P is for Perfect Polymer Propine - Animals

Continuing to look at Theo's donation, a post I told him I was hoping to publish several days ago, but I am struggling, not writer's block - I can talk for England - but something more existential, or malaise-like! Anyway, some lovely items in this lot . . .

 

These are very useful, in the study of the novelty end of things; they appear to be the same as the various, brighter-coloured ones we got (still occasionally get) in Christmas crackers, but in a more realistic brown/black combo'. And I'm looking forward to comparing all these relief-flats, when they are eventually brought together.

 

Various - probably - Hong Kong animals, including a very clean-paint cow, and a deer/antelope I don't think I've seen before, who, despite a missing foreleg, will occupy an important position in the collection, as first/only sample. And two black panthers!

 

These are almost certainly from a sled or sleigh of some description, judging by the opposite-side mounting holes, but who/where? I suspect that Manurba-Dom-Heinerle-Big combine, but I'm not sure, and was it Wild West, Arctic Natives, Antarctic exploration or something else?

 

I think these must be East German, they are a heavy synthetic, or actual [shoe] rubber, which was a favoured material on the other side of 'The Wire', and I'm hoping they will be in one of the Jürgen R Schüler volumes, which are in storage at the moment.

 

This is also interesting, slightly Hong Kong'y, but also looking a bit like some of the Prior stuff, it'll need a bit of research on the animal forums, but a cheerful-looking addition to the stash!

 

While this bunch, hopefully a full set (of ten) might be European or Hong Kong'ese, and may well be a set of premiums, certainly not a set I've seen before, and quality is possibly too good for HK, so some Euro-premium issuer? However, in the style of the Airfix dogs, with hollow-undersides, they have something in common with a set of HK wild animals (Elephant, Lion, Monkey), seen here before.

 

Lovely set of - probably - French figures, in soft polyethylene, I'm not sure if the more cartoon'ish Duck, front left, is part of the set, or even the same manufacturer (see also next shot), but they are all new to me/the collection, and the Peacock is lovely.

 

Slightly lesser quality, perhaps? But the Swan maybe belongs in the previous sample, and they could all be from the same source, especially coming together, as they did?

 

Many thanks to Theo for all these, a really useful bunch on animals, a branch of the hobby much bigger than Toy Soldiers, and about which i know little, but will gen-up over time!