Charbens

[david_scrivener]

Here is a link to a web page by Robert Newson about the old vehicles, including many horse drawn, the costermonger carts, etc.

http://www.charbens.info/Charbens-5.html

I wonder what happened within Charbens in the years of change from lead to plastic, as many of their lead figures were rather nice, but their plastic figures are almost all crude and horrible. 

[super6]

I followed the link and had a look. The farm set, in plastic, was very nice/desirable if a little crude, but full of charm. I presume this had one of everything available at the time of introduction.......... not a large range. I was unaware of the tractor and binder being available in plastic, along with horse drawn implements. I do have an unpainted example of the blacksmith with anvil as well as the farmer, again unpainted. The blacksmith is a little larger than 1/32 scale........about 60mm.

Photo to follow.........................

[david_scrivener]

My Charbens lead farm figures. Charming, but with a total disregard for keep to a constant scale.

These people made toys! Not models.

[david_scrivener]

Now my collection of Charbens plastic farm figures. They are even more 'toy-like' (or do I really mean 'rubbish'? ) than their lead figures.

The first brown farmer is an earlier figure, made from their lead mould, much nicer than the replacement farmer (here in 2 colour versions)

hammer is broken off blacksmith's hand (perhaps I'll eventually get a better example).

Charbens plastic cattle + a goat. They also made a brown version of the goat (I notice Mandy has one)

Since taking this photo I've discovered there are a couple of 'intruders' here. The brown horse on the top right isn't Charbens. I'm not sure who made it, but at present I think Paramount, a short lived company owned by Mr Lucas after his original company 'Sacul' (Lucas spelled backwards) closed down. The brown horse, 2nd row, middle of photo, I've since discovered by the confusing Speedwell/UNA/VP combo of companies.