Toy Soldiers

88
TOY SOLDIERS The new compact study guide and identifier Norman Joplin

Transcript of Toy Soldiers

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TOY SOLDIERSThe new compact study guide and identifier

Norman Joplin

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This page intentionaly left blank

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'{ I r" , ':' I ,

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TOY SOLDIERSThe new compact study guide and identifier

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TOY SOLDIERSThe new compact study guideand identifier

Norman Joplin

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A QU INTET BOOK

Published hy New Burlington Books6 Blundell Stree tLond on N7 9BH

Copyr ight © 1996 Q uintet Publishing Limited.All rights reserved . No part of this publication may be

reproduced, stored in a retri eval syste m or transmitt ed in

any form or by any means, electron ic , mechanical ,photoco pying, reco rding or otherw ise, without the

perm ission of the copyright holder.

ISBN 1- 85348-925-5

This hook was designed and produced byQuintet Publishing Limited

6 Blundell StreetLond on N7 9BH

Creative Director: Richard DewingDesigner: [ames Lawrence

Project Editor: Alison BravingtonEditor: Tim Hall

Photogra pher: lan Howes

The mater ial in this publication previous lyappeared in Toy Soldiers by Norman Joplin.

Typeset in Great Bri tain byCentral Southern Typesette rs, Eastbourne

Manufactured in Hong Kong byRegent Publishing Serv ices Ltd

Printed in China byLeefung-Asco Printer s Ltd

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 6

USING THIS GUIDE 14

SOLID FIGURES IS

HOLLOW-CAST FIGURES 20

COMPOSITION FIGURES 32

DIMESTOR E FIGURES 35

PLASTIC FIGURES 40

N E W TOY SOLDIERS 57

NEW METAL MODELS 66

OTHER MATERIALS 73

TOY SOLDIER SHOWS 76

FURTH ER READING 77

PERIOD ICA LS 78

SOCIETIES, CLUBS AND AUCTIONS .... 79

INDEX 80

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I N T RO D U CT IO N

INTRODUCTION

T he pract ice of making miniature

representations of soldiers can be

traced back to Ancient Egyptian

times, for th e firs t small warrior-like

figur es were discovered in th e tombs of

th e Pharoahs , wh ere they were probably

plac ed as part of religious cere monies .

Examples of Roman solid figures can be

see n in the British Museum, London, and

th ese are th ought to have been playthings.

Th e discovery at Xian in China of a full ­

size terracotta army bears test imony to

th e co m pulsion to reproduce real -life

military soldiers.

Toy soldiers were for childre n . At fir st

th ey were only available in limited

numbers, and so were expe ns ive and

tended to be bought for the childre n of th e

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Austrian- madeflat fiaures, c.1930, depictinq

soldiers tj the American War tj Independence.

They are 30mm (1:4in) hiah .

nobil ity. Later, as manufacturing becam e

more so phisticate d, more so ldiers at

cheape r pri ces became available for all

childre n to enjoy. By th e late 19th centur y

many a Victorian Christmas tree would be

surrounded by all manner of toys, and for

boys boxes of to y soldiers becam e a must.

The mid-18th ce ntury had see n the

manufacture of so me of th e fir st

co m me rci al toy soldiers - flat , solid and

mad e of lead - in Nure m be rg in Germany.

Heinrich sen was o ne of th e major

manufacturers. Sem i-flat so ldiers were

also produced in Ge r many at thi s tim e.

Th e toy soldier as we know it today

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pr obably evo lved from th e solid , fully

rounded figures produced in Fran ce as

early as 1790, and French and German

com panies were to dominate the market

for an other century. However, in 1893

WiIliam Britain, the son of a British toy

manufacturer, invented th e process of

hollow-casting in lead and th ereb y

initiated a to y-soldi er revolution. Many

UK firms imitated William Britain 's

methods, and the addition to their ranges

of farms and zoos, boy scouts and cowboys

and Indians, allowed these manufacturers

to capture the lion's share of the British

toy -soldier market .

Production continue d throughout

Europe up to and during World War I,

with minor attempts bein g mad e to

A hollow-cast British

soldier in a World

Har ] uniform. The

UK manulacturer is

unidentifi ed, but the

finure is 65 mm (2!1in)

hinh and datesf rom

around ] 920.

INTROD CTION

A Nazi Suirmabtetlunq

(stormtrooper) finure ifthe ] 920 s. It is 54 mm

(2!4in) hinh, and ifUnknOIl71 mamifacwre.

produce to y so ld iers in the USA. By

World War 11 th e US market had become

self-sufficient with ranges of slush - or

hollow -cast toy so ld iers , available th rough

th e "five and dime" sto res . Later, th ese

figur es were given the nickname "dime­

store" ; the name has stu ck and is now

syno nymo us with US toy so ldiers .

Most production stop ped d ur ing

World War 11. Up to thi s time Germany,

Fran ce and Italy had gen erally persist ed

with so lid toy soldiers , while British

makers cont inue d to exp loit th e more

econo mical method of holl ow cast ing.

However, in th e mid-19 30s some German

co m panies had star te d producing

co m po sit ion figures , a combinat io n of

sawdus t, pumice powder and glue,

sc ulptured around a wire fram e o r

armature. Th e maj ori ty of these German

soldiers were tr oops of th e Third Reich.

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I NTIIOlI lJ CTIO N

After World War II the production of

lead figures resumed, but expe r ime nts

were alrea dy taking place with plastic, and

by th e early 1950 s many UK and

Euro pea n co m panies were turning to the

plast ic injecti on moulding syste m . Th e

manufacture of hollow -cast lead ' figures in

th e UK ceased in 1966 when legislat ion

prohibited th e sale of it ems whi ch

conta ine d lead paint. Lead militar y

miniatures of a "no n- toxic" material (lead

figures coate d with a lead -free undercoat

th en painted with lead -free paint) filled

th e gap between I 966 and 1972 , wh en

white New Toy Soldi ers were devised .

Th e lattc r remain in production tod ay.

As with all field s of co llcc t ing it is only

wh en item s become unusual or rare that

th e desire to acc um ulate eithe r for

pleasure or investment becom es para­

m ount. So it is with toy so ldiers .

Coll ccting th em sta r te d to become

fashionable in th e carly 1960s as th e

hollow -cast and othe r lead so ldiers were

being discontinued. Some co llec to rs are

trying to relive th e days of their childhood

by acquiring th e long-lost Christmas gifts

of years gone by; others, perhaps from a

militar y background, gain pleasure in

forming parades or battlegrounds with toy

soldi ers. Whatever th e reason , the hobby

is now more for adults than children .

Plastic Wild Westfie uresfrom Britain 's

Deetail ranee.

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SOUVEN IRS ANDMEMORABILIA

A Scotti sh clansman, IOOmm (4in) hi8h, issued as

a souvenir by Britains in the 1980s.

Toy so ld iers sold as souven irs in gift sho ps

at airports, stately homes or tou rist spo ts

are becoming collec table . Th e Canadian

market perhaps reflects th is more than any

other co untry. T he militar y-style uniform

of th e Royal Canadian Mounted Poli ce is

recogni zed by all who are interested in

so ldiers, and toy-soldier manufacturers

everywhere have capitalized on this by

producin g Mountie figures in all shapes,

sizes and materials. Gift shops in th e

Niagara Falls area are crammed wi th

exam ples of figures, fr idge magnets and

snow sce nes.

I NTIlOD UCTIO N

West Point Academy in New York is

also a popular spo t, attract ing thousands

of visitors each year, and toy cade ts are

readily available . In Greece , toy version s

of the famous Evzone or Royal Guard with

th eir unusual, co lour ful un iforms are an

attractive pr opositi on . Scotland, wh ose

tourist indust ry must be one of th e

world 's lar gest, is we ll supplied wi th

figures of Highlanders.

Toy shows also provide th e co llec tor

with a chance to enhance a co llec tion wi th

souvenir badges or com me morative toy

soldiers . T his kind of merchandise is

creating a new area of co llec t ing, and

senti mental co llec tors are now willing to

pay inflated sums to acquire an item th at

celebrates a particu lar show.

The souvenir <ifa visit to Fort Will iam Henry in

Canada. Thefi8ure is 70mm (2!4in) hi8h , and

made byMini kins in Japan in 1950.

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INTRO[) U CTION

FOC US ING A COL LECTIONWhat soldi ers you decide to collec t is very

much a matter of personal preferen ce.

However, there are some general facto rs

wh ich are useful to bear in mind before

you get star te d as they will help you

decide what directi on you want your

co llec tion to go in and to make sure that

you get maximum satisfaction from it.

Th e fir st qu estion to ask yourself is

wh at you are particularly int erested in.

Do you have a speci al area you want to

focus on? Perhaps you will want to co llec t

a ce r tain type of soldier, or the work of a

parti cular manufacturer. Coll ections can

be ar ran ged by manufacturer, size or type

of material, o r you can concentrate on

A solid-cast HiBhland lficer, 54mm (2J1in) hiBh.made around 1953 by the UK manulacturers

Greenwood &..Ball.

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cer tain periods in history, individual wars

and cam paigns , types of uniform - even

particular regiments. It may be that at th e

beginning your co llec t ion will contain a

mixture of item s and as you become more

involved you will decid e how you want to

specialize .

Another factor to bear in mind early on

is cost . Som e soldiers are mu ch more

expensive than othe rs and you need to be

able to assess which collec t ing areas you

can afford. It is useful to scout around th e

various toy-so ldier outlets if you are a

newcomer to the hobby. Thi s will give you

an idea of what is availabl e, and what the

pri ces ar e, before you co mmit yourse lf to

a pur chas e.

This kneelinp'rifleman, 75mm (3in) hiBh, wasmade cifcomposition material by Playwood

Plastics in 1942.

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WH ER E TO BUYSpecialist co llec tors shops are found in

m ost of th e world 's ma jor ci t ies . In

addition to th ese, soldiers are commonly

availabl e from toy shows , flea markets ,

antique fair s and markets and at auctions.

I NTR OD UC TI O N

Th en th ere is always the chance that you

will find some thing special at a car- boot

sale, jumble sale or in a junk shop.

Swaprneets are also popular, wh ere you

can meet other toy soldier enthusiasts and

swap items.

LEFT A US irifantry

fiBu re manujactured

durinq the ear{y 1950s

by Lincoln LOBs.

RIGHT The American

Soldier Co. made thi s

Victorian -style sailor

in a straw hat in the

late I 920s.

G U I DE TO A UCT IONPRO C EDUR ESAuct ions deser ve a spec ial men tion . T hey

are a good source of toy soldiers but can

be daunting. Attending auctions can be

both a source of revenue (if you are

se lling) or an op portuni ty to purchase.

Th ey also provide an opportunity to see

wh at is on the market and what the pr ices

are . T here are three basic rul es that will

make th e purchase of toy soldiers more

enjoyable.

1. Make yourself aware of eac h ind ividu al

auct ion-house's rules, co mmissio n ra te

and tax on co mm ission.

2. If possible obta in a catalog ue in advance

and try to view the ite ms you wish to

purchase .

3. Co nsult the auction house regarding

reser ves for your items to ensure th at if

yo ur proper ty d oes not reach th e

ex pected pr ice it wi ll no t be so ld for less

than your agr eed reserve .

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INTROII UCTIO N

ID ENTI FI C ATI O N OF TOYSOL D IE RSTh e majority of toy soldiers bear some

mark on the underside of the base which is

some times only the country of manu­

facture. Others have the name of the

manufacturer or are marked in away that

gives an ind icati on of its origin .

Th e British co m pany, John Hill ,

marked "Johillco " or "John Hill" on their

figures, but also stamped on an

abbreviation of "cop yri ght" , spel t

"copyrt". Britains marked nearl y every

figure , but used a var iety of marks

including their nam e, Britains Ltd. Only

very early exam ples may not carry a mark .

For a whil e th e com pany used paper label s

until all their moulds could be ret ooled to

accommodate th e co pyright stam p. Th ese

paper labels are not always in place, which

may be co nfusing for the novice co llec tor.

