From the founding of the Lefton Company by Geo Z. Lefton in Chicago in 1941, until its sale in 2001, Lefton was a leading manufacturer of figurines and porcelain collectibles.  By importing its products from Japan after World War II until the 1970s, Lefton managed to bring fine porcelain giftware to the American public at affordable prices.  Although the Lefton Company produced hundreds, if not thousands, of different items, its figurines will likely leap to the mind of collectors first when they hear the name Lefton. Among the popular sets of figurines by Lefton are its birthday girls, bloomer girls, and animal figurines.