In 1960, the toolmaking and the whole production process of making kits really got going at Faller.
For the next program year, the brothers could now unleash their firework of new items.
Most of these 1961 new items became successful models that decades later still have a cult status, like station Lindental B-99 and the round cafe B-215 .
1961 was a golder year for Faller !
The B-275 farmer's house, that I would like to discus today, was one of those 1961 new items.
It never became as popular as the cult models of that year, but it is absolutely a very nice kit.
The kit had a short life, in 1965 the kit was discontinued and diassapeared from the program.
I think I know why it had such a short life but more about that later, let's first start with the box.
I've always admired the kit for its beautiful idyllic farm scene on the box. There is a lot to see on it !
It was the artist Edwin who created these beautiful scenes for the cover pictures of the boxes.
And it was all about the right perspective. Edwin drew sketches for the photographers to show the angle from whereof the model had to be photographed.
Some of these drawings survived time and were published in Fallers 75th anniversary book.
The resemblance between Edwins drawings and the final pictures on the boxes is astonishing.
Obviously Edwin's beautiful stylistic scene compositions, contributed enormously to the success of these models.
(Edwin Faller)
I've been on the lookout for an unassembled B-275 kit for some time (8 years !).
It seemed impossible to find one.
On German Faller collectors forums were postings too, that an unassembled B-275 kit just couldn't be found.
But this summer on German ebay 3 unassembled B-275 kits were auctioned (shortly after each other), all 3 from the same seller (maisbaer711).
I couldn't be happier, and won the auction of the first one.
Actually I expected that the bids possible might could go up to as much as € 175 and maybe more, as some other rare kits do, but that didn't happen.
But I would have bought the kit anyway.
The kit is now the most rarest 1960s kit in my collection (not the most expensive one).
I keep the kit as it is; unassembled.
In the past I bought two B-275 farmer's houses that are poorly built (even the curtains are glued upside down !) and with missing parts.
I took them apart, and rebuild a good one.
I've done that before so I had confidence I could do this, but it is not easy and takes time.
As always the devil is in the details, I still miss the only rain gutter of the kit, but the model is almost ready to go on the new layout.
In 1961 Faller published her first special large format catalog (30 x 30cm) for the Nuremberg 1961 international toy fair, in that catalog B-275 was presented as a new item.
The funny thing is that in that same catalog on page 6 is a text that Faller only use PREISER figures for their scenes on the box cover photos, but upon closer examination you can clearly see Merten figures on the B-275 box !
In fact 3 figures from Merten box No 926, you can even see their statue like round base (typical for early Merten figures).
Identify all the different figures that appeared on the faller boxes, can be a fun hobby too.
Construction wise B-275 is a bit of a strange kit.
When you see the model for the first time, you might think something is wrong with the the roof of the open shed, that parts are missing, and this was solved by a child with a not very well selected replacement part out a shoebox with spareparts.
I bought one of my B-275 models at the Eurospoor webshop, where it was listed as "with missing parts" and "creatively restored with other parts".
But it's just how the B-275 kit is ... with an unusual roof.
The model consists of 2 different buildings, which are simply placed against each other, in a way that it leaves a tiny gap between these structures.
One of these buildings is also used for another Faller farm/country house; B-276b.
The assembly instructing sheet is a bit too simple and the fitting of the parts is OK, but some not as perfect as in most other Faller kits.
I think (and this is pure speculative) that the kit was discontinued in 1965, because it didn't meet the brothers high quality standards.
But there could also be another unknown reason for it's realative short life in the program. (5 years, which is short for a Faller kit)
Marco
