📖 Les Petits Malins (Maple Town, Bandai): identify the line and avoid confusing it with Sylvanian Families

Les Petits Malins is the French name for Maple Town, a 1986 Japanese cartoon that spawned a line of figures with changeable clothing, houses, furniture and vehicles. It is often confused with other miniature animal lines of the 1980s. This guide helps you recognise the line and avoid mistakes when buying or reselling. I found no reliable source on precise markings or on possible counterfeits, so the guide concentrates on identifying the line.

1. Which line is it?

• Maple Town (Maple Town Monogatari) is a Japanese animated series from Toei Animation, aired from 19 January 1986 to 11 January 1987 (52 episodes). Its heroes are Patty the rabbit and Bobby the bear, in a small town inhabited by animals.
• Its sequel, New Maple Town Stories: Palm Town Chapter, has 50 episodes aired in 1987 and is set in Palm Town.
• In France, the series was distributed by IDDH and aired from 3 May 1987 on FR3 under the name "Les Petits Malins". The two series shown together carried this title in France.
• The name varies by country: Maple Town, Palm Town, Les Petits Malins, Malinville. The same item can therefore be sold under several names.

2. Do not confuse it with Sylvanian Families

• Sylvanian Families were created in Japan by Epoch (launched on 20 March 1985) and are a different brand. Bandai's Maple Town figures (Maple Friend Figures) are sometimes confused with them, or with Forest Families.
• Sellers often mix the names in their listings ("Sylvanian Families / Forest Friends / Petits Malins / Maple Town"). Do not rely on the title: look at the photos, the packaging and the markings.
• If one of your records mentions "Calico" (the American name for Sylvanian Families), check it is filed correctly: it may belong to another line.

3. Recognise the characters

• The characters are organised in animal families: rabbits (Patty, Rachel, Ann…), bears (Bobby…), foxes, cats, dogs, squirrels, pigs, raccoons, mice, beavers, badgers, moles, and other characters such as Mayor Lion or Sheriff Bulldog.
• The names above are the series' English names: they change by language. Search for a character under several names (for example Patty Rabbit in English) before concluding it is rare.
• The sequel (Palm Town) has a largely different cast from Maple Town's: only Patty stayed. Some toys may therefore come from that second series.

4. Furniture, houses and vehicles

• The line includes houses, furniture and vehicles, in addition to the figures with changeable clothing. A 1986 Bandai furniture lot listing, for example, mentions a fireplace that lights up with a battery, kitchen counters, bunk beds that separate into single beds, a park slide and a motorbike.
• The animals are flocked (covered in fibres, like some other toys of the period). The furniture suits figures of about 3 to 4 inches (around 8 to 10 cm), according to a sales listing.
• Always check the parts that wear out or get lost: clothing, battery cover, screws, vehicle handles, furniture doors, and test the lighting if there is any.

5. Date, complete and value

• The toys date from around 1986 to 1987. In the US, the line was launched in early 1987 by Tonka, the American licensee, so a US example can carry the Tonka name instead of Bandai without being suspect.
• Check for the box, the leaflet and the spare outfits: a complete lot sells far better than a single figure. Also count the accessories in each set.
• In France, boxes carry the name of the line with titles such as "Malinville" (for example a café with an ice-cream service, from 1987).

⚠️ Watch out for

• I found no reliable source on precise markings or possible counterfeits of this line: always compare with photos of several known examples before paying a lot.
• A listing title that mixes several lines proves nothing about the item. Check the photos, the packaging and the brand (Bandai, or Tonka for the US).
• Flocking wears easily (wear, torn fibres, stains) and outfits disappear quickly: these flaws lower the value considerably.

Sources : Wikipédia (Maple Town : série, diffusion en France, gamme de jouets) · Maple Town Wiki (produits dérivés, Maple Friend Figures) · Wikipédia (Sylvanian Families, pour ne pas les confondre) · Exemple d'annonce : lot de mobilier Maple Town, Bandai 1986

Updated on Oct 6, 2026. These pointers are indicative and do not replace an expert's opinion: for a valuable piece, have it appraised.