Popular Army Toys
In the olden days, army toys were made of zinc, tin, and lead, not the plastic imitations that we are used to seeing today. These tin toys were made by the Germans, then they were followed by the English and French. The German made tin toys were originally two to three inches tall, however, they were later standardized to 54mm by a British toy manufacturing company.
It was during the first world war that these tin toys started gaining popularity. It was then that Louis Marx, an American toy manufacturer started to create them, the most popular of which were the Wild West and Civil War sets.
Today, the popularity of army toys is slowly declining. Since almost all of the world are implementing gun bans and other limitations, army men toys that carry guns are frowned upon as toys for kids. However, when Pixar’s Toy Story movie included little green men, the market for such toys showed signs of a rebound.
If you are looking for army men toys for your children, here are two currently popular sets:
- If your child was a fan of the movie, then you have to get him the Toy Story Army Men on Patrol Lego set. You get four figurines in this set – three soldiers and one doctor. The soldiers have walkie-talkies, metal detector, and guns. Also included is a stretcher, additional accessories, and a buildable army jeep.
- If you are into the American Civil War, then you should take a look at this 102 piece Civil War set. It includes Confederates and Union 54mm army men, plus a slew of accessories like fences, horses, and cannons. It is packaged in a clear plastic bucket with a handle. The models are all set in about a 1/34 ratio.
Whether you think that army toys are politically correct or not, you can’t deny the sheer fun and enjoyment that a kid will have when playing with them. They have a unique appeal to them that never seems to fade so throw all their bad connotations aside and just enjoy the fun they offer.
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