'Attaque played in the air)
- Civilization
- Diplomacy
- Dover Patrol (a version of L'Attaque played at sea)
- Hare and Tortoise
- Ludo
- L'Attaque
- Mission Earth
- Snakes and Ladders
- Lotto
- Pass the Bomb
- Pass the Pud
- Piatnik Playing Card Range
