Description
Figurines Roger: petits coureurs pour grands enfants (little riders for big kids)
Source: Matthew Lamber, l’Equipe Magazine, October 29, 2019
(Translated from the original French by Google)
Timeless and indifferent to fashions, the Seine-et-Marne foundry Roger continues to manufacture its legendary little cyclists from zamak with ancestral know-how. This is a tribute to a manufacturer like no other.
At the Roger foundry, there are many fans of Little Riders. This family SME (14 employees) welcomes many enthusiasts from all over France every year. The curious Véronique, the secretary, greets them with a smile. Some often, old gentlemen come to quench their nostalgia. Others, who had gone for a bike ride with friends, let themselves be carried to Égreville, a small town at the southern tip of Seine-et-Marne, before leaving with their little miniature cyclist.
“Originally, my grandfather Henri, a trained turner-miller, started making lead soldiers ,” recalls Jean-Luc Roger, CEO of the company until 2017, who came back especially to play the role of guide. “Just after the Second World War, he had the idea of making little runners in a new material, zamak, a zinc-based alloy. He was an entrepreneur, not a cyclist .”
But a visionary, thanks to whom all the kids of the 1950s and 1960s fed their imagination by collecting and exchanging miniatures named after the heroes of the moment: “Bahamontes,” “Gaul,” “Anquetil.” Certainly one of the greatest successes in the history of toys.
Code names: “R”, “P” or “D”
From his childhood, Jean-Luc has memories of profusion: little cyclists everywhere, barely cooled from their 400°C bath, fresh out of the metal molds made by Grandpa Henri. The famous “R” series (for roller), of course, but also the “victors” with their arms raised, the “drinkers,” thirsty sucking on their bottles, the “P” (for flat) with two positions, “sprinters” and “dancers,” these climbers setting off to attack the passes, or the “D” for demountable. At the height of the craze, around 1965, 400,000 pieces left the Parisian factory each year: industrial production, artisanal finishing.
“Fashions change, and so do children.”
But in the mid-1980s, Jean-Luc Roger almost stopped altogether. The foundry was turning to other, more profitable markets, subcontracting for the automobile industry. The little racers were outdated. “Fashions change, and so do children. I was attached to these memories of my grandfather, but it was too much trouble .” Without the intervention of a certain Mr. Larzul, a retired dental technician who was fond of Roger miniatures, the boss would have turned the page. “He called me: ‘Don’t stop! You’d make too many people unhappy. I’d be happy to paint your little racers. Entrust them to me!’ So I continued .”
Today, the Roger foundry produces “only 25,000 small runners per year ,” estimates Jérôme Pétin, the current sales director. This fairly seasonal activity, which works well at Christmas, represents 1% of turnover. The company primarily creates zamak or lead parts for construction, cosmetics, nuclear power, and armaments. “It’s no longer our core business, but our heartfelt business,” nicely sums up Jean-Luc, who sold his business in 2017 to a buyer keen to respect the foundry’s values and tradition.
The “big nose,” the Holy Grail of bargain hunters
Found in flea markets, the rarest figurines sell for over 100 euros each. The famous “big nose” was the Holy Grail of bargain hunters for a long time. These few runners with a potato-shaped nose came out of “a poorly made mold,” Jean-Luc continues. The fans kept asking me for them. One fine day, during a big clean-up, Jean-Luc finally got his hands on the faulty machine, which had been left to gather dust in the attic. “I immediately put it back into service to make a series of a thousand! “The bloated siskin is code-named “LN” (long nose). We love initials in the family.
Rediscover the flavor of yesteryear.
If the painting of standard models is now done in China after a stopover in Tunisia (Mr. Larzul has died), the distribution channels will not change. The company has never wanted to deal with supermarkets so as not to sell off its small racers or invest in online sales platforms.
“The only way to buy on the Internet is to connect to our site.”
“If we go to Amazon and the product is successful, we will no longer be able to ensure the volumes of forty years ago ,” explains the sales director. “The only way to buy on the Internet is therefore, to connect to our site. “For neighbors and/or pilgrims, direct sales remain a good plan.
The only concession to the contemporary era is a newcomer who appeared in 2016: the “M” (for modern). “Look, he’s wearing a helmet; he complies with the safety rules!” laughs Véronique. The “M” is struggling to find its audience. “I completely understand,” concedes Jean-Luc, a good sport. A little runner must have an old-fashioned look, so wear a cap .”
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Miniatures Cyclistes Zamak: Interview with Jerome Petin, Directeur Commercial de la Fonderie Roger
Source: RMC Sport diffuse le 09/07/19 – YouTube
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