Speedwell/UNA/VP

[super6]

I bought these last year because I liked them and had not seen their like before............or since really

in more detail, front

from behind

with a figure for size comparison

not to sure whether this is for farming or soldiers as more like a damaged building than a farm accessory

[super6]

hay/straw pile

back

with figure for scale comparison 

 

Stile

back 

again with figure for scale comparison

 

There are no markings on these what so ever

[MDFord]

Nice little find Paul. Never seen those before, but always a pleasure to see the "accessories" like these.

 

Reminds me of the sort of items you could buy cheaply when as a kid you didn't have enough money for a tractor or implement.

 

Have you shown any of your collection in a topic before ?

[david_scrivener]

The scenic pieces were made by the linked group of companies, Speedwell, UNA and VP. It is believed, but not verified, that Speedwell did the actual manufacturing for all three, but many identical items turn up marked with all three names, or not marked at all.

As you suggest, most of them were sold with World War 2 type soldiers, mostly in small boxed sets of one scenic piece and two soldiers, but some of them, especially the hay/straw heap with pitchfork, were also sold in small farm boxed sets.

 

The tramp figure in the last photo is a rare plastic version of a previous lead item by JoHillCo.

 

Can you change the title of the thread to 'Speewell/UNA/VP' ?

 

I'll look out my photo of items by them, and post here shortly, along with a bit more info about the companies. 

[david_scrivener]

Farm figures (rather crude) made(?) & sold by Speedwell, UNA, VP, and for this range also another company, Trojan.

 

 

Speedwell/UNA/VP battlefield/farm/wherever scenery pieces in my collection (there were more I don't have):

 

 

Similar scenery items made by JoHillCo in their brief attempt at making plastic toys (along with the tramp) in the 1950s, before they went bust.

 

 

The soldiers to go with all of them (including JoHillCo) were copies of the common Britains/Herald Khaki soldiers, some of the Timpo US GIs, and the Kentoys sitting machine gunner. (JoHillCo also copied some Starlux soldiers)

 

Speedwell, UNA and VP were all based in London, and as far as is known, all owned by Jewish families who had fled the Nazis during the 1930s. The name of the owner of Speedwell isn't known, but was almost certainly Jewish because Speedwell's business premises, 34 Settles Street, in the Whitechapel area, was later converted into a synagogue, and is the only premises out of the three big enough to actually be a factory. UNA was owned by brothers Abraham and Chone Unterman, and it is thought the company name came from UNterman, Abraham, and their registered office, and base for sales, was initially a private house in Highfield Avenue, NW11. Hence it seem likely they bought in rather than made anything. The family originally came from Lithuania, and for Abraham Unterman, dealing in toys was a brief career break from his main life, before and after, as a Rabbi and academic. He also had another little business during his toy period, 1958-63, 'UNA Pen Co.', which leads me on to VP, short for Verity Pen Co., who presumably did toys as a sideline. Again, nothing much known about the people, except they were probably Jewish refugees, and the business was a room in an office block, Damoc House, Alfred Place, WC1 - so again no manufacturing. They seem to have been in business 1957 to '65.    

[super6]

Hi Mark

            a little quirky these and as David confirmed more for military figures, but they are different and appealed to me when I saw them. I didn't have much money to spend either when I was a nipper, I never saw anything like this though. I can just about remember buying a single solitary figure with my pocket money, about 5 new pence for a knight of all things! well I was little and easily swayed

 

Glad you found them interesting

 

I have posted some of my collection on here before, mostly in the/my Britains POS thread along with a few other small threads and the odd reply in other peoples.  

 

David

        these are what I alluded to in a PM some time ago, sorry for the delay in posting   

[david_scrivener]

Paul,

As you started the thread, you'd better be the one to ask a Mod to do the thread name change. (Edit: I see now done. Thanks.)

I have some more Speedwell/UNA/VP figures I could add to the thread, but they're soldiers, cowboys & indians, not farm.

The whole range of all three companies didn't amount to much though, so it wouldn't take up much space.

David.

[david_scrivener]

Here are my Speedwell/UNA/VP Cowboys & Indians, most, but not quite all they made.

 

Those of you who collect figures other than farm might find them useful to identify some 'unknowns'. Most are copies of other makes, which many collectors write off as being of no interest, and probably made in Hong Kong. These are clearly more interesting, and hey, I've noticed even 1960s Hong Kongs are fetching good prices and more interest nowadays.   

 

First the Cowboys:

 

 

As you see, most are copies of the Herald Cowboys in weird colours, plus the copy of the 1958-60 Cherilea running Cowboy with rifle over his head. I'm missing the kneeling firing rifle and mounted with lasso Herald copies. Note the legs of the swoppet type cowboy - he has the same legs as Speedwell used for some swoppet type khaki soldiers, with short boots & anklets. Speedwell also made a copy of the Charbens kneeling firing pistol Cowboy, and maybe more as yet unknown.

[*** in the S-word due to stupid censoring system on this forum, not my fault]

Now the Indians:

 

 

1st photo: Copies of Herald Indian chiefs, squaw, etc. Note unique Speedwell horse and shortened copy of Herald Totem Pole, + cacti.

2nd photo: Slightly smaller than standard 1/32 scale Indians. These may be original Speedwell designs, or if copies, I don't know who they were copying with these.

3rd photo: Rather grand, larger than standard 1/32 scale, copies of Elastolin Indians. There were also 2 similar mounted Cowboys, which I don't have.

 

Speedwell did another set, which I don't have any of, Foreign Legion & Arabs, with one scenic piece, 'Oasis', a small plastic pond with a palm tree (I do have the pond/oasis, but sadly, missing the palm tree).    

[super6]

In picture two I've seen the horse stance before but cannot remember where, it may even be from another manufacturers lead range!

[david_scrivener]

In picture two I've seen the horse stance before but cannot remember where, it may even be from another manufacturers lead range!

 

The Britains/Herald plastic Trojan General's horse is quite similar, but not exactly the same, tail and back legs a bit different.