Thank you everybody for looking and commenting, apologise I didn't answer you (I thought I did it... Getting older )
Andreas and Rogerio, the Chameleon isn't so skinny, the odd painting helped a lot to weight watchered the poor guy. The green version seems more healthy
Rogério, You know how much I love discovering brands and toys from everywhere so also of Latin countries of course, European or American.
Yes Alain, theTapir, the Condor, the Chameleon, the Muskox, the giant turtle and that so wonderful crocodile are really nice
Thank you Susanne, I'm always happy when you are a bit happy because of me
Thank you Lillia for your kind words, I hope you will enjoy my february newcomers too
Roger, I agree with you about art and I think it is the same for our collections, the "better" models aren'tnecessarily the "most" realistics. Actually I prefer the models which brings more soul, more joy and happiness, this is the magic of toys.
Susanne, the Orangutan is angry because he is hungry and someone hide his chocolate somewhere in the jungle
Thank you Shanti and taylor for the musckox and friends
So what happened on my shelves in February?
With the help of Paige in the USA and Yvette in Germany I was able to collect some nice animals to fill my poor jungle.
Once again, I'm taking you on my time and space machine.
Our trip will start a little less than 900km from my home. Not very far would you say... Not too close either, we are in 1860, Lincoln becomes president of the USA and a small zebra with a string tail is born in the Metalliferes Mountains of eastern Germany. Product of an artisanal manufacture, as additional income for a family of miners or peasants, it will see the birth of a certain number of little brothers until the end of the 19th century. Like all herbivores, it has its predator: A string-tailed lion too.
I was lucky enough to come across a lot of old toys with a little okapi who caught my eye, I didn't know yet what gold nuggets I had come across. My ignorance is now a little less extensive, thanks to the knowledge and kindness of the fairy Yvette and Ulrich Raue.
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And now let's go to Vienna in 1900, two years earlier, Emil Pfeiffer founded his company and created the first industrial figurines in composition. In 1900, the first such animals were produced. I have already shown you some models that I had obtained miraculously just before Christmas. This time it's the polar bear who joins the gang.
Pfeiffer 1900 Polar bear
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The series of "1900" will be maintained until the First World War.
Pfeiffer will then release a new series with figurines that will become legendary such as the Cassowary, the Marabout, the Sloth or the Jackal . Besides that, more mainstream animals such as lions, leopards, zebras, rhinos and others will suffer a drop in quality, the figurines will be coarser and less well painted than those of the 1900s.
Here then, in the "1914" series, the Pfeiffer Llama, Bactrian camel, Lioness and Elephant calf. I never thought the Lioness would join my collection, she is not exactly my cup tea but she has a way to look into my eyes maliciously asking, do you want to be my friend… I can’t resist !
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From the ”1914” series and the Miniature series Santa Yvette sent me two wonderful gifts, the classic Giraffe and the Miniature walking Monkey.
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It’s time to leave Europe for a while and travel to USA and Japan. We are now between the 30’s and 50’s. A new material is used, Celluloid, the first plastic. Here are some, one American, one Japanese and two unidentified.
American Doll Company Brown bear
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”Matsuya” Bactrian camel
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Unknown celluloid Elephant and Indian rhino
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Here we are back in Europe, after WWII, in Mengersgereuth-Hämmern in the Effelder valley at the southern end of the Thuringian mountains. In what will be the DDR, a cooperative is set up to bring together all toy productions in the city and surrounding areas. PGH Effelder will sell figurines in composition until 1960, when the production will be entirely made of plastic.
Recognised for its figurines of barnyard poultry, cowboys, Indians and native Africans, the cooperative has also produced lesser-known wild animal toys.
This is the case with this Okapi, I bought a whole lot described above because of this one. I've loved this animal ever since, when I was young, I met some at the Antwerp zoo. When I saw this completely unknown figure, my crazy macaque instinct made me jump on it without asking for my rest.
He's missing the tip of his tail and a bit of paint on one leg but I find him quite irresistible.
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Still from the DDR, I dug up an imposing (impossible ?) Indian rhinoceros in composition or paper mache. I had never seen such a figurine and I always have an appetite for Indian rhinos
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Still after the war, we left the continent for the UK. I came across a batch of Wend-Al aluminum figurines, the price was low and the figurines in new condition, there is even the original label under the lion, I fell for this eagle, the lion, peacock and penguin. In addition, the seller has added a small gift, the white ibex (funny color) in hollow lead from Timpo.
Timpo lead Alpine ibex
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Wend-Al Golden eagle, Lion, Peacock and Penguin
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After the Channel, it's time for us to cross the Atlantic and join Uncle Sam and the Marxists, Louis tendency!
Marx was certainly the biggest toy manufacturer and seller of the 20th century.
A large part of his production of animal toys was sold unpainted, for a little guy raised in France it was therefore synonymous of bazaar toys (soft plastic, not or badly painted), yes we all have criteria inherited from our ancestors and our environment.
I became interested in Marx a long time ago because the brand had marketed copies of Clairet in the 60s and then I discovered original models, not painted perhaps but magnificent in my eyes, extremely well sculpted and realistic, including a series of wild animals in hollow hard plastic the size of Lineol or current productions. These models are rather expensive so I had only the elephant. finally I was able to get my hands on Marx products produced in Mexico at an affordable price (the anthracite models). I was also able to find the Hippopotamus and the Rhinoceros in the USA. Guess what ? Icing on the cake, the Rhino has the neck saddle of a Javan Rhinoceros, not bad, isn't it?
Marx Hard Plastic Animals
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I also find a bunch of Marx endangered animals de 1971. Andreas introduced me to this series a few years ago, but this is the first time they have come to my house.
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Marx endangered Siberian tiger, Polar bear and Asiatic lion
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get back to Germany in the 90’s. The Berlin wall is down and VEB Plaho returns to its original name, Marolin. The firm will continue to produce copies of the Lineol series IV.
I didn't own the Rhino (it's a shame!) and my elephant was a bit decrepit. Here are the new ones! Like new !
The Elephants are Marolin but the Rhino is a VEB Plaho.
By the way, I don’t know why the rhino is on the white rhino page on AW, mine has clearly a black rhino mouth.
Marolin and VEB Plaho rhino and elephants
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The 90s did not only see the destruction of the Berlin Wall, as far as our passion is concerned, it also marked the era of the revolution, when the big brands of Toy soldiers disappeared and young manufacturers of animal toys made their entrance, some have become the "Majors" of today.
One of its brands was Play Visions, in a few years this US firm will succeed in dethroning Starlux on the podium of the "largest number of species in the catalog", a great achievement!
Among all these critters, there is one set that I particularly like, the Salamander bulk. I have a collection of salamanders and other newts very respectable but the VPs were missing at the party. Well, our generous Paige makes me fantastic surprise of giving me three of them (Thank you, Thank you Paige).
An Angel shark decided to make the trip too.
Play Visions Angel shark, Long-tailed, Marbled and Northern red salamanders
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Here we are in the 21st century with two Schleich that were missing for my collection, the Psittacosaurus & Moose. The first came from Cyril, a French collector and the Moose from Paige again.
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To end the trip, an escape in 2020 and 2021 to the Land of the Rising Sun with the Eikoh infinity White rhinoceros, the Qualia Deinonychus, Lambeosaurus & Triceratops and the Ikimon Nature of Satoyama set.
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