347:
38:
253:, such as "US Army Training Center" and the later "Battleground" sets. A rival manufacturer, the Multiple Plastics Corporation (MPC) also sold plastic figures in various colors with different separate accessories, so the same figures could be kitted out as soldiers (green), farmers, pioneers or cowboys (brown), policemen (blue), ski troopers (white) spacemen (various colors), or
364:
260:
The economy of plastic sold in bulk, popularity of army men, and competition with manufacturers led to army men being sold in large bags by Marx, Tim-Mee Toys and MPC for as little as a penny a piece in the mid-1960s. During this time, Marx gave the
American army men actual enemy soldiers to fight
67:
available in hobby shops, army men are sold at low prices in discount stores and supermarkets. Army men are traditionally solid green or tan and almost always dressed in modern military uniforms and armed with 20th-century weapons. 'Jumbo' army men are a less common secondary scale with 4.75-inch
229:
of another pre-war plastic figure company, Universal
Plastics with their figures remaining for sale when lead toy production was stopped in 1942. The Beton figures were painted like metal figures and sold the same as their metal brethren; individually or in a boxed set of around seven figures.
337:
In
September of 2019, BMC Toys, a maker of army men, announced that army women would be sold in 2020. This announcement was made due to popular request from female veterans and toy fans. The most well-known request is from a six-year-old girl who sent a handwritten letter for them to be made.
237:
Following World War II, plastic manufacture was seen as an industry with growth potential with many old and new companies making plastic figures that were widely available in the United States. Army men following the war were sold unpainted, usually in a green color corresponding to
136:
that were issued to US soldiers during the middle to late 20th century. Typical accoutrements depicted are often 1960s-era M1911 style pistols, ammunition pouches, and water canteens. Army men are sometimes packaged with additional accessories including
333:
In addition to army men, other inexpensive, plastic toy figures are also commonly available. Toy cowboys and
Indians, farm sets, spacemen, knights, dinosaurs, firemen, police officers and other playsets are often sold alongside army men.
317:
and do not include the extensive accessories that were common in Marx playsets. They are also smaller on average, often not much more than 2.5 cm (one inch) high. Most of these figures are generic imitations of
408:
Because these toys do not cost much, they are virtually disposable. They encourage a variety of creative types of play, because they can be set up in many different ways. They are especially well suited for the
460:
556:
677:
76:
Plastic army men are sold in plastic bags or buckets, and in multiple colors to represent opposing sides. They are equipped with a variety of weapons, typically from
626:
481:
impersonates a thief disguised as street mime. Dressed as a green army man, his skin, helmet and uniform are completely painted in the typical bright green color.
424:
weapon policies. On one occasion, children were asked to clip the weapons off of plastic army men on display during an elementary school graduation ceremony. When
435:
An unusual use for army men was attaching poems to them and scattering them around in a "guerrilla poetry" scheme. They have also been the exclusive (albeit
749:
498:
432:, the green army men were not featured with weapons, but only the variations of leader, radio operator, minesweeper, and man with binoculars.
650:
294:, sales and availability of military toys began to decline alongside the unpopularity of the war and the higher prices of plastic from the
239:
707:
502:
281:), and Russians. One of their last and largest playsets was the multi-level "Fortress Navarone" mountain set based on
753:
378:
placed the army men on their list of 100 most popular toys of all time. This cultural phenomenon was represented in
193:, and as such, historical and chronological accuracy are generally not a priority. They can be found in stores like
802:
222:
346:
600:
357:
812:
807:
283:
455:
31:
666:
421:
57:
729:
389:
17:
772:
491:
469:
303:
299:
246:
464:
based upon the short story, feature plastic army men who come alive with sinister intentions.
402:
352:
704:
8:
797:
792:
787:
782:
777:
486:
298:. Since 1975 many manufacturers of plastic soldiers in Europe and US closed, for example
474:
270:
254:
287:, which was available in the 1970s and pitted World War II Americans against Germans.
274:
226:
327:
206:
170:
711:
665:
Photo of the original Green Army Men from the Burger King children's meal, 1995.
561:
385:
372:
295:
266:
230:
Following World War II, Beton modified their figures in an attempt to change the
142:
121:
750:"How, Why, and when Russia Will Deploy Little Green Men – and Why the US Cannot"
198:
97:
723:
766:
587:
514:
182:
178:
174:
117:
529:
524:
451:
444:
319:
262:
105:
77:
205:
and military collection shops and are often bought online from shops like
56:
that are about 5 cm (2.0 in) tall and most commonly molded from
534:
478:
440:
436:
425:
417:
with rubber balls or marbles, which can be rolled or thrown at army men.
