German Leyla Composition Cavalrymen, 1930s 🏇🏇🏇

These mounted composition figures were produced by Leyla in Germany during the 1930s. The dynamic cavalrymen are enhanced with tinplate flags and pennants, combining composition bodies with metal accessories. Beyond their craftsmanship, the prominently displayed standards reflect the visual language of German propaganda of the period, making these figures both toy soldiers and historical artefacts.

GAMA Tank Model 57-1 (1930s) 🚜

The GAMA Model 57-1 is a pre-war tinplate clockwork tank produced in the 1930s, measuring 10 cm in length. It is a fine example of GAMA’s robust mechanical design and attention to detail. Unlike many other pre-war GAMA toys, the tank series product line shows no clear limits. An extraordinary number of finishes and construction variations exist, making these models especially appealing to collectors. Four GAMA tank sizes are known: 7.5 cm, 10 cm, 14 cm, and 19 cm.

Durso Composition Soldiers – Luftwaffe Ground Scene ✈️💨🛩️🌬️☁️🌪️

This small display features classic Durso (Belgium) composition soldiers depicting German Wehrmacht personnel, including officers and armed guards posed around a propeller aircraft. Typical of Durso’s post-war production, the figures show expressive sculpting, painted uniforms, and simple but effective stances that bring an airfield inspection or maintenance scene to life.

Prince August Catalog 2023 🇮🇪🇸🇪

Founded in Sweden in 1958 by Jan Edman, Prince August has become a cornerstone of the hobby casting world. The company began by producing casting moulds in plaster of Paris, a pioneering approach at the time. Today, Prince August uses high-quality rubber moulds, delivering far superior definition, durability, and consistency for hobbyists and collectors alike. In 1976, mould production moved to Ireland, and the company is now proudly based in the heart of the Muskerry Gaeltacht, in the village of Kilnamartyra, County Cork. From this unique cultural setting, Prince August continues a long tradition of craftsmanship and historical authenticity. Prince August has been producing toy soldiers in Ireland for over 20 years and is now recognised as the world’s largest supplier of casting moulds for the hobby market. The 2023 full-colour catalogue (40 pages) showcases an impressive range of historical subjects, including: 

 -Seven Years’ War

 -Karoliner / Great Northern War 

-Napoleonic Wars

 -Battle of Rossbach

 -Vikings

 -Romans and Britons 

 

Download the Prince August 2023 Catalogue (PDF): 

Char B1 and Somua S35 – French Wooden Toy Tanks (1946) 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷

Two French wooden tanks, a Char B1 and Somua S35, produced in France in 1946 by an unknown maker, exemplify the austere post-war return to wooden toy production. Shown with Elastolin composition figures of the French Army, the scene is completed by a Durso (Belgium) composition figure of Charles de Gaulle.

Happy New Year 2026 ! 🎉🥳🎊🎄🎅🏻🌲

Farewell, 2025. Hello and Happy New Year, 2026 ! Ho ! Ho ! Ho !Happy New Year everyone!

Samuel Begg (1854–1936), The Great Offensive❄️🌲❄️🌲❄️

This striking illustration by British artist Samuel Begg was originally published in The Illustrated London News in 1916. It shows children staging a vast toy-soldier battle across a domestic interior, turning play into a reflection of contemporary warfare. The image was later reproduced in the Russian children’s magazine Mirok (December 1916), where it appeared under the Russian title Bol’shoe nastuplenie (“The Great Offensive”). The print poignantly captures how the imagery and language of the First World War permeated even the world of childhood.