Toy soldiers have been played with by children for perhaps thousands of years. Early examples of lead soldiers have even been found among ancient Roman ruins. The current hobby of collecting toy soldiers began in the 19th century as the industrial revolution made both lead and paper soldiers affordable for all classes. Today soldiers can be found in a variety of materials including lead, white metal, plastic, and paper. The term figures, as used in this category, includes any figure or animal made in one of the common scales and materials of toy soldier production. Online retailers of both new and vintage collectible toy soldiers are listed in this category. Smaller scale soldiers used in game playing can be found in
Shopping/Toys_and_Games/Games/Miniatures/. Collector sites about toy soldiers can be found in
Recreation/Collecting/Toys/Vintage_Toys/.