This assembly of formally dressed figurines was made by Preiser, a German company for model railways. Thus, the little people were intended as decorations for railway landscapes. Collectors spend hours screwing, gluing and brushing to make their model panoramas look as realistic and lively as possible. However, those collectors surprisingly enough are predominantly adults, so model railways are not really considered toys. Throughout the 20^th century, collecting them was a widely popular hobby, with many afficionados building meters of tracks in their attics and basements. Nowadays, it has largely become a niche hobby, although a small circle of model railway clubs and a broad product offer on ebay keep the industry alive.