Hausser Elastolin Spotted Hyena

Hi guys!

Remember this poor yet beautiful fellow?


Well, I was able to fix its broken parts thanks to Citadel super glue (used for Games Workshop/Warhammer figurines). Result:


Still missing the tail and some cracks are still visible, but I think he's gorgeous

Now I'd like to know a bit more about him, so maybe there's a composition expert here on STS who can tell me more? Kosta already showed me this link. I know my hyena is Hausser Elastolin and was released postwar. It was probably discontinued in 1969, because the brand went out of business in this year (and all known Elastolin figurines on TAi were discontinued in this year as well). But does someone know its exact release year? And for adding it to TAi, should it be part of the Hausser Elastolin composition zoo animals section?

Thanks in advance!

He is just wonderful
I always feel very protective abvout such an old, dear critter ! How lucky he was to end up with you

Imagine if he could tell about his life ?

SUSANNE wrote:

He is just wonderful
I always feel very protective abvout such an old, dear critter ! How lucky he was to end up with you

Imagine if he could tell about his life ?

He is! And thanks Susanne, I'm really happy with this first composition figurine. I felt so bad when it arrived with all these broken parts, but with a little bit patience, love and glue, he's standing again!

I have two of the same figure--but neither one is spotted! They are painted more like brown hyenas! Might be recasts, the paint and sculpt are not as crisp.

sbell wrote:

I have two of the same figure--but neither one is spotted! They are painted more like brown hyenas! Might be recasts, the paint and sculpt are not as crisp.

Ohhhh! Picture, picture !!!!

...please

Is your hyena the same as below? It is an Elastolin composition figure as you pointed.
I am immpressed with what you can do with love and glue!

Roger wrote:

Is your hyena the same as below? It is an Elastolin composition figure as you pointed.
I am immpressed with what you can do with love and glue!

It sure looks like this composition figure, exept mine's missing his tail and only his muzzle is black, not his whole face.
And thanks, Roger. I now know how fragile these old composition figurines are, I wish he would have survived his journey better D:

sbell wrote:

I have two of the same figure--but neither one is spotted! They are painted more like brown hyenas! Might be recasts, the paint and sculpt are not as crisp.

I'd love to see pictures of them as well

Julie, I think I have pictures of the same hyena to put on Toy Animal Wiki from Susanne's collection. I haven't added it on TAI yet probably because I was not sure of which brand it was. Hausser Elastolin composition figures were widely copied and it is easy to find other composition figures very similar. I uploaded it on TAI meanwhile.
The website Kosta linked to you, that we often use to identify our composition figures, says it is a 1930 figure. Curious is that Christophe has in its collection a Hausser composition striped hyena and he claims it as a 1938 figure. Kiki is definitively an expert in this matter.

Roger wrote:

Julie, I think I have pictures of the same hyena to put on Toy Animal Wiki from Susanne's collection. I haven't added it on TAI yet probably because I was not sure of which brand it was. Hausser Elastolin composition figures were widely copied and it is easy to find other composition figures very similar. I uploaded it on TAI meanwhile.
The website Kosta linked to you, that we often use to identify our composition figures, says it is a 1930 figure. Curious is that Christophe has in its collection a Hausser composition striped hyena and he claims it as a 1938 figure. Kiki is definitively an expert in this matter.

Great work, Roger! My only problem is that Figurenmuseum.de states that the growling wolf and striped hyena are 'Vorkrieg bis 1939', which means they are 'prewar until 1939'. So they were made before WWII. Yet the spotted hyena, which looks like my one, is stated 'Nachkrieg', which means 'Postwar', so they were made after 1945. How can it be that it's still from 1930? Maybe you mean they're from around 1950?

Tarunyada wrote:

Roger wrote:

Julie, I think I have pictures of the same hyena to put on Toy Animal Wiki from Susanne's collection. I haven't added it on TAI yet probably because I was not sure of which brand it was. Hausser Elastolin composition figures were widely copied and it is easy to find other composition figures very similar. I uploaded it on TAI meanwhile.
The website Kosta linked to you, that we often use to identify our composition figures, says it is a 1930 figure. Curious is that Christophe has in its collection a Hausser composition striped hyena and he claims it as a 1938 figure. Kiki is definitively an expert in this matter.

Great work, Roger! My only problem is that Figurenmuseum.de states that the growling wolf and striped hyena are 'Vorkrieg bis 1939', which means they are 'prewar until 1939'. So they were made before WWII. Yet the spotted hyena, which looks like my one, is stated 'Nachkrieg', which means 'Postwar', so they were made after 1945. How can it be that it's still from 1930? Maybe you mean they're from around 1950?

I really have read it as 1950 and ended keeping it in my memory as 1930. You're right, it is 1950 what I wanted to say. :)

Roger wrote:

Tarunyada wrote:

Roger wrote:

Julie, I think I have pictures of the same hyena to put on Toy Animal Wiki from Susanne's collection. I haven't added it on TAI yet probably because I was not sure of which brand it was. Hausser Elastolin composition figures were widely copied and it is easy to find other composition figures very similar. I uploaded it on TAI meanwhile.
The website Kosta linked to you, that we often use to identify our composition figures, says it is a 1930 figure. Curious is that Christophe has in its collection a Hausser composition striped hyena and he claims it as a 1938 figure. Kiki is definitively an expert in this matter.

Great work, Roger! My only problem is that Figurenmuseum.de states that the growling wolf and striped hyena are 'Vorkrieg bis 1939', which means they are 'prewar until 1939'. So they were made before WWII. Yet the spotted hyena, which looks like my one, is stated 'Nachkrieg', which means 'Postwar', so they were made after 1945. How can it be that it's still from 1930? Maybe you mean they're from around 1950?

