Copyright 2002 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
What with the fascination young children have for animals, farm and animal sets are a mainstay among plastic toy figures. They vary from simple bags of plastic animals to the elaborate farm playsets by Marx and Ertl. Since 1999, we are seeing more sets of this type sold in clear plastic tubes. The tube sets are produced by any number of makers.
A typical farm-type set packed in a clear plastic tube and selling for $1.00 or less. Sets like this are common today. Note the oversize birds. The house was not part of the set - it is a Dept. 56 Village Smokehouse. |
This is the Lido farm set, recast by Tootsietoy. The set includes cows, horses, sheep, pigs, colts and calves. For at least 50 years, these sets have been produced. |
Another of those plastic tube sets, this one has a few items that are clones of Britains' farm toys. It comes with a few animals, trough, small hay stack, fences, tree, and even a terrain base and small windmill. |
Another look: both the ducks and the chicken have young with them, and the hog is suckling piglets. |
Zoo Set? Farm set? Caveman set? This Asian-made set is baffling, to say the least. It comes with either one of the cavemen shown above and an assortment of animals and accessories. The animals are those commonly found in zoo sets. There is also a tiny hut, target, working toy bow, spinners ,and a monkey with a flag. |
The yellow elephant in the right foreground is a small puzzle that has to be put together. Either this set is a weird amalgam of disconnected elements, a crude attempt at a cave man set, or perhaps is inspired by some Oriental legend which isn't well-known in the West. We don't know. This is the weirdest zoo animal set I have ever seen. |
Painted farm and zoo sets. These have the same label, but one contains wild animals and the other, domestic. |
Tiger and elephant
Hippopotamus and zebra |
Leopard and moose |
Black bear and dromedary camel |