Schleich Wild Life figures are as close as most of us will ever get to owning real wild animals. Of course, some of us try to collect the real things. However, it really is not as fun to have a black bear sitting in your living room as you might at first think.
The wonderful thing about Schleich wild animals is that they never have to be fed and they never make a smelly mess. Of course, there are a lot of different perks to collecting Schleich Wild Life, so let's look at a few of them.
Also, be sure to check out all of our amazing in-stock Schleich Wild Life Figures and Sets.
History of Schleich Wild Life
We don’t know the exact date they started the Schleich Wild Life Collection. Our truly savvy collectors know that Schleich started releasing toy animals almost from the start.
The very first toy Schleich released was a bendy figure named Jopo. He was roughly human in shape. One could argue that humans being animals, this counted as their very first wild animal release. We feel that is not quite true to the spirit, however, so we feel like the first non-human animal should count instead.
When that first Schleich Wild Life animal was released, we can’t say. Schleich was a young company at the time, and perhaps they were too wrapped up in making their history to pay a lot of attention to what exactly it was turning into.
We can say that during the period between 1946 and 1967, Schleich released a lot of bendy animal toys. The wild animals they released at that time were caricatures of real animals. Although these toys were highly detailed, they were not supposed to look like miniature versions of the real-life animals. That would not come until later.
Instead, Schleich Wild Life during this period tended to have elongated necks, limbs, and bodies. This perfectly showed off these toys' ability to bend into different shapes.
Things changed in 1967 with the release of the first Schleich Wild Life toys that at all resembled the ones we know and love today. That year, they released a sea lion family, an elephant family, and a family of kangaroos. These toys were all detailed and finely molded, hand-painted, and are still highly sought-after collectors’ pieces.
Africa - Schleich Style
Most kids in America will never get to travel to Africa. Many of them dream about going and seeing all the exciting animals that live there. As a child, I know I certainly wanted to visit. Then again, I also wanted to go to Candy Land. All of that was before I knew anything about how dangerous these animals are. It was also before I ever took into consideration that I was not a strong runner.
One of the things we love about the Schleich Wild Life Collection is that we can safely have a pack of cheetahs and they won’t be tempted to eat us. You can collect a small family of elephants - or create an entire herd for your child - with a small pride of lions to stalk in the grass nearby. No one ever got hurt by a Schleich lion, unless their child left it on the floor, and they stepped on it in the dark.
Australia - Life in the Bush
Another place I thought I would one day travel to but thought better of upon becoming an adult. Most of the wild animals in Australia want to hurt you.
The Schleich Wild Life collection offers a huge selection of Australian animals. There are so many different types, you could almost populate a child’s entire room with them. Collect a gang of kangaroos with a few wallabies thrown in. Get some crocodiles and a quokka or two, and your kid will be playing Crocodile Dundee before you know it!
North American Schleich
The toys Schleich produces span the entire globe, even the oceans. Although we all love the many exotic animals in Schleich Wild Life, there’s a lot to be said for the comfort of familiarity.
We have to say the North American animals are still our personal favorites. Let them keep their dromedary. We have the Schleich wolf! They may have elephants, but we have the forest dweller set.
North American wildlife is familiar territory to us, but we should point out that these toys are made in Germany and sold all over the world. Think of the wonder that children in China must feel when they look at a collection of our small forest animals. Imagine how thrilled children in Saudi Arabia must feel when they look at a Schleich wolf - when they’ve likely never seen a wolf at all.
Schleich Wild Life is precious. Collecting these wild animals has many different perks. All Schleich toys are inherently valuable and they do increase in value through the years. They help engage the imaginations of children all over the world.
Children who play with Schleich Wild Life toys see animals they take for granted - because those animals run wild outside their door. However, they also see animals they may never have otherwise known existed.
Schleich offers a safe way to explore the world and encourages a love of animal life and the environments where they live. However, we feel the most wonderful perk of collecting Schleich Wild Life is that it offers every parent the chance to learn and grow with their child.