Plasticville
Encyclopedia
Plasticville is a brand of plastic
toy train
building sold in the United States
, made by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
-based Bachmann Industries
since 1947 (although they were first advertised in 1946).
Plasticville buildings are a simple design, made of walls that snap together, permitting them to be assembled without glue and easily disassembled again for storage. Out of the box, Plasticville buildings are usually two-tone, with building walls of one color and the doors, windows and roof molded out of a different colored plastic. With few exceptions, Plasticville buildings are styled after 1950s suburban buildings, and the product line has not changed since the late 1950s.
Most Plasticville buildings are 1:64 scale with 1:48 scale doors, a design compromise that allows them to be used with O gauge, O27 gauge, or S gauge train layouts without looking far off-scale. This allowed one product line to serve Lionel's low-end and high-end product lines as well as American Flyer
's product line in the 1950s. Later, as HO scale
gained popularity, Bachmann produced a line of 1:87 scale buildings for that standard.
accessory. When Bachmann found out consumers were using its product on train layouts, it also added some other accessories such as trees, bushes, and bridges. By 1950, Bachmann had added houses and stores to the product line, and Plasticville quickly became the most popular brand of train buildings on the U.S. market. Bachmann added several buildings to the product line every year until 1958. Some of these buildings were of Bachmann design, but others came from competing product lines that Bachmann absorbed in the mid-1950s.
In the late 1950s, mass-market interest in trains declined, with other pastimes, such as slot car
s, gaining at their expense. Bachmann responded in 1963 by introducing a line of accessories for slot car track.
Although not all pieces were manufactured every year, the Plasticville line has remained commercially available since the 1950s.
The plastic used in modern Plasticville has slightly different texture from vintage Plasticville and although Bachmann uses the same molds today as in the 1950s, it uses different colors in an effort to not diminish the collector value of its old pieces. Re-issues produced after 1997 are marked "Made in China
."
Variations in common buildings can drive up the value. The common Plasticville one-story ranch house is worth about $5, but a variation using dark blue plastic is worth about $200.
Many Plasticville collectors join the Plasticville Collectors Association(PCA)http://www.plasticvilleusa.org. The purpose of the association is to promote a sense of fellowship among Plasticville, USA collectors and to serve as an accurate source of information regarding all aspects of Plasticville collecting for its members and the general public.
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
toy train
Toy train
A toy train is a toy that represents a train. It is distinguished from a model train by an emphasis on low cost and durability, rather than scale modeling. A toy train can be as simple as a pull toy that does not even run on track, or it might be operated by clockwork or a battery...
building sold in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, made by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
-based Bachmann Industries
Bachmann Industries
Bachmann Industries is a Bermuda registered Chinese owned company, globally head quartered in Hong Kong; specializing in model railroading....
since 1947 (although they were first advertised in 1946).
Plasticville buildings are a simple design, made of walls that snap together, permitting them to be assembled without glue and easily disassembled again for storage. Out of the box, Plasticville buildings are usually two-tone, with building walls of one color and the doors, windows and roof molded out of a different colored plastic. With few exceptions, Plasticville buildings are styled after 1950s suburban buildings, and the product line has not changed since the late 1950s.
Most Plasticville buildings are 1:64 scale with 1:48 scale doors, a design compromise that allows them to be used with O gauge, O27 gauge, or S gauge train layouts without looking far off-scale. This allowed one product line to serve Lionel's low-end and high-end product lines as well as American Flyer
American Flyer
American Flyer was a popular brand of toy train and model railroad in the United States in the middle part of the 20th century.- The Chicago era, 1907–1938 :...
's product line in the 1950s. Later, as HO scale
HO scale
HO or H0 is the most popular scale of model railway in the world.According to the NMRA standard S-1.2 predominantly used in North America, in HO scale, represents 1 real foot ; this ratio works out to about 1:87.1. According to the MOROP standard NEM 010 predominantly used in Europe, the scale is...
gained popularity, Bachmann produced a line of 1:87 scale buildings for that standard.
History
The first Plasticville product was a plastic fence, first marketed as a Christmas treeChristmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
accessory. When Bachmann found out consumers were using its product on train layouts, it also added some other accessories such as trees, bushes, and bridges. By 1950, Bachmann had added houses and stores to the product line, and Plasticville quickly became the most popular brand of train buildings on the U.S. market. Bachmann added several buildings to the product line every year until 1958. Some of these buildings were of Bachmann design, but others came from competing product lines that Bachmann absorbed in the mid-1950s.
In the late 1950s, mass-market interest in trains declined, with other pastimes, such as slot car
Slot car
A slot car is a powered miniature auto or other vehicle that is guided by a groove or slot in the track on which it runs. A pin or blade extends from the bottom of the car into the slot...
s, gaining at their expense. Bachmann responded in 1963 by introducing a line of accessories for slot car track.
Although not all pieces were manufactured every year, the Plasticville line has remained commercially available since the 1950s.
Collecting
The only way to accurately date many Plasticville buildings is by examining its packaging. A Plasticville building has its highest collectible value when accompanied by its original box and in an unglued and unpainted state. Glued Plasticville structures are worth about 20% as much to a collector as an unglued piece, although a Plasticville piece that is nicely glued and painted will have value for use in a train layout, rather than as a collectible.The plastic used in modern Plasticville has slightly different texture from vintage Plasticville and although Bachmann uses the same molds today as in the 1950s, it uses different colors in an effort to not diminish the collector value of its old pieces. Re-issues produced after 1997 are marked "Made in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
."
Variations in common buildings can drive up the value. The common Plasticville one-story ranch house is worth about $5, but a variation using dark blue plastic is worth about $200.
Many Plasticville collectors join the Plasticville Collectors Association(PCA)http://www.plasticvilleusa.org. The purpose of the association is to promote a sense of fellowship among Plasticville, USA collectors and to serve as an accurate source of information regarding all aspects of Plasticville collecting for its members and the general public.