Elastolin - Post-World War II Production

Post-World War II Production

Limited production of composition figures resumed several years after the end of World War II in 1945 subject to the strict terms of "de-Nazification." Post-war production included the politically inoffensive Swiss figures with their black German-style helmets and black ankle boots, and a new line of American army figures wearing the dark olive uniform and "steel pot" style helmet of the WWII-era US Army.

Figures representing the post-war Bundeswehr and Austrian armies went into production after "West Germany" and Austria were again allowed to form military forces.

Hausser continued to use the brand name Elastolin when it began production of figures in a hard polystyrene plastic in 1955 (production of figures in the older sawdust-based composition material continued). In the years that followed the company produced Roman soldiers, Huns, Vikings, Normans, Landsknechts and 17th-century Turks. Hausser-Elastolin also manufactured personality figures of Prince Valiant and at least one or two other characters from the popular comic strip and feature film.

Some of the old figure lines -- Medieval figures, "Trappers" (cowboys), American Indians and de-Nazified figures of World War-II era German soldiers—were also manufactured in plastic. Hausser had exclusive rights to produce figures for the works of Karl May, a German author whose tales of the American "Wild West" captured the imaginations of several generations of German boys, and so there are plastic figures representing several of May's best-known characters.

Along with these figures came an impressive new line of catapults, siege towers, a battering ram, camp fences, and early artillery pieces.

Collectors recognize several distinct production series (or types) of these plastic figures. The early lines were sold fully painted as with the older composition figures, a later line was sold unpainted. Plastic figures cannot be correctly identified or appraised in terms of value without reference to the color of the plastic. Beyond that, the rarity (and value) of some figures is also determined by the color of their clothing; some colors are rarer than others.

The 1980 catalog includes Romans, Vikings, Huns, Normans/Medieval figures (including Prince Valiant and Sir Gawain), Landsknechts, Turks, American Indians, cowboys, US cavalry, Karl May characters, Arabs, US War of Independence figures (US regulars and militia, English and German), Prussian soldiers, Union and Confederate soldiers from the American Civil War, contemporary Swiss and Austrian soldiers, de-Nazified World War-II era German soldiers, and two figures representing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The cowboys included two masked outlaws and several men wearing buckskin rather than cloth. The line also included the unfortunate prisoner tied to a tree.

In addition to all the fighting men where were also some civilians—a blacksmith and several helpers with a forge and well from the Middle Ages, and a few Caucasian women and children from the American "Wild West" as the counterparts for the American Indian women and children. Each of the Revolutionary War forces could call on the services of a woman holding a cup in one hand a larger container in the other—presumably both held water.

Historical personality figurers in 1980 included Götz von Berlichingen, Georg von Frundsberg and Friedrich der Große. One of the several Revolutionary War figures was certainly intended to be George Washington, but the catalog did not identify him as such.

Wheeled vehicles included a four-horse Roman chariot, a Kampfwagen (battle wagen) of the European late-Middle Ages, an American stage coach drawn by two horses, and an American covered wagen (also drawn by two horses)

Hausser stopped manufacturing figures from composite materials in 1969. Production of plastic figures continued through 1982. The company filed for bankruptcy in June 1983 and ceased production by the end of the year.