Metal toy soldiers have been a favorite toy for more than a century and have recently become a favored collectible. Read about how metal military miniatures developed from children’s playthings into finely crafted works of art.
 
Hollowcast Toy Soldiers
Commercially produced metal toy soldiers started to appear in the mid 18th century. These pricey figures were mostly available to wealthy customers. Metal toy soldiers became more attainable when manufacturers started making affordable hollow metal toy soldiers for kids.

In 1893, William Britain introduced hollow figures that were created using the hollowcast method. This method used less metal to make the same three dimensional toy soldiers. Less metal meant lower production costs and William Britain passed these savings on to the consumer. Their inexpensive metal toy soldiers were available to a wider group of children which bolstered the popularity of metal military miniatures.
 
Safety Laws
Metal toy soldiers took a big hit with the introduction of new safety laws in countries around the world. In the United States, The Child Safety Act of 1966 took a toll on the toy industry. Among other regulations, it prohibited the use of potentially dangerous materials like lead from being included in toys. Lead was the main metal used to make toy soldiers at the time and manufacturers suffered. Metal toy soldier producers had to stop making their lead toy soldiers and focus on other products or go out of business entirely.
 
New Metal Toy Soldiers

Almost a decade after safety laws banned lead toy soldiers, new metal toy soldiers were introduced. These three dimensional solid white metal figures developed into the collectible toy soldiers we know today.

Early toy soldiers were made to be toys for kids. With the introduction of new metal toy soldiers, adults started to purchase and collect military miniatures as well. Toy soldiers for kids were still available but some new toy soldiers were made specifically for the purpose of collecting rather than play. Lines of toy soldiers were more artfully crafted and historically accurate to target adult customers rather than children.
 
Modernization of Metal Toy Soldiers

Metal figures were modernized in the 1980’s. As adult consumers started buying toy soldiers, military miniatures were updated to appeal to the collector. Metal toy soldiers were given new action poses that placed them in the heat of battle. These dynamic poses were more appealing to new collectors than the stiff look of early metal toy soldiers. Early toy soldiers were often shown standing at the ready, standing at attention or sitting horseback. These positions were much less imaginative than the newly developed toy soldiers. New toy soldiers were shown in every experience imaginable. They charged into battle, yelled to their comrades and even fell in defeat. This variety of situations made toy soldier collections come to life.

Improved detail was another way new toy soldiers were revamped. Early toy soldiers were expressionless and had limited detail on their faces, uniforms and weaponry. New toy soldiers were so elaborate they were considered to have photograph like detail. These lifelike figures were appealing to modern collectors and gave them the tools to create a realistic rendition of their favorite battles and scenes.

Variety was another improvement on the old metal toy soldiers. New soldiers were offered in a huge variety of collections. They were shown in different battles, geographical locations and cultures. This offered collectors a range of toy soldiers from which to choose. They could tailor their collections around a specific battle and location or collect figures that span a range of collections.

 
See modern metal toy soldiers from popular manufacturers on our official website today.