Almark Minimodels World War II German Set An Introduction
The Company Mini-models from UK released several world War Two sets figures with mortars, machine gun, mule packs, else factory painted on bases or not. Most of the sculpting was presumably done by the famous sculptor Charles Stadden. Charles Stadden was responsible for many of the the high-quality collector figures and did work for the British toy industry.These figures appear before Airfix first production 1/32 solid and the later multi pose kits series
Later some soldier’s sets were sold under the brand name Almark. The sets appear in semi part kits- non painted inside cases, very much like the Airfix multi pose kits. Most kits main body area is made of single full solid part and head, arms plus choices of helmets, hats to be added on as separate parts. Bases came separated but some figures could stand on their own easily without base if connector removed from feet.
Almark Minimodels World War II German Set Update
Markus sent us this rare Almark card with metal weapons. He felt it looked more like a model kit with metal weapons. Markus bought it for the small 5cm mortar To Markus a almost useless weapon. Mostly ignored by the makers. He thinks Dulcop and Starlux have been the only ones doing figures in 54mm plastic with that weapon. But would love to hear from others (or hate as its adds something to his search list).
I really like Almark figure kits and Mini Model figures. I didn’t know anything about them until I saw a listing in the 1990’s on Stads sells list for Mini Model figures. I had never heard of these and the poses sounded interesting to me so I ordered 3 of the Japanese figures. When I got them, I was amazed how nice they were. In my opinion the Japanese being shot has to be one of the best sculpted figures I have seen. I wished then that I had ordered more of them to get the American and Germans, but by that time they were all sold. Over the next few years I searched, but never found any others. Then, a year or so later, I went to the Big-D show in Dallas. While looking around there, I came across a table with a small radio box that had written on it Airfix German Multipose figures. I collected Airfix multipose so I opened the box and to my delight, it wasn’t Airfix figures, but figures I had never seen with seperate arms holding weapons and seperate headgear. The box had the instructions for the figures that had the makers name “Almark”. I noticed they reminded me of the Mini Models figures I had gotten a few years earlier and put two and two togather and knew they were the same figures. I also knew there had to be Almark kits of American and Japanese figures also. So, began a years long search. Years later my next find was a American kit on e-bay that I won that wound up being one figure shy of being three sets in the box. Over the years I have been able to get one figure shy of four sets of the Americans. Almost three sets of the Germans plus one of the carded weapons sets. And two sets of the Japanese plus the three Mini Model poses I got from Stads years ago. I keep my eye out for them and hope to get more in the future. Like Erwin said, they go great with Airfix multipose. They are nice figures in great poses. I like that each set has a figure getting shot, a wounded figure, and a medic figure. They are some of my favorite figures in my collection.
The figures were first sold by TRI- ANG under the “Mini Models” name in the UK in 1968.
Originally they were intended to be sold in the USA only, which is why no British figures were ever produced.
When released on the UK market they were a flop, due to the fact that the plastic used – polystyrene was very brittle and broke easily reducing the play value, also the figures sold at almost two shillings (20p) and Five shillings (50p) for the machine gun and mortar teams which was almost twice the price of a Timpo or Cherilea figure.
Due to their poor sales the factory had large stocks of unpainted figurs.
Roy Dilley told me how he went to the factory and saw hundreds of figures laying all over the floor and was told to take as many as he wanted free !
Almark Ltd started out as a publisher of uniform and modeling books. In the mid 70s with the rise in popularity of model soldiers they decided to expand into model figures.
They bought the remaining stock of the Mini Models and boxed them as unpainted kit figures.
This was remained stock and no new moulding was undertaken.
They also marketed sets of German Infantry on cards with cast metal weapons.
Almark also produced a series of 20mm WW2 British Infantry and 54 metal Napoleonic British Infantry. These too were designed by Chas Stadden studios.
The German 88 gun, US Howitzer and Willis Jeep were part of this range but were sold by Triang. The gun crews still turn up both on Ebay and at shows.
By the early 80s Almark had over extended itself and the company went out of business. The boxes of Japanese were the most common to find, probably due to the fact that they were always considered to be poor sellers.
Another problem the helmets can easily get lost.
Boy, that causes flashbacks to childhood and ringhand accessories.
How about Mom sucking up ringhand accessories with the vacuum cleaner?!?
Nightmares tonight. LOL
These figures are suppose to be glue. They are modelers kits.
Not plug or swapped toy figures.
Minimodels.
They did Italians too?
Mini Models never made Italians
They made US Infantry, Germans and Japanese.
We know this as we have the full colour photo illustrated sales brochure, Interviews with Stadden and his son, interviews with David Pomeroy the tool maker and interviews with Roy Dilley and Terrence Wise
Minimodels was a shell company of Triang Ltd
Otherwise I would love to see pictures of these Italians
Nope. You may be right…
I red once ,so I don’t have the picture (“otherwise”) .But you will see the Italian from BLUE BOX soon…
WOW interesting ,I bet you guys interview the mice from factory too!!!
