Authenticast Comet Toy Soldiers 612 French Zouaves Marching 1945

Authenticast Comet Toy Soldiers 612 French Zouaves Marching 1945 in very good condition. Loose in box, 7 infantry figures. 1 officer.It's not known who sculpted Comet's toy soldiers, it is thought that Britains' artisans may have had a hand in sculpting them.  In some cases even exact copies  of the William Britain soldiers exist. The consensus is that Comet began as a soldier maker in 1940. It is known that "brigadiers for Metal Soldiers" was copywrited on July 25, 1940 (the name appears on the boxed set lid). Comet toy soldier sets were mainly sold through department stores and were hoped to compete and perhaps replace Britian toy soldiers when the events of World War II stopped all soldier making in England. The Comet Metal Products Company Inc. was located in an ivy-covered, red brick plant in Richmond Hills, Queens, New York. Having been started as a die-casting company by Abraham Sloanim in 1919, later joined by his sons Joseph and Samuel. Comet's toy soldiers came six to eight to a set, at a price of $1.00 to $3.50.  Boxes seem to have come in several sizes with yellow, red and blue colored lids and were marked "The Brigadiers". When the war came, Comet switched over to making military models for the Government toy simulate positions of various units (those involved in setting up the figures has to have doing so). It was after the war that the toy soldiers began being produced under the far better known Authenticast trademark. It is said that Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. bought two hundred of their toy soldiers. At the time Comet seemed to have limited appea, but today collectors interest in both Comet and Authenticast has grown. Trains and Toy Soldiers is pleased to offer a wide selection of both boxed and individual toy soldier figures for sale.