Help IDing these please. (3 Viewers)

[Michael Seemann]

I purchased quite a few vintage toy soldiers over the last week, and among them were eight of these sailor figures. Buying off of the photos, I though that they might be Johillco, and although they are about the typical size and style for that maker, the base is molded on rather than pegged, and it has no markings whatsoever. They are hollow cast from lead BTW.

Anyone have a clue?

 

[Michael Seemann]

 

[Michael Seemann]

They do look a bit like a Barclay, but not quite. I wonder if they are one of the Japanese knockoffs?

 

[Michael Seemann]

On a FB toy soldier group, someone suggested that they might be made by Lincoln Log. I have precious little info on those made by that maker. Can anyone shed some light on this possibility?

Thank you.

 

[theBaron]

Lincoln Logs is Lincoln Logs-the wooden building playset, with turned and notched logs, and planks. In the Thirties and Forties, they made toy soldiers as well. They did produce sailors, but standing at attention, not marching. They made cowboys and Indians, too, and a set of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs based on Disney's movie. They also made figures of Og, Son of Fire, a prehistoric character from a radio serial sponsored by Libby's Milk.

I think we have to keep looking. I don't think these are from Lincoln Logs.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Michael Seemann]

Thanks Brad. Yes, I know about Lincoln Logs building sets,I had them as a child. I have very little info on their toy soldier lines however, other than a brief mention and a few photos in my reference books. Thank you for elucidating on this topic.

 

[theBaron]

Hi, Michael, sure thing!

Yeah, I never knew that they produced toy soldiers, either, till I got Richard O'Brien's "Collecting Toy Soldiers." That's my source for the info above.

It's very interesting to see how many figures Lincoln Logs put out. I only have one or two, an American infantryman from the first years of the Republic. He has the long coat with turnbacks, and a light infantry helmet with crest. I found them on some dealer's table at a flea market, I think. I thought it was an interesting subject for LL produce, because it's relatively obscure.

The sailors you found would look good stripped and repainted, I think.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Michael Seemann]

Hi, Michael, sure thing!

Yeah, I never knew that they produced toy soldiers, either, till I got Richard O'Brien's "Collecting Toy Soldiers." That's my source for the info above.

It's very interesting to see how many figures Lincoln Logs put out. I only have one or two, an American infantryman from the first years of the Republic. He has the long coat with turnbacks, and a light infantry helmet with crest. I found them on some dealer's table at a flea market, I think. I thought it was an interesting subject for LL produce, because it's relatively obscure.

The sailors you found would look good stripped and repainted, I think.

Prost!
Brad

Yes, I'm still debating whether to repaint these, or leave them as-is. I usually restore those that are a bit further gone than these. They have proved to be ticklishly evasive in IDing. I acquired them for next to nothing, so I suppose it is purely curiosity driving me to find the answer.

 

[Michael Seemann]

Now I'm wondering if they might not have been made by The American Soldier Company under their Eureka brand. The paint and sculpt style is very similar.

 

[theBaron]

Now I'm wondering if they might not have been made by The American Soldier Company under their Eureka brand. The paint and sculpt style is very similar.

That's an intriguing idea! I had a look in O'Brien at the chapter on American Soldier Company, which was run by Charles Beiser. Beiser did produce US Navy sailors, including a large boxed set, and including a marching sailor. But that figure's left arm extends separately from the body, in a swing appropriate to the march step, whereas yours have the left arm cast held to the body.

Eureka was Beiser's very early brand, too. He had dropped that particular brand by 1903, whereas he was in production into the early Twenties.

I still suspect that we'll find that yours come from one of the smaller British hollowcast makers.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Michael Seemann]

That's an intriguing idea! I had a look in O'Brien at the chapter on American Soldier Company, which was run by Charles Beiser. Beiser did produce US Navy sailors, including a large boxed set, and including a marching sailor. But that figure's left arm extends separately from the body, in a swing appropriate to the march step, whereas yours have the left arm cast held to the body.

Eureka was Beiser's very early brand, too. He had dropped that particular brand by 1903, whereas he was in production into the early Twenties.

I still suspect that we'll find that yours come from one of the smaller British hollowcast makers.

Prost!
Brad

I believe that there is a link between ASC/Eureka and Lincoln Logs anyway, which sends us right back to the false start. The latter bought up the molds of the former, and used them for much of their own line of toys.