Brand Identification topic

Same type of plastic as Hausser 1:32 figures.

I don't know the seller's story, it was many years ago. It's clearly someone who amateurishly built an animal box with 1:25 and 1:35 scale Hausser figures and some Britains. The mystery is that the wildebeest and impala are not, as far as I know, in any Hausser catalog but they have all the trademark features.

it looks like they have glue under their hooves, which means they could have been sold as part of some plastic scenery display - like tourists buy, or from a card diorama display box

I removed my ibex from a plastic diorama that was made as a souvenir for tourists

Have you removed them to inspect the other side?

sunny wrote:

What year did the Britains eagle come out, that gives a timeline anyway.

The Britains Eagle was introduced in 1971 and was deleted in 1998.

I'd guess that they aren't Hausser Elastolin. Elastolin made a different gazelle for their 70 mm plastic series and if they made the same species in their 56 mm series, they normally used the same sculpt. The models in the Elastolin plastic 56 mm series are normally also fully painted, whereas the gnu and gazelle in your box aren't. And in my opinion, the Elastolin sculpting is more detailed. While the gnu and gazelle in your photos are very good, they are just a little more stylised.

I don't know what brand they are though.

They have all the features of the Hausser 1:32 figures... And there are many models that were only published in this scale: hippopotamus, rhinos, leopard, flamingos and pelicans, chimpanzees, crocodiles, turtles...
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So far my idea is that they are a prototype of impala and wildebeest that must have been presented in some model or exhibitor. In fact, I remember seeing as a child through a window of a toy store in Madrid a model with a train crossing a lake in which there were some Hausser flying flamingos in H0 scale and that were never published

What I mean is that if Elastolin made a species in both 70 mm and 56 mm, they usually used the same sculpt (though you are right, not always), so you'd expect the 56 and 70 mm gazelles to be the same. From an economic perspective that makes a lot of sense. There were no chimp, hippos, crocodile, anteater and Bactrian camel calf in 70 mm. There was an adult Bacterian camel in both scales and they had indeed the same sculpt.

The style is a matter of opinion. I think Elastolin modelled the fur and skin in more detail. If we compare the gazelle with for example the red deer, we see that the deer has very subtle grooves to show its fur:
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The prototype theory is tempting, but it is uncommon that prototypes are cast in plastic and painted. To do this, they would need to develop the mould, which is costly. Cheaper to make a prototype in clay (or whatever material they used) without the need for making a mould. I'd say it's much more likely that you find a model by an unknown maker that made models in the style of Hausser Elastolin than prototypes. For example, this website shows a few models that are similar in style but aren't not Elastolin (similar to/ähnlich Elastolin). Some (German?) manufacturers tried to imitate the Elastolin style.

Just my two cents. But whatever they are, they are great models and undoubtedly rare.

You are right about the economic aspect of the mold but there were those H0 flamingos I quoted earlier... Maybe a small series was made for X purpose or scale models or promotional sets... It's a mystery, I wish in fact as you say they belonged to a manufacturer who made a Hausser style collection, because that would mean there could be a lot more models and species.
Anyway, the antilope in my photo is an impala, and let's remember that the Hausser gazelle has no signs of fur like the doe you attach.... That is the reason for my doubt...

Yes, you are right, it's an impala. I wish we knew more about the companies that made Hausser-like models. Perhaps it would clarify things.

Whatever what they are it is an incredible catch

Stripedhyena wrote:

In fact, I remember seeing as a child through a window of a toy store in Madrid a model with a train crossing a lake in which there were some Hausser flying flamingos in H0 scale and that were never published

HO scale? I thought Hausser Elastolin only produced figures in 40mm, 54mm & 70mm.

Kikimalou wrote:

Whatever what they are it is an incredible catch

Agree

Chris Sweetman wrote:

Stripedhyena wrote:

In fact, I remember seeing as a child through a window of a toy store in Madrid a model with a train crossing a lake in which there were some Hausser flying flamingos in H0 scale and that were never published

HO scale? I thought Hausser Elastolin only produced figures in 40mm, 54mm & 70mm.

Hausser-Elastolin-Preiser have a lot of H0 animal figures.

Stripedhyena wrote:

Chris Sweetman wrote:

Stripedhyena wrote:

In fact, I remember seeing as a child through a window of a toy store in Madrid a model with a train crossing a lake in which there were some Hausser flying flamingos in H0 scale and that were never published

HO scale? I thought Hausser Elastolin only produced figures in 40mm, 54mm & 70mm.

Hausser-Elastolin-Preiser have a lot of H0 animal figures.

True Preiser have lots of HO animal figures and use former Elastolin moulds scaled down to HO.

Hausser-Elastolin went bust in 1983 and to my knowledge never produced HO stuff in their company's life time.

Following this bankruptcy the surviving moulds were purchased by Preiser.

Can you take a photo of the other side of the gnu and impala?
and underneath as well.

I noticed that the paint jobs on them were a bit 'spotty' with some bits missing. They didn't look rubbed off, just missing in general.

Can you get a clearer pic of that by any chance Ricardo?

and the glue at the base of the feet is also interesting and could point as to their origin.

Were these made in South Africa for tourists??
though generally African souvenirs are made of local products like wood. With very little plastic.
When I grew up in Zambia there were no local souvenirs outside of the wood carvings and animal products.

Mass imported souvenirs made in China specifically for the Zambian tourist industry did not exist
From my memory

Any plastics in the country came from imports from China. Mostly little toys, plus Chinese candy (White Rabbit sweets). And also flock toy imports as well. Flock and pipe cleaner plushes.

Sunny, I found the box inside one of the 10+ boxes I was going through a few days ago, they are no longer very accessible, I will take the pictures you ask for in the future.
I doubt they have anything to do with an African souvenir, my theory is still that they come from Europe (I insist that the texture, the type of plastic and the watercolor type paint finish is identical to the 1:32 Hausser figures). In any case the possibility remains open that their origin is Asia, but I don't think so.

Do you remember where (in which country) you bought them?

Do we know whether Hausser Elastolin ever sold animal models glued to a box? I once got one or two Elastolin farm animals that had a similar kind of soft glue on their feet (I peeled it off). I assumed that they had been used for a diorama but now I am wondering whether it might have been original.

I bought it on eBay Germany more than 7 or 8 years ago.

If they are indeed prototypes, then that would be the place to find them.

An antique complete set of miniature birds (about 3'5cm long) in its original box (includes cards). From Japan.
I've seen this kind of winged miniatures around the forum, but anyone knows more?
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but I can 't help..

Do you know the material?

Looks like hard plastic

Stripedhyena wrote:

Looks like hard plastic

For me more like the larger birds

Wow and wow ....this set of birds is really marvellous.

Big congratulations