54mm

The term "54mm" is popularly used for referring to the 1/32 scale size of miniature soldiers and military men. Many manufacturers have standardised this measurement for toys and figures especially related to the military. Most of these toys are made from plastic and often sold unpainted. Each 54mm series represents a military group from any country. The inspiration to make these figures is derived from illustrations, books, pictures, magazines. No wonder there are such perfect imitations of even 18th century Royal Marine military men manufactured today. From the inspiration, an artist generally produces a sketch of the figure. This is an important stage because the positioning is roughly decided in these sketches.

Authentic costumes and equipment are supplied by expert theatre, stage, radio, television designers. A man actually wears them, giving the pose as per the sketch. A photograph is then taken for further accuracy. With the photograph in hand, the artists create a wire miniature of the sketch. Armaments experts provide the specifications of the weapon(s) the toy will hold. A 54mm miniature weapon is fabricated from metal. Moulding clay is added to the miniature until the master piece is complete. A mould is prepared from this master piece. In the process, however, the master piece is destroyed. This mould then enables the manufacturer to create a limited number 54mm toys. Mostly, a mould can produce up to 1,000 such figures. Therefore, a shortage for figures is experienced in the market, thus, these making them most sought-after items by collectors.