I is for Infant Farm

When Chris Smith sent me that load of stuff the other month, he was particularly interested to see what I picked as highlights, and what I didn't, also he asked specifically about these, and I said I had some in storage and would wait until I'd got them out before blogging them.

Well, they are out, so we’re looking at them! They are a very different kettle of ball-game fish but I do like them, there is something of the nineteen-seventies filtered through an Art Deco trope about them and they are figural and fun!

These are the ones Chris sent me, the farmer has lost his hand but that doesn't matter; a sample is better than no sample - and we'll see in a minute; it's an important sample! And hopefully you can see what I mean about 'art deco seventies'!

These were the ones I had in storage, colours are different, but that's not all as we'll see in a minute. I'm loving the trees and the sheep remind me of Wallace & Gromit, despite being nothing like Shaun and his flock!

If you found these as singles or matching pairs you might think they were game-playing pieces, while my three people (from the left; Policeman, Milkman and Postman) look quite Chigley and Trumpton!

I cropped this out of a feebleBay lot a while ago (which had other equally interesting toys to either end), and we can see picket fences (which I think I may have somewhere else) horses in black and white, a dog and farm/village buildings (again; I think I may have the one with an overhanging roof (yellow walls) somewhere) and a fir tree. I also think pigs may turn-up, indeed I'm hoping I may have one or two elsewhere, but nothing springs to mind by way of picturing them so it may only be a hope!

I'm guessing these were by someone like Pedigree (Tri-Ang), [Hestair] Kiddycraft or maybe Galt, but the design-heavy styling could point to something as off-the-wall as Heals or Habitat 'early learners'? The German wooden-toy influence in the buildings is cancelled out by the British 'Bobby' with his distinctive helmet. But . . .

. . . the real present of Chris's donation, is that his are different to mine. His are almost certainly the British originals, while mine are Hong Kong copies!

Not only are mine marked Hong Kong while the ones Chris sent to the Blog are unmarked, but mine are cruder castings, with the cow having sharper edges and lacking the subtle curves to the calves (hocks?). You can see the HK one has heavier ears as well!

Now, I'm not saying they are piracies, we saw with the Britains Herald Khaki Infantry and Wild West how the quality dropped-off after production was moved to HK by the parent company, and it's very possible the two types here were issued in the same packaging by the same brand, but it's nice to have two variants to look-out for. I'll be looking for pigs and a baby fir too!

Do you know anything about them? Brand? How many people/professions are there? Cheers Chris; more to find though!