Perusing ebay (yes I also do that!) one day I found a Danish Guard (summer gala “red” dress)… I asked about the possibility of having a 10 figures unit but to no avail, good comms by ronald-toys but no deal.
You see… I had them in 54mm traditional toy soldiers gloss finish by Tradition of London… I even asked Giles Brown from Dorset Soldiers (another brand) to make some customs so to have the Band (the music)… sadly I sold my set some years later “to make place”… a collector’s silly mistake! (we all do that I guess… mistakes).
I was never a fan of those sky blue trousers. BUT I liked the normal (undress or no gala) uniform! with dark blue coat… red & sky blue was not a personal choice at all you see?
But… once you get to permutate parts with Playmobils the challenge was there… so… this last summer I started to work on the possibilities…
As usual I bought the basic parts from my main suppliers: Playmoingstore (Carmen&Oscar) and Markus (hannibal-lektor) ebay or on-line shops. But also bought stickers from Playmobil Custom Factory (see on FaceBook)… in fact I used Prussian stickers torsos! (stickers are used sometimes for different “things” that those intended originally)… also some parts from PlaymoBox (sky blue cuffs and closed collar).So the spares box is absolutely magnificent for new projects!… the white strips were there for years and are from BENDALA (bendalator in ebay)… BUT I ordered the “blue service clad guards” from Felipe Barroso (playmofelipe) because I did not know how to get at first instance those trousers with white strip!… So I got the pertinent parcel from him… with them “blue guards in it” and finally I built myself the gala chaps using ACW sky blue legs whith white stickers stripes (bendalator on the spares box for years!) so to have the two versions!
For my ever lasting satisfaction a member of FaceBook put a single word Post tonight: “Price?”… Not selling them… No commercial items… just my hobby for pleasure… I redirect her/him to ronald-toys and will add Felipe Barroso (they do sell them!) … but was gratified by that single word nevertheless… LOL (Her/His Profile is very suspicious! too recent… no activity… but it make my day… LOL)
Royal Danish Guard by ronald-toy (see modern rifle)My versions with parts build by Felipe Barroso (playmofelipe) Curiously the blue chap has finally my legs and the red chap the Barroso legs for a “better contrast”. It was real fun!A nearly completed unit. Still thinking about the drummer…there he is…The gala uniform.Close upBoth Units
I do not have a lot of them, actually they are collection pieces done by true “artists” (IMHO) that go directly to the Cabinet… not to be played with… and even matt finish!
The pics are from Spanish artist PLAYMOFELIPE… and on the pipeline (read September) probably Dominique Junca will deliver D’Hubert & Feraud (The Duellists)… fingers crossed!… and of course MAZAS CATAPULTAS will also deliver a pair of medievals…
Enjoy!
After more than 50 years of marriage here we are together in the cabinet… actually all those cars we did have in our time… but not at the same time!… one after the other! LOL (The Rolls Royce was my wife father pet… the Triumph Spitfire my wife… the Morgan Plus 4 and the Lotus Elise were mine…Some of mine in the cabinet…It lacks only 4 more figures, two are The Duellists by Dominique Junca -see below- and two from Mazas Catapultas a real specialist in medieval times… one would be Prince Valiant the other one an ancestor. If you look closer you will see the buttons on the Swiss Guard coat have been redone by me.My last addition to the Cabinet… a Vatican Papal Swiss Guard… the best of mercenaries (loyal, sober and true… the perfect soldier… as long as you pay them… a contract is a contract!)… finally did “touch” the buttons see above!Tintin, Captain Haddock and Milú (CUSTOMS PLAYMOFELIPE) Spanish Tercio Arquebusier/Musketeer… my own “Captain” Alatriste -young- (before growing a moustache)… 75mm PLAYMOFELIPEAnother view to show the sword.Comandante Franco Primera Bandera de la Legión (El Tercio) años 20 del XX. Custom de Felipe Barroso. Actualmente en el Correo (en tránsito).Working on them myself (light customs)Armand d’Hubert (Creation Dominique Junca)Gabriel Féraud (Dominique Junca)A X’mas truce? (Dominique Junca creations)One of my ancestors… IX Century or so.This is mine… the mounted one is a gift for my brother! (Mazas Catapultas)Prince Valiant! (Mazas Catapultas)
The games you play are equal to the games you make…
(or are involved in some way… nobody will propose “wargames” to you if you do not do “something” to be there…)
I could not resist it, saying farewell… knowing when to quit is very difficult (same in a game of poker).
I once painted a “new old toy soldier”… a 54mm (Replica Metal Soldiers Andrew Stevenson) a mounted Inspector General of the NWMP in a dark blue patrol jacket – I enjoyed so much the painting of it that this evolved in a new collecting frenzy! I am currently pestering Andrew to pay for my “last order” (it really is mind) – and all just because a childhood memory.
