Ever since I was a little kid I have had a fascination with Ny Form Trolls! No not the weird mongoloid looking  ones with the neon hair, the bad ass ones from Norway! Ny Forms  also have “real” hair as well but these ones look the way trolls were meant to. These amazing little sculptures hit the scene in 1964.

Here’s the history of how they came to be via the Trollshop.net:

“Somewhere in the middle of Norway, you will find a small and sparsely

populated mountain village called Tynset. It is located at the foot of a

five thousand feet high mountain named Tron-fjell, which is in the Northern

end of the long and narrow valley called Østerdalen.

This is the place where you breath fresh mountain air, drink clean water

from the cold streams, and meet people who live in perfect harmony with the

trolls.

One clear and cold moonlit night in the winter of 1964, something magical

took place in an old red barn in Tynset. The countryside was deeply

blanketed by freshly fallen snow, and the full moon beamed its arctic white

light through the ice crystals on the barn windows. Inside, on a worn wooden

table, the Norwegian painter and sculptor Trygve Torgersen had just added

the finishing touches to his first troll model.

His creation was a personal interpretation of a troll based on numerous

fairy tales and mythology steeped in the rich Norwegian folklore and

literature.

Famous Norwegian artists like the author Henrik Ibsen, the painter Theodor

Kittelsen and the composer Edward Grieg, are also among those who helped

capture stories, images and music depicting trolls in various ways based on

their own interpretations of the common folklore and mythology.

Mr.Torgersen and his wife Evelyn established together the company Ny Form in

the beginning of 1964, and the old red barn became the home and symbol for a

new breed of trolls.

Over the years Torgersen’s family has also become involved with the

company. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather Mr.Torgersen, the

artist Bjørn Schulze is now responsible for creating new troll characters

along Ny Form’s traditional design.

These authentic Norwegian trolls were an instant success, and have

ever since won enduring popularity among collectors around the world.”

In the 80’s I would often times beg my mom to let me go into the Ashby’s gift shop in Brookfield Square shopping center in Milwaukee Wisconsin to stare at the awesome trolls-“one day” I said “I’d have one of my own”! I can’t say I have an extensive collection of them as I probably only own about fifteen in total. However I can say I check online on Ebay often bidding on the vintage ones only to lose as at times I can be a bit of a cheapskate there! Hey it’s eay to spend your life savings sometimes when you’re hot to win and item in a heated bidding war! I have learned the hard way!!

I remember once at Epocot center in the Norway area they had an entire room full of these little busters and I remember one of them being at least 4 feet tall. If I had all the money in the world I’d have a room full of them at home. So these Check here at the Ny Form official website to read the Norwegian history of the Troll in folklore and check out an extensive gallery of these amazing creations as well….