Invicta (Toyomenka, Inc.)
2 Broadway
New York (4), NY (1959-1987) [2a,2b,2c]
(Chicago branch established in 1968)
80 East Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL (1968-1971) [4a,1]

Brand: Invicta 

The Invicta brand was trademarked and registered by Toyomenka, Inc. (NY) in 1962 (first use was 1959) for “Portable Radio Receivers” and expired in 1987. [2a,2b,2c]

A second trademark for the Invicta brand by the successor, Toyomenka (America), Inc. (NY), was registered in 1975 (first use was 1973) for “Stereo Tape Recorder and Player with Speaker System and Components” and cancelled in 1981. [3a,3b,3c]

There is no currently known relation to Invicta (UK) or Invicta (ES).

Since Invicta was the first brand imported by Toyomenka, Inc., the history of Toyomenka and the other brands imported by them will be listed here. The other brands listed below should reference this page for additional information.

Toyomenka, Inc. History:

Toyomenka, Inc., New York, NY ( formerly "Toyo Menka" and sometimes listed as "New York 4"), was founded in 1951 by the conglomerate Toyo Menka Kaisha, Ltd., Japan (founded in 1920). The succession of name changes and subsidiaries was:

Toyomenka, Inc.
2 Broadway
New York 4, NY (1951-1971) [1,2a]
(Chicago branch established in 1968)
80 East Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL (1968-1971) [4a,1]

Name changed to Toyomenka (America), Inc., in 1971 with the headquarters remaining in NYC. [1]

Toyomenka (America), Inc.
Suite 4011, One World Trade Center
New York, NY 10048 (1971-1990) [3a]

Name changed to Tomen America, Inc., in 1990 with the headquarters in NYC and with many offices located throughout the US. [1]

Toyomenka Brand Listings with their Manufacturer/Importer:

The following references were published by publications that listed brands with their manufacturer/importer.

1959 Electronic Technician, 12-1959, pages 38-39:

Sharp listed by Manufacturer/Importer (two):

               Toyomenka, Inc.
               2 Broadway
               New York, NY

               Nichimen Co., Inc.
               39 Broadway
               New York 6, NY

1962 JEEPA Electronic Equipment Component Manufacturers Japan, page 21:

               Shizuki Electric Works Co., LTD. (Tokyo)
               Sales Office:  Toyo Menka
                                      1 Ote-machi 2, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

(This listing for Toyo Menka was for components such as capacitors and not for radios, so this might be a different subsidiary or not even related to the Toyomenka, Inc., NY company.)

1963 Electronics World, 05-1963, pages 38-39:

Invictor (misspelled Invicta?) listed by Manufacturer/Importer:

               Toyomenka, Inc.
               2 Broadway
               New York, NY

1964 PF Reporter, 06-1964, pages 38, 40:

Invicta listed by Manufacturer/Importer:

               Toyomenka, Inc.
               2 Broadway
               New York, NY

1965 PF Reporter, 06-1965, pages 22-23:

Invicta listed by Manufacturer/Importer:

               Toyomenka, Inc.
               73 Pearl Street
               New York, NY
               (also listed as the warranty repair address for the Microsonic 7 Transistor 700)

1971 Electronic Servicing, 11-1971, pages 52, 57, 63:

Invicta, TMK, Wealth (Toyomenka), and Winston are all listed by Manufacturer/Importer/Distributor:

               Toyomenka, Inc.
               Two Broadway
               New York, NY

Brands:

Five brands were trademarked by Toyomenka and imported by them: 

Invicta, Bigston, TMK, Answerfax, and Homefax. 

Although Answerfax was officially trademarked with the United States Patent Office (Reg. No. 1590683, Application Filed Aug. 1989, Registered April 1990, Cancelled in Oct. 1996), no contemporary ads or actual models have been found to date, and Answerfax is not discussed here.

Although the Homefax trademark process was initiated in Oct. 1989, Toyomenka (America) did not complete the process, and the application was declared abandoned in June 1990; therefore, no products were most likely ever imported or sold.

There are at least four additional brands that Toyomenka imported but were not trademarked by Toyomenka:

Goodyear, Microsonic, Wealth (Toyomenka), and Winston.

Brand: Bigston

The Bigston brand was trademarked by Toyomenka, Inc. (NY corp., Chicago address) in 1970 (first use in 1968) for “Radios and Television Receivers and Tape Recorders” and expired in 1992. [4a,4b,4c,4d]

The Toyomenka Bigston brand and “the entire interest and the goodwill” were assigned (transferred) in 1972 to an independent company, Bigston Corp. USA (Illinois corp.). [4b,4c]

Bigston Corp. USA
4825 North Scott St.
Schiller Park, IL 60176 (1972-1977) [4c,5d]
1380 Brummel St.
Elk Grove Village. IL (1977-1979) [5d]
85 Gordon St.
Elk Grove Village. IL (1979-1988) [5d]
1590 Touhy Ave.
Elk Grove Village. IL (1988-2020) [5a,5b,5c,5d,6]

Bigston Corp. USA was founded in late 1971 as a subsidiary of Bigston Corp. (Japan) for the “sale of small audio products” and changed focus in 1979 to “Electronic Repair Service Business.” Note that they did not officially change their focus to electronic repairs until 1990. [5a,5b,5c,5d]

The Illinois Secretary of State records indicate that the Bigston Corp. was incorporated in 1971 and dissolved in 2020. [6]

In summary, Bigston products were sold by Toyomenka between 1968 and 1972 before the Bigston Corp. USA assumed the product line. A Bigston BR-200 Tape Recorder was sold as early as 1969 with KYOKUYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD on the model label and would have been imported and sold by Toyomenka, Inc. (NY corp., Chicago address). [7,8a,8b.8c]

We have several RM Bigston models that have the KYOKUYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD on the model label. These were all likely imported and sold by Toyomenka, Inc. (NY) between 1968 and 1972.

