HC&M: Child's toy suit of armor


Collections Online->Antiques ->Toys
Collections Online->Militaria ->Child/Kinder ->Kinder Militaria

Name Child's toy suit of armor







Catalog ID HCM4979
Year circa 1910-1931
Description A pre-WWII child's toy suit of armor, sold by FAO Schwarz. Thin nickled steel with leather fittings. Helmet has a cotton liner. Stamped "Germany" (from the back) in multiple locations (see first plate below knee). Also has embossed red and white bell-shaped stickers, "SCHWARZ BOOKS | NEW YORK | 303-5th AVE."

Consists of a breastplate, helmet (visor re-attached, possibly upside-down, with modern bolts), arms, legs, thighs, a gorget, and a pair of hanging flaps, and a single hanging flap of a similar shape. Several rivets are damaged or missing. Leather straps mostly complete, though dry in places. At least one buckle missing on thigh.

Weight is just over 5lbs (2415g, with error from weighing in batches).

A similar armor set, consisting of only chest plate, backplate, and helmet, was $4.75 (about $125 in 2021) on page 39 of FAO Schwarz's 1911 Spring/Summer catalog. This one could easily have been at least three times that cost. The set pictured in the catalog is a Kinder version of the Prussian Regiment der Gardes du Corps uniform. It was likely sold primarily in Germany. From an extant example of the set in the catalog, it appears that the helmet and breastplate of this set use the same stampings, with addition of different details. Because of this, I'm categorizing this as part of my Kinder collection, even though it does not fit the strict definition.
Added 2021-03-29 14:53:53 (updated 2021-08-24 14:55:16)