Montaplex
Dated: February 8, 1999.
Here is another contribution from Rafa González of Spain.
During many years, the sobres sorpresa were one of the preferred toys of thousands of children in Spain.
What is a sobre sorpresa?, Who manufactured them?, What were it containing?, ...
The sobres sorpresa ( envelopes surprise ) were small wrinkled paper bags, frequently pierced from within by their own content, with a magnificent
illustration and that were containing small soft plastic toys.
I was one of those children delighted with the
In the sobres back, appears this list with the different series
that Montaplex was manufacturing:
Existed several brands of sobres sorpresa
( "sobres" , as
were called by all ), but one was especially important and known:
MONTAPLEX. This brand was manufactured by ESPAÑOLA DE JUGUETES,
a company situated in a town called Esplugas de Llobregat, nearby
Barcelona city.
I never have been able to verify when they began to be manufactured. But a old woman Mrs. that sold them during decades, assured me that from the 40's already were existing. I don't know it. With my personal experience, I only can confirm that during 60's, 70's, 80's, and early of 90's, yes were sold. Then, I lost
the track to them.
Recently, I have visited some of the sites where I was buying sobres
in my infancy. In these shops, assure that stopped the manufacture years ago, and that before their end, the production was made from Zaragoza.
A collector , that has let me almost all the sprues that
illustrate this article, he has said me that in a village bathed
by the Mediterranean, in the south of Catalonia, there is a small
shop fills with sobres
! Or , I have dreamt it? Who has not dreamt ( asleep or awake)
with which enters a unknown shop and it is full of boxes of his
preferred brand ( as very well was explaining Mario Wens in his
article of the Jan 10).
I never suspected that the sobres
would be the guilty of my subsequent interest to the miniatures.
I either was suspecting of child, that all those plastic toys
were copies!
Yes, copies. All Montaplex figures were Airfix ( the majority)
Matchbox and Atlantic copies. But not all its production was
copied. In the sobres
back, it can be read the relationship of patents that Montaplex
was possessing. I believe that these patents correspond to many
of its vehicles and complements, where it can be read labeled:
MONTAPLEX ®. Also were making some contribution to the sprues of
figures. For example, in the Airfix WWI US infantry copy , they
included a wall in ruins and some small kangaroos. Kangaroos?
Yes, because were sold as Australians! In the Airfix Australians
copy ( sold as New Zealanders) were including some large wires.
And the great Montaplex's miracle, return to the life some
casualties, as the Airfix dead Roman .
(Editor's note: The dead Roman refers to Montaplex's penchant for resurrecting prone or supine figures. Several sets include prone figures which were made upright by planting their feet on bases.)
-100 series: 37 envelopes with armies.
-200 series: 23 envelopes with games for boys.
-300 series: 19 envelopes with games for girls.
-400 series: 29 envelopes with planes, tanks, trucks, ...
-500 series: ?? envelopes with motorcycles.
-600 series: 32 envelopes with planes and helicopters
-Montaman series: 50 envelopes with 1:32 articulated figure and
complements.
Though the collection was growing, they never were changing this
list written in the
In the series on which we are speaking in this article ( armies )
were appearing 2 or 3 spures with soldiers or with soldiers and
some vehicles. The spures of soldiers normally they were
incomplete. Always they were lacking some pose of the original (
which I discovered with great illusion when I bought the original
of Airfix and other manufacturers much years after). But, Why
were called "surprise"? Because you never were knowing
that was going you to appear within. Normally the content was
approximated to the drawing of the sobres
, though could appear anything. And , though in the Napoleon 's
cavalry sobres always
were contain the Airfix cuirassiers, you never were knowing of
the fact that color would be the figures. The same figures can
appear in blue, green red, or until in yellow with brown specks!
The general quality of these copies is bad, though of some
armies, they produced acceptable copies ( Australians, Africa
corps, Davy Crockett,...)
These are some examples of sobres
and part of theirs contained:
Much before that Spielberg, Montaplex already had seen the commercial attraction of the dinosaurs. It was including more dinos, as the Rex or the Pterodactil. The only one caveman is a native of Airfix Tarzan box.
Montaplex put attention to many armies and histories ignored by the international manufacturers. China, Korea, Norway ,Yugoslavia.... The content was it of less. Especially for the children's imagination.
During years, this army was manufactured in clear brown, and a good day appeared in blue. It wasn't a bad copy and it was quite complete respect to the Airfix original.
Montaplex ' s Davy Crockett and the mountain men are a good copy of the Atlantic homonymous set. Include two spures.
You can click here
for to see a large example of Montraplex sobres
and theirs normal contained.
For any question or comment send e-mail to Mr. González.
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