#1044 ALME - WESTERN PLAY INDIANER (Ref. 1700) (Around 1984)

I sometimes complain about the lack of information regarding some Spanish toy manufacturer on the Internet but it is also the case of Italian, Greek or Hongkongese toymakers. But this also applies now to the German manufacturer ALME, from the DDR (Democratic Republic of Germany). They were producers of plastic cowboys and Indians, of that kind that can be combined by using several pieces that connect to each other (so-called Steckfiguren), similar to those made by Timpo or Manurba.

But it is not the case of this toy I found in a second hand shop. It is still in its original blister, so I decided to buy it. Otherwise I would have probably not buy it. It is an indian child, similar to or inspired by the character from the comic books and also the TV series Yakari, which was a Sioux boy capable of communicating with animals.

The figure is made of plastic and is poseable (thanks to a kind of cable skeleton). This type of toy is called Biegefigur in German and bendable in English. It comes with a couple of nice accessories: an axe and a shield. The second accesory is still attached to the plastic tree. It was sold under the “Western Play” with the reference No. 1700. I have been searching the Internet, and there are a few of this, but it does seem to be a single figure, there are no other characters in this series.

As said before, there is no information at all about ALME. The company logo carries the word "economical" and "quality", which maybe suggest, that their toys were not the top of the row, maybe limited to popular events, small shops and rare to find in big toy shops. At the time in which it was made (I guess it was in the mid-80s, as the TV series Yakari was aired between 1983 and 1986 for the first time), the quality of budget toys was much higher than it was in the 90s or the 2000s… so, it is a good toy overall.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: INDIANER
• Toy Line: Western Play
• Year: Around 1984
• Company: Alme (Democratic Republic of Germany)
• Size of the figures: Around 8 cm tall

#1043 YATMING – WRECK TRUCK and HEAVY DUTY TIPPER TRUCK (Around 1975 and 1990)

Yatming has a series of trucks with different loads attached to it. Some people say, they are based on the Ford F600 Cab, while other people think it resembles more an Isuzu cab from the late 70s. Honestly, I think it is the second one, as the two rectangles on the front of the cab are typical of the Japanese company, but I am not an expert in trucks and even less in Japanese trucks. Maybe the next picture helps with the identification...

These models were released in the mid-80s and carried reference numbers ranging from 1351 to 1359. There were, of course, other truck models but these were the oldest. As it is usual in this die-cast manufacturer, the models were available during a long period of time, many years, in fact, so you can find them Made in Hong Kong or Made in China, with metal or plastic bases and also with different colour variants.

I only have these two:
 
1352 Wreck Truck (Made in Hong-Kong) still has its hook and is in a very good shape. With metallic base. The hook oscillates back and forth, but the black base is firmly attached to the cab. It can carry one car, but not every car, as the hook is too high for most models and, as a results, the truck drags whatever load it is.

1358 Heavy Duty Tipper Truck (Made in China), with plastic base. Interestingly, both share the same wheels, even though there are, at least, 10 years between one and the other. The bed is practicable.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Name: WRECK TRUCK and HEAVY DUTY TIPPER TRUCK (No. 1352 and 1358)
• Scale: Around 1:100
• Year: Around 1975 and 1990
• Company: YatMing (Hong-Kong/China)
• Size: approx. 7 cm