The Company
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Without question, Preiser is the world
leader in miniature figures, covering no less than 22 scales. They've even made likenesses of some personalities and world leaders |
(for example, President Obama and Angela Merkel). A number of their HO Scale figures were created expressly for
Miniatur Wunderland, and the layout's construction has at times caused worldwide
shortages of Preiser stock. |
The Figures
Preiser's N Scale line, which is dwarfed by their massive HO series, has roughly 1,350 discrete figures. Preiser now owns
Merten, a former competitor for many decades, and has consequently improved Merten's quality with better painting.
Preiser figures have been rebranded by many companies, including Atlas, Faller,
Kato, NJI,
Peco, Tomix, Vollmer and others. Plus,
there are countless knock-offs of their figure designs that can be seen virtually everywhere in a broad range of quality, even including the
cheap Chinese bulk figures. For a time Preiser rebranded horse-drawn wagons from Roskopf—Preiser
and Roskopf were friends—and Preiser later acquired and modified the tooling.
For the most part, figure painting has been remarkably consistent, with current sets often matching those made 50 years ago. Some sets,
however, will have variations, particularly passers-by in casual clothes. Originally produced entirely in Germany, figures are now
manufactured in Germany and painted in Mauritius. Preiser has explained the secret to their high quality: instead of painters being
responsible only for the application of single colors, which is more efficient, painters are responsible for completely finishing their figures,
and the satisfaction of completion improves the quality of their work.
Packaging changed over the years. The catalog numbers have changed once: originally 9XXX, now 79XXX. Preiser has
not discontinued many sets, but a few of those that have can be exceedingly difficult to find—it took me about five years to track down 9049.
Photos are mine.
Cat # |
Description |
Notes |
79000 |
120 unpainted figures |
|
79004 |
20 unpainted firemen |
|
79005 |
40 unpainted firemen |
|
79006 |
125 unpainted passengers |
|
79007 |
120 unpainted seated figures |
|
79008 |
120 unpainted passengers |
|
79009 |
70 unpainted working people |
new 2019 |
79010 |
Railway personnel |
|
79011 |
Railway personnel DB |
|
79012 |
Railway personnel DB |
|
79013 |
Seated persons |
|
79014 |
Seated persons |
|
79015 |
Shoppers |
|
79016 |
Delivery men with loads |
|
79017 |
Waiting passengers |
|
79018 |
Walking passengers |
|
79019 |
Passers-by |
|
79020 |
Passengers |
|
79021 |
Passers-by |
|
79022 |
Passers-by |
|
79023 |
Passengers, teenagers |
|
79024 |
Group of women |
|
79025 |
Family Krause going on a journey |
|
79026 |
Walking passers-by |
|
79027 |
Young travelers |
|
79028 |
Arriving passengers |
|
79029 |
At the platform gate |
|
79030 |
Road workers |
|
79031 |
Police |
|
79032 |
Passers-by |
|
79034 |
Sleeper-layers |
|
79035 |
Track maintenance gang |
|
79036 |
Truckers |
|
79037 |
Teenagers |
|
79038 |
Party guests, waiter |
|
79039 |
On the farm |
|
79040 |
Farm workers |
|
79041 |
Tennis players |
|
9042 |
Foreign tourists |
OOP; rare |
79043 |
School children |
|
79044 |
