The little lion is supposed to be something almost revolutionary.

Unlike the previous lion, the figure is not yet painted, but completely white.

Legs and tail are slightly more flexible.

The white lion is a prototype.

The toy manufacturer Schleich, which once attracted a lot of attention with its Smurfs and is now mainly represented in children's rooms with its riding stables and dinosaur world, is researching a new mixture of materials for its animals - not because the old children don't like the old one, but because the lion and co. have a second one should get life.

Timo Kotowski

Editor in Business.

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Schleich animals are often given a second home.

“The Lego brick is not thrown away, it is inherited.

It's the same with Schleich figures," says Dirk Engehausen, who has been running the company for seven years.

Previously he worked for Lego.

Here as there he is dealing with articles that are first played with and then often given away instead of being recycled.

Philipp Hummel, responsible for sustainability at Schleich, is not enough.

“Our products are durable, but sustainability doesn’t stop there.

If products are thrown away, they should no longer end up in waste incineration," he says as a goal.

"We have in mind a material cycle in which there is no downcycling during recycling." The recycling product should be on a par with its predecessor.

Hummel puts it this way: “We don't want the material from our animal figures to become park benches, but rather new Schleich figures.

And that requires a new material for the carcasses.”

What happens to wish lists in inflation?

For a long time, the raw materials for lions, horses, dinosaurs and smurfs were always the same.

The company from Schwäbisch Gmünd names polyvinyl chloride and thermoplastic elastomers.

Now the figures should be made of different flesh and blood, i.e. of a different mixture.

The research is not yet complete, but Hummel is showing prototypes.

And before the revolution on a small scale, there is a Christmas business with less than friendly framework conditions.

Engehausen is banking on families saving on gifts for children last, when food, electricity and gas are more expensive.

He predicts: “Inflation and rising energy costs will impact Christmas shopping behavior.

Christmas will be more for children than for adults this year.”

For children's wish lists, this should mean: "Almost every child has a big first wish.

This first wish will also be fulfilled this year, even if the product costs more than 100 euros.” But then comes his caveat: “Unfortunately, third or fourth wishes will not always be fulfilled.

The German toy market will probably not set another sales record.”

Pandemic led to game records

The Corona crisis was a high point for gaming, in Germany spending on toys skyrocketed from 3.4 billion to 3.9 billion euros a year due to the pandemic.

Schleich sales rose by more than 20 percent to 255 million euros in 2021.

It had already tripled in the previous 15 years.

This also has to do with the fact that Engehausen promoted business outside of its home country for the traditional German company.

“The share that Germany accounts for in our business has fallen below 50 percent.

When I came to Schleich, it was still 80 percent.

In absolute terms, today's almost 50 percent means more sales than the 80 percent of back then," he says.

The USA is now the second most important destination for lions, ponies and co. - ahead of France.