Not that it is very easy this days to find what you need or want, so the core of this post is just to praise the excellent comms and service provided by Replica Metal Model Soldiers Andrew Stevenson.
Here they are in its proper place with its officer and in reserve. Changed the colors of some pom-poms.
Andrew Stevenson is a one man band and has a full daytime job and of course a family… so do not expect him to be FAST! (not shouting it is just emphasis)… but oh boy!… well worth the wait.
For those asking themselves about the officer I already had that one. They mix very well with the scale of Britain’s (of course) and particularly ok with Dorset Soldiers.
This is a part of my hobby I do not indulge a lot anymore due to lack of space in the cabinets… but I manage to squeeze in something now and then.
Got 6mm Baccus Chasseurs d’Afrique and Spahis -thanks to Igor (now retired) who suggested the proxies for the later-
That is an “old” view of one of the cabinets… contents much changed by now!
The final Collection of The Household Division in 54mm + some extras.
The “big” cabinet under the stairs where the main theme -not quite original- is displayed. The Household Division units by shelves. Some of them have been converted (lancers become sword troops) and some sold (Regimental Bands Mounted not in State Dress) to add specials and vignettes of the Trooping of the Colour ceremony (The Queen’s Birthday Parade). Middle of June every year.
The complete REPLICA METAL SOLDIERS&MODELS collection (khaki), it was collected during 2020 but the last parcel arrived in 2021. Maiwand/Kandahar . Absolutely fantastic old Britains style but brand new. Andrew Stevenson did such a great job following sparse instructions… Cabinet a bit crowded but a delighted collector!
Close up to show the Guides Cavalry in the third rank…Tradition of London Royal West Kent set complemented with some DUCAL made to order -aka RSM at the center back and the Band not included in the pic- , and even some “conversions” by me as the Ensigns with the Colours and the Pioneers.
For a Blog who deals on Toy Soldiers or has the burden of the topic attached from the very beginning I have waited enough to do a post on the subject. You see, at least for me, ALL of them are Toy Soldiers. But there is a firm distinction of what is considered a “classic” Toy Soldier -and we are talking Antiques here- a bit snobbish and pricey if you please… “New Toy Soldiers” is an even more puzzling definition which I am going to explain too and for once I will not write a lot myself, all has been written to perfection by others… I began collecting 54mm Toy Soldiers -I should have said New Toy Soldiers as you will see- as everybody else who does. I like them. Bring back memories of a happy childhood when I did parades of soldiers on the floor following the counsels of my maternal grandad. They were my favorite toys and that’s that. When visiting London as an adult I couldn’t resist visiting the shops of “Tradition of London” and “Under two Flags” and started buying some red boxes as a result. It probably all started because when quite young my parents come back from London with an spectacular gift, a set of Britain’s with Coldstream Guards on a big box with two trays inside -superposed- ColdstreamGuards Band, Guards Marching, Guards at the present, Officers, Ensigns with Colours etc. Later on I even bought the books who described all those goodies and even finally knew the reference number of the set.
Well, as I have said, I am not a collector of Antiques, neither Britain’s, Mignot, Lucotte, Heyde or the like, I do not particularly see the point of “flats” even if some are beautiful pieces themselves, and I firmly stayed with my times and the “new” products available then.
Top of the big cabinet where the Household Cavalry are with some personalities.Lower part of the Cabinet. Some specials and the RHA. You can see the Welsh Guards on top.
In fact you only need to read the books about it by the specialist James Opie. For me the unavoidable volume is Collecting Toy Soldiers, he has written a lot of books on Britains, one of them the real “BIBLE” (The Great Book of Britain’s: 100 Years of Britains’ Toy Soldiers, 1893-1993) -bought it in Hamley’s myself numbered edition and all- but of course there is no point for me in all that because I do not collect Britain’s, but if you do, get Opie’s books, really top stuff. Much more interesting for me was the book by solo wargamer legend Stuart Asquith The Collector’s Guide to New Toy Soldiers, a 1991 book -got a dedicated copie- who funnily enough deals with the new brands and manufacturers from 1973 onwards -post hollow cast Britain’s- that by now are “new classics” because in those nearly fifty years have ceased to exist or are much more less preeminent nowadays. Let’s mention DUCAL or FORT-DUCAL (Jack and Thelma Duke who become long distance “friends”), Tradition of London, Dorset Soldiers (Giles Brown times), Marlborough, and some other minor interests of mine.
I first collected whatever took my fancy… but then in following years I rectified, concentrated by themes and sold items (strange been FFL) to make place for others. Those I sold. Dorset Soldiers.All the Queen’s men small 54mm. Also sold. Beautiful but not relation to my main interests.Only the RCMP remains in my collection (now two shelves because I bought more of them) and the marching constables have been modified with a gun at the slope idem as the Colour Party. The Denmark Royal Guard I sold with deep regret as the Band was done specially for me by Giles Brown from Dorset Soldiers using kits from Tradition and recast instruments. The Greys above also had to go because of lack of space.
