Camels, Riders Circus Figures Elastolin Charbens we are going to take a look at some interesting figures. First, we will look at various camels with riders. Next we will share some circus figures.
Camels, Riders Circus Figures Camels and riders
One set of figures I like to acquire is riders with a camel. The first one of this type I believe that I acquired was Elastolin Arab on the camel. He was part of the Oriental series that we showed recently. The camel is standing still with his rider pointing with a rifle to the side. As far as I know, this figure is not related to a character in the stories.
Timpo did two camels for their swoppet Arab series. The two types are standing and running. The running camel is preferred by most Timpo collectors. One disappointment that Timpo did not so an Arab firing rifle. Also hilarious is seeing the Arab with rock overhead on a camel. The other poses are as follows:
- Right arm out left hand in
fist - Arab with Right arm straight up holding a sword
- Right arm up and left hand holding rifle
Charbens did a camel which could be used with either their mounted French Foreign Legion and Arab figures. Here we have the reissued French Foreign Legion with camel.
Here is The Charbens Arab with rifle also a reissued figure.
The above figure I got years ago in Germany at a show in Karbon Germany. I was told it was Roman on a camel. I am not sure now.
Camels, Riders Circus Figures Circus
One type of figures that so many companies did was circus figures. In the ’50s to ’70s circus figures were popular. Today many circuses are going by waste side due to changing views. Here we have several of Charbens circus figures. Charbens did figures in metal. One of the hardest figure to find in plastic from Chrabens are the two male midget boxers.
Finally we have three animals that would have been in a circus. I have no idea who made them.
I don’t think the camel soldier is Roman.
I had a set of circus figures as a youth.
Plastic, unpainted, good detail.
Probably Marx or similar NA company.
BRITAINS had a great circus set. It came boxed with accessories.
‘Armies in Plastic’ have several sets of mounted camel soldiers.
the circus figures and animal are either HK or copies of British brand .I can see well photo .I dont remember British brand now so circus are not my interest.
best
Sorry I miss type.i say human figures looks like charben circus figures while animals looks HK copies of Crescent and or others.I can not see well the figures in my photos phone
The largest selection/diversity camels poses x plenty scales with nice seat harness to be use for any soldiers any era were done by OLIVER nativity series w more 32 different camels.I got 30 different plus the catalog.I bough many repeated poses x armies arabs fighters.they are not expensive and belong to nativity three magi Kings sets I collect as well with my nativity collection .I osome times reduce sale off some them when researching and realizing got too many one pose.They were done for 45/60 and 70 mm series in most and in many cases the seat and figures are removable making then suitable x cargo camels as well.While most are dromedaries some are camels
Oliver never produced toy soldiers w exception of 11 Roman’s x their nativity Herodes king set .
rest are all arabs,hebrews and sheppards PLUS the nativity charters figures x nativity sets made in 5 main scales in plastic and many have multi use poses or for conversions as well .
Oliver in late 60s acquire former PH company toy soldiers molds and recast then till 80s.The rent partia set halves molds to BUM in late 90s that trecast with out success some of former sets
best
Reamsa also did camel riders with Lawrence of Arabia and the character Omar Sharif played in Lawrence of Arabia. We was lucky to get lots of sets of these from Gareth Morgan of Morgan miniatures. They are lovely figures we had been after these for a long time.
Other funny thing Charben as well few others like Marx,Payton depict the arbs and FFL or north african soldiers/riders mounting bactrian camels that are not from africa at all and never used by arabs warriors in battles of that region and no even near east as the Bactrian two thumbs asian camels is way too slow x warfare and only best x cargo neither suitable for african region weather and barely imported to those regions
A laden Bactrian camel will move about 2.5 mph at fast pace , compared to the one humped dromedary Arabian Camel travelling 8-9 mph and are also able to cover only about 30 miles a day compared to the Arabian camel covering longer distances.
Timpo,Elastolin,Reamnasa,Jecsan and resiler did it right Marx did both camels for their sets i think .The recast being done in mEXico use the copies of both animals .
The bactrian should had come from nativity set idea probably .
best