After the transfer in 1972 of all rights to the Bigston Corp. USA, all products would have been imported and sold by them. Models with BIGSTON CORP on the model or documentation would obviously indicate models from 1972 and after.

Brand: TMK

The TMK (abbreviation for ToyoMenKa) brand's first products were portable pocket radios in the early 1960s.

It was not trademarked by Toyomenka (America), Inc., (NY) until 1980 (first use in 1978) for “Combination Television-Radio Receivers with or without Tape Recorder/Players” and expired in 1992. [9a,9b,9c]

The second TMK brand was trademarked by Toyomenka (America), Inc. (NY) in 1987 (first use in 1984) for “Video Recorders” and cancelled in 1993. [10a,10b,10c]

Brand: Goodyear

The Goodyear (and shoe with wings) brand was trademarked by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Inc., Akron, OH. It was not branded by Toyomenka, Inc., NY, but some Goodyear models were imported by them.

Brand: Microsonic

It was not branded by Toyomenka, Inc., NY, but was imported by them.

Note that the Microsonic, or Micro-Sonic, brand was also used by other importers with no known connection to Toyomenka.

Brand: Wealth (Toyomenka)

No contemporary ads or actual models have been found to date, and Wealth (Toyomenka) is not discussed here.
 

Brand: Winston

Currently, there is no documented connection between any of the RM Winston models and Toyomenka and is not discussed here.

sources:

[1] USdirectory.com website, Tomen America Inc. (2025)
[2a] United States Patent Office, Trademark INVICTA registration #740246 (Portable Radio Receivers); first use Aug. 10, 1959; registered Aug. 12, 1959
[2b] United States Patent Office, Trademark INVICTA S/N #72087593; first use Aug. 10, 1959; registered Aug. 12, 1959, page 1
[2c] United States Patent Office, Trademark INVICTA S/N #72087593; first use Aug. 10, 1959; registered Aug. 12, 1959, page 2
[3a] United States Patent Office, Trademark INVICTA registration #1001288 (Stereo Tape Recorder & Player with Speaker & Components); first use Feb. 6, 1973; registered Jan. 7, 1975
[3b] United States Patent Office, Trademark INVICTA S/N #81001288; first use Feb. 6, 1973; registered Jan. 7, 1975, page 1
[3c] United States Patent Office, Trademark INVICTA S/N #81001288; first use Feb. 6, 1973; registered Jan. 7, 1975, page 2
[4a] United States Patent Office, Trademark BIGSTON registration #898182 (Radios, TVs, Tape Recorders); first use Aug. 15, 1968; registered Sept. 8, 1970
[4b] United States Patent Office, Trademark BIGSTON S/N #72327180; first use Aug. 15, 1968; registered Sept. 8, 1970, page 1
[4c] United States Patent Office, Trademark BIGSTON S/N #72327180; first use Aug. 15, 1968; registered Sept. 8, 1970, page 2
[4d] United States Patent Office, Trademark BIGSTON S/N #72327180; first use Aug. 15, 1968; registered Sept. 8, 1970, page 3
[5a] United States Patent Office, Trademark BIGSTON registration #1656442 (Repairing and Refurbishing Electronic Products in class 37); filed  Sept. 14, 1990; registered Sept. 10, 1991
[5b] United States Patent Office, Trademark BIGSTON S/N #74097051; filed  Sept. 14, 1990; registered Sept. 10, 1991, page 1
[5c] United States Patent Office, Trademark BIGSTON S/N #74097051; filed  Sept. 14, 1990; registered Sept. 10, 1991, page 2
[5d] United States Patent Office, Trademark BIGSTON S/N #74097051; filed  Sept. 14, 1990; registered Sept. 10, 1991, page 3
[6] Illinois Secretary of State records, File Number 49946201, Bigston Corporation.
[7] The Standard (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada), Sept. 9, 1969, page 22.
[8a] Bigston BR-200 photo, front.
[8b] Bigston BR-200 photo, rear.
[8c] Bigston BR-200 photo, label.
[9a] United States Patent Office, Trademark TMK registration #1138273 (Combination Television-Radio Receivers with or without Tape Recorder/Players); first use Sept. 11, 1978; registered Sept. 10, 1991
[9b] United States Patent Office, Trademark TMK S/N #73189227, first use Sept. 11, 1978; registered Sept. 10, 1991, page 1
[9c] United States Patent Office, Trademark TMK S/N #73189227, first use Sept. 11, 1978; registered Sept. 10, 1991, page 2
[10a] United States Patent Office, Trademark TMK registration #1440514 (Video Recorders); first use March 23, 1984; registered May 26, 1987
[10b] United States Patent Office, Trademark TMK S/N #73620201; first use March 23, 1984; registered May 26, 1987, page 1
[10c] United States Patent Office, Trademark TMK S/N #73620201; first use March 23, 1984; registered May 26, 1987, page 1
[11a] Microsonic 851 gift box collection
[11b] Microsonic 851 label