I was very young when I got a box of mounties (I already had a lot of them) but in that one proudly in front of the lot there he was… a mountie with a dark blue tunic -and yellow gauntlets!- of course it was the commander of the unit!… I always had a crush for that figure (and of course never found one alike)… so in the end I decided to make my own and quite satisfied even if I am going full circle. Of course the original one was lost forever, but I have still 3 “mounties” over 65 years old.
Slightly smaller than DUCAL but exactly as BRITAINS or DORSET SOLDIERS.They were like that… not mine but I had the same…Those are the boxes I had at X’mas (well the 6th of January back then because gifts were brought by the three wise men -aka “The Kings” in Spain) or whenever… never got those Life Guards though… Note the difference in size of the two rear ranks! Those were the days!
I am going to update this post with pics and slowly edit the rest, meaning that I think there is always room for improvement.
There he is on its proper place before saluting the flag of the parading mounties.
It was a pleasure comparting posts here… and sure I will post more pics!… and edit existing posts but that’s all. To elaborate would be just a copy/ paste of what I said in my book “My Toy Soldiers and Me” so just peruse sometimes to see editions to come (of the posts of the blog not my book!).
Editing this blog would be much more interesting that writing a lot of new entries…
Renaming and ordering the Posts of the Blog by subjects and categories nowadays. There is a Post explainig that…
Original pic of my DUCAL mounties in the garden (Pal in ANDORRA) not Canada at all I am afraid.
Summing up, my interests on “toy soldiers” were and are wide and large. I do not restrict my activities to a single field or even scale, neither period. No original at all, as you can imagine there is nothing more conservative than the Household Division to collect in 54mm,
Mainly DUCAL (or Fort Ducal), with some Tradition of London, a REPLICA cast painted by me, even some Marlborough and Dorset… and one lonely old Britains for nostalgia sake.
and the rest of my glossy 54’s are in themes: French Foreign Legion (with some Chasseurs d’Afrique and Spahis); This is the large cabinet under the stairs in Pal.
This one is the small cabinet in Pal. Much more heterodox… a sentimental journey full of mementos (memories perhaps!)French Foreign Legion “square”… have a bit more of them but you get the idea…
As a result of renewing relation with DORSET/IMPERIAL MINIATURES to “square” my FFL I finally got (again) out of hand and finally got hold of a nice French Army! -mainly 99% Dorset-Imperial but with a REPLICA general too!- LOL…;
The French Army late XIXth Century. 99% DORSET SOLDIERS (Antony Spencer)There are also 4 Paul Watson’s figures there…Have added some more Cavalry (Centenial Britains) but nearly all are there… 99% REPLICA (Andrew Stevenson)
Tel el Kebir/Rorke’s Drift aka Brits colonials with red tunics and white sun helmets! before khaki;
Mainly Tradition of London with DUCAL Cavalry and a few Dorset (Giles Brown) and RPM
My discovery of REPLICA toy soldiers finally led to a Khaki clad British&Allies little Army… complemented with BRITAINS centenial sets as Bengal Lancers etc and even a Rolls Royce armoured car!…
NWF, Maiwand, Kandahar, The Sudan (Omdurman) etc. Mainly REPLICA, some Dorset, and 4 figures by Paul Watson… Britains Centenial sets of Bengal Cavalry in the rear ranks.
that I also indulged in getting a SIMKIN times red clad British “home army” about half and half REPLICA -well a bit more of REPLICA- and BRITAINS also centennial sets…
The pic was done without some units…Finally completed with the Naval Brigade. Majority of REPLICA, Britains (Centenial sets) and even “Old Britains”And the Cavalry (half REPLICA half Centenial sets by Britains)
and last but not least NWMP/RCMP; She Wore a Yellow Ribbon Captain Brittles last patrol; USA early sets (before WWI); Tradition of London Raj Lancers + conversions of BRITAINS Centenial sets… I even falled (again) for ttwo sets of Scot’s Greys LOL…
Tradition of London Royal West Kent with some conversions (minor) and some DUCAL (the Band and Mounted Officer’s)21st LancersI painted horses different colours…The “She wore a yellow ribbon” set… Mainly REPLICA and the ladies by Dorset.Always loved a bit of “colour”Never did a pic with the 4 units together…Even managed to do two “conversions”A better (and actual) pic I guess…My current last “rabbit hole” USA Marines USMC and Soldiers at the turn of the Century.
As you can see in Collecting Toy Soldiers I Post the minis collected in 54mm have been subject to buy/sell, Scot Grey’s cometh and goeth, same with US Cavalry in gala uniform, Denmark Royal Guard, and some mat finish Spanish miniatures I had because a compulsory swap was made. That is Collecting for me, something alive but with periods of lethargy. Not Original at all I am afraid but a rewarding pastime.
