The Best Toy Soldiers and Army Men
The green plastic army man was introduced in 1938 and has not needed improvement since. Bags of them have been dumped onto kitchen floors, organized into battalions, arranged on staircases, and lost behind radiators for eighty-five years. The sets on this list are either the originals still in production or serious collector editions made from metal.
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How to Choose
For children who will actually play with them: bags of plastic army men at 50 to 100 figures are the format. Tim Mee is the name to know -- they are the company that made the original green army men and still makes them in America. For collectors and older children who appreciate detail: BMC Toys makes historically accurate figures for specific battles and campaigns. For metal figures with genuine weight: Conte Collectibles cast metal soldiers are available in Civil War, World War II, and other periods.
Tim Mee Toy Galaxy Laser Team (Green vs. Tan Army Men)
Tim Mee has been making American toy soldiers since 1938. The Galaxy Laser Team is their current production of the classic 54mm plastic army men in opposing green and tan armies. Made in the United States. Forty-eight figures per bag, in the poses that have been recognizable since the Eisenhower administration: rifleman, bazooka man, grenade thrower, radioman, officer. No improvements needed.
The original American army man, still made in America, unchanged in 85 years. The correct answer for anyone who wants the real thing.
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BMC Toys Iwo Jima Marines Playset
BMC Toys designs historically accurate playsets based on specific battles and campaigns. The Iwo Jima set includes Marines in World War II Pacific Theater poses with flag-raising figures, stretcher bearers, and combat positions. The figures are 54mm plastic with more anatomical detail than standard army men. BMC also produces Civil War, D-Day, and Korean War sets.
For the child or collector who wants historical accuracy alongside the play value.
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Imperial Toy Classic Army Men 200-Piece Bucket
When you need enough army men to stage an actual battle across the living room floor, 200 pieces is the format. Imperial Toy's classic bucket includes infantry, vehicles, and equipment in the traditional 54mm scale. The green plastic is the right green -- the Army Field Drab that has defined the look since the late 1930s. The bucket is storage.
The format that covers the floor and fills the sandbox. 200 figures is the correct number for serious play.
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Conte Collectibles ACW Metal Soldiers
Conte Collectibles makes cast metal toy soldiers in 54mm and 60mm scales for collectors and serious players. The American Civil War series includes Union and Confederate infantry, cavalry, and artillery in historically accurate uniforms and equipment. Cast metal has weight, detail, and a permanence that plastic cannot match. These are the soldiers that stay in families.
For the collector who wants genuine metal figures with historical accuracy. The format that gets passed down.
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