For people interested in Erzgebirge, this region is mountainous with lots of trees, and going back about 400 years ago, was a mining region.  When the ore ran out, the people turned to their environment, and began making toys, ornaments and games from wood - very tiny pieces all the way up to a few large ones.  The early ones through the 1920s were for the most part, small.  The different families were very secretive of their methods and patterns, and passed them down from generation to generation.  Many of these same families are in business today, and still using some of the old techniques and patterns, or at least, modern interpretation of patterns.  They made a lot of candy containers, mostly from paper pulp (paper mache) and from composition (a combination of glue, sawdust and soil).  These small pieces weren't meant to last - just to entertain, so its hard to find them now; the original ones, anyway.  I have studied them for the past 35 years, so I am able to recognize them pretty easily.  The new ones and old ones feel different; the old pieces will develop a "patina" the aged look things get over time. Patina can be faked, but its mostly easy to spot.  Fake patina will ben evenly distributed over a piece, where as real patina isn't.  The edges and shadows will retain more color.  Anyway, if you have read this far, and have more questions about Erzgebirge, I did write several buying guides quite some time ago, that I think might still be available somewhere!  Also, you can send me questions, and I will try and answer them.