About Me

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No Fixed Abode, Home Counties, United Kingdom
I’m a 60-year-old Aspergic gardening CAD-Monkey. Sardonic, cynical and with the political leanings of a social reformer, I’m also a toy and model figure collector, particularly interested in the history of plastics and plastic toys. Other interests are history, current affairs, modern art, and architecture, gardening and natural history. I love plain chocolate, fireworks and trees, but I don’t hug them, I do hug kittens. I hate ignorance, when it can be avoided, so I hate the 'educational' establishment and pity the millions they’ve failed with teaching-to-test and rote 'learning' and I hate the short-sighted stupidity of the entire ruling/industrial elite, with their planet destroying fascism and added “buy-one-get-one-free”. Likewise, I also have no time for fools and little time for the false crap we're all supposed to pretend we haven't noticed, or the games we're supposed to play. I will 'bite the hand that feeds', to remind it why it feeds.

Friday, November 27, 2020

N is for Novelty . . . Guards - Larger

Well, Nutcracker Suites are being cancelled left, right and centre, Sugar Plum Fairies are on furlough, Babes aren't  marching in the woods; 2020's turned out to be such a shitter, I thought we'd have a few novelty guards to brighten things up, and because I threatened to do so, around this time, when Peter Evans sent some earlier in the year!

Fridge Magnet; Fridge-Magnet; Guards Band; Guards Division; Guards Drummer; Guards Musician; Guardsman Bauble; Guardsman Toy Soldier; Guardsmen; Household Division; Key Chain; Key Chains; Key Ring; Key Ring Conversion; Key Ring Torch; Key Ring Tourch; Key Rings; Key-Fob; Key-Fobs; Novelty Figurine; Novelty Figurines; Novelty Guards; Novelty Guardsmen; Novelty Key Ring; Novelty Toy; Pencil Top; Pencil Toppers; Puckator; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com;
So these are the medium-sized chaps, all about 45-60-odd millimeters. We have seen some before as they came in, but here they all are together. From the left;

  • ·         Probably actually a circus ringmaster/compare he's resin - mostly!
  • ·         PVC or even silicon-rubber key-ring
  • ·         LED Torch in mixed materials
  • ·         Resin guardsman who was probably a fridge-magnet once?
  • ·         Silicon rubber key ring who was designed as a pencil-top first
  • ·         Key-ring or Christmas tree hanging-decoration/figural bauble in chromium-plated polystyrene.

Fridge Magnet; Fridge-Magnet; Guards Band; Guards Division; Guards Drummer; Guards Musician; Guardsman Bauble; Guardsman Toy Soldier; Guardsmen; Household Division; Key Chain; Key Chains; Key Ring; Key Ring Conversion; Key Ring Torch; Key Ring Tourch; Key Rings; Key-Fob; Key-Fobs; Novelty Figurine; Novelty Figurines; Novelty Guards; Novelty Guardsmen; Novelty Key Ring; Novelty Toy; Pencil Top; Pencil Toppers; Puckator; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com;
You can see how the left-hand key-ring began life as or intended for pencil-topping, or - indeed - pens; all writing instruments matter! And the material is a soft, squidgy silicon-rubber, against the stiffer rubber of the chap on the right.

The new one (who came from Chris Smith or Peter Evans earlier in the year I think) in the middle has the remains of a sting/ribbon loop, but whether it was for keys or Christmas trees only god knows . . . have you got one coming out of the attic any-day now loyal readers, or are you carrying one around with your keys?

I think both of these (lower pair) were new this year (same likely contributors) and while the one on the left does stand-up, some damage to the small of his back points to the careful removal of a magnet and hot-wax [glue-gun] glue I think?

The one on the right seems to be resin, but he has peculiar soft areas on his feet, almost as if someone had rebuilt the soles with Blue-Tac and painted over it, so he may have been removed from a larger vignette, maybe he's a band-master in one of those 'Christmas Village' band-stands, or something like that?

I nearly left him in the Guards, but after umming-&-arring for a while I put him with the circus stuff for now, although as well as Victorian bandstands, he might fit the bill of a foreign nations' police/traffic-police force uniform, making him more of a tourist-memento piece?

Fridge Magnet; Fridge-Magnet; Guards Band; Guards Division; Guards Drummer; Guards Musician; Guardsman Bauble; Guardsman Toy Soldier; Guardsmen; Household Division; Key Chain; Key Chains; Key Ring; Key Ring Conversion; Key Ring Torch; Key Ring Tourch; Key Rings; Key-Fob; Key-Fobs; Novelty Figurine; Novelty Figurines; Novelty Guards; Novelty Guardsmen; Novelty Key Ring; Novelty Toy; Pencil Top; Pencil Toppers; Puckator; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com;

Seen before and I can't remember the branding (Puckator - I looked it up!), but it was looked at better then I think. There is a little pull-out tab at his waist-rear, to prevent the battery being in contact and running down, while he plays a bloody annoying little tune every time you press the button!

Largest were posted earlier this year!

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