Children |
|
79045 |
Franciscan friars |
|
79046 |
Gardeners |
|
79047 |
Walking passers-by |
|
79048 |
Emergency team |
|
9049 |
At the window |
OOP; rare |
79050 |
Women hanging laundry |
|
79051 |
Housewives |
|
79052 |
Market stall |
OOP |
9053 |
Street merchants |
OOP |
79054 |
Seated persons |
|
79055 |
Hay harvest |
|
79056 |
Engine drivers, stokers |
|
79057 |
Wedding group, protestant |
|
79058 |
Wedding group, catholic |
|
79059 |
Photographers |
|
79060 |
Railway personnel DB |
|
79061 |
Train personnel DB 1989 |
|
79062 |
Railway shunters DB |
|
79063 |
Figures riding on roundabout |
|
79064 |
Figures for swing boats |
OOP |
79065 |
Figures for Chair-o-plane |
|
79066 |
On the beach |
|
79067 |
Family and photographers |
OOP; rare |
79068 |
Family Krause in Rothenburg |
|
79069 |
Family Krause in Allgau |
|
79070 |
Family Krause on beach |
|
79071 |
Bathing persons |
|
79072 |
Golfers |
|
79073 |
Grill party |
|
79074 |
Wanderers |
|
79075 |
Girls |
|
79076 |
Jogging, badminton |
|
79077 |
Fishermen |
|
79078 |
Young persons |
|
79079 |
At the sweets stall |
|
79080 |
Cattle at market with figures |
|
79081 |
Delivery men with loads |
|
79082 |
Stock workers |
|
79083 |
Seated youths |
|
79084 |
Passengers for railway carriages |
|
79085 |
Spectators |
|
79086 |
Spectators |
|
79087 |
Cyclists |
|
79088 |
Divers |
|
79089 |
Cyclists |
|
79090 |
Passengers, hurrying |
|
79091 |
Children at the pool |
|
79092 |
Seated couples |
|
79093 |
Set of small animals |
|
79094 |
Passers-by, hurrying |
|
79095 |
Shopping promenade |
|
79096 |
Track workers |
|
79097 |
Baker Krause |
|
79098 |
Female commuters walking |
|
79099 |
Male commuters walking |
|
79100 |
Railway personnel Euro Star |
|
79101 |
Workers |
|
79102 |
Workers |
|
79103 |
Seated persons |
OOP |
79104 |
Mechanics |
|
79105 |
Steeplejacks |
|
79106 |
Dangerous way home |
|
79107 |
At the self-service restaurant |
|
79108 |
Passers-by |
|
79109 |
School crossing patrol |
|
79110 |
Industrial workers and dockers |
|
79111 |
Passers-by, police-men |
|
79112 |
Passengers on the platform |
|
79113 |
Businessmen |
|
79114 |
Businessmen |
|
79115 |
Firemen |
|
79116 |
Firemen |
|
79117 |
Firemen |
|
79118 |
Firemen |
|
9119 |
Early German RR personnel |
OOP |
79120 |
Bavarian musicians |
|
79121 |
Bavarian musicians |
|
79122 |
Dogs |
|
79123 |
Seated passengers |
|
79124 |
Seated passengers |
|
79125 |
Seated industrial workers and dockers |
|
79126 |
Standing passengers for bus and tram |
|
79127 |
Nun with children |
|
79128 |
Nuns |
|
79129 |
Ludwig II of Bavaria, suite |
|
9130 |
1900 Prussian RR personnel |
OOP |
79131 |
Passers-by, policemen, 1900 |
OOP |
79132 |
Family around 1900 |
OOP |
79133 |
On the platform, around 1900 |
OOP |
79134 |
Royal Bavarian railway pers. 1900 |
OOP; rare |
79137 |
Ship's crew |
|
79138 |
Police on horseback, FRG |
|
79139 |
Police on horseback, FRG |
|
79140 |
Passengers |
|
79141 |
Tram personnel, passengers |
|
79142 |
Workers in protective clothing |
|
79143 |
Passengers |
|
79144 |
Railway personnel DB |
|
79145 |
Passengers reading timetables |
|
79146 |
Passers-by, children |
|
79147 |
Railway yard workers DB |
|
79148 |
Passengers waiting at the tram stop |
|
79149 |
Mounted police, USA |
|
79150 |
Horses |
|
