I’ve been asked, “How many sets did Hartland make, anyway?” One of my brochures shows 26 different horse and riders, plus a bunch of baseball players and 10 Gunfighters. The original Hartland Plastics company ended up making 18 different baseball players, a Minor Leaguer, and one Little Leaguer. As for Football players, I have been informed by Bruce Schwartz, that there were a total of 32. The list consisted of 14 generic Linemen, 14 generic Running backs, Johnny Unitas, Jon Arnett, plus a LSU Running back and LSU Lineman.

Added to the 26 Westerns shown on the brochure, I mentioned above, are Gil Favor and Bret Maverick on the next brochure. Then the Rebel was added as the last western. That would total 29 sets. By that time, however, several sets had been changed or dropped. Included in that list are: Turf King, Davy Crockett, Lance O’Rourke, the Black and White Pinto version of Chief Thunderbird, and the Champ Style Lone Ranger. That adds five more to total 34. Consider that they changed the mold for Roy Rogers to the Horizontal Fringe version then the number is 35. Of course, they did make a Purple version of Dale Evans. Most collectors consider her a distinctive different piece...so that makes 36.

Going back in time, if you count the Small Champs as one and the Large Champs as another, then add two more...or 38. If you count all the different colors and variations of those two molds, the number swells drastically. The Large Champ Cowboys had one version with a cigarette in his right hand and another with no cigarette. There are also a Small Champ Cowgirl and a Large Champ Cowgirl. The small green Cowgirl was also used as Dale Evans for a while and many collectors consider the Red/White Cowgirl and Jade/Lt. Olive Cowgirl as a different set from the early version of Dale. Call it 40.

Hartland made 12 different 500 series mini sets with a couple of color variations for the figures and a lot of color variations on the horses. There are the three mid-sized 600 series Cactus Pete, Alkali Ike and Commanche Kid with regular colors, plus the same items left unpainted.

If you go back just to the 800 series, there were the 40 listed, but then many of those had different horse combinations. At that point, the number of possible and rumored variations go off the scale. I have no idea of the total. Oh yes, don’t forget the sets that Steven Manufacturing remade using the original molds during the late 80’s and early 90’s.

Did I forget the cake decorations, religious figures, nativity sets and just plain ol’ horses? I can barely afford keeping up with the Westerns!