Items found in their origina l boxes

provide obvio us evidence of th e manu ­

facturer. If you can ge t hold of or iginal or

A dimestore US Cl cifWorld War II vinlaBe.ThefiBu re, 75mm(3in) hiBh, was madeby the Americancompany, Barclay.

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reproduction catalogue s thi s can also help

with identification. There ar e a number of

othe r books dealing with th e subj ect of

identification (see Further Reading, page

77) and th e inexperien ced co llec to r will

find these references very useful.

DI SPLAYI N G YO U RC O LLEC TI ONPart of th e pleasure of having a co llec tion

of toy soldiers is being ab le to enjoy

looking at th em . The m ost popular

method of displaying th em is in cases or

on shel ves (it helps if th ese ar e enclosed so

that du st do es not become a problem , but

air should be allowed to circulate round

th e items) . Th e co llecto r will decid e

w hic h so ldie rs th ey want to di spl ay

together, according to size, regiments and

so on .

Some co llectors pr efer to ar range their

figu res so th at they form a scene or

dioram a , perhaps depicting a real or

imaginary reconstruction of a state

occasion, battle or historical incident.

ST O R AGE A ND CA RETh ose unabl e to display th eir co llec t ions

should ensure that lead soldi ers are stored

in a dry and well -ventilated ar ea in st rong

cardboard boxes with a light cover ing of

tissu e paper. Plasti c figures tend to

becom e brittle and th ey sho uld only be

stored in a sing le row with no pr essure

being put on them.

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A perspex display box if Brita ins' figures,

containing a Yeoman if the Guard, a Scots Guard

and a Horse Guard together with a sentry box.

A word needs to be said about lead rot,

some times called lead disease, which can

appear in lead toy soldiers. Mu ch

inconclusive research has been carr ied out

into its causes. It is possible that cer tain

manufacturing methods may encourage

lead rot, and it is known that storage in

damp conditions do es not help. It has also

been proved that direct contact with oak

wood can be a contr ibutory factor. Display

or storage in airtight condit ions should

be avoided.

Th e sign to watch out for is a grey

powdering of the lead. As soon as you spot

this, isolate th e item from the others in

your co llec t ion in case they also become

affected .

I N TR O D UC TI O N

REPAIR, RESTORATIONSAND CONV ERSION SA growing number of co llectors ar e trying

to obtain broken or damaged to y soldiers,

as their special int erest is in restoring old

toy soldiers to their former glory. Other

people obtain broken or even complete

toy soldiers and conve r t th em into

something else . They may put together

pieces from two or more incomplete

soldiers to make a whole on e.

Doing this for your own pleasure is a

very worthwhile exercise . However, it

adds nothing to th e value - it may even

devalu e an item - and most collectors

look for figur es that are in good co nditio n .

VALUEIf a figur e is in good condition wh en you

buy it , and remains so, th e likelih ood is

that its value will remain firm or will eve n

increase with age. The value is also

enhanced if th e o r iginal packaging is

intact, and co llectors will pay a premium

for soldi ers still containe d within th eir

boxes.

For those who ar e interested in invest­

ment, it is a very good idea to keep an

inventory of your collec t ion . Make a note

of the pri ce you paid originally for each

item and from time to time find out from

dealers what it is cur re ntly worth. This

means that you can keep a running total of

the collect ion 's valu e, which is useful for

insurance purposes and int eresting.

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TOY S O L D I E RS llIE NTIFlER

..... ....... .............................. ..................... ..... ....... .......... ...... .......... ..................

USING THIS GUIDE

This book has been organized according to the materials from which the

toy soldiers were made. Solid figures originated in a two-piece mouldfilled with molten lead; after cooling the figure was extracted. European

manufacturers produced heads from separate moulds that were then

plugged into the body. The hollow-cast method involved pouring molten

lead into a cold mould, which had an air hole and an escape route for

excess lead. The caster swirled the molten metal around the mould, with

excess being poured through the hole. The figure - empty and light ­

was extracted from the mould with pliers. This process required aboutone-third of the amount oflead needed for solid figures. In the UK,

government regulations governing the lead content of children's

toys were introduced in 1966, and hollow-cast production

effectively stopped.

Composition figures were generally made from a mixture of sawdust,glue, kaolin and casein, shaped around a wire armature, then dried and

hand-painted. In the US toy soldiers were usually sold in stores that

stocked numerous cheap items, the "five and dime" stores; hence the

term "d im esto re figures", devised by US collector Don Pielin. They were

manufactured in a way similar to the hollow-cast figures, although themost accurate description would be slush-cast figures. Plastic figures are

made by the process of injection moulding, in which the raw material is

forced through holes in the centre of a brass mould by an injection

machine. New Toy Soldiers are designed to look like hollow-cast figures,

but are made of a non-toxic white metal alloy sculptured and produced

from rubber moulds, by way ofa centrifugal casting machine. Britain's

New Metal Models, also designed to replace hollow-cast figures, requirea metal die to facilitate the die-cast process. Aluminium figures were

made in two halves from a sand-based moulding tray. Paper or cardboard

figures generally stood on a wood-block base.

Throughout the book, the given heights refer to the toy soldiers, not

the packaging. They are measured from the top of the base to the

forehead, thus excluding bases and headgear. The British and Europeanstandard toy-soldier height is 54mm (2Y.in), while the US

standard is 70mm (2Y.in).

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TOY SOLDIERS IDENTIFIER

SOLID FIGURES

In the late 18th century the French firmofLucotle produced solid, fully rounded(ie not flat) toy soldiers depicting unitsatthe French Army, ataheight of 54mm(2Xin). These were the first figuresintended to represent the real thing. By1825 CBG Mignot of Poris hod token

over Iucotes, and began to introducemany new ranges of toy soldiers, hond­pointed and fairly accurate inuniformdetail. It isbel ieved that Mignot went outofbusiness inthe early 1990s.Germany runs aclose second to Froncein the production of solid-cost iron toy

soldiers. Gearg Heyde of Dresdenproduced toy soldiers tram 1870 to1944, when the factory was destroyedby Allied bombing roids. Heyde figurescome in 0 ronge of sizes, but most ore45mm (Hlin)in height.

LEFT A British soldier on acamel, a modern reproductionbased on a 1930s design.Height: 60mm (2 %in).

BEL OW LEFT Two Romanfigures from Mignot, probablyissued during the 1970s frommoulds made 60 years earlier.Height: 58mm (2Y.in).

BEL O W RI GHT Heyde ofGermany made this ra re andvaluable large-size figure of aBritish lancer in the 1920s. Thehorse's saddle-cloth and riderare cast as individual piecesand are detachable. Height:200mm (8in).

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TOY SOLIJU: IlS I IJ E NTI Fl EIl

SO LID FI GUR E S

like the French Mignot figures, Heydetoy soldiers hove plug-in hoods, vmichmeans that avmole variety ofregimentscould be crooted by putting differentheeds on different torsos. The Heyderange footured some massive displaysets, includingsoldiers inaction poses(firing, charging, etc.) and people in

domestic poses (cooks, nurses, doctorsand so on), together with additions likeencompments of tents and fieldhospitals, vmich incroosed theployvalue far children. Mignot preferred toremain with conventional marching orceremonial troops.

BEL OW LE FT Ge o rg Heyd emade th is Au strianinfantryman, a dv anci ng withfix ed ba yonet c . J930. Height:S4mm (21.in).

BEL OW R I G H T Trea sure Ch est ,a US manufacturer, produces arange d epicting the Am ericanCiv il War, o f which thiswounded Co n federa te so ld ie ris part . Height: S4mm (21.in).

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S O L ID FIGUR ES

TOY SOLIlIERS IIIENTlFlEIl

Solid toy soldiers, mode for adultcollectors, were available after WorldWar 11 from exclusive shops such asHummel and Tradition in London.Knownas 'connoisseur figures', tIleywere usually attile standard height of54mm (21:in), altllaugh larger ones

were made, samehmes inkit form, readytar tile collectar to assemble and paint inprecise detail.Holger Eriksson, aSwedish designer,created tile Autllenticast range forcollectors, manufactured inIreland fortile American company Comet. He also

designed some 30mm (1 1:in)froops farSwedish African Engineers, acompanybased inSoutll Africa. Figur ofItaly andAlymer of Spain made similar itemswhich were available only intileEuropean market.

. " O V E Solid connoisseurligures designed by HolgerEri ksson . The k neeling ligureto th e right is a Comet itcmwhile the others a nd thc bo xare Authen t icast. Hei ght:54mm (2Y.in).

KI GHT A Vatica n Guard liguremanufactured by the It a lia nco m pa ny Figur. These mod el sha ve plug- in head s. He ight:60m m (2 )(in).

' ·A K R IG HT Tradition ofLondon manufactured th issolid-cast miniature o f anofficer from the Zu lu War in1970. Height: 54mm (2Y.in).

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TOY SOLDIERS IDENTIFIER

SOLID FIGURES

Between 1950 and 1970 CharlesStadden and Rose Miniatures were !woot the best-known manufacturers ofconnoisseur figures. The interest inmilitary miniatures was particularlystrong inBritain and France, where theseexpensive items could be purchased inshops near the Musee de I'Armee, andin the United Slates.

BELO W The US Honor Guard isan unusual subject, hereportrayed by Staddcn and soldthrough the former LondonCollector's Shop in the 1950.and 19605. Height: 54mm(2 Xin) .

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ABOVE R IG H T This Britishoffic<;r of 1815 was made byRussell Gamage to celebratethe coronation of QueenElizabeth 11. Height: 54mm(2 Xin).

ABOVE LEFT This intricatelypainted figure of a soldierreading orders was made byGreenwood and Ball in the late1960s. Height: 54mm (2Xin) .

LEFT This volunteer of 1815,made in 1973, is easilyidentifiable as a Staddenproduct by the thin, tin platebase and the paper labeldescribing the soldier. Height:54mm (2 Xin).

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SO LID FIGUR ES

Connoisseur figures do not form amojorport ofthe contemporary collecfingscene, but they ore hisforicallyinteresting os the first miniature soldiersto be made specifically for adults, Afoscinating development since thecollapse ofthe USSR hos been theorrival on the world morket ofRussioncompanies sell ing trodihonol solid-casttoy soldiers, The Angle-Russion ToySoldier Compony and Insel ore two suchconcems; rt remains to be seen whethertheir ptooucts will ever becomecollectors' items,

J<U, OW These solid, rathercrude figures were probablymade in the USSR c. I968.Height: 52mm (2~in).

ABOVE Napoleon and hisgenerals at a map table, madeby Charles Stadden in the mid­1960.. Height: 30mm (I :l.in).

BEL O W Insel of Moscow madethis hand-painted 1812 soldierand presented it to the authorin 1993. Height: 60mm (2~in).

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TOY SOLD I ERS II>F.NTIFlEIl

HOLLOW-CAST FIGURES

In 1893 William Britain Jnr, the san of aUK toy manufacturer, conceived andperfected the hallow-cast method ofmaking toy soldiers. Itrevolutionized themarket, hitherto dominated by solidfigures made in France and Germany.

The first hallow-cast figures were aset ofmounted Life Guards, and so began along line of issues depicting regimenfs ofthe British Army. Later, the scopewidened to include fareign armies, suchas in the Armies of the World series.

The Britain toy soldiers were an instantsuccess with children, partly becausethey were cheaper and came packagedin attractive red boxes, and partlybecause they had movable arms.

AIlOVE The Bodyguard of theEmperor of Abyssinia, aBritains' Armies of the Worldset made prior to World WarII. A valuable feature is thatthe soldiers are still tied intothe box with thread. Height:54mm (2Y.in).

RI GH T Since the introductionin 1893 of the Life Guards,Britains has issued numerousupdated versions of theregiment's uniforms. This onedates from the 1950s. Height:90mm (3Xin).

