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The Best Books about Collecting Toy Soldiers

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Now outdated but a classic nevertheless… he saw it coming!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!

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!

Another excellent reference book (post WWII Britains) marred by the use of black&white pictures… the wrong approach I fear!

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 books about Gettysburg you need to reenact the battle on the tabletop

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 6MM

The Second US Cavalry as portrayed in SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON. (XVII) VARNISHED AND DISPLAYED!

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!

It would have been easier to do only the main characters… but that is the wargamer in me!

Column of twos forward right platoon YOOO!

The Second US Cavalry as portrayed in SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON. (XVI) and VARNISHED!

Next…

They will go to the cabinet…

And no more said about them…

Guess someone has followed the process since the beginning…

Good for YOU!

Enjoy!

The Second US Cavalry as portrayed in SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON. (XV) and nearly last!

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!

Not the last patrol… the one before that one!

See First Sergeant Quincanon on the side…

Second Lieutenant Pennell (Harry Carey Jr)

Still doubting about the horses eyes… To do or not to do…

The Second US Cavalry as portrayed in SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (XIV)

Started work with the horses (6 are black… was able to finish only 5 today the other is on its way…)

Faces and neckties are also done.

Finally decided to varnish altogether and not in two fases (it would be necessary anyway because you need to grip from somewhere I guess…)

Hope you enjoy!

The Second US Cavalry as portrayed in SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (XIII)

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!

The Second US Cavalry as portrayed in SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (XII)

NEVER… never throw away anything at all… the building of a box of spares is the best thing you can do in your hobby lifetime (if it lasts that long that is).

The saber is from DUCAL (bought with extra numbers to convert Life Guards and Blues and Royals with lance to troopers with sword… LONG LONG LONG time ago… this was a spare).

Of course one of the “lances” substituted is now the guidon of this patrol…

Yellow colour and then the horses I guess… or maybe I will gloss in two fases… ALL YOU NEED IS GLOSS la la la lara!

Enjoy!

The Second US Cavalry as portrayed in SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (XI)

Well… today I did the white crossbelt and the silver swords and spurs.

Also working on the side on Winston’s horse… not yet finished but I like so far the dappled effect (Toy Soldier like NOT Military Modeling) so… do not be too harsh on it!

It seems to take ages now to finish all the petty details … but I enjoy it I guess (much encouragement on Facebook from my friends there)

Enjoy!