Brief History of Britains
Vintage and antique military figures for play and collecting are loved by boys young and old, and nobody did them better than Britains. Famous for quality and knowledge of authentic arms and uniforms, Britians was established in 1845 in London after French and German manufacturers demonstrated the success of mass produced figures as toys for children, and models for collectors.
Brief History of Lead Soldiers
The earliest mass-produced figures were made in the 18th in Germany. These were referred to as “flats, and were produced by pouring a tin alloy through a two piece mold that was clamped together. Semi-flats soon followed. These were more dimensional that flats, but not as three dimensional as solids, which were cast in a mold and made of solid led alloy. Solids were cast as one piece or parts that were then assembled, and became the most popular form for figures.
Hollow Casting- A Britains Brealthrough
In 1893, Britians had a major production breakthrough with the development of a technique for hollow casting. In this process, the outside layer cooled, forming a skin, and the excess still-liquid lead was poured out of a hole. In the days of cheap labor and expensive materials, hollow figures meant that Britains could manufacture their figures for lower costs than their German counterparts.
Values of Britains Figures
Britains still manufactures popular collectible figures, although they ceased the production of lead toys in the 1960’s, and had switched emphasis to plastic. In 1972, they reintroduced the metal figure. Collectors look for complete sets in original boxes, although any vintage figure in good condition is desirable. An 8 piece set of Dublin Fusiliers circa early 1900’s in its original box sold on eBay recently for $1,026.00. Individual figures of about the same vintage can be purchased at antique shows for $10-20, depending on amount of paint loss and rarity.