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HOLLOW-CAST FIGURES

TOY SOI.lllEKS IUENTIFIEK

Britains' success with hallaw-castfigures braught it prablems inthe early20th century. Smaller campanies -A Fry, C.D. Abel &eo, and HanksBrasfar example - said flagrant, andsametimes cheaper, copies of Brita ins'prodUCts. Thispirating onlyceasedwhen Britains successtully sued itsrivals. Fram 1900 Britains appliedcopyright to its figures, indicated atfirstby means of apaper sticker on theunderside of the soldier's base, and laterby stamping the tradename, date andcopyright mark on the base orbellies ofcavalry harses. The paper stickers canhelp to date soldiers, and can also oddto their value.

A ROV E This Britains' cannonwas used with hollow-cast USCivil War figures in the 1950s,as a Waterloo cannon in the19605, and with plastic EyesRight and Herald soldiersuntil the early 1980s . Height:54mm (21.in).

Both A. Fry and Hanks Brosdid produce soldiers of theirown designs. The khaki-cladCanadian soldier (LEFT) wassold by Fry as part of a seriescalled Sons of the Empire. Theguardsman at the trail ( FAR

LEFT) was made by HanksBros. Height: 54mm (2 1.in).

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TOY SOLDIERS IDEi\TU'IER

HOLLOW-CAST FIGUR ES

Brilains issued its first examples atkhaki-uniformed troops in1899, andestablished 0 Poris office in 1905leading to the creation of many figuresbased on French units. Gun teams andambulance wagons with troops dressed

inWorld Wor I uniforms were added in1916. The UK factory scaled down itsproduction during thiswor but theFrench office continued its output of newfigures, and many of them ore nowcollectors' items.

I

After the war horse-drawn vehicles,cowboys and Indians, bay scauls andartillery pieces were introduced to theBritains' range, and exisNng modelswere continually updated.

A BO V E Bri t ish Ar my-s ty lelab el s were used b) ' Br ita insfo r its k ha ki troops.Heigh t: 54mm (2 Xin).

RI G H T Br ita in s' matc hst ic k­firing 4.7in naval gunrema ined in pro duct ion fromthe early 1900s until the mid­1970s. This boxed example ishighly va lued by collectors.Height: 54mm (2 Xin)Length: 23cm (9in).

22

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Page 27: Toy Soldiers

T OY SOL I)! E llS ID ENT! n E ll

H O L L O W - C A S T FIGURES

The UK production of toy soldiers washalted throughout World Wor 11, butpastwar govemment restrictions on thesupply oflead meant only aslow retumto normality. Britains was forced tadelete certain lines, including many of its

Balkan soldiers and some of its otherEuropean figures. The companycampaigned for the relaxa~on ofcontrols, and itwas perhaps atthis fmethat the first experiments in plasticproducton were undertaken. Britoins

was eventually permiffed to bolster theailing na~onal economy by producingtoy soldiers for the export market inparticulor the United States. Demesneproduc~on only regained its pre-warstrength in the late 1940s.

SELF PROPELLED 155m.m. GUN (

A ............. pOe«o e/,.. _ rt •......,.

ItM'dbr '"., I1..jorW nt...' .

""""",ACT._ IT _HAUlS ue ., W JIlfIllAJlO 110.11. )lOllOOllU7

This Br il a in s' self-propelled155m m g u n, ofc. 1955,m ounted o n a Cc ntu rion tan kbody, is seen here wi t h itsorig ina l cor r ugated card boardbox. Height: IOOmm (4in)leng t h: 300m m ( 12in ).

23

Page 28: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLIlIERS IDENTIFIER

HOLLOW-CAST

In the late 1940s and early 1950smany new itemsappeared inthe Britainssales catalogues.Agood number ofolder lines, especially those represenNngforeign regiments whose netors haddisappeared during Wo~j War 11, hadbeen discontinued. The old Armies of theWorld series was replaced by Regimentsof All NaNons, containing foreign andBritish Commonwealth and Empiretroops of the postwor period.Picture Packs - single toy soldiers inindividual boxes - were issued between1959 and 1965. They were mainlytaken fram existing sets and packagedseparately, although afew new figureswere designed to increase the range.These ore rare and much sought after byccllectors.

FIGURES

BRITAINSSOLDIERSHEGUf[\"S or IU ,. N.\1I0,\ "S

ABOVE A Regiments of AllNations box set. The blue slipof paper was a packer'sreference, included to enablethe customer to returndamaged or unsatisfactory setsto Britains.

lEFT This mounted Life Guarddates from 1959, and was onlyavailable in Britains' PicturePack series. Height: 90mm(31,in).

2 ·t

Page 29: Toy Soldiers

HOLLOW-CAST

T O Y S O L U I t: HS I1Jt: NTIFIER

FIGURES

In 1954, Ray Selwyn Smith (previouslyon employee of M. long, themanufacturer of Herald plastic soldiers)was employed by Britoins os 0 designer.Amongst other things, he created forthem 0 superb series of action figuresentitled Knights of Agincourt. They wereowelcome addition to therange ofhistorical figures, and adeparture fromthe somewhat rigidtoy soldierspreviouslyproduced.

1Britain~

J!istoriml§ trie£'

A ROV E A Britains' box lidfrom c.1954. The HistoricalSeries label was used forseveral different sets,including Coronation issuesand Knights of Agincourtfigures.

RELOW Britains' Knights ofAgincourl boxed set , designedby Roy Selwyn Smith. Height:54mm (2 Y.in).

25

Page 30: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOI.DIERS IDENTIt'IER

HOLLOW-CAST F./GURES

For many yeors John Hill &Co.,sometimes known os Johillco, wassecond in size to Britoins and Britoins'main rival. George Wood, the company'sfounder, hod been 0 Britoins' employeeand hod learnt his hollow-costing skillsthere before striking out on his own in

RI GH T A John Hill & Co.mounted Royal Scots Greystandard bearer. The lead flagwas replaced by a paperversion when lead was in shortsupply after 1945. Height:90mm (3 Y,in).

BELOW LEFT An airman in a

donkey jacket, made by JohnHill & Co. and one of a rangeissued during the 1930s.Height: 54mm (2 Xin).

26

London in 1898. Wood did not imitateor copy Britoins' figures. Rather hedesigned his own unique ranges, whichore, some would soy, on 0 par withllritoins, John Hill figures appear moreanimated and reftect the kinds ofpositions thof would actually be adopted

by soldiers in bottle, The company'ssuccess derived from this liveliness,which contrasted sharply with Britoins'rigid morching or parade-order toysoldiers,

BEL OW RI GH T A John Hill &Co, Highland piper. Thisfigure was available in manytartans and came in manygrades of paint; the moreintricate the tartan, the higherthe price. Height: 90mm(3Y,in).

BE LOW CE:-ITRE A guardsman,kneeling and firing. This was atypical John Hill & Co. figureof the 1950s. Height: 54mm(2 Xin).

Page 31: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLIlIERS IDENTIFIER

H O L L O W - C A S T F IG U RE S

A BO VE A John Hill & Co.mounted Field Marshal withbaton, made during the 1950s.Height: 90mm (3Xin).

consortium of businessmen set up 0

new factoI'{. several new issues weredesigned in1955, but the companyfai led to anhcipale the demise of hollow­cast figures and did not invest inplashcinjechonmoulding technology. Johillcowas forced into liquidohon during theearly 1960s.

A BOV E This khaki-cladcharging figure was first madeby John Hill & Co. in the early19OOs, and remained inproduction for many years inthis form. Height: 90mm(3Xin).

LEFT Th e charging Highlanderwas a mainstay ofJohillcoproduction lines for years, andwas available in different paintversions. Height: 90mm (3 Xin).

A BOV E This nurse figure wasin production with John Hill& Co. both before and afterWorld War 11. Height: 54mm(2 Y.in).

Right up until World Wor 11 John Hill &Co. continued to invest heavily in newranges of toy soldiers. However, itsLondon foetal'{ was bombed during thewartime Blitz. The moulds somehowsurvived and were bought and token toBurnley inLancashire, where a

27

Page 32: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOL.IlIE IlS I IJ E NT I F I EIl

H O L L O W - C A S T FIGUR ES

Inthe years after 1893 over 100 UKfirms were involved atone hmeoranother inthe produchon of hollow-casttoy soldiers and figures. Before 1914A. Fry, Hanks Bros, BMC, Reka andJohn Hill &Co. were among WilliamBritain'smost prolific competitors, butthe first three menhoned were out of

business by 1939. Crescent bought outReka in 1932 and continued tomakelead figures unhl 1959, and bothCharbens and Taylor & Barran emergedin'1920 Many of these companiessuccessfully converted to plashcproduchonafter World Wor 11.Ahandful of new componies emerged

after World Wor 11, with TImpo (shortforToy Importers) being by for the mostsuccessful. Between 1946 and 1955,and with the assistance ofRay SelwynSmith, itproduced some of the bestpost-war hollow-cast toy soldiers.

LEFT This Timpo knight waspart o f the King Arthur andth e Knights of the RoundTable set released to co incidewith the MGM film. Th eplume is an airg u n d art.Height: 54mm (21.in) .

ABOVE RI GH T Two so ld ie rsfrom th e Tim po US GI range oft he ea r ly 19505. The lin einclu ded troops in both ac tionand d omesti c p oses. He ight :54m m (21.in) .

R IGHT A Red Indian,p roduced by Har vey in th e UKc .1951. H eight : 54mm (21.in) .

LEFT This sp lend id cow boywas produced by t he FyldeMa nufact u r ing Co. in 1951.John Hill & Co. took overFylde and con tinued toprod uce t his ite m. Height:90m m (3 Y,in).

28

Page 33: Toy Soldiers

HOLLOW -CAST

Britains' toy soldiers were moreexpensive than those of many othermanufacturers, and were obtainablefrom Harrods and Hamleys in Londonand other up-market outlets, The figuresproduced by other UK companies suchas Benbros, Jahn Hill &eo. Crescentand TImpo were cheaper, and widelyavailable trom chain stores likeWoolworths and independenthigh-streetshops. European and Americonmanufacturers did adopf the hollow-castproduction method, but never to thesame extent as British companies,

FIGUR ES

TOY SOLDIERS LJI E l'i TI Fl EII

L EFT Th is guardsm an wa s o neo f many types mad e in vas tnumbers by Crescent in the19505. He ight: 54mm (2~in).

BEL OW LEFT These tw odrummers are part of a c heaprange of about 175 figuresproduced by Benbro s in theea r ly 1950s. Height : 54m m(2~i n).

BEL O W RIGHT This Frenchsa ilor was holl ow-ca st by GMin Paris in the mid - 1950s.He ight: 52mm (2Xin).

29

Page 34: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLDIERS IIlt:IiTlnER

HOLLOW-CAST

Edword Jones of Chicago wos one ofthe few US manufacturers fa use hollow­casting methods, relying on the UK firmof Sole to supply moulds. Jones was abrilliant designer but apoor salesman,and hiscommercial ventures failed .Today hisfigures are much sought after.

30

FIGURES

LEFT This Greek Evzone figureby Edward Jones is a rarepiece. The Chicago HistoricalSociety has a large display ofitems donated by Jones.

BELOW A rare, individuallyboxed example ofa RoyalCanadian Mounted Policemanproduced by Crescent for theCanadian centennial in 1967. Itis probably onc of Crescent'slast hollow-cast figures.Height: 90mm (3 Xin).

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Page 35: Toy Soldiers

TOY S O L D I E RS IIlEl'iTlFlEK

H O L L O W - C A S T FIGUR ES

French manufacturerssuch as Mignat,LP andGM adapted hollow-costmethods with mare enthusiasm than theAmericans, but little research on thesecompanies has been carried out. ThesUbjects were mainly French troops tramthe Napoleonicera or action figures tramWorldWar I.

BELOW RIG HT Two French­made figures ofNapoleon'sImperial Guard, whose largeheads give them a toy-likeappearance. Height: 54mm(2:1.in).

A BOV E An unusual French­made British Tommy throwinga grenade. Height: 54mm(2:1.in).

BELOW LEFT A beturbannedMamcluke of the Napoleonicperiod, made by anunidentified French co m pany.Height: 54mm (2:1.in).

