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Umm, what are these things? Mandy, Sue anyone


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Black and white bulll is definietly Timpo but I think the lying cows may be Britains as their legs are better positioned and cleaner cast also the angle of the head is more like Britains

Not certain about the man I thought he could be Charbens.  May not even be farm but military with a helmet.

Children may be Britains for see-saw

Stork could be John Hill

Is it a Lamb or calf at the back?

As to value - the condition is not great so not a lot.  I would expect to find most of the larger items in the 50p-£1.00 box althoughthe birds look in better condition so might be £2-3

Looking up these pieces is a tedious job because Norman Joplin, although comprehensive has a weird way of grouping items.  It is also better to have them "in hand" for a really good look and read/decipher whatever marks are on them.

Zoo pieces look good

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  • 10 months later...

This is my first post, so hello everyone. I only collect figures and old buildings, & don't collect modern tractors like the majority here at all. But it does mean i can answer questions like this, so:

Photo 1, Bull Timpo. Sitting sheep, probably Timpo but could be Benbros (they had some identical moulds, sometimes you can tell which by the painting). 2 sitting cows Britains. Stork almost certainly Taylor & Barrett, but the rarer JoHillCo stork is very similar. Tractor driver, I think Charbens. Kids with spread legs, Taylor & Barrett from zoo camel ride set.

Photo 2, Mounted Lifeguard probably Cherilea, remainder Britains second grade range for cheapy shops.

Photo 3, 'Homecasts', from Great Depression era when moulds were sold to people to make toy soldiers in their garden sheds to sell to earn a living.

Photo 4, Khaki soldiers & calf Britains, Sitting camel Crescent. Giraffe, Lion, Hyena & Baboon(?) all Taylor & Barrett.

Several months on I know, but I hope this helps. 

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Hello Nigel,

Well, sealed in a box settles it. I knew it was a girl, although perhaps a quite butch girl  ;), and have 2 of these drivers, both quite tatty and no tractor to go with them. These 2, and others I've seen are very simply spray painted, with just the face brush painted, which is different from most other Benbros items which are quite brightly painted, although not quite the detail of Timpo's painting on items where both companies made the same item, such as the farm labourer with pitchfork. What's your boxed driver painted like? 

Which brings up the confusing topic of identical figures being made(?) or at least sold, by several companies, including Bayswick and Kay, who bought (unpainted?) castings from several manufacturers and sold them in boxed sets under their names. Most of the companies were close to each other in a small part of London. I've even spotted one instance of the mighty Britains buying in, at least for a 'spare part'. Photos of their 1940 'Barracks and Parade Ground (I've never seen one up close in 'real life') appear to have T&B zoo gates. 

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the tractor driver is actually a land-girl....(observe the chest!) & definitely Benbros as I have an original mint one entrapped in the Fergie TE20 with cab and loader.

Merry Christmas all.

Nigel.

Oh well - I have one of these in fair condition and thought it wasCharbens, military drivers.  Now I can correct my database entry

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