Plastic Figure Showcase Part 6 July 2018 Starlux Toy Soldiers this post will look at Starlux. This fine company started in the late 40’s and did many various figures. The first time I met these figures was in the 50’s when their Michel line was sold in the local five and dime. I discovered the Starlux line in early 1980’s at a MFCA show. Over the years I have added many interesting figures.
Plastic Figure Showcase Part 6 July 2018 Starlux Toy Soldiers Figures
We start off with two Starlux pirates with flag. The one on the left is from their Michel line which was out in the 50’s. The pirate on the right is a later production of the pirate for the Starlux line. Looking at the two figure I feel that Starlux did not reuse their mold but made a new one. The original Michel was very likely pantagraphed to make the new figure.
Starlux did a wide range of western figures. They did a saloon girl which I am sure many collectors would have liked for their western town. These figures are hard to find.
When Starlux decided to do their World War Two German soldiers, they did an adolf Hitler. This figure did not last long in the line due to complaints from parents.
Here we have another of the Early Starlux pirates. This one is missing his sword. 
Starlux did a nice series of foot and mounted Romans. The above photo is of the centurion.
Starlux did a series of pioneers. All of the pioneers are in buckskins and coonskin hats. As you can see they did some unusual poses.
Finally we have one of the women band figures. These were done for the circus series. Starlux did a wide range of figures for the circus. We will show more figures in the future.
Starlux seemed to be the French answer to Germany’s Elastolin — not quite as great or artistic in sculpting as Elastolin’s Medieval and Ancient ranges, but Elastolin set such a high standard that was difficult for anyone to ever equal.
Nevertheless, Starlux made nice interesting figures which were well worth collecting. Like the pioneer depicted above, there were many unusual, unique poses, and ultimately Starlux made figures across an expansive historical range, which seemed to encompass nearly all historical periods, from ancient to modern.
I especially liked the Starlux Romans, Barbarians, Medievals, and Napoleonics. These deluxe lines were beautifully painted. And the Starlux marching bands are absolutely great.
When James Delson’s Toy Soldier Company started importing Starlux in the 1980s and 90s, I acquired quite a few sets. They were so reasonably priced back then I wish I had gotton all of them. Getting them today, like Elastolin, can be pretty expensive.
there waslimited source for the figures here in the United States. I ordered for awhile until he stopped from a collector in CT. It has been hit and miss. I feel many the figures will be much more expensive if I ever get to France. At PW I passed on Britains Napoleonic mounted as they were 12 pounds ($15.72) as they were too expensive for resale.
I agree with Don.
Starlux figures to me are exotic. They were hard to find & always seemed to be available in limited numbers. Their poses were unique & the subject matter was broader than most makers ever tried to produce. I remain on the hunt for more 40mm knights since I bought my first ones around 1963.
Starlux figures are among my favourites.
Thanks very much, Paul, for sharing these figures with us.
Had a couple of the saloon girls – so I converted them to WWII USMC…no, just kidding. I did repaint and made some minor changes to one of them. I also have a Starlux ‘cowgirl’ in riding britches , standing firing a revolver – splendidly feisty figure!
that’s a nice pose of a legion aquilifer. you don’t see those manufactured too often.
I bought several hundred unpainted Starlux western figures sight-unseen from The Toy Soldier Company back in the late 80s when Jamie Delson was importing them at 25 bucks for a bag of 50 foot or 25 mounted. The descriptions of the poses sounded good, so I got US Cavalry mounted and foot, Sioux mounted and foot, Apaches mounted and foot and Cowboys mounted and foot. I also bought a bag of painted pirates with one figure per pose and that Hitler. I always thought they should have glued Hitler’s left non-saluting arm so it rested on his chest. It looks awkward halfway up like that.
The Starlux plastic has a (to me) unpleasant smell. French collectors probably love the smell, though and think our brands of plastic figures stink. They are also pretty brittle compared to what I was used to. I still have most of them. Maybe one day I will sell them on eBay. I liked the mounted Indian sets, but the rest of the figures kind of disappointed me.
I keep hearing about this problem with Starlux figures were they sometimes develop a fungus or something that causes them to crumble even while stored. Has anyone encountered that problem or is it unique to 40mm?
Mine don’t have any fungus, at least they didn’t have any last year when I last checked. I just had to glue on a couple of weapons.
I think Erwin once said Starlux were made with a plastic derived from plant cellulose. That might have something to do with it.
I havenot had any problems with them.
Hi Ed
I have never encountered the issue of a fungus on my 4omm Starlux figures. I have noticed that some have a very unique smell & that when repainted the paint often remains tacky even after years of sitting in an enclosed cabinet. These figures are from the cheaper toy painted versions rather than the more expensive range that were boxed & glued in place. (there always is a fine layer of paper on the bottom of the base)
All of these figures are brittle.
I bought some Starlux WWII Russians years ago by mail order, thinking they were 54mm but found they were more like 60mm when I received them. They seemed kinda crude detail-wise, I put them away in a box instead of setting them up for display. They’re still around here somewhere but I’d have to dig for them. I never searched out any additional Starlux figures after that.
Remember, Starlux always made TWO levels of figures:
1. The inexpensive economy brand, sculpted in a more simplistic way, and somewhat poorly painted; and
2. The Deluxe brand, which had much better sculpting with quite detailed painting which approached (even if not quite reaching) Elastolin standards.
The Starlux Romans, Napoleonics, and many of the Medievals (especially the mounted) were all part of the Starlux deluxe range, and were very worthy figures.
I really didn’t find either the Economy or the Deluxe ranges to be any more breakable than any other hard plastic figures (like Elastolin). Being hard plastic, of course, I had to be a little more gentle with them, like laying them neatly, one at a time, in a box for storage, rather than grabbing them by the handful to pile in plastic bags.
As I said, I wish back then (when Jamie Delson was importing the entire Starlux line) I had gotton more of them. But back in that seeming “golden age” in the 1980s and 90s everything seemed so abundant it was difficult to afford everything that was coming out.
Today, these lines aren’t “abundant” anymore, dealers have sold down their stock, new production of many of these figures has ceased (meaning that stocks can’t be replenished), and prices for Elastolin and Starlux (and certain other things like Britain’s Deetail mounted Napoleonics) have become somewhat exhorbitant, especially if you’re trying to assemble a big diorama.