79151 |
Carabineri on horseback, Italy |
|
79152 |
Bus and tram personnel |
|
79153 |
Railway personnel SBB |
|
79154 |
Workers in protective clothing |
|
79155 |
Cows (brown & white) |
|
79155 |
Cows (black & white) |
|
79156 |
Seated passengers |
|
79157 |
Passers-by |
|
79158 |
Passers-by |
|
79159 |
Passing wanderers |
|
79160 |
Shepherd with flock |
|
79161 |
People resting by the village fountain |
|
79162 |
Wanderers by the cattle trough |
|
79163 |
Tourist guide, tourists |
|
79164 |
American street scenery |
|
79165 |
Street scenes |
|
79166 |
Villagers |
|
79167 |
Works outing |
|
79172 |
Seated firemen |
|
79173 |
People on the way home |
|
79174 |
Sitting on the stairs |
|
79175 |
Street scenes |
|
79176 |
Painters |
|
79177 |
Painters, accessories |
|
79178 |
Guests |
|
79179 |
Stags |
|
79180 |
Workers THW |
|
79181 |
Workers, welder THW |
|
79182 |
Family Krause taking a walk |
|
79183 |
Horse riders |
|
79184 |
Horse riders |
|
79185 |
At the riding school |
|
79186 |
At the riding school |
|
79187 |
Standing travelers |
|
79188 |
Walking travelers |
|
79189 |
Seated travelers |
|
79190 |
Walking couples |
|
79191 |
Walking travelers |
|
79192 |
Walking travelers |
|
79193 |
Funeral, protestant |
|
79194 |
Funeral, catholic |
|
79195 |
Funeral |
|
79196 |
Paramedics |
|
79197 |
On the platform |
|
79198 |
Walking passengers |
|
79199 |
Seated passengers, 14 figures |
|
79200 |
US railway personnel |
|
79201 |
US railway personnel & passengers |
|
9202 |
Americans |
OOP |
9203 |
Seated persons |
OOP |
9204 |
American service personnel |
OOP |
9205 |
American laborers |
OOP |
79206 |
Japanese persons |
|
79207 |
Japanese railway personnel |
|
79209 |
Couples, dog |
|
79210 |
Trainspotters |
|
79211 |
Protestant sisters with children |
|
79212 |
Grandfather, children |
|
79213 |
Seated passengers |
|
79214 |
US railway personnel |
|
79215 |
Miners |
|
79216 |
Travelers aid |
|
79217 |
Passers-by |
|
79218 |
Passers-by |
|
79219 |
Walking travelers, Epoch III |
|
79220 |
Churchgoers (1) |
|
79221 |
Churchgoers (2) |
|
79222 |
Standing women |
|
79223 |
Standing men |
|
79224 |
DB train crew |
new 2017 |
79226 |
Santas, children and snowman |
new 2017 |
79228 |
Cows |
new 2017 |
79229 |
Cows |
new 2017 |
79230 |
At the campsite |
new 2018 |
79250 |
60 seated passengers |
|
79251 |
60 passengers and passers-by |
|
79252 |
Shepherd's flock, 60 figures |
|
79475 |
Horse-drawn ore wagon |
formerly 9490 |
79476 |
Horse-drawn hay wagon |
formerly 9491 |
79477 |
Horse-drawn log wagon |
formerly 9493 |
79478 |
Beer wagon Schultheiss-Bier |
OOP? |
79478 |
Beer wagon Landwehr-Bräu |
alternate style |
79479 |
Open wedding coach |
|
79481 |
Open coach |
|
9492 |
Horse-drawn water wagon |
OOP |
79700 |
Clowns |
|
79710 |
Elephants |
|
79711 |
Camels |
|
79712 |
Show horses |
|
79713 |
Lions |
|
79714 |
Tigers |
|
79715 |
Giraffes |
|
79716 |
Polar bears |
|
79717 |
Brown bears |
|
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Where to Buy
Preiser is readily available worldwide, as well as directly through their webiste.
Copyright © 2017-2020 by David K. Smith. All Rights Reserved.
Corrections and contributions greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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