:J I

Page 36: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLD IE IlS I D E NTl FI EII

COMPOSITIO N FIGURES

The most popular composition materialsfor making toy soldiers - sawdust glue,kaolinand cossein - were firstcombined inVienna in 1898 by0

compony ca lled Pfeiffer. Thecompoundwas po rticu lo~y common inGermany,and in 1926 the Hausser brothers ofS1unga~ adopted the name Elostolinfortheir composihon figures, aname nowwidely used to describe all such items.Elostolin produced mashy 70mm (27:in)figures from 1904 to 1943, althoughsizes did vary and could be as large as100mm (4in). Most of the world'sarmed forces were portrayed in the rongeduring the 1920s, but the riseof Nazisminthe 1930s led to an emphasis on theGerman armed forces .

32

ABOVE German ba nds men,ty pica l of the mid- 1930s. Theova l bases are c ha racterist ic ofH au sser- Elastol in figu res.H eigh t: 65mm (2:.1in).

LEFT Two Elastolin figures: aguard sm an a t slo pe arms, andan o fficer ca r ryi ng a sword.Height: lOOmm (4in ).

Page 37: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLDIEIIS IDENTIt'lEII

COMPOSITION FIGURES

Apart trom Germony few countries usedcomposifion for toy soldiers. As 0

stopgop meosure while leod wos inshort supply after World Wor 11, the Bren!Toy Co issued asmall range of khaki­clad infantry inthe UK, based on

Elastolin and using the name Elasfolene.For ~e some reoson, TImpa introducedsome small TImpalene figures to ifs UKrange. Toydell was another UKmonufacturer to produce composition orplaster soldiers.

A nurse, probably made by aGerman or Austrian companyin the 19305. Height: 65mm(2Xin).

Toydel1 made this Yeoman ofthe Guard as part of its giftrange during the early 19505.Height: IOOmm (4in).

This British infantryman, ofunknown manufacture, wassold through Kresge stores inthe US for a short period afterWorld War 11. Height: 60mm(2Xin).

Page 38: Toy Soldiers

TOY S O l ll l E RS IIlEi"T1F1ER

COMPOSITION FIGURES

FAR LEFT A World War Istand ard - bea r ing Frenchsoldier made by an unknownFrench company. Height:70mm (2Xin).

LEFT Although this IndianArmy Sikh of c.1938 is moreornamental than toy-like, itwas sold as a toy soldier. It wasmade of plaster in the UK.Height: l00mm (4in).

During the late 1940s, again in thestruggleto avoid theproblems at leadshortage, theBritishfirm Riviere &Willettissued same large-size compositionmodels, mare akin to statuettes, andinthe 1950s theMiller campony intheUSA madesomeplaster-at-Paris figures,Available in'fiveand dime' stores, thesefigures are prone to chipping and arecollected byaminarity atAmericanenthusiasts.

RIG HT Miller plaster figures,d epicting a st re tc he r partyand a field hospital nurse.Height: IOOmm (4in).

Page 39: Toy Soldiers

DIMESTORE FIGURES

TOY SOLDIERS IDENTIFIER

Borclay was founded in 1924 by thebrothers Donze and Michael Levy, inWest Haboken, New Jersey. nbecamethe USA's largest manufacturer of taysoldiers and figures, with the factorylatermoving ta Union Cily andWest New Yark.The nucleus ofthe company's productionwas devated to models ot US amnedfarces, masny inaction. and Wild Westfigures. Many ather ronges wereintroduced aver the years. The pre-1939khaki troops had remavable tin helmets,while past-war figures had fixed helmets.Mer 1945 the figures' expensive leadbases were removed and the feetwidened. giving rise ta the name of'podfoot figures', Many were built to astandard size of 70mm (271in), butsame were made at45mm (l 71in) andothersat75mm (3in), Borclay ceasedtrading in1971.

Barclay World War I grenadethrower, made in 1935.Height: 75mm (3in).

BEL O W LEFT A Barclay-madepodfoot soldier of the 19505.The red uniform is scarce, andthe figure is thought torepresent enemy troops fromthe Korean War.Height: 75mm (3in).

This searchlight operator wascast as one piece by Barclay,and was issued with minorvariations seven times.Height: 75mm (3in).

BELO W RI GHT Barclay'skneeling nurse is similar indesign to the Elastolin nursesmade in Germany.Height : 75mm [Jin].

35

Page 40: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLD IEIIS IIIENTlFIEII

DIMESTOR E FIGUR ES

Maurice and Jack Manail jained wiftlWaiter Baetz in 1924 ta farm ftlecampany ftlat bears ftleir name. Itpraduced saldiers ftlat were similar inscale and style ta ftlase made byBarclay, but wiftl perhaps just an auncemare character ftlan ftle lane(s. TheManail Happy Farm civilian range wasproduced ta reftect US social histary and,like Barclay, ftle company produced awide range afmilitary veh icles.

BEl OW LEFT An intricatelymade Manoil dimestore a nti­aircraft gun and gunner.Height: 75mm (3in).

36

AB O V E This fine Manoilparachut ist fully reveals thecompany's skilful designtechniques. Height: 75mm(3in).

,

BEL OW RI GHT A naval ensignfrom the Manoil range.Height: 75mm (3in).

Page 41: Toy Soldiers

DIMESTORE FIGURES

TOY SOI.DIE RS IDENTIF IER

Grey Iron, anather manufacturer ofdimestore figures, used acast-ironprocess (wtlich seems to have increasedpaint loss from the figures) and adoptedthe Barclay size and style for its toysoldiers, as did Tommy Toy, All Nu andthe Japanese-made Minikins. Othernotable US makers, such as theAmerican Soldier Co., McLoughlin,Lincoln Logs and Warren made figuresofasize similar to the UK standard of54mm (2Xin).

BEL OW L EF T Grey Iron madethis seated machine gunner inthe 1930s. Height: 75mm (3in) .

AB OV E US volunteers made bythe American Soldier Co,(tradename Eureka) in 1906.Height: 54mm (2Xin).

BELO W CEN TR E AND R IG H T

The Mountie was part of aseries of cowboys and Indiansmade by Lincoln Logs, whilethe sailor is from thecompany's standard militaryrange. Height: 52mm (2Xin).

Page 42: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLDIERS IDENTIFIER

DIMESTORE FIGURES

In lt1e USA, during lt1e 1930s, toysoldiers were frequently mode at home.Home-costing sets, easily available bymail order, and containing metalmoulds, 0 bar of lead, a ladle and amelting pal, become very popular. TheSUbjects were mainly US figures. Sochs

was perhaps lt1e best-knownmanufacturer along wilt1 Henry SChierke.In lt1e mid·1980s Ran Eccles ofBurlington, Iowa, acquired manyofBorclay's and Monoil's original mouldsand began toproduce excellent copiesof lt1e famous dimestore soldiers. Ran's

wife, Debbie, catalogues lt1e productsand paints lt1e items inastyle lt1atevokes lt1e charm and character oflt1eoriginals. Each item ismarked 'EcclesBrothers' wilt1lt1e current date.

Playwood Plastics made thiscomposition soldier wearing agas mask and holding a flaregun. Height: 75mm (3in).

38

Soldiers in domestic poseswere frequently included indimestore ranges, and this"correspondent" figure is agood example. Height: 75mm(3in).

Nurse with an ether bottle andmask, manufactured by EcclesBrothers as a modern castingfrom an old mould. Height:65mm (2Xin).

Page 43: Toy Soldiers

DIMESTORE FIGURES

TOY SOL.DIERS IDEI'iTU'IER

Japanese-mode toy soldiers were alsosold through dimestores, and contherefore be classified os dimestorefigures, After World Wor 11 0 number ofUS companies imported lead,

composition and celluloid toy sold iersfrom Japan, many of which were copiesofUS or European products. The qualityvoried : Minikins mode high-quality leadfigures, while Trico mode crude

compositionversions, Nevertheless, 011sold in vast numbers and hove 0 strongfollowing among today's collectors.Porticulorly valuable ore items in boxesmarked 'Occupied Japan",

This japanese-made Indianprobably dates from the 1930s.It has a pivot through thebody so thal both arms canmove, a very unusual feature .Height: 54mm (2Y-in).

The solid figure of this WestPoint cadet was made inoccupied Japan just afterWorld War 11, probably as asouvenir item. Height: 54mm(2 Y-in).

This dimestore flat figure,made in 1952, was probablyintended as a Christmasnovelty item. Heigbt: 70mm(2Xin).

Page 44: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOI.IJIERS IIJENTIFIER

PLASTIC FIGUR ES

The first viable plastic toy soldiers datefrom the late 1940s. Itisuncertainwhich manufacturer can claim to be firstin the field, but in the US Betan wassupplying dimestares with unpainted60mm (2* in) figures of Gls just offerWarld War 11. In the UK Airfix offeredplastic soldiers and cowboys andIndians far sale in 1947. Around thissame time Malleable Mouldings ofDealin Kent imparted from Eire aronge ofsophisticated plastic figures designed byHolger Erikssan. The venture failed,probably because itwas ahead ofits time.

,;'

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f

40

A ROVE These self-colouredAmerican infantry figures,made in the late 1940s byBeton, were sold throughdimcstorcs, and Woolworthsin Britain. Height: 60mm(2Xin).

LEFT Two examples of 1940sfigures - a mountedRoundhead and a guardsmanat the slope - from thepioneering but ill-fatedMalleable Mouldings. Height:90mm (JXin) and 54mm (2Xin) .

Page 45: Toy Soldiers

PLASTIC FIGURES

TOY SOI.UIEIlS IUENTtFlE

In the 1950s some UK hollow-costmanufacturers - such os TImpo,Cherilea and Crescenl - converted theirexis~ng moulds 10 fitplas~c injec~on

moulding machines. However, the firstUK maker toissue plas~c figures wasZang Producls (later Herald) ofeastLondon. Zang employed 0 number ofdesigners inthe early 19505, and thefaclory produced some ofthe finestplastic toy soldiers ever mode.

BEL OW Trojan warriors fromz.~ng's Herald range of theearly 1950s. Height: 54mm(2~in).

AB OV E This King Arthurfigure from Tirnpo has a good- I

quality paint finish, and waspart of a series issued in themid-1960s. Height: 54mm(2~in).

RI GH T Two Highland soldiersfrom the Herald range.Height: 54mm (2~in).

41

Page 46: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLDIERS IDENTIFIER

PLASTIC FIGURES

In the early 1950s Zang introduced 0

largenumber of new plasffc figures,includingkhaki baftledress infantry,American CivilWar soldiers, FootGuards, Life Guards, Horse Guards,Highlanders, and cowboys and Indians.They come pocked incolourful boxes oron display cards of four figures, andquickly become popular with children. In1953 the tradename Heraldwasadopted, and aherald logo wasembossed on the underside of eachfigure's bose.

42

A BOVE A British officer andsentry from the Herald rangeof British Army khaki troops.Height: 54mm (2Xin).

BELOW Four Herald figures:two mounted HouseholdCavalry troopers and twodismounted. Height: 90mm(3~in) and 54mm (2Xin).

Page 47: Toy Soldiers

PLASTIC FIGURES

Inthe mid-1950sWmBritainLtd tookover the Herald name and company, Thename survived until the early1980s osthe Britains' tradename for the bulk of itsplastic figures, Ironically, in 1957 leadcopies of plastic Herold figures began tobe exported from Hong Kong tothe UKand USA!In the late 1950s Britains revolutionizedthe world of plasticfigures with theintroduction of the Swoppet range.All thepieces inthe range, includingindividualpistols, were removable andinterchangeable, and so could be'swopped' with other figures.

TOY S O LD I E RS IDENTIFIER

LEFT A cowboy, seated on abarrel, from Britains' Swoppetrange. Height: S4mm (2Xin).

BEL OW LEFT In 1955 AHI ofHong Kong made this hollow­cast lead copy of a plasticHerald American Civil Warinfantryman. Height: 54mm(2Xin).

BEL OW RIGHT A cowboy andIndian from Britains' Heraldrange. This series alsoincluded mounted figures .Height: 45mm (I Y-in).