I really have read it as 1950 and ended keeping it in my memory as 1930. You're right, it is 1950 what I wanted to say. :)

Haha okay, excuse my confusion So 1950 it is!

Tarunyada wrote:

Roger wrote:

Is your hyena the same as below? It is an Elastolin composition figure as you pointed.
I am immpressed with what you can do with love and glue!

It sure looks like this composition figure, exept mine's missing his tail and only his muzzle is black, not his whole face.
And thanks, Roger. I now know how fragile these old composition figurines are, I wish he would have survived his journey better D:

sbell wrote:

I have two of the same figure--but neither one is spotted! They are painted more like brown hyenas! Might be recasts, the paint and sculpt are not as crisp.

I'd love to see pictures of them as well

I only have the photo of one:



Definitely no spots, and just hinted stripes, with mostly brown. They are both variations on this theme.

sbell wrote:

Tarunyada wrote:

Roger wrote:

Is your hyena the same as below? It is an Elastolin composition figure as you pointed.
I am immpressed with what you can do with love and glue!

It sure looks like this composition figure, exept mine's missing his tail and only his muzzle is black, not his whole face.
And thanks, Roger. I now know how fragile these old composition figurines are, I wish he would have survived his journey better D:

sbell wrote:

I have two of the same figure--but neither one is spotted! They are painted more like brown hyenas! Might be recasts, the paint and sculpt are not as crisp.

I'd love to see pictures of them as well

I only have the photo of one:



Definitely no spots, and just hinted stripes, with mostly brown. They are both variations on this theme.

Thanks for sharing your photograph, Sean! If I check your model at Kosta's link, I think it's the prewar striped hyena from 1925. I think these striped hyenas have a slightly different pose than the postwar 1950 spotted ones

Judging by the bends in the legs, I think you may be right--although, mine are not painted as distinctly 'striped' as in the photo.

I didn't imagine they were quite that old!

Again I am so terribly sorry I am not allowed to show pictures from my book about Elastolin  
The auther, Ulrich Raue ( UR), would be very, very upset if I did .

But I am sure I can tell you what the pictures and text concludes

According to UR there are 5 different Elastolin-models with basically tree clearly different moulds and many colour variations of which he shows 15 !!!

The oldest mould was made in two variants, both made before WW2. It has a very bulky, fuzzy mane and short, thick tail. He calls them no 1 and 2.
The second mould was made both before ( VK)  and after (NK)  WW2. The tail is the same as 1 and 2, but the mane is not nearly as fuzzy. It has neither spots nor stripes. UR calls them no 3.
The third mould was only made NK. It has only the slightest hint of a mane, and the tail is thinnner. It came both spotted striped . UR calls the spotted on  No 4 and the striped one no 5.

Myself, I have only two. But perhaps they can illustrate ?  
The one to the left is almost similar to model 4 and the one to the right is a late ( But still VK) model 3.




I hope this explains something even if UR has been cought in a mistake with the buffalo ?

It explains a lot, thanks Susanne! And thanks for sharing these pictures as well, very handsome hyenas I wish mine still had his tail!

I found this beauty on eBay. A bit too expensive for me (I think it's a good price, but I prefer spending my money on other figurines, yet I'd love to have this one in my collection ). It's stated as a 'wolf', but I think it looks more like a striped hyena (photograph by seller):


Anything about this handsome fellow in your Elastolin book, Susanne?

What a beauty I agree it muct be a striped hyena with the mane - and stripes

It is certainly not from Elastolin. Those are all more or less like the ones I have.

I never saw this one before

SUSANNE wrote:

What a beauty  I agree it muct be a striped hyena with the mane - and stripes

It is certainly not from Elastolin. Those are all more or less like the ones I have.

I never saw this one before

Now I read it, the seller expects it's made by an European manufacterer, either Elastolin or Lineol. I think he's very handsome But again, it's a bit too much for me, including shipping.. Maybe someone else wants him? Here's te link.

Tarunyada wrote:

SUSANNE wrote:

What a beauty  I agree it muct be a striped hyena with the mane - and stripes

It is certainly not from Elastolin. Those are all more or less like the ones I have.

I never saw this one before

Now I read it, the seller expects it's made by an European manufacterer, either Elastolin or Lineol. I think he's very handsome But again, it's a bit too much for me, including shipping.. Maybe someone else wants him? Here's te link.

Not for that much! It is almost aardwolf-ish, due to the very gracile nature of the figure.

Tarunyada wrote:

Now I read it, the seller expects it's made by an European manufacterer, either Elastolin or Lineol.

Well, I am 100 % sure he isn't Elastolin and 99,999 % sure he isn't Lineol.
Many seller write that because they want people to find it when searching.
I some way he reminds me of one of the rare, old Japanese composition models. I have only once seen a zebra, but there is "something" ...

SUSANNE wrote:

Tarunyada wrote:

Now I read it, the seller expects it's made by an European manufacterer, either Elastolin or Lineol.

Well, I am 100 % sure he isn't Elastolin and 99,999 % sure he isn't Lineol.
Many seller write that because they want people to find it when searching.
I some way he reminds me of one of the rare, old Japanese composition models. I have only once seen a zebra, but there is "something"  ...

That would be even be more interesting. I didn't even know Japan made composition models I really hope someone on the forum might know more!

I didn't know that either, but Ulrich Raue had the zebra for sale, and he is probably THE guy who knows nost about composition models at all...
It went for some crazy price, my bid was ridiculously low even if I bid more than I was comfortable with