Cheers!!
I know about Minimodels,is been post all over and few books…Not much interested in Minimodels myself as already made figures and diecast metal too .Any how Minimodels-almark plastic helmets are very bad designed in most cases .Some German looks like medieval helmets, some Japanese looks like American.AIRFIX did much better in the Multipose kit helmets.
What I like more about ALMARK (my posting indeed) is the fact you can create much more poses and even combine with some AIRFIX multiparts too.So overal are far more multi pose possible than airfix .
MINIMODELS and ALMARK may be some common in UK. Here are not common seen on eBay are very high mark any time I see then.
Thanks to Stads I complete all my halmark plus extras.
I got one Minimodel Gi’s from Stads as well
I red this in Minimodels too ,is post in two blogs …
here pasted from sources.
Minimodels factory in Havant was one of the Group/Triang Empire, that made figures x Almark, Capri, Corgi, Berwick, Frog, Pedigree, Penguin, Playcraft, Mettoy, Minic, Subbuteo, Triang, Waddington’s and Wickets.
Best regards…
Mettoy Playcraft Combex Marx Group
Dunbee-Combex-Marx till 1979 when close with many others…
Thank so much Markus x sharing more pics .
Interesting kit indeed, they did the MG34 and Pz.B39 7.62mm sets card too using pretty much same poses plastic figures with metal weapons, gear and helmets.
I had difficult see these around here ,find x that price is a bargain…
I think they are kits, not toy soldiers. So the pieces separated as intend x that.
Minimodels and alamrk were not “toy soldiers” as per say, today collectors may use as we use any and AIRFIX multipose kits too in the toy soldier range.
About the 5cm I think was of potential use during the war ,specially first years and made sense.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_cm_Granatwerfer_36
But so far as been made in plastic .I agree only Starlux and this almark kit had them.
Dulcop in my personal opinion is a reduced other caliber mortar not quite the 5cm model but could be though-saw as one of course .
On the HIN FAT-china 1990s buckets ,(not the DGN later new 2013 poses sets please) a pose derivate from Matchbox AK machine gun was done with small mortar too in Germans ,I have it.
Nothing impressive.
In kits it had been done by ESCI and Tamiya ,but in the 1.35 kit range .
Bandai 1.48 kit have one set too.Again kits .
For me in the WW2 German true -“toy soldier” range only PECH HERMANOS Spanish set excelled in rarity of weapon poses,included a tele mine German Sheppard and the rare nice pose firing Granatbüchse Modell 39 -GrB 39 grenade launcher version.
best…
A set of German on eBay x sale.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/141858980174?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
Nice, but a little more than I would want to pay.
BOBBYGMOORE
I know Bobby..I set it just in case, I had not paid that much either .I’m full with then now ,not need more …but unfurtanelly they often come high mark on eBay …
mine I got thanks to Stads more in years and few off eBay in international site.
or small lot minimodels …
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201820536285?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
and Japanese. Observe how from factory they were sold with wrong American helmet.
My Almark come too with some US helmet mix as well.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/302225813714?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
I have around 6 – 7 sets of Almark Panzer Grenadiers, some still in original boxes. I first saw them early ’70s. At that time they were a big deal ! Roy Dilley did many articles on converting and improving the figures. I still really like them and they do look good after some minor surgery and a decent paint job. I also have a good number of the carded “Century” series, basically the same figures but with metal weapons and accessories.
Guys, great site BTW, i have just bought some Minimdels boxed MG & Mortar teams, they are extremely good and kindred also, a fantastic combination
I just picked up a box of the Almark Panzer Grenadiers and they’re great. I appreciate all the info given on this thread to learn more about them. Thanks.
There much more information post by me about these set as well others here in this FB group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2619918501596760/search/?q=almark
Thanks, Erwin.
I don’t have a facebook account. Is that FB group public?
Well you may need a FB account personal first ,then just request membership in this group or any other and you will be admitted in it .
If need further instructions let me know ..
If don’t want create FB account I can post these post here with Paul permission.
I’ve got the Airfix multipose kits and so curious to see how these and the Almark figures can be used together. The Almark kits seem scarce so I may make resin or tin copies of them first, just so I have enough parts to work with.
I’m pretty sure you could made then work ,just becarefull with knife as plastic of Almark is a bit more difficult than Airfix .I did sold several full sets of Japanese recently as well Americans in my ebay store .Unfortunately i run off any extras.
I made several conversion mixing the Airfix multiparts with these and i’m not even near good doing so ,they worked out pretty good .The most common are germans ,americans and japanese are less ,specially in US .