43

Page 48: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOI.llIERS IDENTIFIER

PLASTIC FIGURES

In 1960 Britains introduced the EyesRight range to fill the gap caused by thedisappearance ofmany hollow-costceremonial arfull-dress Iypes oftoysoldier. The range carried someSwoppet-slyle features, since the headsand arms were movable, and itbeganwith Guards figures, Royal Marines andother Brifish regiments. US Marines andUS Army bonds were later included. ThefinalEyes Right figures, the BahamasPolice and Royal Conadian MountedPolice, appeared in 1962.

BH OW L.EFT Two soldiers ofthe Scots Guards in theBritains' Eyes Right range.Height: 54mm (2 Y.in).

A BOVE Royal Marinebandsmen in the Eyes Rightrange. Height: 54mm (2Y.in).

BEL OW R IG HT A piper of theScots Guards. Note the paperbanner on the bagpipes of thisEyes Right figure.Height: 54mm (2 Y.in).

Page 49: Toy Soldiers

PLASTIC FIGURES

TOY SOLDIERS IIlEI'iTIFlE

Foot soldiers of the American Civil Warhod farmed port of the Herald rangetram the early 1950s, but illook some10 years for Swoppet-type mountedtroops to join them. The old foot figureswere phased out and replaced by anewly designed set. Mosl of the otherranges were extended, with siegeweapons being added in 1967 10enhance the Swoppet range of knights.

AHOVE American Civil Warfigures: examples of both theold fixed-limb Herald infantryfigures and the Swoppet-stylemovable-limb figures. Height:90mm (3~in) and 54mm (2Xin).

RI GHT Swoppet-stylemovable-limb figures from aset reintroduced by Britains tocelebrate the AmericanBicentennial in 1976.Height: 54mm (2Xin).

45

Page 50: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLDIERS IDENTIFIER

PL AS TI C FI GUR E S

In 1971 Britains introduced the Deelailrange of plostc fixed-limb figuresmounted on metal bases. Although ilwas aimed atthe children'smarket, itisnow 0 popular area for adult collectors.11 consisted initially 01 US and Genmaninfantrymen of World War 11 vintage.In 1972 the produc~on of Herald plas~c

figures was finally sub-contracted 10 aHong Kong company, on the groundsofcost.

BELOW A Britains' DeetailLand-Rover, complete withgun. Height (of figures) : 54mm(2:1.in).

46

AROVE Two medieval archersfrom Britains' Herald range,manufactured in Hong Kong.Height: 54mm (2:1.in)and45mm (I Xin).

BELOW R IG HT US infantrymenand recoil-less rifle, from theDeetail range. Height: 54mm(2:1.in).

Page 51: Toy Soldiers

PLASTIC FIGURES

TOY SOLD IE RS I D E NTI FI ER

Britains' Deetail range expandedimmensely after 1971 to includeJaponese soldiers, Briftsh 8th Armypersonnel, the German Atrika Karps,French Foreign Legionnaires, Napoleonictroops, and Arab and Mexican warriors.In the 1980s Turks and medievalknights were added, os were severalseries ofspacemen. However, os theimportance ofBritains' New MetalModels has grawn, the range of plasftcfigures has diminished. The most recentDeetail figures ore the Knights of theSWord.

Ta l' Motorized infantry andrifleman of the German army,from Britains' Deetail range.Height (of figures): 54mm(2Y.in).

A BO V E Three Deetail figures:two British khaki-cladsoldiers, and a Japaneseinfantryman. Height: 54mm(2Y.in).

BELO W A Deetail battle scene:Arabs attacking soldiers of theFrench Foreign legion.Height: 54mm (2Y.in).

47

Page 52: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLDIERS IDENTIFIER

PLASTIC FIGURES

The late 1950s saw many UKmanufacturers take an tile challenge ofthe Swoppet-style plastic toy soldiers, sosuccesstully pioneered by Britoins.TImpo adopted asimilar system andwent on to produce hundreds of differentfigures from its factory inShafts,

48

Lanarkshire. Norman Tootll, 0

remarkable TImpo designer, continued tocome up witll new ideas, and in tile late1970s devised aremarkable machinetIlot could convert, cut, point andassemble acomplete figure. Thisautomatic process produced TImpo's

last range in197B, aseries ofVikings,mounted and on fool, but unfortunatelytile company ceased productionin 1979.

AB O V E RIG HT This Timpomounted Viking was one ofthe last pieces to be made byNorman Tooth's automaticprocess. The figure has amovable head and waist.Height: 90mm (3:.sin).

AB O V E LEF T Knights of theHelm was an attempt byTimpo to inject more detail­such as the ornate head-dress- into its Swoppet-stylefigures. Height: 54mm (2Xin).

LEFT A Timpo mountedcowboy of the 1970s. Note thefringed Cheyenne-type jacket.It also has a movable head andwaist. Height: 54mm (2Xin).

Page 53: Toy Soldiers

P L A S TI C FIGUR ES

The UK boom inthe produchon of plostictoy soldiers losted roughly from 1955 to1980. Cherilea, whose figures were60mm (2l!in) high, introduced manynew ronges, including even aTudorexecution set. Charbens covered manyfamiliar subject areas, as well as theless-common pirates, Cossacks and abull-tighting set. Crescent introduced asuperb series of British World War Itroops, and also produced knights andRobin Hood, cawboys and Indians,which were eventually obtainable incereal packets.

TOY SOLDIERS IDENTIFIER

A BOV E RI GHT This Mexicanbandit with a money pouchwas part of an animated WildWest set made by Crescent.Height: 60mm (2%in).

ABOVE LEn This plasticSaraccn with a spear waspreviously made by Charbensin lead from a hollow-castmould. Height: 50mm (2in).

