Red Army Winter Troops by Salpa (Lucca, Italy), 1940s–50s ❄️❄️❄️

Here is a small but very striking group of Red Army composition 8 cm soldiers produced by Salpa, a lesser-known Italian maker active in Lucca in the 1940s–50s. Salpa figures are instantly recognisable for their hand-modelled poses, warm colour palette, and thick, durable composition material typical of the immediate postwar Italian toy industry. These three soldiers are clearly sculpted for a winter campaign setting. The long greatcoats with fur trim, ushanka-style caps with red stars, and heavy boots all point toward depictions inspired by the Winter War (1939–40) between the USSR and Finland, or early WWII Eastern Front scenes.

Hausser Elastolin Nationalsozialisten catalog 1933

These pages come from the 1933 Hausser/Elastolin catalog, issued during the early period of the National Socialist regime in Germany. The catalog illustrates a full range of composition figures produced by Hausser/Elastolin. 

 Please use the link below to download the pdf catalog (4 pages, 2.4 Mb):

Luxus Papierfabrik “Das Russische Heer” Paper Soldiers (c.1900) 🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺⚔️⚔️⚔️

Here are two beautiful early sets of paper soldiers from the Das Russische Heer (“The Russian Army”) series, produced by Luxus Papierfabrik, Berlin, around 1900. These embossed cardboard figures stand about 8.5 cm tall, and each Carton—No. 1 and No. 3—contains 72 and 75 soldiers respectievely. The sets depict an impressive variety of Imperial Russian units, including Leib Grenadiers (Grenadiers), Garde Infanterie (Guard Infantry), Artillerie (Artillery), Infanterie (Infantry), Kuban-Kosaken (Kuban Cossacks), Pioniertruppen (Engineer Troops), Traintruppen (Convoy/Transport Troops), and Grenzwache (Border Guard).

Lineol Special Catalogue 1937 📖📖📖

The Lineol Special Catalogue of 1937 features soldiers of all nations, along with accessories such as tents, trenches, and battlefield equipment. The military sections also include figures for the Heer, Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe, as well as mixed assortments of soldiers. A substantial portion is devoted to artillery pieces, cannons, military carriages, and motorised vehicles. International themes appear in the Special English Assortment and the Italian Special Assortment, including figures related to the Italian–Abyssinian War.  

Please use the link below to download the catalogue (27 pages, 10.5 Mb):

J. K. SCH. – The Mystery Maker of 1930s German Composition Soldiers. 💥💥💥

Sharing a group of composition soldiers attributed to the unknown German manufacturer J. K. SCH., identified by the "J. K. SCH.” imprint on the figure bases. If anyone has catalog scans, advertisements, or more pieces stamped J. K. SCH., feel free to share—any new information helps shed light on this intriguing, still-unknown producer of 1930s Wehrmacht toy soldiers.

J.R.D. Composition Soldiers & Peugeot Military Truck (France, 1930s–1940s) 🚛🚛🚛🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷

A wonderful addition to my pre-war French collection: original J.R.D. composition soldiers paired with a J.R.D. military truck most likely modelled on the Peugeot DMA, introduced in 1940.

Luftwaffe Headquarters – Elastolin & Lineol, 1930s Germany

This composition depicts a Luftwaffe headquarters scene, assembled from original Elastolin and Lineol figures produced in Germany during the 1930s.The grouping includes Luftwaffe officers and soldiers. Figures representing Luftwaffe personnel by Elastolin and Lineol are notably rarer than Heer (Army) figures, as both manufacturers produced a far greater number of standard Wehrmacht and infantry sets. The Luftwaffe range was more limited, often featuring officers, pilots, or sentries rather than full combat series, which makes these air force figures particularly sought after by collectors today.