I dedicated a chapter of my book to Collecting (my own experience mind) but the books you need is the one by James Opie: Collecting Toy Soldiers, and THE COLLECTOR’S GUIDE TO NEW TOY SOLDIERS by Stuart Asquith. The former has written many excellent books about Britain’s but THIS ONE is the best of all his production IMHO.
Indispensable.By now it should be named The Collector’s Guide to “OLD” New Toy Soldiers. How time flies by…
Nowadays restricted to skirmishing with Playmobils on 75mm because orders come in a matter of DAYS!… not months as per 54mm glossies. That’s getting old for you!… have commented elsewhere that this is very funny indeed!
Of course British Guards… LOLThose are much more elaborated… not available commercially I guess! … moderate customs in 75mm
Some NWMP/RCMP (updated the pic)
Wonderful stickers!
The gallant 600. An hommage to Javier Jimenez (MALONE) probably the best resine headgear maker ever… the hat does the trick!
You will have in this Post a quite complete list of the books I own (or have owned or going to get very soon!)… and those complementary on the subject. Sadly no “flats” or zinnfigurine oriented 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… I have stopped trying to fairly review there… lol) but after more than 70 years I can be quite frank about it.
Get them all if you can, they are very informative (even if some do overlap with others)… 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.
This 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 market (it deals mainly with Old Toy Soldiers)… HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.Probably his second best book. I bought first as a kindle book and afterwards ordered a real book.Simply lavish! A must have on the second Britains era. (Second Century) (different owners)Probably the best book on Britains Toy Soldiers (OLD) by James Opie. Imprescindible (and I do not collect Old Britains). Simply fantastic!It dissapoints at first read… but slowly grows upon you… an international reference. I nearly throw it away and now I am a fan!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.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 yet… (and I have give up after two unsuccesful attempts via amazon… no luck at all I am afraid))On the limt (a very thin line) between Toy Soldier and MODEL (Military Modeling). A MUST HAVE!A better view of it.Probably one of the oldest on the list… but clever and advanced for its time. Recommended.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… and to add insult to injury it is a black&white book!
I missed this series of plastic figures because I was heavily compromised with Waterloo and 25mm MINIFIGS… they have a charm of their own… and I am not a sbob… so here they are!Published the 4th July 2026!… anything with Indians and Cowboys (my first love when a child) do interest me!… it is ultraspecific book and a mine of info on this particular subject… Enjoy!Another excellent reference book (post WWII Britains) marred by the use of black&white pictures… the wrong approach I fear! Why not a full colour edition eludes me!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”Do not have this one… will try to get a copy someday.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.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…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 above).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… That has been done and will do a Post of the new sets when finished!
The book to read imperatively…Perfect at Brigade level.So much detail… perfect if you would like to play a particular fase of the big battle at regimental level.Very helpful to paint your minis even in 6MMExcellent orders of battle.
Now… this is truly the last Post about it!… I for once always thought Wayne deserved the Oscar for his performance on “Yellow Ribbon”… and Ford (Of course)… but well… Westerns only become “cult” later on…
LOL
Thanks for watching…
Now… Other things…
Enjoy!
Job finishedIt would have been easier to do only the main characters… but that is the wargamer in me!Column of twos forward right platoon YOOO!
Ok, you are all tired… but I have finished them at last.
It only remains to varnish.
But I won´t do that until I have checked and doublechecked the figures for mistakes.
It lacks a bit of “gold” in the unifoms of the officer’s… and silly things like that… some kepis buttons… etc
DO NOT VARNISH until thoroughly dry!
Including a pink colour accident while I was doing some nice touchs on a horses’s mouth… OMG!… a splash of pink over the side of a soldier (already finished!)… ufff repaired in a hurry… will check again tomorrow.
Probably they will dry in the weekend and be varnished next week.
It was a very personal project. Next batch I will buy already painted!
Enjoy!
Right platton Yoo!Not the last patrol… the one before that one!See First Sergeant Quincanon on the side…DetailSecond Lieutenant Pennell (Harry Carey Jr)Still doubting about the horses eyes… To do or not to do…
Well, some details done! BUT I have to do the hair and the “faces” yet… meaning eyes, eyebrows and mouths… beards are fairly easy…
Finally did (not yet finished) the yellow colour!
Black stripes on the saddle bag.
Doing neckties too! Had to consult the film again to get them right!
Now… next week it would be the horses… if I do not gloss varnish the soldiers first… always nagging doubts… if I do varnish with gloss the riders and let them dry they will provide a very good hold to grip while doing the horses… I do not want chipping now… at all…
Enjoy!
Lateral view of the work in progress…The other sideSemi-frontal view