FAR LEFT A plastic World

~~~I War I grenade thrower, partof a series of nine figuresmanufactured by Crescent inthe 1960s. Height: 56mm(2Xin).

LEFT Cherilea made thisunusual Chinese infantrymanwith a flamethrower in the1960s, as part of a series of six.Height: 60mm (2%in).

49

Page 54: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLD IE RS I D E NTI FI ER

PLASTIC FIGURES

John Hill&eo, Ille UK'ssecond-largestproducer of hollow-cost figures, modelittle effort in Ille 1950s to change toplastic materials. Itconverted somehollow-cost moulds, but itnever investedin injeclion moulding equipment,believing Illot plastic would only be 0

short-lived phenomenon. IIeven turneddown Ille chance to supply Kelloggswilllhundreds of Illousonds of plasticfigures for cereal pockets. By Ille early19608 John Hill &Co. was oulof business.

LEFT This c lans ma n, issuedunder John Hill & Co'sMonarch label in the la te1950s, is from one of theco m pany's few plastic se ts .Height: 54mm (2Xin).

REL OW Popla r Playth ings, aWel sh com pany, made thisRoman cha r io t a nd charioteerin t he m id- 1950s. Alt houg hclassed as pl ast ic by collectors,the figures are act ua lly madeof rubber. Height: 80mm(3Xin).

50

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PLASTIC FIGURES

By 1980 most UK plosftc-soldiermanufacturers hod gone out ofbusiness, leaving onlyCovendishMiniatures ofWindsor, Airlix and Brito insinproducfton. Covendish conftnues tomake plostc figures (havingbegun inthe early 19505) and acts os 0

wtlolesaler to the trade. It alsospecializes insouveniritemsmode ofsolid lead.In 1989 Giles Brown of Dorset Soldiersbought many of the old Cherilea plosftcmoulds and starled to reissue self­coloured figures aton affordable price.In 1990 Morlborough of Wales launchedosimilar operation when itpurchasedthe redundant Chorbens' moulds, andToywoy now reissues the TImpo range. A HOVE This Tudor-style

swordsman was a 19905 reissueby Dorset Soldiers from theCherilea original mould.Height: 60mm (2 Xin).

TOY SOLDIEIlS tDENTlt'lER

ABOVE Many companiescopied the plastic Heraldsoldiers. This example wasmade by Vp, a small Britishfirm. Height: 54mm (2 :1.in).

HELO \V This box of 1750infantry is one of CavendishMiniature's early sets, andforms part of a range issuedcontinuously since 1958.Height: 54mm (2:1.in).

5 I

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TOY SOLIllERS IIlEl'iTIFlER

PLASTIC FIGUR ES

The US market tor plas~c toy soldierswas dominated by Louis Morx &Ca.Thisfamous company specialized in theproduc~an of lorge boxed display sets,known os playsets, which included notonly unpainted toy soldiers - sometimesover 100 tigures - but also buildingsand accessories. Pointed Marx soldiers

were available in the Warriors oftheWorld series, and over the years thecompany covered most major historicalperiods and wors. Morx also issued150mm (6in)figures, and used both

hard and soft plas~cs. There were Marxfactories in Gemnany, Hang Kong andWales. Marx items ore avidly collected,and the market even supports 0

specialist magazine. Michael Ellis'sLondon-based compony, Marksmen,has carved out 0 lucrative business inthe reissue oforiginal Marx figures.

BEl O W R IGH T This RobinHood figure was a popularMarx item in the 1960. . The}'were available painted orunpainted in self-colouredplastic, with the character'sname embossed in the base.Height: 60mm (2Xin).

BElOW LEFT This large ISOmm(6in) unpainted figure oraWorld War II Gl was made h}'Marx.

ABOVE Modern reproductionsby Marksmen of an originalMarx set. Height: 60mm(lXin).

52

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PLASTIC FIGURES

TOY SOLlllERS IDENTIFIER

Apart fram the UK, the us and HangKang, Eurapean manufacturers were theather major producer of plastic soldiers.Starlux ofFrance used hard plasfic tadepict awide range ofNapoleanictroops, Foreign Legionnaires and militarycadets. The figures were realisticallymodelled ingoad achan poses with ahighly detailed point finish, and atitspeak Starlux covered many othersubjects. Itoiso issued asecand-gradeseries ofcheaper and less-detailed taysoldiers, slighny smaller than54mm (2 ~in) .

Three Starlux figures: thefemale Russian soldier (BELOW

LEFT) is an unusual subject;the medieval court jester( LEFT) is from the first-graderange, while the paratrooper(B EL OW RI GH T ) is a smallersecond-grade figure. Height:54mm (2Xin).

53

Page 58: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLDIERS IDENTIFIER

PLASTIC FIGURES

Spain'smain producer of toy soldierswas Reamsa, whose ronge includedmany figures from the Spanish armedfarces as well as medieval charactersand Moors. Populor tram the 1950s

A rare plastic figure of atoytown soldier at port arms,made by Quiralux of France.The series moulds were sold inthe early 1950s to Wend-AI inthe UK, which converted themto make "unbreakable"aluminium figures. Height:52mm (2~in).

54

until the 1970s, Reamsa toy soldiers orenow being reissued by an enterprisingcollector, Ric Bracamontes of theChicago-based Company B. Reamsaitself stapped trading in the late 1970s.

This Spanish Army standardbearer is one of a set of 20Reamsa pieces. Height: 60mm(2%in).

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PLAS TI C FIGUR ES

TOY SOLDIERS IDENT IFIER

After World War 11 Housser, the Germancompany famous for its pre-warcomposition Elostolin figures,tumed tothe praducNon of plastic toy soldiers.It introduced 0 series oflarge-scaleRomans, knights and cowboys andIndians, based on some of its pre-wardesigns. Later it released figures basedon World War I1 German troops. Houssereventually went out of business in thelate 1970s, 0 victim of the fashion farhigh-tech toys. Gougemoster, a UKcompany, has recently tried to revivethe Hausser plastic range, but withlimited success.

BELOW Trooper of the RoyalCanadian Mounted Police,made by Hausser for thesouvenir market. Height:65mm (2~in).

A BOVE This splendid Romancavalryman was one of a seriesreleased by Hausser in the1960s and 1970s. Height:lOOmm (4in).

BELO W RIG HT MountedGerman officer. Hausscrdesigned the figure to beremoved from the horse.Height: lOOmm (4in).

55

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TOY SOLDIE /lS I D E N Tl FI E/I

PLASTIC FIGURES

Plastic toy soldiers mode inHong Kongflooded the world market far manyyears. Thesewere usually unpainted,and although they were sometimes welldetailed they are always classified by

collectors as second grade. Furthermare,such figures were olmostwithoutexception pirated copies of US andEurapean designs.

A Hong Kong co py of aSwoppet-styl e cow boy, w it h amovable wai st an d head.Height: 52mm (2Xin) .

56

This US infan tryma n in greypl asti c is a ty pical Hong Kongprod uct. Height: 80mm (3Xin).

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NEW T O Y SOLDIERS

TOY SOLDIERS IDENTIFIER

In 1966 itbecame illegal inthe UK tomanufacture lead toy soldiers, thusleaving agap in the market. Frank andJan Scroby of London had been dealersinthe old hollow-cast figures, but asthey became increasingly scarce theScrabys experimented with praducingtheir awn replacements. By 1973 theyhad successfully developed theBlenheim range offigures made from anon-toxicwhite metal allay. These NewTay Soldiers, as they became known,were designed to sit alongside traditionalhollow-cast items.

The Blenheim Highlander atthe slope (LEFT) "steps" off onthe opposite foot to most toysoldiers. The Zulu and hisBritish enemy (BELOW) areanimated pieces andsomething of a departure fromBlenheim's standard marchingfigures. Height: 54mm (2 Y.in).

57

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TOY SOLDIERS IDENTlFIEIl

NEW TOY SOLDIERS

Blenheim'sminiature masterpieces werean instant success with collectors.Shamus Wade, along-establishedtay­soldier dealer, commissioned theSCrobys to produce the exclusiveNostalgia range of New Tay Soldiers farhis mail-order business. The sets andindividual figures depicted regiments ofthe British Commonwealth. During itslatter years, as Blenheim itself grewbigger, the Nostalgia range was takenaver by Peter Cawanand Andrew Rase.

BELOW Blenheim box set byFrank and Jan Scroby. Theseblue boxes had gold ins ertswith slots for each figure .Height (of figures) : 54mm(2Xin).

ABOVE This ChelseaPensioner by Blenheim fits inwell with military figures.Height: 54mm (2 Xin).

A BO V E A Chinese soldier fromthe Boxer Rebellion, made byBlenheim for a well-knowncollector in the 1970s. Height:54mm (2Xin).

r---'-'~~'

. "

58

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N EW TOY SOLDI ERS

The Blenheim range was discontinued in1982 after financial difficulties, but theSCrobys introduced the new Morlbaraughrange later that year, to be soldatfirstthraugh 0 US agent Star Collectrbles. Amagnificent series, based on the DelhiDurbor of 1902, was released os well,devised so that the collector could oddto the set over aperiod and ultimatelybuild acomplete Durbor. Sodly, theMarlborough range fell victim toeconomic recession inthe mid-1 990s,and production has stopped. AndrewRose isanother talented designer ofNewToy Soldiers, and currently produceshis own lines of Bastion andWessex figures.

A BOV E Two British figures intropical - servi ce dress , fro mAndrew Ro se 's Bastion range.H ei ght : S4mm (2:1.in).

' T O Y S O I. D IE HS ID E NTIFI ER

BELOW A Marlborough boxset by Frank a nd Jan Scroby,These box es had foa m insertsand sect io ns in which eachfigu re lay. Height (o f figu res) :S4mm (2:1.;n).

59

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TOY SOLD IE RS I D E r-; T1 F1 ER

NEW TOY SOLDIERS

The SCrobys' suecessu venturesinspired many others to produce theirown ronges ofNew Toy Soldiers. Typicalofthese was Mark Time ofCroydon,London, which manufactured figures inthe mid-1 970s, and Charles Hall ofEdinburgh, who will work tocommissions. Thelma and Jock Duke ofDucal inHampshire specialize in themoking ofceremoniol troops that depictmany sfate occasions, such as theTrooping the Colour.

60

AB OVE This HouseholdCavalry drum horse with itsattractive bo x is c ha racteristicof t he high-quality wor kp roduced by Du cal. H e ight:90m m (3:,1,in).

FAR L EFT An unusu alvo lu nteer cy cl ist, fr om theMark Time range. Hei ght:54mm (2Xin).

LEFT Adolf Hitle r, portrayedb)' Cha r les Hall. Heig h t : 70m m(2Xin) .

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N EW TOY SOLDIERS

Another majar New Toy Soldier companyisTrophy Miniatures at Wales, runbyLen Taylar. Ithas become world-famousfar the qualify of its designs andpointing. The Zulu War features heavilyinthe Trophy ronge, and infarmahanonnew designs and subject areas isavailable tram the Guards Toy Soldiercentre at Wellington Barracks inLondon.

BELOW Three earl)' figuresfrom Trophy Miniatures: aRoyal Marine, a so ldier of theWest Ind ia Reg im ent , a nd anIn d ian Ar my officer. Height:54mm (2Xin).

TOY SOLDIERS IllENTlF IER

Trophy ma de this su per b two­piece se t or Win ston Chu rchillmo un te d and fir ing a p istol a tan a ttack ing Dervi sh er,Heigh t : 90m m (J ~in) a nd54mm (2Xin).

6 1

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TOY SOLDIERS IDENTU'IER

NEW T O Y S O L D I E R S

In 1977 JohnTunstill, the proprietor ofSoldiers shop inLombeth, Londonlounched hisown range, SoldiersSoldiers. The figures were porltydesigned by Andrew Rose, ond olthoughno longer inproduction, items ore stillavailable from existing stocks. DorsetSoldiers, owned by Giles Brawn inWiltshire, started the production of NewToy Soldiers in 1979 and has gone fromstrength to strength.Awide range ot UKand foreign regiments ore obtainable (aswell as reissues ot the old Cherileoplastic soldiers), and fresh additions oreregulorly announced via acatalogue.

BELOW An inventive set fromDorset Soldiers, made of hand­painled white metal anddesigned to be used with the54mm (2:1.in) New Toy Soldiers,

A BOV E This Lancer officer wasone of Trophy's earliest items,c. 1974, The figure's oval basewas discontinued soonafterwards, Height: 54mm(2:1.in).

AIl OV E A solid Bethnal Greenvolunteer, manufactured byJohn Tunstill in the 1970. as anexclusive souvenir of theBethnal Green Museum ofChildhood in London, Height:54mm (2:1.in).

62

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NEW T O Y S O L D I ER S

TOY sor.nt eus Illt:NTlFIEII

Inrecent years, It1e BriNsh Toy Soldierand Figure Show - Europe'slorgest toy­soldier event - has been attractingincreasingnumbers of exhibitors fromIt1e ronks of UK New Toy Soldiermanufacturers. Many ofIt1eseparticipants ore private individuals, whodo it purely for pleasure, such os MajorGovin Thompson of the Royal MilitaryPolice.Others, like Martin Tabony, treatthe business os 0 cottoge industry, whilesome ore tull-time professionalmanufacturers.

LEFT A Royal MilitaryPoliceman, manufactured byMajor Gavin Thompson underthe name of Kidogo. Height:54mm (2Xin).