291:
250:
231:
202:
190:
93:
64:
53:
678:"Students learn the pen is mightier than the sword in guerilla exercise"
388:
in the 1990s. Green army men were also among the characters in the 1995
307:
166:
154:
150:
85:
576:
Collecting
American Made Toy Soldiers - Identification and Value Guide
414:
397:
185:, to save on production and packaging costs. Army men are considered
158:
146:
133:
81:
627:"A 7-year-old's wish has come true: Green army women are a reality"
519:
380:
277:" Marx set featured Allies such as French (horizon blue), British (
129:
63:, which makes them durable and flexible. Unlike the more expensive
37:
497:
Russian masked soldiers operating inside
Ukraine during the 2014
420:
Army men have been banned from schools and daycare programs with
410:
194:
125:
113:
101:
60:
473:, a 2013 Spanish horror-comedy film co-written and directed by
323:
109:
265:
soldiers (molded in gray) in their 1962 "Army Combat" set and
691:
392:
314:
278:
162:
89:
461:
Nightmares and
Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King
363:
210:
138:
494:, there are several hero skins with green army men theme.
186:
80:
to the current era, often depicting the 1964 Vietnam-era
181:. Their vehicles are usually manufactured in a smaller
128:. They may also have radio men, binocular scouts, and
221:
The first
American plastic toy soldiers were made by
656:. Torrance, California. Retrieved September 2, 2011
225:(Beton for short) in 1938. Beton also acquired the
601:"BMC Toys: Plastic Army Women Project: Update #11"
505:" in reference to the green plastic toy soldiers.
249:sold boxed sets of figures and accessories called
68:(12.1 cm) soldiers made by the same process.
764:
384:, a popular series of video games introduced by
725:Heroes of the Storm: The toys are back in town!
651:"RPV school apologizes for graduation-cap flap"
499:annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
313:Today most army men are made inexpensively in
551:
549:
273:" set that was released in 1963. In 1965, a "
565:, February 16, 2011. Notes: Ranked 13 of 100
443:featuring an instrumental track by the band
405:. Gummy army men candy are also available.
240:United States Army uniforms in World War II
568:
546:
588:T. Shell and A. Shell, Army Men Homepage.
362:
345:
216:
132:. The traditional helmets are the older
36:
624:
234:type helmet into the World War II one.
14:
765:
341:
269:soldiers (molded in yellow) in their "
490:(2015), a multiplayer video game by
692:"Choreography for Plastic Army Men"
625:Rockett, Darcel (9 December 2020).
428:released tie-in toys for the movie
24:
649:Clinton, P. (September 12, 2007).
25:
824:
754:Foreign Policy Research Institute
213:and random collectible websites.
223:Bergen Toy & Novelty Company
742:
732:from the original on 2021-12-19
716:
698:
330:. They vary widely in quality.
684:
670:
659:
643:
618:
593:
581:
245:Beginning in the early 1950s,
71:
13:
1:
590:Retrieved on Dec. 23rd, 2010.
540:
557:"All-Time 100 Greatest Toys"
322:sets from such companies as
7:
508:
257:soldiers in blue and gray.
10:
829:
705:Film Factory Entertainment
358:Disney's Hollywood Studios
29:
458:", and a 2006 episode of
32:Army men (disambiguation)
58:low-density polyethylene
578:. Beton. KP Books, 1996
470:Witching & Bitching
300:John Hill & Company
803:War in popular culture
492:Blizzard Entertainment
368:
360:
304:Louis Marx and Company
247:Louis Marx and Company
42:
366:
349:
217:History and varieties
40:
605:BMC Toy Soldier Shop
350:Green army man from
284:The Guns of Navarone
141:(often based on the
134:M1 "steel pot" style
30:For other uses, see
27:Plastic toy soldiers
487:Heroes of the Storm
342:Army men in culture
813:Works about armies
808:1938 introductions
710:2014-12-30 at the
631:chicagotribune.com
475:Álex de la Iglesia
369:
361:
255:American Civil War
43:
41:Bucket of army men
680:. 28 August 2011.
574:O'Brien, Richard
555:Allie Townsend -
501:became known as "
84:rifle with fixed
16:(Redirected from
820:
758:
757:
746:
740:
739:
738:
737:
720:
714:
702:
696:
695:
688:
682:
681:
674:
668:
663:
657:
647:
641:
640:
638:
637:
622:
616:
615:
613:
612:
597:
591:
585:
579:
572:
566:
553:
503:little green men
88:. These include
50:plastic soldiers
21:
828:
827:
823:
822:
821:
819:
818:
817:
763:
762:
761:
748:
747:
743:
735:
733:
722:
721:
717:
712:Wayback Machine
703:
699:
694:. 19 July 2011.
