It wasn't until the popularity of electric toy trains, during the 1920's, that a unique identity was being achieved by American made toy soldiers.  It was the production of standard gauge toy trains by Lionel, American Flyer and Ives that brought about the advent of the 3 inch toy figure.  Eventually, the 3 inch toy soldier and other figures would create their own identity and begin capturing a large share of the American toy market.  It wasn't long before a number of American toy soldier companies, Barclay, Manoil and Grey Iron being the most well known, began producing hollow cast and slush cast lead figures.

The perfect market for these toy soldiers and figures was "Five and Dime" stores, known as Dimestores.  The toy soldiers and toy figures were priced accordingly and sold along side toy trains.  By the mid 1930's most of the major "Five and Dime" stores would carry large ranges of toy soldiers and figures.

The three inch figure became so popular that it was produced as a variety of historical figures ranging from the American family to sports figures, from cowboys and Indians to soldiers of World War one and Two.  All sorts of farm figures and implements were produced reflecting the American social history of the 1930's and 1940's.

American Dimestore toy soldiers, figures and vehicles are highly sot after and collected, not olny by children but adults as well.

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