BELow "The Home Coming",an attractive set designed,sculpted and painted byMartin Tabony, Height: 54mm(2Xin).

63

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TOY S O L D IE RS IDt: NTIFIER

N E W TO Y SOLDI ER S

There are several reasons for Itlesuccess of Itle New ToySoldierphenomenon. Amongst Itlem must beItle coretul attention to historical andperiod detail displayed by Itle bestmanufacturers (such as SteadfastSoldiers), high-quality craftsmanship,attractive packaging of neproduct and aItlorough understanding ofhow to reachand appeal to Itle specialist collectors.

An attractive se t of the BlackWat ch, com p le te with ma ximgun and o fficer, produced bySteadfast So ld ie rs. Height:54mm (21.in) .

64

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TOY 501.IIIER5 IDENTIFIER

NEW TOY SOLDIERS

There ore several American praducers otNew Tay Soldiers, such as Somerset, BillHacker, Edward Burley, Joe Shimek,Stephen Dietz and Ran Wall. Perhapsthe mast successful isBill Hacker ofBer1<eley, Calrtomio. His commitment,eye for detail and exquisite design, andmanufacturing techniques has ensured aworldwide reputation. Luigi and ManicaToian of Rome fty the ftag inItaly, underthe tradename of Goriboldi.

RIGHT Highland piper of the'45, made by Garibaldi of Italy.Height: 54mm (2 Y.in).

BELOW This set of a naval bandfrom Bill Hocker has beenshrink-wrapped so thatcollectors can display itwithout removing the figures.Height: 54mm (2Y.in).

RIGHT A Red Indian brave,complete with removablelance, from Ron Wall of StLouis, Missouri. Height: 54mm(2 Y.in).

---------- - - - - - - ---------- - - -

65

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TOY SOLDIE RS J[)El'"T1FIER

NEW M E T A L M O D E L S

In 1973 Britains intraduced its NewMetal Madels. Although this was thesame year that the Scrobys launched theBlenheim range of similar-sounding NewTay Soldiers, infact the twomanufacturing pracesses are quitedifferent from each other (see page 14for further details).Thefirst NewMetalMadel was aScots Guard marchingfigure. Affer asiaw start, Britains hasrecaptured a large slice aftheinternational toy-saldier marketfrequently by means ot baxed sets inbath limited and unlimited editians. Thefarmer were introduced in 1983, andtheir value to collectars obviously variesaccording to the number of sets issued. ABOVE A Brita ins' mounted

trooper of the Life Guards.Height : 90m m (3 Xin) .

BELOW The 2nd Life Guards ina Britains' bo xed se t of 1994.He igh t : 90m m (3Xin) .

66

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TOY SOLDIE RS IIlENTlFlE R

N EW M ET AL MODELS

Special Britains' issues, nat included inthe narmal catalague range, aresametimes available. Far example, a19B4 exhibitian, entiNed 'On Guard',and held atthe Landan Tay and MadelMuseum prampted Britains ta releasetwo Argyll &Sutherland figures, packedan an open-fronted cord and availableonly for the exhibition'sduration. Bathare now quite rare. 1985 sow the

launch of acampaign to baost soles inConada, includingthe issue of Mountiefigures os part ofthe strategy.

HEL OW Two Br ita ins' Argyll &Sutherlan d High la nders fromthe 1984 London Toy andM od el M useu m exh ibition.Height: 54mm (2Y.in).

A HO VE A New Meta l Model ofa Royal Canadian MountedPoli cem an. He ig h t : 90mm(3Xin).

~~-- -,

'E BRITAINS ~ I BRITAINSP,

67

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TOY SOL D IERS ID E NTl n EIl

NEW METAL MODELS

Throughout the 1980s Britoins conftnuedto develop the use ofboxed sets andlimited ediftons os morkeftng tools. Forexample, in 1986 the Welsh Guardsbecome available in0 limited edifton of5,000, and to enhance US soles threesets of US Marine Corps figures werereleased. In 1987 this particular themewas developed with the inclusion atUS Marine Corps bondsmen intheWilliom BritainCollection. The someyear also sow 0 Bahamas Police Bondin 0 5,000 limited-edihon set; the someSUbject hod previously been produced inhollow-cost form.

RI GHT The Bah amas Poli ceBand in Brita in s' 1987 ed it io n,com p le te w ith ce r ti fic a te.H eight: 54mm (2Xin) .

BEL OW Drummers a nd buglersof t he US Mar in e Co r ps ,di splayed in Britains' perspexpresentation box. H eight:54mm (2Xin).

, I

611

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NEW METAL MODELS

TO Y SOL Il IE HS IIl E NTIn EH

The quality ot Britains' New MetalMadels received prestigiaus acclaimwhen 1wa famous London stares,Harrods and Hamleys, bothcommissioned Britains to supply themwith customized presentation boxes atsoldiers. The Harrods' London Setcontained aselection of thetroops foundpertarming ceremonial duties in thecapital, together with a figure oftheQueen mounted tar Trooping the Colour.Both ot these sets will undoubtedlyincrease invalue. The production ofother boxed sets conhnued to expand:amongst them in 1991, far example,were the 17th and 21 stLancers,together with the Irish Guards and theSomerset Light Infantry.

BEI.O W A handsome Britains'se t ofT he D u ke ofCa mbridge's O w n 17t hLancers, Height: 90mm ( 3Xin).

ABOVE T he Ha rrods LondonSet, com missione d fromBritains by th e famous store.H eight: 54mm (l Xin) .

69

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TOY SOLD IERS I D E NTI FI ER

NEW M E T A L M O D E L S

In the 1990s Brita ins reverted tomaretraditional packaging methods: thefamous red boxes with illustrateddescriptive labelswere reintroduced, andthe company consciouslyemphasizedthe links betweenitsNew Metal Modelsand the old hallaw-cast figures . In 1992five new sets inred boxes werereleased, includingthe Royal MarineLight Infantry and the MiddlesexYeamanry. The same year also saw theissueof small boxes holding either onemounted ar !wo foot figures, similar tothe hollow-cast Picture Pack series. Onesuch was a 1,OOO-box edition of a piperfrom the King'sOwn ScottishBorderers,produced far the British Association ofToy Retailers inhme for the 1993Britains' centenary celebrotions. A BOVE A piper of the King's

Own Scott ish Borderers,rel eased fo r th e Br ita in s'ce n te nary . Height: 54mm(2:1.in).

BEL OW The Royal M a r ineLig h t Infantry, in a Br it a in s'specia l collectors ' ed ition.Hei ght: 54mm (2:1.in).

...:a-t , r.>',

7 tl

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NEW M E T A L M O D E L S

TOY SOLlllERS IllENTIHER

In 1992 Britains intraduced another styleof packaging, the 'GreyBoxes' os theyhove become known. They weredesigned to feature 0 number of famousregiments, with each box containing tenfigures. The toy soldiers fitted into slots,which enabled them to be lifted out andreplaced in the graove of the box.Unfortunately, the venture was short­lived. For the company's centenarycelebrationsDennis Britain, the survivingmember of the original family, personallyselected anumber of hussars andtusiliers to be included in a two-tier boxset, completewith lift-out tray. Itwasplanned for release in 1992, but itdidnot appear until 1993.

A BOV E Britains' GreenHowards "Grey Box" ofdrummers and buglers, withescorts and standards. Height:54mm (2Xin).

BELOW The box containingDcnnis Britain's personalchoice of figures for thecompany's centenarycelebrations. Height: 54mm(2 Y.in).

71

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TOY SOL Il IERS IIlENT IFlE R

NEW METAL MOD ELS

i~ " •..j; fB k'i [1-'\ -it"'.\ 1 1 .\

"o'l::---"'A::..-

A~ ~ ~} ~ "h, r

':1!1 "Y -~I 'iiJ= ' 1 I !

i1 i I ' i\ iI

= -

Britains' afficial centenary year was1993, and three special sets wereissued for saleonly during that year:there were the Royal Horse Arti llery gunleam, alifeGuord of 1837 and a FortHenry Pioneer, these latter 1Wa inindividual boxes. limited edifions of4,000 sets ofthe Royal Regiment ofFusiliers and 5,000 sets of the Bandofthe Blues and Royals (minusabondmaster!) were issued, along withred baxes of the 5th Dragoon Guardsand the King'sRoyal Rifte Corps. TheWilliam Britain Collectors Club was alsostarted in 1993. In addition to amagazine and membership cord, clubmembers receive aspecialfigure eachyear, which make up into afull band.

1i.d,,1Bm»~~~ Fij...E1w~r, 1Iitoin.

ABOVE The William Br ita inlimited-editio n se t o f theRoyal Regim ents of Fusili ers.Hei ght: 54mm (2Y.i n ).

BELOW A drum majo r of t heSherwood Foresters, availa b leo nly to members o f theWilliam Bri tain CollectorsClub. Height: S4mm (2Y.in).

?IC===='~~====~THE SHERWOOD FORESTERS DRUM MAJOR

CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITYThISISla (enlfy Iha t the enclosed "Sherwood Foresters" CollectorsPiece has been exclus,vt~ly made for members of rbe W,lllam Bntam

CollecloB Club by BnliUns Petite Ltd

Ct>fuhcitl\l No 0 471 St'p lember 1993

TIlE WILUAM 81UTAIN CO LLECTORS CI.UBPO BOlt 1946. l-IoIlt·ft()wrn . We!olMidl .lIW<;; B63 3T5 Enqland

72

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TOY SOLIlIE RS I Il E NTI FI ER

OTHER MATERIALS

Miniature soldiers con befound in011sorts ofmaterials, trom ceramic andporcelain 10 gloss, resin, tin, celluloidand even soap. They con varytremendously insize, but do not reol~

constitute collectable foy soldiers os

discussed inthis book. Even aluminium,wood and poper soldiers ore not 0

major port ofthe hobby. However, it isworth mentioning them briefty, os theyore nof uncommon and con form 0

pleosing addition to 0 collection.

This unusual Highlander wasmade of cell u lo id, and may beof Ger ma n origin. Height:70mm (21.in).

Krolyn of Copenhagen madethis aluminium Robin Hoodjust prior to World War 11.H eight: IIOmm (4~in).

A tin plate toy soldier made byLouis Marx & Co. of the USA.These figures were designedfor use in shooting gamesalong with a pop gun. Height:50mm (2in) .

Page 78: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOl.lHE RS IDENTIFIE R

O TH ER M A T ERI A L S

Aluminium isperhaps the material mastoverlooked by callectars. Mostaluminium figures were made in Franceduring the 1930s, by aproduchonprocess developed by Quiralu. Wend-AIlater obtained the Quiralu moulds andproduced same aluminium soldiers inthe UKinthe 1950s, during aperiod oflead shortage. Such soldiers weredescribed as unbreakable, and theywere certainly mare resilient than theirleadcounterparts, but owing tothesofter-style cashng method they do notcarry the same degree offine detail.Paint tends to chip off them more easilythan from other types oftoy soldiers,and the bases an the figures are thick,giving them aclumsy appearance.

A BO V E This a lumini umMusketeer was made in Franced uri ng th e mid-1940s, a t im eo flead shortage. Hei gh t :60mm (1 l{in).

BEL OW A boxed set ofalumi niu m Toy town figuresma d e by Wend-AI. T heconte n ts are based o n c hi ldrendressed in Napoleonic militaryunifo r ms, and include arock ing ho rse , nurse a n dtrees. Height: 54mm (1:1.i n ).

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TOY SOLD IE RS I D E NTI FI ER

OTH ER MATERIALS----------A-----Paper toysoldiers were made inthe USAby Parker Bras, MiltonBradley andMcLoughlin, usually as port ofshootinggomes inwhich they formed the targets.Understandably, not many havesurvived! There are wooden soldiers inexistence, but woad hasalso beenanobviouschoice for theconstructionoftoy forts. Manufacturersoftoy forts oftenco-operated with theircolleagues inthetoy-soldier business, to ensure that fortsand soldiers would be atthe rightproportions to each other. Forts can becollectors' items in their own right andcan nicely complement atoy-soldiercollection.

AB O V E This wooden fort wasmade by Cee Bee around 1952.It wa s built in three sect io nsso that it folds up into a box.Height: 60cm (2ft.)

LEH This US-made paperso ld ier probably dates from1920. Height: IOOmm (4;n).

FAR LEFT Renee North madethis fiat pl ywood figure,c. 1971. After North's deathfigures from this range wereso ld by Shamus Wade, whoruns the CommonwealthForces History Trust.Height: IOOmm (4in).

7 5

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TOY SO UlIE l1 snows

. . . . . . . . . .. . . .. .. .. . . .. . .. . ...... . ...... . .. . ..... . . . . . ... . . . . .... ..... . ... . .. .. . . .. .... .. . . . . . ..... . . .. .. . ....... .. . . ..

Toy SOLDIER SHOWS

76

Birmingham Model and Toy Soldier Fayre

Held each October. Organizer: David McKenna, 20

Poston Court, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 5AB,

UK.

British Model Soldier Socie ty

National and local branch activities include trade

standards. See Societies and Clubs, page 79.

Euro Militaire

Atwo-day military modelling event held each

September at the Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, Kent,

UK.

Folkestone International Toy Soldier Show

This is held each March at the Metropole Suite,

Folkestone, Kent, UK.

Soldiers and Figure Show

Held each February at the Gloucester Leisure Centre.

Organizer: Lilliane Tunstill, 110/11 2 Bath Road,

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK.

UK Toy and Model Soldier Show

Organizedby Plastic Warri or and heldeach May at the

