Here is a question for some of you old...uh...more mature members. When I was young, I had some HO houses that came pre-assembled. I believe they came from a company in Austria named Hoffmann. You can find a number of examples of them on eBay. They had a triangular logo and apparently came built-up and as kits. As I recall, they were often sold at places like Woolworths or W.T. Grant in my area.
I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about this company. Like, did their products wind up as part of the Faller, Heljan, Pola, Kibri or Vollmer line? The little cottages in each line look so similar that it's difficult to tell if they were the old Hoffmann models. Just curious if anyone knows anything more about these models or the company.
Jim
I didn't remember the name but I did remember the little triangle logo. I had, I think, a small freight station with very simplified crane on the platform. And yeah I probably got mine at Woolworth or WT Grant or some such. Cheap. It might have come already assembled now that I think of it.
I don't know what happened to them but what I do remember is that for a time, around 1965, Atlas had an extensive line of very inexpensive structures (not to be confused with their famous depot, lumber yard, or yard tower kits) that were obviously European in origin and several of them had a certain look that I remember from my freight station. I wonder if those were Hoffmann.
Not perhaps information to be relied upon but an eBay listing for one Hoffmann structure suggests it was sold by AHM. That would explain a Woolworth's connection since AHM stuff was sold dirt cheap at Woolworth's after the Christmas season. Those were great bargains.
Dave Nelson
Thanks for your thoughts, Dave. Right after I posted that, I found a posting (on Pinterest, I think) that said Hoffman was a company that sold pre-built structures and kits in the early 1960s before being acquired by Faller. That's probably about all I'll find out. But at least it confirmed what I kinda remembered.