Britains a year of celebration ..............

Roger wrote:

I always liked a lot Britains giraffe. I remember when I saw it for the first time on forum and got surprised how could an old toy be much better sculpted than all modern giraffes I knew from Schleich, Papo, etc. I was still starting my collection and my knowledge about older brands was minimal. I've found that most Britains are better sculpts than relative and larger modern figures. Fortunately, last years, major brands are abandoning an excessive toy like figures and walking towards more realistic sculptures and in my opinion, newer CollectA giraffe is a really great tribute to that Britains figure.
Yours is in a wonderful condition. Mine is just almost unpainted.

Artistic talent to produce initial master sculpts is down to individual designers, and such talented individuals have existed in all generations. Looking at the whole ranges of toy figures by all manufacturers and designers (remembering that some designers worked freelance for several manufacturers at times, such as Norman Tooth and Roy Selwyn-Smith before they settled in with Timpo and Britains respectively) there have good and bad all round from over a century to the present day.

One aspect to consider is that toy figures were played with by a wider age range of kids in 'the good old days', up to younger teens, whereas now they are mostly aimed at younger kids. Manufacturers have always known their markets, one result being more cutesy figures, especially of baby animals, now.

DaveScriv wrote:

Roger wrote:

I always liked a lot Britains giraffe. I remember when I saw it for the first time on forum and got surprised how could an old toy be much better sculpted than all modern giraffes I knew from Schleich, Papo, etc. I was still starting my collection and my knowledge about older brands was minimal. I've found that most Britains are better sculpts than relative and larger modern figures. Fortunately, last years, major brands are abandoning an excessive toy like figures and walking towards more realistic sculptures and in my opinion, newer CollectA giraffe is a really great tribute to that Britains figure.
Yours is in a wonderful condition. Mine is just almost unpainted.

Artistic talent to produce initial master sculpts is down to individual designers, and such talented individuals have existed in all generations. Looking at the whole ranges of toy figures by all manufacturers and designers (remembering that some designers worked freelance for several manufacturers at times, such as Norman Tooth and Roy Selwyn-Smith before they settled in with Timpo and Britains respectively) there have good and bad all round from over a century to the present day.

One aspect to consider is that toy figures were played with by a wider age range of kids in 'the good old days', up to younger teens, whereas now they are mostly aimed at younger kids. Manufacturers have always known their markets, one result being more cutesy figures, especially of baby animals, now.  

That's interesting Dave. Of course I know that talented sculptors are transversal to all generations. Though, I also know that today we can find a lot of photographic and descriptive information about animals in a very easy way while during old time most sculptors used stuffed animals or draws of some books that don't represent always the animals in a correct way. I know some had the chance of designing their sketches directly from real animal on zoos but it was the minority, I guess. :)
I agree completely with you about the reason why newer figures were tendencially cuter. It is evident in 90's and also in previous decade. Now I think only German brands are keeping this style while other brands are working towards a more realistic line of animals.

Regarding Dave’s note above: "Artistic talent to produce initial master sculpts is down to individual designers”.

This is true but I am sure they would be working to a remit by their employers. Certainly it comes across in Peter Cole’s “Suspended Animation” that sculptors were selected because they were known to Roy Selwyn-Smith or to Dennis Britain.

Also for animal figures we must include those produced by Lego in their normal and Duplo ranges and those made by Playmobil. My daughter certainly played with these in preference to the Britains Zoo and Farm animals I bought for her.

I certainly agree with Dave that the age to play with animal figures like those made by Britains, Elastolin and Starlux et al has reduced since the 1980’s!

Plus we also must factor in health and safety legislation in that objects for children must not present a choking hazard or have ’sharp’ edges. So no 1:32nd scale platypus or sparrows or antelopes with sharp horns!

Here you go Rogerio...