Queen Charlotte Hall, Parkshot, Richmond, Surrey,

UK.

Old Toy Soldie r Show, Chicago

Heldeach September at the Hyatt Regency,

Woodfield, Schaumburg, Illinois. Organized in

conjunction with Old TOJ Soldier magazine. Contact

Don Piclin, 1009 Kenilworth, Wheeling, Illinois,

USA.

Toronto Old Sold ier Sale

Heldeach October at the RegalConstellation Hotel,

900 Dixon Road, Toronto, Canada . Organizer:

Stcwart Saxe.

Ann ual East Coast Toy Sold ier Show and Sale

Held each November at the Fairleigh Dickinson

University,Hackcnsack, New Jersey, USA , and runin

conjunction with 'Toy Soldier Rc~·jew magazine. Contact:

Bill Lango.

The Camileri Westchester Toy Soldier Show

Held each November at the Westchester County

Centre, White Plains, New York, USA. Contact:

FrankFusco,

West Coaste r Toy Soldier Show

Held each March at the Innat The Park Hotel, 1855

South Harhor Boulevard, Anaheim, California 92802,

USA . Contact: Bob Fisher.

MFCA (Miniature Figure Collectors of

America) Annual Show and Exhibition

Held each May at Valley Forge Convention Centre,

King of Pruss ia, Pennsylvania, USA. Contact: Alban

Sbaw.

Hobby Militaire of the Ontario Model Soldier

Society

Held each June at the Novotel North York, 3 Park

Home Avenue, North York, Toronto, Canada.

Contact: Ted Kennedy.

Anna polis Toy Soldier Show

Heldeach July at the Annapolis Hotel, Annapolis,

Maryland, USA. Contact: Dick Sossi.

Indi an a Toy Sold ier Show

Heldeach March at the Ramada Inn, 770142nd

Street , lndianapolis, Indiana, USA. Contact: Barry

Carter.

North East Toy Sold ier Society Soldie r Show

Held each Aprilat Dedham, Massachusetts, USA.

Contact : Dick Charlesworth, 121 Cherry Brook Road,

Weston, MA 02193, USA .

Long Island Toy Sold ier Show

Heldeach September at Elks Lodge, 57 Hempstead

Avenue, Lynbrook, Long Island, New York , USA .

Contact: Vinny Pugliese.

Kulm bach Deutsch en un d Int erna t ionale

Zin nfiguren Bor se Show

Held in August on alternate years at Kulmbach,

Bavaria. Details from GermanTourist Information.

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F URTIIEII IIEADING

.................................................... .............. .....................................................

FURTHER READING

Asq u it h, St ua r t, The Collector's GUIde LO

Ne" To)' Soldiers, Argus Books, Hemel

Hempstead, 1991

Ca r ma n, \V. Y., Model Soldiers, Charles

I.etts & Co ., London, 1973

Fontana, Dermis, The liar Toys 2: The

Star)' cif Lineal, New Cave ndis h Books,

London, 1991

Ga r ra tt, John G., Model Soldiers: A

Collector's GUide, Seelev Services, London,

1965

Ga r ra tt, John G., Collecting A10del Soldiers,

David & Charles, Newton Abbo t, 197 5

Ga r ra tt, John G., The World Encyclopedia

?l Modcl Soldiers, Frcdcrick Muller, London,

198 1

Greenh ill, Peter, Heraldic Miniature

Knights, Guild of Master Craftsmen, 1991

Johnson, Peter, 70)'ArmJes, B. T. Batsford,

London, 1981

Joplin, No r ma n, British To)' Figures

/ 900-Present, Arms & Armour Press,

London, 1987

Joplin, Norman, The Great Book cif Hollow­

cast FIgures, ew Cavendish Books, London,

199 3

Kearton, George, The Collector's GUIde to

Plasuc To)' Sokhers, Ross Andcrson

Publ ications, 1987

Kurtz, H enry L. and Eh r l ic h, Burtt,

The ,lrt ?lthe To)' Soldier, New Cavendish

Boo ks, London, 1979

London Toy and Model Museum, On

Guard (cata logue of exhibit ion), New

Cavcndish Books, Lond on , 1984

M cK enzie , lan, Colleermg Old To)' Soldiers,

B. T. Batsford , London, 1975

j cvins, Edward, Forces cif the British

Empire 1914, Vandamere Press, 1993

O'Brien, Ri chard, Collecting To)' Soldiers

no. l , Books Americana, 1990

O'Brien, Ri chard, Collect109 To)' Soldiers,

no. 2, Books Americana, 1992

Opie , James, BrItams To)' Soldiers

/893 1932, Gollancz, London, 1985

Opie, James , British To)' Soldiers /893 to

the Present, Arms & Armour Press, 1985

Opie, James, Philhps Collectors' GUIdes: To)'

Soldiers, Boxtree , Londo n 1989

Opie, James, COllecting Toy Soldiers, New

Cavendish Books, Londo n, 1992

Opic, james, The Great Book ?l BrItains,

Ncw Cavcndish Books, London , 1993

Piclin, Don, .rtmer ican Dimestorc Soldiers,

private pub lication, 1975

Polaine, Reggie and Halkins, David,

The I\&r Top t. The Story cif Hau sser-Elastolin

(2nd edition), New Cavcndish Books,

London, 1991

Ri chards, L. \V., Old BrItISh Model Soldiers

1893 /918 . Arms & Armour Press, 1970

Roer, Hans H., Old German To)' Soldiers,

private pub lication, 1993

Rose, Andrew, The Collector'sAll -colour

GUIde to To)' Soldiers, Salamander, London,

1985

Wall is, Joe, Regiments ?l/1I/ Nations,

private publi cation , 198 1

Wall is, Joe, Armies cif the World, private

publ ication, 1983

77

Page 82: Toy Soldiers

I' E RIO III CA I.S

...... ............... ............................................................................................ ......

PERIODICALS

78

The following periodicals contain

information about, and articles on , toy

soldi ers and toy soldier collecting.

Les Amis d e Sta r lux

See Societi es and Clubs, page 79 .

Bulletin

Th e journal issued by the British Model

Soldier Society to members only. Sec

Societi es and Clubs, page 79 .

Co llector's Gazette

A gene ral hobb y newspaper, 10 editions

each year, including regular features and

reports on toy soldier shows and auctions.

Contact: 200 Nuncargate Road , Kirby-in ­

Ashllcld, Nottinghamshire NG 17 9AG, UK .

Figuren Magazine

The magazine for Germany's toy soldier

collectors . Contact: Andreas Pletruschka,

Spcn erstrassc 17, 1000 Berlin 21, Germany.

Holgcr Er iksso n Collector Socie ty

A quarterly newsletter specializing in the

products and associated companies of

Eriksson . Contact: Lou Sandbotc, 530 7E

Mockin gbird, Suit e 802, Dallas, Texas

75206 5109, USA.

Military Hobbies

A bi-monthly magazine, of which a large

proportion is devoted to toy soldier

manufacturing products . Contact : Pirem e

Pub lishing Lid, 34 Chatsworth Road,

Charminster, Bournemouth BH6 8SW, UK.

Military Modelling

Includes a mon thly so ldier box column

giving details of toy soldier products and

events. Contact: Argus Specia list

Publications, Argus Hous e, Boundary \Vay,

Hemel Hempstead HP2 75T, UK .

Old Toy So ld ie r News le tter

A bi-monthly publi cation covering all

aspects of old and new toy soldier

collecting. Contact : Steve and Josie

Sommers (edito rs), 209 North Lombard ,

Oak Park , Illinois 60302- 2503 , USA.

Plastic Figures and Playsct Co llector

Specializes in plastic IIgures produced by

Marx. Contact: Tom Ter ry (edito r), PO

Box 1355 , La Crosse, Wisconsin

5460 2 1355, USA.

Th e Pla stic Warrio r

Magazine, available by subscr iption , for

collectors interested in and specializing in

collect ing plastic toy soldiers. Contact: 65

Walton Court , Waking, Surrey GU 21 5EE,

UK.

Toy Soldier Revi ew

A quarterly publication cover ing old and

new toy soldiers . Contact: Bill Lango

(editor) , c/o Vintage Castings, 127 74th

Street, Nor th Ber gen, New I,'rsey 07047 ,

USA.

The William Britain

The magazine of the Wi lliam Britain

Co llectors Club . Sec Societies and Clubs,

page 79 .

Woody's Word

A qua rterly newsletter covering toy soldier

news and events. Contact : M. D.

Paulussc n, 19 Seneca Trail, Wayne, New

Jersey 07470, USA.

Page 83: Toy Soldiers

S OC IET I ES AN IJ C LU 8S

.................................................................... ............................... ................ ... :

SOCIETIES, CLUBS AND AUCTIONS

Le s Amis d e Star lux (The Friends of

Starlux)

A regular magazine provides details of

Sta r lux's products. Details from: Patrice

Reynaud, 9 Grand rue, 11400 Ville Neuve,

La Comptar, France.

British M odel So ldier Society

This long-established society caters for the

needs of the toy and model soldier

collector. There are regional branches,

exhibitions and competitions and an annual

national event in London. Part of the

society's own colle ction is displayed at

Hatfield House, Hertfordshire.

Membership details from : lan R. Webb,

Honorary Treasurer, 35 St John's Road,

Chelmsford, Essex CM2 OTX, UK .

Toy Soldier Collectors of America

A directory of members both in the USA

and throughout the world. Details from :

John Giddings, 5340 40th Avenue North,

St Petersburgh, Florida 33709, USA.

William Britain Co llecto rs Club

Membership includes a special Britains

figure, issued each year exclusively to

members, who also receive a twice-yearly

magazine and details of forthcoming

Britains figures . Membership detai ls from:

William Britain Collectors Club, PO Box

1946, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 3TS,

UK.

AUCTIONSCh r is t ies, So uth Kensin g ton Ltd.

Contact: Hugo Marsh or Daniel Agnew, 85

Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3LD,

UK.

La c y Sco tt, 10 Risbygate Street, Bury St

Edmunds, Suffolk , UK. Contact: George

Bcevis or Peter Crichton .

Ph illips Baysw ate r, 10 Salem Road,

Bayswater, London W2 4DL, UK. Contact:

James Opie (consultant).

Wa ll is & Wa ll is, West Street Auction

Galleries, Lewes , Sussex BN7 2NJ, UK .

Contact: Glen Butler.

Henry Kurt z Ltd, 163 Amsterdam

Avenue, Suite 136, New York, NY, USA

10023.

79

Page 84: Toy Soldiers

IN 11EX

AAbel, C.D. 21Airfix 40,51All Nu 37aluminiumfigures 14, 73,

74American Soldier Co. 11, 37Angla-Russian Toy Soldier

Co. 19Aylmer 17

BBarcloy 12, 35, 36, 37, 38Banbros 29Baton 40Blenheim range 57-9BMC28boxed sets52, 66, 68, 69,

71,72Brent Toy Co. 33Britain, Williom,Lld7, 9, 12,

13, 14, 20-26 , 28, 29,43, 44, 48, 51Armies ot theWarld 20, 24

centenary issues 70, 71, 72Deetoil 8, 46, 47

Eyes Right44French office 22New Metal Models 14,47,

66-72Picture Pocks 24Regiments of All

Notions 24special issues 67, 69

Swoppets 43Burley, Edword 65

Ccareof figures 12-13cost-iron process 37Covendish Miniatures 51celluloid figures 39, 73Charbens 28, 49, 51Cherilea 41,49,51 ,62camposition figures 7, 14,

32-4 ,39connoisseur figures 17-19Crescent 28, 29, 30, 41, 49

DDelhiDurbor 59Dietz, Stephen 65dimestone figures 7, 14,

35-9display 12Dorset Soldiers 51, 62Ducal 60

EEccles Bras38Elastolin 32, 33, 55

80

Eriksson, Holger 17, 40Evzane guards 9

FFigur17forts, toy 75French figures 7,15, 16,18,

29,31 ,34,53,74Fry, A 21,28Fylde Manufacturing Co. 28

GGariboldi 65Gougemaster 55German figures 6, 7, 15, 16,

32, 33, 55, 73GM29,31Greenwood & Ball 10GreyIran37Guards Toy Soldier centre 61

HHall, Charles 60HonksBros 21, 28Harvey 28Hausser 32, 55Heinrichsen 6Herald 25, 41, 42, 43, 45,

46Heyde 15,16Hill, John, & Co 12, 26-7 ,

28, 29, 50Hacker, Bill 65hollow-costfigures 7, 8, 14,

20-31 ,41 ,44,50,57,68, 70

home-costing sets38Hong Kong 43, 46, 53, 56

Iidentification 12, 21Insel19Italianfigures 7, 17, 65

JJaponese-made tigures 9,

37, 39Jones, Edward 30

Kknights 24, 45, 47, 49Krolyn of Copenhagen 73

Llead6,7,8, 14,23,33,39,

43, 57, 74content in toys8, 14, 57hollow-cost20-31solid 15- 19

limitededitions 66, 68, 70Lincoln Logs11, 37

LP31Iucone 15

MMalleable Mouldings 40Manoil36, 38Marlborough range 59Marlborough of Wales 51Marksmen 52MarkTIme 60Marx& Co52, 73McLoughlin 37, 75Mignot15, 16,31Miller34Minikins37, 39

NNapoleonic figures 31, 47,

53NewMetal Models 14, 47,

66-72NewToySoldiers 8, 14,

57-65

ppaper figures 14, 73, 75Pfeiffer 32plaster figures33, 34plastic figures 8, 14, 23, 25,

27,40-56Playwood Plastics 10, 38plug-in heads 14, 16podtoot figures 35PoplarPlaythings 50

QQuiralu 54, 74

RReamso 54Reka 28reissues 51,52,54,62restoration 13Riviere & Willeff34Rose, Andrew 58, 59, 62Rose Miniatures 18Russian figures 19

SSochs 38SChierke 38SCroby, Frank and Jon

57-60,66Shimek, Joe65slush-caslfigures 7, 14Soldiers Soldiers 62solid leadfigures 7, 14,

15-19,51Somerset 65sources 11Spanish figures 54

Stadden 18, 19Starlux 53Steadfast Soldiers 64Swoppet features 43, 44, 45,

48

TTabony, Marlin63Taylor & Barreff 28Thampson, MajarGovin 63Tirnpo 28, 29, 33, 41, 48tin figures 73Toydell33Toywoy 51Tradition 17Treasure Chest 15Trico 39Trophy Miniatures 61,62Tunslill, John 62

uUSfigures7,9,11,15,17,

34, 35-9 , 40, 73dimestare 7, 12, 14,

35-9hollow-cost29, 30home-costing sets38New ToySoldiers 65poper 75plaster 34plastic 40, 52, 53slush-cost 7, 14

vVP 51

WWall, Ron65Warren 37Wend-AI 74whitemetalseeNewToy

Soldiers, NewMetal ModelsWild West figures 40, 42, 49wooden figures 73, 75WorldWar17

tigures 22, 31, 49WorldWar 11 7, 8, 23, 24,

27,28,33,39,40,55figures 12, 46, 55

Zlong, M. seeHeraldZulu Warfigures 61

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Page 86: Toy Soldiers
Page 87: Toy Soldiers
Page 88: Toy Soldiers

TOY SOLDIERSFull colour photographs of more than

150 toy soldiers

•Covers all major interna tiona l toy

soldier manufacturers

•Includes tips on purchasing, storing,

displaying and caring for a collection

ISBN 1-85348-925-5

9 781853 489259 >