European Figure Showcase will look some of the various figures I have acquired over the years from Europe. Most of you would think that I have acquired most of my figures in travels to Europe, you would be wrong. Case in point is the two astronaut figures above. I got these two along with some others in Pasadena California. My family and I had gone out to the west coast to see the Rose Parade. A few days before the parade we went over to see some of the floats being built. After that we traveled around Pasadena and I spotted a collectible shop. In the shop I found these figures.
European Figure Showcase Merten Western
The cowboy on the left is not a Merten figure. He is hard plastic. I figure I bought as he was left handed like me. I do not know who made him. The other two figures are Merten. I had the one on the right as a child but he got damaged and was thrown out. I might have gotten him at a circus model builders show. They used to have an annual meeting at Dorney Park a local amusement park. At one of these I met a dealer who had a bunch of Merten 54mm for sale and got these two cowboys. I also got a centaur.
Here we have one the Kinder Egg Figures a Fencer lunging. When I first got to the United Kingdom one of things I got to enjoy were Kinder Eggs. Some one alerted me on the Kinder Eggs as at the time as they were doing Jungle Book. I discovered they did various figures such Vikings and Zulu Warriors. The figures can get expensive and some like Robinson Crusoe are hard to find. As I mention before Kinder Eggs are banned in the United States due to the child safety laws.
I will finish off European Figure Showcase with showing a figure I have shown before a man firing a pistol and with a satchel. He can be portrayed either as man defending himself or as a bandit. Once again I got him as I like the pose. The figure has been repainted as original color is yellow. I do not remember who made him. I remembered the first time I showed him on the site I got an email from someone that he had been looking for that figure. I told him it was not for sale. He responded that he had been promise that figure from someone but the person had died before he could send it. I replied I was sorry to hear that but the figure was not for sale. I have yet to see another one of the figure.
Stad, In my years of collecting, I saw one of the pose with the satchel, on Ebay. I got outbid by someone in Canada. Kent Sprecher also has a picture of this figure on his site. I don’t believe the maker has been identified. BUT, somehow, perhaps thru my friend in Spain, I obtained two of the figures, slightly damaged. I “repaired” both, repainted, and I believe sent one back to Spain. The other remains in my collection. One of my favorite figures. Both the figures I obtained were red plastic.
The cowboy is Italian made, will get back with company name once I found it.
Both above astronauts are made in Spain, one in right is a copy.
Mike.
The cowboy figure was original designed by same Italian artist who later work x Dulcop (dus resembling same style and base shape).It was part of 6 poses set sold by company Tibidabo from Italy, that also included 4 poses base in Marx tall poses cowboys plus=1 one beautiful original shooting sideways a sawn-off cut type Winchester rifle-(not a shot gun) ,the guy had a beard too and was designed by same artist. It is hardly not way to prove if this other pose was derivate from Cherilea or other way around, as others claim .(Cherilea poses shooting has a revolver, and complete different pant and pretty much very alike two Marx poses done in same style)-so again then cherilea made had copied Marx as well!!??
Back to above figure
According to what I red and found out in Italian bloggers.Tibidabo later-early 70′ reconfigured the set and add two other poses taking these two poses off complete
Some how the two poses sets and same rest from original Tibidabo cowboy set were later copied unpainted by French company JEM and often attributed to Cofalu!? .
In 90’s the French company NOREV that made nice knights sets base in older French molds did release the same cowboys sets with others Indians as well in a fort playset.(made in china)
Tibidabo later sold most cherilea and ex Marx base poses set pretty much in entire line .That was the mix up of it and assumption the poses are taken from British firm.
Today you can find this pose more easy from France sellers, I have one that come from a bag from France.(mark as NOREV)
Here is French eBay seller link with few of them plus rest of poses set included with other brands as well under NOREV brand.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/COFALU-NOREV-COWBOYS-et-INDIENS-WESTERN-port-voir-annonce-/371621081551?hash=item568657b1cf:g:N8EAAOSwSclXL1y1
Best regards
Once you mention the company it came back to me as Paul Morehead of PW had told me that name years ago.
Both are Jescan purchased at the same time.
In fact I found Astronauts as been Jecsan .I knew I was right on then, but forgot brand out of head right away-Sorry.
After looking catalog reference they are as follow.
