Toy soldiers have been around for hundreds of years. Though they are not a new toy, they weren't always considered a collectible. In fact, toy soldiers only became a collectible in the last couple of decades. They were originally manufactured with the purpose of entertaining kids in mind.
In the mid-1960's, countries around the world enacted consumer safety laws. These prevented the use of dangerous materials in children's toys like the lead used in many toy soldiers. Toy soldier manufacturers had to focus on a new product offering or go out of business.
Many metal toy soldiers were removed from the market. Some toy soldier companies went out of business. Some companies focused on other products. Yet others looked for ways to make toy soldiers safer and continue to produce the beloved plaything.
In the 1970's, metal toy soldiers were reinvented with the use of new, safer materials. These new toy soldiers weren't very popular at first but they were the beginnings of the collectible toy soldiers we know today.
New metal toy soldiers did not appeal to kids the same way earlier metal toy soldiers had. Adults showed interest in the military miniatures instead. Grown-ups bought the metal toy soldiers as collectibles rather than toys.
The new collectible toy soldiers were visually appealing, historically accurate and much more expensive than the figures from before. With this new introduction, the toy soldier market had not buoyed back up to what it once was, but interest in toy soldiers was improving.
New metal toy soldiers were an improvement in just about every way. The design of the figures was better, they were more historically accurate, and more detailed. New poses of toy soldiers gave the figures a more lifelike look. Toy soldiers from early in the 1900's were created in a limited number of poses. Imaginative positions modernized metal soldiers. These creative stances appealed to the modern collector.
Another factor that made collectible toy soldiers more appealing to adults was added detail. These look more like three dimensional photographs than like toys. Another aspect that was improved was the variety of collections of toy soldiers. Early toy soldiers were shown in a limited number of battles. New collectible toy soldiers were shown in a great variety of wars, battles, and even different cultures and areas worldwide.
In the mid-1960's, countries around the world enacted consumer safety laws. These prevented the use of dangerous materials in children's toys like the lead used in many toy soldiers. Toy soldier manufacturers had to focus on a new product offering or go out of business.
Many metal toy soldiers were removed from the market. Some toy soldier companies went out of business. Some companies focused on other products. Yet others looked for ways to make toy soldiers safer and continue to produce the beloved plaything.
In the 1970's, metal toy soldiers were reinvented with the use of new, safer materials. These new toy soldiers weren't very popular at first but they were the beginnings of the collectible toy soldiers we know today.
New metal toy soldiers did not appeal to kids the same way earlier metal toy soldiers had. Adults showed interest in the military miniatures instead. Grown-ups bought the metal toy soldiers as collectibles rather than toys.
The new collectible toy soldiers were visually appealing, historically accurate and much more expensive than the figures from before. With this new introduction, the toy soldier market had not buoyed back up to what it once was, but interest in toy soldiers was improving.
New metal toy soldiers were an improvement in just about every way. The design of the figures was better, they were more historically accurate, and more detailed. New poses of toy soldiers gave the figures a more lifelike look. Toy soldiers from early in the 1900's were created in a limited number of poses. Imaginative positions modernized metal soldiers. These creative stances appealed to the modern collector.
Another factor that made collectible toy soldiers more appealing to adults was added detail. These look more like three dimensional photographs than like toys. Another aspect that was improved was the variety of collections of toy soldiers. Early toy soldiers were shown in a limited number of battles. New collectible toy soldiers were shown in a great variety of wars, battles, and even different cultures and areas worldwide.
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