Mini Forma Toy Soldiers (1 Viewer)

[DMNamiot]

Hi Guys,

Can any of you give me a hand with details on a firm called Mini Forma that I think was German and did/does a line of 70mm Resin/hard Plastic Figures that I believe came in kit or fully assembled and painted format. I have found a reference to a website with a .de ending but cant seem to get it to open. Any information would be helpful.

I will post a photo of a set for reference and I hope ID. They look like they are Russian WWII Soldiers to me but I am not totally sure.

Thanks for the help

Dave

 

[DMNamiot]

Here is a figure I am trying to ID

Dave

 

[theBaron]

Hi, Dave, I agree with you that the figures represent Russians. I've never heard of Miniforma, but we'll see what we can find.

If they are a German (or Austrian) maker, it looks like they made their figures in similar style to Elastolin and Lineol composition. And if they're plastic, that would place them most likely as post-war.

Do you have the URL to the website that you mentioned?

Prost!
Brad

 

[theBaron]

A quick Google search turned up "miniforma.de" at www.aboutus.org.

I haven't found a direct link to a site yet, but the description tends to confirm the maker as German:

"/Der Anbieter historischer Sammlerfiguren von den Germanen bis heute, Militariafiguren, Flugzeuge und Fantasy Figuren bietet einen Einblick in seinen Katalog."

"(Miniforma,) a dealer in historical collector figures, from ancient Germans to today, military figures, aircraft and fantasy figures, offers a look inside his catalog."

I took a guess at a potential URL as "http://www.miniforma.de/", but that goes to a domain parking site.

A potential complication in our search is that "Miniforma" is apparently a typeface or font as well, so there's some disambiguation required.

The hunt is on Juche!

 

[theBaron]

More clues...

This page, "Nick's Elastolin Page"

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/1545/noframe.html

tends to confirm further that MiniForma is a maker of plastic figures, in the style of Elastolin and Lineol composition figures, and also directs us to Michigan Toy Soldier Co's site for figures for sale.

 

[theBaron]

And for now, one more piece of info, placing MiniForma squarely in Germany, in Berlin, as a matter of fact:

http://berlin.cylex.de/firma-home-berlin/fredy-martin-schulz-2617647.html

This page indicates that the company name may have been the trade name ("DBA" as we would say, "doing business as") for a Fredy Martin Schulz. The email address given for Herr Schulz indicates a MiniForma website.

I will ask over at the HZ Forum and see if anyone has ever heard of the brand or Herr Schulz, and we'll see what we can find.

Prost!
Brad

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Brad,

I thought you might find something. I had found the same website and was able to get no further. I am glad you found something in Berlin that is helpful. I was able to find a collector in Germany who shows several ranges in his collection from Trojans to Zulus to ACW. I also agree that they looked a lot like the German Composition figures of Lineol and Elastolin. I suspect that the original maker was probably an employee of one of them and decided to branch off on his own.

Any help is really appreciated.

All the best

Dave

 

[theBaron]

Sure thing, Dave, I love a good toy soldier mystery!

I've put the old boy network to work, and posted the question over at HZ, I'lll check back over there tonight.

Prost!
Brad

 

[theBaron]

Hi, Dave, I got a couple of responses at the HZ-Forum, which clear up the origin of the figures, and news that some more might be coming available on eBay-Germany in the near future.

Mini-Forma was indeed the firm of Herrn Fredy Martin Schulz, and he produced plastic figures in the Elastolin style, or what we could call the classic German composition style. He also took on commissions for unique figures, from individual collectors.

He made figures from practically every period of history.

Unfortunately, Herr Schulz has passed away, and the business was dissolved. Some of his stock of figures, and molds, were passed on to some of his employees, some was auctioned, but also, a stock of completed figures remained unliquidated, and might come up on eBay in the near future.

Also, one of my fellow Foristas at HZ has a website, with pictures from Schulz' catalog available, the link is: http://www.Horstreil.de

This is the great thing about the Internet, immediate contact of people at opposite ends of the globe.

Hope this info helps, and please let me know if there are more details you'd like to find, prosit!

Brad

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Brad,

Great information. I had found that website last week and enjoyed it. I will relay this information on to the friend who requested it. I guess the only other information that would be great to have is a catelogue of what he produced. I will have to keep an eye open for more of them in the near future.

Thanks again for the help

Dave

 

[Scott]

Hi Baron, Thanks for that link. I wish I had hung on to my Elastolin Civil War "guys." I'm afraid they were played with to death 45 years ago. The "Gettysburg" dioramas on the site are "neat!"