Category: Collecting Toy Soldiers

Last Touchs III

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Could have been easily named THAT’S ALL FOLKS!… but I am quite Traditional in the Titles of those Posts… And Bugs Bunny is not part of my collection… it has made me laugh mind… but that’s not here not there. A Collection that started without the intention of becoming a Collection at all… In fact those Cabinet use to contain my 25/28mm Napoleonic and ACW armies!… A nice chance (or lucky) that I made the measures in a way that minis could “breathe”… LOL… It was never intended for 54mm at the beginning… but they fitted quite well. So there you are bit by bit they grew up to that.

It contains The Houshold Division Troops + Beefeters + Men at Arms + Scottish Archers + RCMP and even Wellington/Nelson/Napoleon. Vast majority are Ducal, with Tradition of London, Marlborough, REPLICA, and some unidentified Brands. A bit eclectic but surely the first soldiers (Toy Soldiers) I did collect seriously.
Holmes&Watson getting a Hansom Cab (The Cab is the addition)
A couple of Policemen (Bobbies) and bicycle…

And that ends (for the moment… tomorrow never knows… the Classic Collection on the Big cabinet under the stairs)…

Maybe a couple of Nurses will do the trick of completing it but that depends on Andrew Stevens of REPLICA. Enjoy. I am quite through with it.

Well, not quite… bought a couple of nurses a medical officer and a detective and a set of Military Police all from Steadfast (R.Prati). And NOW it is finished (I can hear you laughing mind).

Last Touchs II

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Finally the Wagon is on its place… Steadfast Wagon and Ducal and Tradition mounted Officers.
Finished Collection on this Cabinet. A lifelong achievement…

I could still squeeze a couple more of Gordon Highlanders but all depends on REPLICA (read Andrew Stevens). I am quite satisfied as it is. And YES it took me years… 11 shelves: top 3 French Foreign Legion (in the 1st Cavalry and Mules Mounted Infantry); 4-6 REPLICA Second Anglo-Afghan second war; 7 Artillery; 8 Tel el Kebir; 9-10 Royal West Kent; 11 Colonial Cavalry. Nothing post 1900 interests me as a collector.

The whole setting.

70

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Ok. Let’s pay homage and follow suite… guess those pics of Grenadier Guards by the talented Mr. Dilley will suffice… after all I was born in 1952 and she has always been there as a Queen (“THE” Queen in fact)… so it is part of my life too!

Outstanding models as usual… and never take this for granted…

You can even read the battle honours!… and YES thay are 54mm…
Just to be “complete”

Last touchs I

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I added two gunners on the left so to make a crew of 4, bought two nice guns (if guns can be considered “nice”) and completed the crews set with 3 more gunners… and added a sailor and an officer to the right. That was all I needed and they are at last in place. Tradition of London on the back (Two mountain guns on mules marching…). Enjoy (even if you probably had to zoom on them).

Guess it is better if I provide the zooms myself.

The finally completed Artillery set… thanks to Steadfast pieces.
Zoom 1
Zoom 2
Zoom 3

For those really observant… the “white towel” around the body of the Maxim is a putty “repair” because years and eons ago it came broken and I was unable to glue in place in other way… there… all explained.

Tony Dilley (again) II

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The Wagon “service” is an interesting model concept. 54mm Conversion.

Busy days. Not so busy as to do not appreciate the work of Mr. Tony Dilley again, if there is a frontier or red line between Toy Soldiers and Military Modeling Tony walks along it nicely and without apparent effort (just love his work!).

I do not “convert” a lot (a bare minimum in my Toy Soldier collection) and never with that quality of craftsmanship. Have run out of place actually… my cabinets look like the tube in Tokio… considering to put an end to collecting in 54mm for good (see next posts in the following days). I am nowadays only tempted to add 3 or 4 figures by the talented Andrew Stevens from REPLICA if ever bridges can be restored…

Enjoy!

James Opie

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Scot’s Greys on foot… he loves them!
The hardback copy (must get one pronto!)

Somewhere else in this collection of posts I have already mentioned his great contribution to Toy Soldier literature (specially Britain’s), and still consider his book COLLECTING TOY SOLDIERS “the” reference book. Of course he advises Auctions and has a job connected with buying and selling items… but this is not here not there. He has (still) a fantastic collection (much revised and streamlined if you know what I mean). So he deserves a Post of his own. Enjoy.

Paperback (the one I own)

Military Modeling

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The last “eleven” of the 66th (Berkshires) at Maiwand.

I do not have an extensive collection of this style pieces but surely this one is superb and would have liked to see it in an all round view. The Second Afghan War is fascinating for me, and a pet wargaming subject (do not ask me why) but I have done it with Playmobils in 75mm and Baccus Proxies in 6mm (the later still in my wargames room). Actually I have seen pieces as good as this one but actually not better. Enjoy!

Historically there were several “last stands” the 66th lost both its colours and the PBI did his best as usual… apart of some looting and drinking from the baggage guard… some of the soldiers did run from the fight but in the main it was a hard fought action by an outnumbered and outgunned British Brigade… there are several good books about it I can recommend… Google on!