The Best Books about Collecting Toy Soldiers.

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You will have in this quite complete list the books I own (or have owned)… and those complementary on the subject. Sadly no “flats” or zinnfigurine because I am not a fan of them… they appear on some of the books… but not my passion at all. Sorry about that.

I wish I had had a list like that many years ago!… would have saved time and trouble. BTW my comments are only my opinions (but frankly a bit tired of amazon publishing comments criteria… lol) but after more than 70 years I can be quite frank about it.

Get them all if you can, they are very informative… maybe one day I will do a list of wargame books classics too! (Not that I do not use some of my 54mm gloss toy soldiers to wargame the Old School Way (but no marbles or rods involved… do not want to spoil the paint on them you know… just dice and fun).

Hope you enjoy this list.

Thi one is the book you need as a great generalist book about collecting toy soldiers (even if Britains centred the ideas and concepts are superb) Imprescindible even on paperback (actually I have the paperback edition myself). A MUST HAVE!
Fairly useful as a general intro (mainly 54mm). It stops when NEW toy soldiers begun to be on the markey (it deals mainly with Old Toy Soldiers)… RECOMMENDED.
It dissapoints at first read… but slowly grows upon you… an international reference. I nearly throw it away and now I am a fan!
Probably the best book on Britains Toy Soldiers by James Opie. Imprescindible (and I do not collect Old Britains). Simply lavish!
Probably his second best book. I bought first as a kindle book and afterwards ordered a real book.
Now outdated but a classic nevertheless… he saw it coming! One of my personal favoutites as a DUCAL collector.
The description of a Collection (quite fantastic if you want an opinion). Excellent pics even if a bit dark. VERY GOOD!
Interesting book… from a British point of view.
He tries very hard but fails a bit short… better stick to his BRITAINS books!… no idea at all about Playmobils or Legos outpout, but interesting nevertheless.
Simply lavish! A must have on the second Britains era.
Impressive and completionist but too many items are not Toy Soldiers I am afraid. (I bought at Hamleys and later sold my copy)
Less known book… get it too! I do not own a copy myself.
Very short… but much to the point, recommended too. It come as a nice surprise.

It is what says on the cover, a guide on prices of Britains, if you collect them a must have! Sadly nothing of interest in it for me…

On the limt (a very thin line) beyween Toy Soldier and MODEL (Military Modeling). A MUST HAVE!
Probably one of the oldest on the list… but clever and advanced for its time. Recommended.
Lavish French Book about C.B.G. Mignot production. Had a copy for some time but sold it because I could not afford them (the toy soldiers I mean) as really vintage Old Britains… I am not into very expensive “Antiquarian things or items”
Another Norman Joplin book… do not own this one so I do not know how good it is.
Not bad at all. But probably less isteresting and much a special subject.
This one I owned but sold because did not find it a “Keeper”… maybe wrong mind! BIG FORMAT.
Put it on the list but I do not own a single one… and personally not interested (Same with Dime-Store Toy Soldiers)
For those interested it contains the pics of the toy soldiers I had when a child! (LOL), mainly cautxuc toy soldiers… later plastic… It involved hours of sheer pleasure.
The cover of the second edition of my book (in Spanish I fear)… later I went to create a Facebook group and this present webpage.
And last but not least the second edition in English (FREE to DOWNLOAD in here top right corner!). I was fool enough to write it influenced by the autoedit promo in Amazon… and the opus ACHTUNG SCHWEINEDHUND! (see below).
A must read… just because it is GREAT!… very well written with tons of humour… it produced an allucination on my brain so to write a book about my toy soldiers myself…
A view of one of my cabinets just to prove I am actually a collector!… this summer a vast reorganization would see deep changes on 7 shelves…

Author: Alejo Dorca

Born in 1952. Married in 1976. Two sons and a daughter. 4 grandsons to date, 3 boys and a girl. Arquitect in 1978. Retired in 2016 aprox. Lifelong Toy Soldiers aficionado.