Cast in Time: The Gebr. Schneider Mould Catalogue, c. 1920 📖📖📖

Published by Gebrüder Schneider around 1920, this sixteen-page German catalogue sold not tin soldiers but the iron Giessformen — casting moulds — to make them yourself: melt old lead, pour, paint, sell to neighbours on the side. Over 240 form numbers span a staggering range, from Prussian infantry in spiked helmets and cavalry lancers mid-charge to Native American warriors on horseback, Arab camel caravans, a full nativity, farmyard animals, football players, a giraffe, a moose, and a New Year lucky-charm set (pig, horseshoe, four-leaf clover). The catalogue captures its historical moment precisely — soldier moulds were offered in both the old Pickelhaube and the new Stahlhelm, American flag-bearers make an appearance, and Form No. 215 is nothing less than a WW1 Zeppelin. Most infantry moulds cost Mk. 3.30; casting lead was Mk. 0.85 a kilo. For collectors today it is a primary source of the first order — the full vocabulary of early Weimar-era flat-figure design, compressed into a single remarkable pamphlet.

Source catalogue: Gebrüder Schneider Giessformen-Katalog, c. 1920 PDF (16 pages) available at:

A Little Bit of British Plastic History 🎺🥁🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

These charming red figures are part of a British military band set produced by Charbens, a classic English toy manufacturer founded in the 1920s. Starting out with lead and metal figures, Charbens transitioned to "unbreakable" plastic toys during the 1960s-70s, producing delightful 1/32 scale sets like these guardsmen and bandsmen complete with bearskin hats, bagpipes, drums, and a drum major's mace. The company was eventually taken over and its plastics capability repurposed for packaging — but the legacy lives on, as modern recasts of these iconic little figures are still available on the market today for collectors who want to add them to their display.

JRD Composition Tirailleurs Algériens with White AM Armoured Car 🇫🇷🇩🇿

A set of French JRD composition soldiers from the 1930s–40s, depicting Tirailleurs Algériens (Algerian riflemen) in their characteristic horizon bleu greatcoats and red chéchia fez caps, accompanied by a French Army officer.They are paired here with a 1946 French wooden model of a White AM armoured car — the American-built vehicle widely used by French forces — complete with its unit roundel on the hull.

Pre-War German Infantry from Elastolin 🪖🪖🪖🇾🇪🇾🇪🇾🇪

A small group of German composition infantry produced by Elastolin in the late 1930s. These classic 7.5 cm figures depict advancing infantry in dynamic combat poses and correspond to catalogue numbers - 630, 628, 626 and 624. Made from Elastolin’s traditional composition material (a mix of sawdust and glue), they were hand-painted and designed for tabletop battle scenes and displays. Pieces like these formed part of Elastolin’s extensive military range produced in the years leading up to World War II and remain a great example of the character of pre-war toy soldier production.

WW1 German patriotic postcard – “Lieb Vaterland, magst ruhig sein…”🇾🇪🇾🇪🇾🇪

WW1 German postcard showing a young boy dressed as a soldier proudly saluting his parents, surrounded by toy soldiers. The caption “Lieb Vaterland, magst ruhig sein…” (“Dear Fatherland, you can rest assured…”) comes from the famous patriotic song Die Wacht am Rhein, widely associated with German nationalism before and during World War I. Illustrated by Joseph Süß, the postcard is a fascinating glimpse into the cultural atmosphere of the period.

📖 Gebr. Schneider – Leipzig Mould Catalogue (1904–1940)

I’m sharing a 42-page PDF featuring the mould catalogue of Gebr. Schneider, one of the key German producers of moulds for casting your own tin and lead figures (Zinn-/Bleifiguren). The original catalogues were issued over many years and are often incomplete or not clearly organised. This version brings material from several 1904 - 1940 editions together and arranges the figures by number and production sequence. The illustrations are shown approximately at original size. A great reference for anyone interested in early 20th-century self-cast figures and German toy soldier history.

Download pdf catalog (42 pages) using the following link: 

JRD Tirailleurs Marocains – France, 1930s/40s 🇫🇷🇲🇦

A striking trio of JRD composition soldiers, produced in France in the late 1930s–1940s. These figures represent tirailleurs marocains — Moroccan riflemen who served in the French Army, particularly in the colonial infantry regiments. Standing approximately 85 mm tall, the figures are cast in a slate powder–based composition paste, giving them that distinctive weight and slightly rough texture typical of JRD pre- and early-war production. Their sculpting clearly reflects the strong Art Deco influence of the period — stylised proportions, simplified yet expressive forms, and dynamic, almost architectural poses.