Collecting 54mm traditional Toy Soldier gloss figures -not to be confused with 54mm Military Modeling figures- become an habit, and finally even purposefully build cabinets where made to show them at home… not playing stuff anymore I fear… and even less for kids.
Always enjoyed The Trooping of the Colour and The Changing of the Guard ceremonies or pageantry. I even mixed manufacturers once… by now all are Ducal.
It was not a straightforward process!, I bought sets that later I did sell to “make place” and finally concentrated in some themes dear to me and now is a fairly steady collection not subject to sudden whims or extreme changes of direction anymore. But from time to time I add a piece or two, always filling gaps you know…
As a picture is worth a thousand words hereby see what I mean.
DUCAL band of the Royal West Kent made to order purposefully.Tel el Kebir set.Cavalry by DUCAL and Mountain Guns by Tradition of London.Last but not least theme on my collection French Foreign Legion by DORSET SOLDIERS, its former owner Giles Brown was really helpful.Two models added in 2018 thanks to a gentleman contacted in Facebook. painted by me.General Wolseley, Replicametalsoldiers Andrew, 2019 addition.Same as above but French General. XIXth Corps d’Afrique.
Steadfast set… I have asked for the nurses (both) and the Medical officer (fourth from the left)
My armies have no casualties, sorry about that… for me Toy Soldiers never die… and of course I found annoying the idea of wounded and streach-bearers… I am particular about that. So there you have it… I bought the nurses… the doctors… an on purpose incomplete set (NO wounded etc.).
Messing up with WBritains Bengal Lancers (I)Second caption (II)
A Bengal lancers mess… LOL A silly tale of collecting… last year (about December) I discovered the sets WBritains had done in the late nineties… so far so good… bought some sets… The Bengal lancers two sets of each matter of fact so to have 4 lancers (I am hooked on lancers)… and then what to do with the 2 redundant figures (I did not want 2 buglers and 2 officers…)… then I asked Antony Spencer to do some arms and heads conversions… all went well… until I messed up myself with them… I had two dark blue buglers (Hodson’s Horse?)… now one is a standard-bearer (A.S.) and the other a Native Officer (I did that changing an arm myself… LOL) RESULT: NO bugler at all!… so now I have to repaint a bugler from another set as Hodson’s Horse… see pics
I eventualy post a pic of the “new” painted bugler.
Luckily enough I did not messed up Skinner’s Horse and the 8 figures are OK.
There… new (repainted) bugler ready!… lacks gloss varnish…
Used the one on the left as a painting guide…Lateral viewBack view3 paintjob conversions of redundant 21st lancers officers (transfered to other regiments or duties)“new” 17th lancers subalternBack view
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 Stevenson). 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.
Nowadays (2025) 95% of this Toy Soldiers are now in Andorra la Vella, in Pal only remains the display&marching units or ceremonial one’s. My intention is to wargame in 54mm again!
See recent pic below (still mising items under construction or modeling)
It lacks the Band of the French Foreign Legion (half painted), the 4 Feathers display and probably Scot Grey’s will exchange places with the Bengal Lancers… still thinking about it! IF I ever get a Dilley figure it will go to Pal.
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 1Zoom 2Zoom 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.
Britain’s extra large set (two trays) Coldstream Guards… fantastic gift from my parents!detail
On a trip to London (UK) my parents had the great idea of bringing to me this awesome set of BRITAINS… one of the last produced treditional lead stes before they went “plastic”!
I was really pampered because I had been sick for quite a time.
Now, that picture in Facebook brought along a lot of reminiscences… just seen in an Auction in the USA… (not that I am going to bid at all…) I had the real thing at the time it was needed… and what is more… I played with them, my small brother (10 years gap) played with them, my sister’s young boy played with them… guess those Toy Soldiers delivered in spades!
Many many years later on a visit to my mother I inspected the remains of the lot… took them home, sprayed them black and repaint them all (of what was left), then once displayed again I detected a bit of lead rot… cleaned… varnished… tried to mend… whatever… sent finally to Bonham’s where James Opie put a price on them and said farewell to collect “antiques” forever…
I already had a lot of plastic, rubber and aluminium toy soldiers… but that box suddenly become the apex of my loot! I am glad I was so young that I did not thought for a second to “preserve them” or “collect them”… they went to war on the floor with unfurled colurs and the band gaily playing!
Sorry for the poor quality of the pics but they were really small and have not found others…
As a result you all know I was hooked on Toy Soldiers for life…
