Plasty

Introduction

The German toy manufacturer Plastikwerk Fiedler & Podey imported and repacked plastic kits from Airfix, Lincoln,
CO-MA, and models from Politoys and distributed them under the Plasty label in the 1950's and 1960's.

Plasty as a brand was not present when I started the recollection of my memories in 2003. In my memory the Airfix / Plasty kits I built were simply from "Airfix". Only when searching for Airfix kits "I remember" in auctions and doing research I got to know Plasty as brand and distributor.

Lincoln aircaft kits, CO-MA house kits and the ready-built vehicle models from Politoys have no connection to my modelling days in my youth at all.

List of Plasty Kits

• Airfix kits distributed by Plasty in my collection are listed in Airfix Kits I Remember and will be listed in Selection of Other Airfix Kits. They differ only in packing style, the kits proper were the same. Additional referring solely to package styles are quoted below.
• Lincoln kits reboxed by Plasty are found on pages 48-50 of the Plasty 1961 catalogue
• CO-MA house kits in my collection will be reviewed in a forthcoming page. The whole range of CO-MA houses is shown on page 59 of the 1961 Plasty catalogue.
• Politoys ready built military vehicle and car  models will not be listed. Military vehicles are out of  my interest. But I will have a look at the car models if I find some examples. The miniatur autos arepresented on  page 58 of the 1961 catalogue ( picture 7 below right).

Packaging Styles

The repacking of Airfix kits had many variations and is reviewed in detail here. T1 Header cards and instructions were in German language, boxart differed from the Airfix issues. T2 and T3 bags were packed into various boxes (examples see picture 2 right).

Repacking of the Lincoln kits was far simpler. It comprised German inscriptions on the box and a German language instruction sheet. Boxart was unchanged, (pictures 3 and 4 lower  right).

Repacking of the Co-Ma Houses needs still research. The bag of the house in picture 5 below was packed in a box. (pictures 6). The header card has Italian inscriptions and in the bag are Englisch and German instruction sheets.  My two other examples thave just a bag in the box without a header card. I do not know which way is the default and what any preowner of these seconhand kits has done.

I have no examples of the Politoy kits. So I cannot review any package style.

History

The German company Plastikwerk Fiedler & Podey was founded in 1949 and produced a variety of toys, promotional articles and articles of dayily use all made from plastic [1] .

The first contact  regarding istribution of kits from foreign manufacturers was in 1955 according to [1]. Airfix and Lincoln kits are listed in a 1956 leaflet. I have no clue when the distribution of CO-MA kits started. They are not inclded in the Plasty 1956 catalog. Paltoys vehicles could not have been distributed earlier than 1960, when this Italian manufacturer was founded. In any case all four product lines are found in the Plasty 1961 catalogue "Selbstbaumodelle und HO-Zubehoer" (construction kits and HO accessoires). Lincoln, CO-MA and Politoys kits are no more present in the Airfix / Plasty 1968/9 catalogue.

I have no clue when operation of Plasty ended.

The German language 1968/9 catalogue has a combined Plasty Airfix logo. There is no impressum with a company name except  the inscription "Printed in England".

The only appearance of Plasty in the German language Airfix catalogue of 1976 (issue 13) is in the combined Pasty /Airfix logo in the header of the price list. Impressum  says: Airfix Products Ltd.

Wheras in a leaflet from 1976 there is quoted "Plasty-Sielzeug GmbH & Co Kg" and a combined logo.

In the 1979 Airfix German language catalog (issue 16)  there is no mention of Plasty.The  tmpressum quotes Airfix Products Ltd.

Plasty-Spielzeug GmbH was purchased in stages by Airfix (first 60% stake in 1975) [ 2 ]. That may coincide with the reorganisation of the firm as limited company Plasty-Spielzeug GmbH & Co Kg as found imprinted in the 1976 leaflet.


Sources