April 2022 – My Toy Soldiers & Me

Back to basics

OK the plume is not exact at all… but they are Toy Soldiers!… (Facebook)

After Mr. Horan outpout… something we all are able to do with a minimum of expertise… well… trial and error included… maybe I am assuming too much… but this is what is all about… FUN with Toy Soldiers!

The Mess

Actually it means that the sky is the limit in 54mm Toy Soldiers… Facebook (MTSAM)

Of course the officer in the left needs to see his optician (not that he is going to ever acknowledge this)… A superb vignette that mixes manufacturers and a great scenery or setting. I found the “atmosphere” a delightful reminder of times gone by.

Tony Dilley’s Artwork

Extensive use of Milliput as you can see in the unpainted figures in the background (shoulder wings etc). 54mm

Steadfast

I must say I have come very late in my collecting to unusual subjects (Heliograph party is in the offing too!)… but those are particularly well done.

Traditional Toy Soldiers in 54mm of course!

Taste in 54mm

Wonderful setting and ambiance (seen in Facebook)

You can achieve perfection in many fields… here is an example… you can almost hear the Band.

Feeling Classical today (54mm)

Not really much to add. Those are the stuff of childhood dreams…

Napoleonic Playmobil Customized (75mm)

I never indulged in that (well, only two figures) because I did found the task herculean and complicated… but diorama makers do it to perfection and you must be aware of rhe cost of it too!

I think they represent a Swiss Regiment (Asociacion Napoleonica Española) seen in Facebook!

Some real “toys”… (toy soldiers in a true sense)

Wargaming can be done in multiple ways… here is one! (Facebook)

Probably the 4 black spots on the horses are a bit too much a simplification… (loved them) but you need all sorts as you know… excellent buildings and scenography! H.W. must be pleased!

54mm? My guess is yes!

Guess they are 54mm and awfully well painted!

Seen in Facebook… nice display but have no more details…

Incidentally this web page has reached more than 85.000 Visitors and 275.000 Visits… really surprised myself… maybe I shall go along for a time…

Edited March 2025: Nearly 250.000 visitors so far… maybe it is time to close shop…

PLAYMOBIL TOY SOLDIERS in 75mm

When I got my 25/28mm crisis (a deep one) that produced the effect of selling my whole collection on that scale (but for 3 or 4 sentimental minis) I was distraught… I was still reading History and Historical Fiction but wargaming in 25/28mm had lost its appeal… I thought my wargame days were over… I toyed with Playmobils as a distraction mainly having my grandchildren in mind (not that I had much success with that) but the original idea was there. For nearly a decade I collected, converted, added stickers, bought special headgear and weapons and what not… to get the Playmobils the trade mark NEVER PRODUCED!… LOL… in fact I was recreating, in the end, my old 25mm collection in 75mm… but it was FUN!… and there were “things” not possible to do with metal minis as mounting a horse or dismounting at will, getting weapons in hand or not, magnificent sailing ships, skirmishing games were possible and periods like the Lace Wars (Tricorne era… a la Charles Grant) which I never indulged on in 25/28mm were a joy to toy with (that part of my Playmobil collection is in the respective hands of my grandchildren). Of course at the same time I rediscovered 6mm (1/300 in the old days) and went wargaming again. Not that I stopped ever collecting 54mm Toy Soldiers mind…

Today’s pic (extracted from Facebook) is an example of what I mean… probably german readers will love their toys… if really interested see posts about Playmobil and Playmopics in this web page.