Toy Soldiers

Toy soldiers are made from all types of material, but the most common mass produced varieties are metal and plastic. They are many different kinds of toy soldiers, including tin soldiers or flats, hollow cast metal figures, composition figures, and plastic army men.
 Military figures have been founded in ancient Egyptian tombs and have appeared in many cultures and areas. Tin soldiers were produced in Germany as early as the 1730s, by molding the metal  between two pieces of slate. Toy soldiers became widespread during the 18th century, inspired by the military exploits of Frederick the Great. Miniature soldiers were also used in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries by military strategists to plan battle tactics by using the figures to show the locations of real soldiers. In 1893,William Britain revolutionized the production of toy soldiers by devising the method of hollow casting, making soldiers that were cheaper and lighter than their German counterparts.

In addition to Britains, there have been many other manufacturers of toy soldiers over the years. For example, John Hill & Company produced hollow cast lead figures in the same style and scale. Companies such as Elastolin and Lineol were well known for their composite figures made of glue and sawdust that included both military and civilian subjects. After 1950, rising production costs and concerns about lead poisoning led to greater numbers of plastic toy soldiers. During the 1990s, the production of metal toy-grade painted figures and connoisseur-grade painted toy soldiers increased to serve the demands of the collectors' market. The style of many of these figures shifted from the traditional gloss-coat enamel paint to the matte-finished acrylic paint, which allows for greater detail and historical accuracy.

It is known that wooden and plastic toy soldeirs have been produced in Turkey over the years, it was Gallery Alfa Antique Store, who initiated into production of the most common mass produced  varieties of metal toy soldier sets for the first hand. The style of many of these figures shifted from the traditional gloss-coat enamel paint (a paint that air dries to a hard, usually glossy, finish) to the matte-finished acrylic paint (a fast-drying paint containing pigment supposed in acrylic polymer emulsion), which allows for greater detail and historical accuracy in all respects. With the helping of creative expertise, Gallery Alfa Antique Store is specializing in the production of lead alloy sets of Ottoman Army largely inspired by antique engravings of Ottoman times and the albums military costumes