These shacks constitute one of the hardest of the Plasticville structures to find in any condition. Originally released in 1961, their scarcity is a direct result of the sign of the times, when toy trains were being replaced with slot cars and HO scale trains.

Each shack was a different color, either GRAY or BROWN, or these colors were reversed.

There is a problem with the current issue of these shacks and we’ve shown why below.

The colors of these structures are either BROWN walls with GRAY roofs or GRAY walls with BROWN roofs.

These shacks are hard to find with this color configuration, but they are even harder to find with the "MARBLED" colors of BROWN/BLACK walls and GRAY/BLACK roofs or GRAY/BLACK walls and BROWN/BLACK roofs.

Issued in 1963 in poly bags that were designed to hang from a dealer’s rack this version, No. 5627, was only issued this one year and is extremely hard to find with the original packaging intact. This bagged version is shown to the right. To better protect these multi-colored parts many collectors today are choosing to store these rare structures in the box that originally held the solid colored version.

The small parts that are most often missing from this kit are shown below. They are shown here are the solid colors. In addition to the solid colored parts, I also need the "MARBLED" colored version of these parts. Because these parts are so small the marbling of the plastic does not always show up on them, and when it does, you have to look carefully to even notice the blending of these colors on the piece. None of the parts shown below have been reproduced.

Smaller Bent Chimney This fits on the smaller of the two shacks on the roof that is flat, and the chimney came in both gray & brown colors depending on the color of the walls & roofs. I especially need the "MARBLED" type.

Hobo Shacks Canvas Roll-up Went over the door on the larger shack and came in either gray or brown colors. On the marbled versions the roll-up was also marbled. I especially need the "MARBLED" type.

Large Tin Can Topped Chimney
This fits on the larger of the two shacks on the roof that is bent. This chimney came in both gray & brown colors depending on the color of the walls & roofs. I especially need the "MARBLED" type.

The following parts are needed to complete this kit:

  1. Large Shack Front Wall
  2. Large Shack Rear Wall
  3. Large Shack Left Side Wall
  4. Large Shack Right Side Wall
  5. Large Shack Roof
  6. Window Awning (mounts over the window on )
  7. Canvas Roll-up (mounts over the door on )
  8. Large Tin Can Topped Chimney (fits on top of  )
  9. Small Shack Front Wall
10. Small Shack Rear Wall
11. Small Shack Tall Side Wall
12. Small Shack Short Side Wall
13. Small Shack Roof
14. Small Bent Chimney (fits on top of  )

We’ve gone into the details above of the parts that are
commonly found missing from these structures.

The current issues of all of the Plasticville structures are cast from the same molds, but are usually made in different colors so they are not confused with the originals. However, in the case of the "Hobo Jungle" as is illustrated above, the shacks are almost identical to the original colors. This has led to these being portrayed as the original, and this has caused a lot of concern among collectors.

The way to tell the difference between the current issue and the older pieces is by examining the thickness of the plastic. The current issue is made in China, and wall castings are not as rigid or stiff as the older pieces, and they appear to be more transparent when held up to a light source. Also, because of a chemical additive the walls feel "slick" and will have difficulty staying together.

We urge caution when purchasing these structures, even if they are in an original box, and you should ask for return privileges before purchasing this item. Click on the picture to see a larger view.