A range of ZZ Riesen animals …….

Bought today - a selection of ZZ Riesen models:


The animal figures here are mainly copies of Elastolin; pigeons, goat, foal, and Britains; the keepers and pelicans. Not sure about the penguins. Information on the reverse of the header cards is in German but nothing recorded on where they were made.

That is very very interesting :) and congratulations :)

Elastolin designs have a long life indeed. Thanks for sharing!

widukind wrote:

That is very very interesting :) and congratulations :)

Thank you Andreas and thanks for posting your information about this range as I would not have recognised them.    

Roger wrote:

Elastolin designs have a long life indeed. Thanks for sharing!

They certainly do Roger and recently I looked at one of those big bags of animals in a low cost store and found several models inspired by Elastolin. Always nice to share.

Chris Sweetman wrote:

widukind wrote:

That is very very interesting :) and congratulations :)

Thank you Andreas and thanks for posting your information about this range as I would not have recognised them.    

Roger wrote:

Elastolin designs have a long life indeed. Thanks for sharing!

They certainly do Roger and recently I looked at one of those big bags of animals in a low cost store and found several models inspired by Elastolin. Always nice to share.

Hello friends of ZZ Riesen,
I think ZZ Riesen has four groups of animals.
1. ZZ Riesen Zoo, big animals.
2. ZZ Riesen Zoo, small animals.
3. ZZ Riesen Farm, Elastolin copies.
4. ZZ Riesen Farm, HongKong copies.

Look my collection of ZZ Riesen aniimals - all are marked ZZ, sometimes with ZZ in a circle and some only with ZZ.
Look also what you can find in the internet.
Benno.
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Very good

Hello Benno,
there may be a 5. group:
ZZ Riesen Farm, Britains copies - Example: The rhinoceros

But I am not 100% sure. Do you have perhaps the rhinos of both companies?

The first two pictures are from TAI, the last one is from Ebay.

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I have completely missed this topic !!!

There are so many wonderful models , - no wonder, they have copied some of the best

There are indeed several ZZ Riesen animals that are Britains copies. The rhino, as Yvette says, but also the camel, lion, gorilla, walrus, tiger hippo, baby rhino and elephant, etc. Some seem to be in the large range and some in the small range. ZZ also copied from Timpo: the kangaroo and smaller hippo. I think the bull is copied from Cherilea and perhaps the draft horse and some other farm animals too.

Are the ZZ Hong Kong copies really Hong Kong copies or did both Hong Kong companies and ZZ copy the same original figures by Elastolin, Britains and Timpo?

I've got a moose and I wonder whether it is by ZZ. Are they always marked? Where is the mark on the moose?

Does anyone have the ZZ bison (an Elastolin copy) and know the size?

rogerpgvg wrote:

There are indeed several ZZ Riesen animals that are Britains copies. The rhino, as Yvette says, but also the camel, lion, gorilla, walrus, tiger hippo, baby rhino and elephant, etc. Some seem to be in the large range and some in the small range. ZZ also copied from Timpo: the kangaroo and smaller hippo. I think the bull is copied from Cherilea and perhaps the draft horse and some other farm animals too.

Are the ZZ Hong Kong copies really Hong Kong copies or did both Hong Kong companies and ZZ copy the same original figures by Elastolin, Britains and Timpo?

I've got a moose and I wonder whether it is by ZZ. Are they always marked? Where is the mark on the moose?

Does anyone have the ZZ bison (an Elastolin copy) and know the size?

Very interesting information

Hello,
here some comparisons between ZZ and BRITAINS.
Yes, it seems the ZZ Zoo Animals are often a copy of BRITAINS animals.
Benno.
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Hello,
here some measurements for comparsion between ZZ Riesen and BRITAINS Rhinos.

Weight: ZZ Riesen Rhino between 57-59 gr.

Weight: BRITAINS Rhino about 68 gr.

Lenght: ZZ Riesen Rhino 102 mm.

Lenght: BRITAINS Rhino 107,6 mm.

Material: both ZZ Riesen Rhino and BRITAINS Rhino can swim in water.

Benno.

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Hello,
I found an great Elephant of ZZ RIESEN.
This Elephant are nearly the same as the Elephants of the companies "HOLLY" and "Made in Hong Kong".
Benno.
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Babdo wrote:

found an great Elephant of ZZ RIESEN.
This Elephant are nearly the same as the Elephants of the companies "HOLLY" and "Made in Hong Kong".

Benno, that´s very intersting! That´s the model by Hausser Elastolin plastic from 70s.

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But Hausser had not only this model in the programme since the 1970s. This elephant also had been available as a composition model since at least 1950.
The older model was also much larger.

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Thanks for the comparisons, Benno. The Britains polythene rhino can indeed swim, but the later one in PVC is heavier.

And thanks for showing the ZZ mark on the moose. I have now been able to identify mine as ZZ too. I don't know why I never noticed the mark.

It looks like you are having rhino for dinner tonight.

Your ZZ bison is different from the one I was thinking about:
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Or is the one in the photo (not mine) not ZZ?

I think the bison which Benno shows, is the one from Plaho/Marolin ( = smaller plastic copy of Elastonin's composition model )

SUSANNE wrote:

I think the bison which Benno shows, is the one from Plaho/Marolin ( = smaller plastic copy of Elastonin's composition model )

Hello Susanne,
here the comparison between PLAHO + ZZ Riesen Bison.
The ZZ Riesen Bison are marked with "ZZ".
Benno.
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such an interesting topic!
so many twists and turns
I am familiar with some of the ZZ Riesen from inside the bags at the beginning of the topic but not these other figures!