TOY SOLDIER HQ INC

ARCHER, BERGEN (BETON) & PLASTIC TOYS

TOY SOLDIERS AND FIGURES IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

ARCHER

In business at Elmhust 73 L.I. NY.

A partial western set is shown above. All 8 figures, 13 of 16 horses and 5 of 6 fence pieces. Missing both metal wagons, but we may have at least the body of one around here. Box has issues with two split corners and a hole in the bottom. Advertises "NEW Soft Unbreakable Plastic" so circa 1954-56. Neat early set.

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These figures were made for Archer in the 1952/53 time frame. They had them made in metallic green hard plastic for their space sets. They were also sold separately in small boxes in army green hard plastic and it seems some in soft plastic as well. When Archer decided to quit selling toys and work on child guidance/educational products in the 1956-63 time period they sold the mold to Plastic Craft (Plasticraft)who made the soldiers in soft plastic.

The 4 inch Archer space figures date back to the 1950s. The mold survived and more figures were made circa 1991 by Glencoe Models. We can't tell the originals from the later recasts. These figures are made of hard plastic. Please note that the above picture has one spacewoman pose twice to show color variations.

If you collect space toys you NEED to own the book!!

BERGEN/BETON

Many companies copied Bergen products so it is hard to tell who made what between these companies. Here is an example;

The above four hard plastic horses all look pretty much the same. In fact they are all slightly different and marked by four different makers. The black horse is marked AJAX, top gray marked ARCHER, bottom gray marked LIDO and the brown marked BERGEN! It is believed that Bergen (Beton) made the horse first the the rest are all pirated copies. Usually these horses are found in soft plastic and are assumed to be for T.Cohn (Superior) brand cowboys and Indians. These companies obviously shared, stole, or copied some Bergen/Beton molds including the Lido/Ajax/T.Cohn small mounted cowboys, Indians and horse see above). In addition Superior was never the name of the T.Cohn Toy company but only used as a slogan or brand.

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Interesting note, in the Corral set one of the 3 horses has an interior belly divider but the other two do not.

- 5.00 Unknown hard plastic cowboy with horse. Similar to Bergen.

Hard plastic versions are marked Archer while soft plastic versions such as those in the Corral header card set seen above have no markings. Gate does not open.

A number of companies also made a standing horse. We have not seen examples marked Bergen or Lido but have seen those marked Ajax and Archer. Some unmarked ones have been attributed to Caldwell (short tail in cream, inner side marked MADE IN USA), but we do not have enough information to list them as such. There seem to be two basic varieties; those with long and those with short (bobbed) tails.

> 1/32 scale AJAX horse -

A larger version 5 3/4 inches long also exists. Photo shows the big bruiser next to the common 45mm version.

Many early plastic toy makers such as Acme, AJAX, Lido, T.Cohn & others made western wagons that used horses like the ones above. We do not know how to ID them. They are all hard plastic.

BERGEN

Bergen sold out in 1958 and by 1959 Banner of East Paterson NJ had bought the molds and was making the figures in polyethylene plastic. The figures were unpainted and made in bright colors. They sold them in header card bags under their own name, their subsidiary Alden or with no name to be wholesaled to distributors such as William Shaland.

I will list those figures with a makers mark first. BETON = BErgen TOy and Novelty comapany.

ID numbers are from Collecting Toy Soldiers by Richard O'Brien (a great book).

Bergen Logos -

BERGEN/BETON

SMALLER 45MM RIDERS AND HORSES

SMALLER 45mm HORSES

Most figures have factory paint to enhance their finished look.

BERGEN/BETON 60mm FOOT COWBOYS AND INDIANS

Bergen made these foot figures first with separate bases as can seen above (note BT24 & 26 in picture are later solid cast based figures. Under the bases they are marked BETON & MADE IN USA. Several paint variations exist for each figure. Due to labor costs the molds were reworked to add bases to the figures (as seen above BT24 & 26).

Figures with solid cast bases

At some point BT 18,19,20 & 24 seem to have been phased out (BT24 first in 1950). Ajax copied the more common six figures and their figures will NOT have a logo under the base. Rel is reputed to have taken over the Bergen line in 1958 but Banner Toys was sell Bergen figures by 1959. Any figure without a logo should be assumed to be made by Ajax. Both the Bergen and Ajax figures can be found in hard plastic both painted and unpainted as well as unpainted soft plastic. SEE AJAX PAGE FOR AJAX AVAILABILITY

LARGER 60mm BERGEN/BETON RIDERS AND HORSES

The earlier hard plastic horses usually have factory paint. Later horses are made of soft plastic and unpainted.

Indian with flag (feather lance) and shield.

Indian with Lasso

The above picture shows some of the color variations seen in the mounted cowgirl (BT136). Earlier versions have more details painted while later ones have little or no paint.

MILITARY BERGEN/BETON FIGURES

WWII and Modern Military Figures

Pre 1945 Figures

Pre 1945 figures have oval bases and in our opinion do not quite have the detail as those produced post WWII. In the above picture only the ammo carrier BT4 is marked. Under his base is marked "BETON CARLSBAD NJ USA". The other figures and horses are unmarked unlike those made post WWII. The early trotting horse has a rifle in scabbard on the right and sword in scabbard on the left sides.

Post WWII Figures made of earlier stiffer plastic with factory paint. About 60mm with Bergen logo under base. Variations with bases are older and may be different sculpt than the ones with integral "peanut" bases.

Later unpainted soft plastic soft plastic WWI or II GIs, BT logo under base, 60mm. These may have also been sold by Banner & Ajax with Bergen Logos!!

CIVILIAN BERGEN/BETON FIGURES

Bergen started using polyethylene plastics before they went out of business, but we think most of the unpainted figures in these pastel and brighter colors came after the molds were run by Banner who bought Bergen out in 1958. Note the fireman's ax head seems to have been deleted at this point.

Train Station People

FIGURES HAVE OVAL MOLDED ON BASES UNLESS NOTED.

These may be Banner era production.

Domestic/Farm Animals

Farm items

Figures are made in a base color and then have accents like face, arms hats etc... painted.

Some animals are hard plastic and may have factory paint, others are soft plastic in primary colors without paint.

1960 Banner Ad set # 1983 - - Same header -

Wild Animals

Wild animals seem to be made in both hard plastic and soft plastic. Some may have factory paint.

Many paint color schemes exist for some of the animals.

Sold by Bergen as both a Tiger and a Panther.

During WWII Bergen was only allowed to use so much plastic due to the war effort. As they had more business than they could handle they helped Plastic Toy Inc set up operations to help satisfy their own toy demands. Plastic Toys Inc went out of business in 1956. The Plastic Toys Inc figures have round bases while the Bergen figures have oval or peanut shaped bases.

Small Cowboys were sold in small boxed sets. All Plastic Toy Inc. cowboys and Indians, have factory paint on top of base color.

The larger figures seem to be harder to find.

Plastic Toy Inc. also made GIs based upon Bergen poses.

Photo of boxed set courtesy of Richard Patenaude.

Factory painted, face and hands flesh & weapons, belts black;

Trade ad photo courtesy of Roger Meservey.

Plastic Toys also made a set of eight farm animals roughly 54mm in scale. The four fowl all have a hole (see green duck above)in the rear (to save on plastic we assume) and the larger 70mm animals are all hollow belly. These were made of hard plastic in a variety of colors.

Two variations of the horse exist (note ears. Most likely two horse cavities in the mold. Gray horse in picture is in soft plastic which is unique for these animals. Picture courtesy Sharon Elosser.