F is for Finder's Keepers, Looser's . . .

. . . make a bit of money for chahrridee!

Popped into Blue Cross yesterday to donate a few books, assistant was near the door, so I handed the books over and left the shop, then thought "I'm here; I might as well have a look", returned to the store and wandered over to the toy section. Saw a bag . . .

. . . it looked interesting. It's a poor shot, but it's been sorted now so I couldn't re-take it! Rocco (?) knight's horse was obvious, as was the Timpo Arab, better stuff the other side, but what's that red-yellow and blue lump (left-hand arrow)?

It was only a Britians ECW musketeer, complete, with two others and a slightly damaged 'Prince Rupert'! Although the sword of the mounted Lobster-pot was a bit chewed.

Another leg turned-up for the standing knights horse after the photo-sesh, but three just doesn't cover the role; "Need I say with over much emphasis that it is in the leg division that it is deficient, the role requiring a quadridexter!", while the other one has all his legs and no tail, hey-ho! At least the knight is complete.

The plethora of Kellogg's guardsmen premiums served (with small scale shrapnel) to camouflage the quality of the lot and only two items were in the recycling by midnight, this chocolate brown Tudor Rose horse (by which time it was in three pieces - brittle as a biscuit!) and the Herald Indian in the previous shot.

A nice group of Timpo Arabs surfaced, one straight in the spares box, but the other four and the mounted figure having all parts and good paint. Nothing else exciting here, mostly swaps, but the bear-fighter from Lone Star is a nice find.

The smallies; basically a clean sample of Airfix Russian, Japanese and Combat Group, all-three a few short of a full set . . . and a propeller - Fairy-something? Dart?

The bear fighting cowboy thrusts and Little Cub dances away, both this and the mounted swoppet Indian had/have all feathers and thin or pointy-bits, sheath-knives are present and paint is OK on both, the Lone Star are more played-with.

Arabs and ECW in close up; a bit of a tug and a trim made the Lobbster's sword more presentable and he will need a replacement scabbard, but I know a man who has a few spares, they are  tin-plate stampings so it shouldn't prove a problem.

Two questions remain - no 'khaki infantry', excepting the Airfix, is some kid somewhere in Fleet playing with a bag of rareish/early British toy soldiers? And why are some pieces played-with to gash-point, while others are quite pristine? Odd - but a bargain! And you could ask why no animals or civilians?