Right pose is #A11 ,left pose is #A8.
The entire set had 12 nice original poses. They should be 70 mm aprox, if soft plastic or rubber hard material are first and second version.
A Mexican company copied 6 poses out of set in a piracy down scaled version =54mm aprox.
They match well with Comans1 two different space sets and Jean Hoefler astronauts I got .
I only have one pose, but got all both sets from Comansi included rare aliens and robots. Again nice find and hard to get.
This mold still exist .
The fencer is made by Italian maker RES for Ferrero it is missing the black mask. They are two poses as far I know. This one and one with lower guards position.
Res are now harder to get as well German kinder toys. You can still bring many kinder toys along loose but most are sold by collectors and re sellers.
Portugal seller are the most economic .
I always want the Merten cowboys ,but always living then back; only I got are the so call (ww2 Germans and Americans) that looks more post WW2 Nato German army of 50’s.Weapons are not too detail.
Those Cowboys are nice poses indeed. One thing that I always admire from German makers such Elastolin and MERTEN is the awesome paint job and so great paint used. One of the few in vintages that does not fall off like most British brand toys painted and many others from Italy, Spain else that always loose all paint.
Incredible the DDR-east Germany toy figures were done using same quality paint type and they are in very good shape most after so many years as well.
Love seeing the harder to find in the U.S. European figures ! Thanks again for all your info Erwin !
I have that bearded cowboy also! I agree, it is a very nice pose. Long hair and beard, two tied-down holsters. Very different. I also have 3 painted Clairet cowboys. Thanks for the info.
I bought a set because they’re cool. Thanks for the post.
Left Cowboy made in East Germany by Richard Hopf company and actually not in hard plastic, but from rubber. Sometimes rubber becomes very hard by unknown reason. May be lack of plastificator, may be direct sunlight…
Quite close observation. But no quite Richard Hopf designed
It is a copied as that company copied from most other true toy companies from DDR.
The original figure belong to first series set of 6 poses made by Georg Blechschmidt Company of East Germany.
Paint detail of accurate eyes is typical of it, versus much less paint detail made by Richard Hopf copy .
I had look in three books of DDR toys and one show exact painted figure as Blechschmidt in colors of clothing and face painting.
I will supply pictures of real Hopf copied made in two version after to admin
Richard Hopf also elaborated flew copies base in Marx 60 mm western poses.
I have some of those as well.
Yes , most early production from DDR were hard rubber, paint quality last much longer as very alike used by western Elastolin and Merten companies.
Most DDR figures were single poses mold and many cases hand pressed using a lot of factory hand work on it. In some cases prisoners. Others used more elaborated molding series injection process machines.
For those looking info in DDR extensive nice line all companies, Michigan Toy soldier sale one catalog, several had been done too.
I manage to have two from Germany long ago plus few others and catalogs from DDR Toy expo original when I was child.
Incredible German east Germany books have most figures produced and in full color pictures in most ,versus western toy figures catalogs that are in most black and white and missing a lot sets/pictures. There were/are 14 main toy figures producer in DDR ,most cover eras was western=extensively ,knights , Modern DDR soldiers ,sailors ,animals,civilians and in very few cases hunters/Africans.
They did western building ( a lot of them ) all in wood same style as Elastolin, also canoes, teepees,trees,rocks,bunkers,caves(most in mix of paper/cardboard and other non plastic materials.
Few 1.30/1.26 scale modern Warsaw Pact armor/vehicles were done, some of nice wood design mix with metal and plastic, others of full plastic mold design.
I have few of those still..
In civil line they produced many vehicles and nice large wagon/coach of plastic in 70/75 mm scale pretty much. They did huge G scale train lines and small scale as well.
Yes, probably my mistake. If you figure in half-transparent milk-white hard plastic, it can be polish copie of East Germany figure.
But anyway I sure what i’ts not Blechschmidt. Blechschmidt figures are taller and have different sculpting.
You can compare :
http://www.toysoldiers.spb.ru/toysoldiers/DDR/cat07.jpg
http://www.toysoldiers.spb.ru/toysoldiers/DDR/cat06.jpg
Rubber used in toys become more harder after years because conteing more natural than synthetic components.The less natural the more will last before get harder and crack.
After 70s it has pretty much resolved however is barrely used in toy industries that now uses more PVC related materials.