690:
689:
685:
676:
675:
671:
664:
660:
648:
644:
635:
633:
623:
619:
610:
608:
607:. November 2020
599:
598:
594:
586:
582:
573:
569:
554:
547:
543:
511:
395:animated film,
344:
296:1973 oil crisis
219:
165:, army trucks,
143:M48 Patton tank
98:submachine guns
74:
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
826:
816:
815:
810:
805:
800:
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
760:
759:
741:
715:
697:
683:
669:
658:
642:
617:
592:
580:
567:
544:
542:
539:
538:
537:
532:
527:
522:
517:
510:
507:
439:) actors in a
422:zero tolerance
367:Army men candy
343:
340:
218:
215:
199:Dollar General
179:fortifications
73:
70:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
825:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
773:Toy figurines
771:
770:
768:
755:
751:
745:
731:
727:
726:
719:
713:
709:
706:
701:
693:
687:
679:
673:
667:
662:
655:
652:
646:
632:
628:
621:
606:
602:
596:
589:
584:
577:
571:
564:
563:
558:
552:
550:
545:
536:
533:
531:
528:
526:
523:
521:
518:
516:
515:Action figure
513:
512:
506:
504:
500:
495:
493:
489:
488:
482:
480:
476:
472:
471:
465:
463:
462:
457:
454:short story "
453:
448:
446:
442:
438:
433:
431:
427:
423:
418:
416:
412:
406:
404:
403:three sequels
400:
399:
394:
391:
387:
383:
382:
377:
375:
365:
359:
355:
354:
348:
339:
335:
331:
329:
325:
321:
316:
311:
309:
305:
301:
297:
293:
288:
286:
285:
280:
276:
272:
268:
264:
258:
256:
252:
248:
243:
241:
235:
233:
228:
224:
214:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
192:
188:
184:
180:
176:
175:landing craft
172:
168:
164:
160:
156:
152:
148:
144:
140:
135:
131:
127:
123:
119:
118:flamethrowers
115:
111:
107:
106:sniper rifles
103:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
69:
66:
62:
59:
55:
51:
47:
39:
33:
19:
744:
734:, retrieved
724:
718:
700:
686:
672:
661:
654:Daily Breeze
653:
645:
634:. Retrieved
630:
620:
609:. Retrieved
604:
595:
583:
575:
570:
560:
530:Model figure
525:List of toys
496:
485:
483:
468:
466:
459:
456:Battleground
452:Stephen King
449:
445:Pink Martini
434:
429:
419:
413:, or simple
407:
396:
379:
373:
370:
351:
336:
332:
320:model figure
312:
289:
282:
259:
244:
236:
220:
191:scale models
171:fighter jets
130:minesweepers
94:machine guns
78:World War II
75:
65:toy soldiers
54:toy soldiers
49:
45:
44:
535:Toy playset
479:Mario Casas
441:music video
437:stop-motion
426:Burger King
302:, Reamsa,
292:Vietnam War
290:During the
232:World War I
203:Hobby Lobby
167:helicopters
155:half-tracks
72:Description
798:1980s toys
793:1970s toys
788:1960s toys
783:1950s toys
778:1940s toys
767:Categories
736:2019-12-17
636:2020-12-21
611:2020-12-21
541:References
308:Dinky Toys
151:hovercraft
86:M7 bayonet
450:The 1972
430:Toy Story
398:Toy Story
371:In 2011,
353:Toy Story
159:artillery
730:archived
708:Archived
520:Figurine
509:See also
415:wargames
401:and its
381:Army Men
376:magazine
328:Matchbox
271:Iwo Jima
267:Japanese
261:such as
251:playsets
189:and not
149:, armed
126:bazookas
114:grenades
102:shotguns
46:Army men
411:sandbox
195:Walmart
122:mortars
110:pistols
61:plastic
18:Armymen
390:Disney
324:Airfix
306:, and
263:German
207:Amazon
124:, and
90:rifles
52:, are
393:Pixar
315:China
279:khaki
275:D-Day
227:molds
183:scale
163:flags
147:jeeps
139:tanks
48:, or
562:Time
374:Time
326:and
211:eBay
187:toys
177:and
82:M-16
484:In
467:In
386:3DO
356:at
145:),
104:,
769::
752:.
728:,
629:.
603:.
559:,
548:^
477:,
447:.
310:.
242:.
209:,
201:,
197:,
173:,
169:,
161:,
157:,
153:,
120:,
116:,
112:,
108:,
100:,
96:,
92:,
756:.
639:.
614:.
34:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
