Preiser
The company 'Preiser' is
well know for high quality toy figures and model railroad accessories.
They also produce the 'Elastolin' figures after Mr. Preiser bought the
whole equipment at the auction of the bankrupt 'Hausser' company. |
This information
should give you a short overview of the 'Hausser' Elastolin plastic figures.
olystyrol-plastic figures in 7 or 4 cm size have been produced by the company
Hausser
in Germany for more then 25 years. They became bankrupt in 29. june 1983.
Fortunately the whole equipment necessary for producing these fine figures
was bought by Preiser, toy manufacturer in Germany and most of the
figures are now again available.
Hausser
The company 'Hausser' was
founded in 1904 near Stuttgart in Germany by the brothers Otto and Max
Hausser. From the beginning they produced small figures out of sawdust
and glue and wire. This material was called 'Masse' (which means translated
'substance'). First in 10-14 cm size, after 1912 they started also with
the famous 7 cm sized toy figures. The company Pfeiffer in Vienna, brandname
Tipple Topple and Durolin, was taken over by Hausser in 1925. In the mid
1930th the factory was transferred to Neustadt near Coburg. Most off the
produced stuff was war toys. Toy soldiers out of 'Masse' (sawdust and glue)
and excellent cars and cannons in metal has been produced by 'Hausser'
in excellent quality. The company continued toy production up until 1943
during World War II. After the defeat of Germany, the production started
again around 1946.
Mr. Rolf Hausser, the technical
manager, started in 1939 against the opposition of the head office, to
develop a way to produce toy figures in plastic. In 1955 the first 'Wild
West' figures were introduced, soon the 'Karl May' and 'Prince Eisenherz'
series followed. This first series are also called the 'J' Series. Then
the catalog of 1967 offered the last 'Masse' figures. In addition to their
war toys and castles, the company produced a lot of civilian toys (animals,
farmers).
Elastolin
The brand 'Elastolin' was
used by 'Hausser' since the beginning. Because there was no possibility
to protect this brandname, Elastolin is now accepted as a generic term
for almost any composition figure. A porridge-like mixture of sawdust,
cassein glue and kaolin has been pressed in a brass mold and a wire strengthener
has been applied. These halves has then been joined, pre dried and heated.
Afterwards these figures have then been hand painted. These technique is
also used for 'Lineol' figures, which are compatible to Elastolin
figures. 'Lineol' has nothing to do with 'Hausser' or 'Elastolin'.
After introduction of the
plastic figures in 1955 the name 'Elastolin' has also been used for these
types. If you ask for elastolin its a good idea to check weather you talk
about composition or plastic models. From here on we are talking only about
plastic figures! There is a wide range of variations in style and painting.
The older types ('J' series) was sprayed in a brass mold, which wear out
very fast. The figures then have been new designed and sprayed in steel
mold. There are three main painting variations. Characteristic for 'Hausser'
figures is the oval socket, which has been used before World War I. The
first used socket on plastics was the dark green 'J' type with a high dot
and a printed 'J' underneath. The next used sockets didn't have the printed
'J' and varied in color. If you wonder, how to distinguish between the
high priced, antic 'Hausser' figures and the cheaper 'Preiser' manufactured
figures, there is an easy hint. As you see on this picture the 'Preiser'
socket don't have a protruding dot.
|
