All Types of Plastic Army Men

Tin Soldiers

• The grandfather of the plastic army men was the tin soldier. These replica combatants were very popular in Germany and Western Europe in the late 1800s. Tin soldiers were given as gifts to children and were constructed of whatever scrap metals were available to the toymaker. This resulted in a lot of toys being made from dangerous materials, such as lead.

Little Green Men

• In the 1950s the availability of plastic and discovery of the dangers of lead poisoning lead to the creation of the little green figures that are now known as army men. Plastic is easily malleable and allowed for a greater level of detail than metal. The decreased cost of production resulted in a wider variety of options, ranging from World War veteran troops to historical Napoleonic and Civil War soldiers.

Cowboys and Policemen

• Over time, other heroes became cast in the flexible plastic molds. Cowboys and Indians were made along with their horses. Colors were no longer limited to gray, green and other solids. Blue police cars and detectives could cover the same playing area as red firefighters and their engines. Roll-away maps were added to the plastic army men bags to create interesting tabletop venues for the exploits of the toys.

Tabletop War Games and Miniatures

• Tabletop war gaming became popular in the early 1900s and the toy soldiers became a perfect fit for the hobby. As these developed, they included the original plastic soldiers and eventually moved into scale models based on the size of the participants. These became known as "miniatures" and were often created in a solid-color mold to be repainted with acrylics or airbrushes to become combat-ready.

"Toy Story" and Computer Games

• In 1995. the first computer-generated blockbuster film was made: "Toy Story." This movie highlighted the secret life of toys and put plastic army men on the front lines. The late 1990s also saw the creation of the "Army Men" series of games for the 3DO and other video game systems. In these games, players direct a squad or little green soldiers as they deal with the pitfalls of toy war.