Coleman's Vitacup animals

Here is a topic about the Coleman's Vitacup premiums made in England probably in the 1960's.

I hope more knowledge will come from our UK vintage experts. Her are some pics of my models   

First, the product, so we all know what Vitacup was, a hot milky drink, malted choc flavour:

Now, my original photo again, to show the cat and bulldog

And a Bactrian camel - photo found on the internet.

Oh, i have the pheasant in brown. And the crane i will add in my searchlist. Beautieful old figurines and it is interesting to see how many nice old stuff with interesting species exists.:)

Oh, I love the crane and the Pheasant    

widukind wrote:

Oh, i have the pheasant in brown. And the crane i will add in my searchlist. Beautieful old figurines and it is interesting to see how many nice old stuff with interesting species exists.:)

The pheasant in brown ? Could you share a pic ? This one looks like the Hoefler pheasant but it is bigger   

The wild animals in my collection.

The woodland animals.

The foul.

The dogs.

Farm and Deer.

Odds and Sods.

I was Googling last night as well!

Wow, incredible! I've never heard about these figures! They are really lovely!

So, it would seem that 'Vitacup' was an attempt to grap some of the market in hot beverages from Ovaltine and Horlick's...by Rowntree's, using their subsidiary Colman's (the mustard people) in the UK and Robinson's in Australia where a new trademark was taken-out (but not used) as recently as 1985. Rowntree having just lost out to the first round of fortified chocolate drinks with the failure if their 'Fortac' against the likes of Bournevita and Fry's

Selling/marketing in the UK was through Wincarnis? or Bryden and Evelyn Ltd.? There were clearly at least two packagings, the blue and white boxes and the 'coffee and cream' boxes. There seems to have been an issue with airbrushed colour to give a staining 'Antique' ivory effect, but they seem to be quite rare. The bulldogs collar is always given a slap of yellowy-cream paint.

They were sold in series but what the series' were called is still up for grabs, but the coffee/cream box clearlt states 'NEW SERIES'. My titles are just for the photographs!

I don't know what the European picture was...Kraft? or Unilever - who now own all of them. Seems to date from about 1938 (Fortac failed in the early 30's) and presumably ran until the late 1970's?

The 'Ivorene' mentioned is a misnomer, Ivorene was a bakelite type Thermo-setting plastic of the 1920's patented to someone else, these are a plain styrene polymer. But ivorene has become a generic like hoover!

Great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The horses and deers are absoltutely stunning!   

This is a great series. I love the older single color series and the sculpting on these is really nicely done.

Oh, I missed this excelent topic with some of the best premium figures I ever seen!
Also so many great contributions from all many experts of STS forum.
I confess, although I like all these contributions, no other contribution would be so good as finding a Vitacup fox for my collection!

I missed them too   

Thay are wonderful !   

And how great to see collectors working together to make this a fantastic topic    

Two more have turned-up!

Wow, they are fabulous

Kikimalou wrote:

Wow, they are fabulous

Yes yes yes:)

Some wonderful old models and some superb sculpting!I have a rubber copy of the wild boar and a plastic,poss made in china version of the stag,now its good to know who did the originals!