Our very good friend Mathias from France has sent us more information on these figures.
It was Clairet who produced the FFL and the sailors by modifying molds bought from Guilbert.
For the unpainted versions represented in the previous posting, the legionaries with thin bases are late productions for bazar (party or surprise bags) which was done many of the other manufacturers moreover.
The servicemen with thick base is a copy doubtless realized by a little known Spanish firm: Sideral-Plast.
Sideral-Plast was the successor of another Spanish firm: Monteplast. This firm produced only copies of other companies’ figures. Because of this method of production, Sideral-Plast was seized by the justice on a charge of plagiarism emanating from a complaint deposited by the firm Reamsa.”
Mathias also said that it was the first time he has seen the above figure in soft plastic. He hopes to get more information for us. Also the Guilbert bazooka has protection shield that is always missing.
Great information. Thank you Mathias.
Well may be it was copied too by east block toy factory or mold sold to them by poor Spaniard firm after falling in disgrace; the unpainted figures and set I got were bough in the early 80’s in seal bag. But like I say only with head card in Czechoslovakian wording. Because mold and style poses had been copied so often by so many others ,no way to figure out really who did it ,but definitely we find to original source from were pose/figures come from.
Very appreciated in all help from Markus ,Mathias and admin in helping with it.
Many thanks to Mathias for information on Clairet/Guilbert connection.
Think Clairet are very much simplified Guilbert versions but I’m of course no expert on French makers. Kind of fascinating that the moulds made it over to Spain. Maybe wages there had been much lower in the 80’s than in France. Only a guess. But would explain that maybe some moulds made it over to CSSR because of much lower wages there even shortly after the fall of iron curtain.