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.

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

K is for Kioskowce I

If by the end of the article I've managed to sound like I know what I'm talking about here, it's only due to the debt of gratitude I owe to Konrad Lesiek who translated both sides of the boxes and the little insert slip, explaining the social/historical background as he went!

Kioskowce were the Polish equivalent of French Bazar, German Wundertuten, Spanish Sobres our own Lucky Bags or the very smallest size of header-carded, bagged, rack toy.

These 'Miniatures' were issued by Andrzej Kawecki, based in Lódź, in the 1980/90's as the Communist government first relaxed rules on private enterprise and then disappeared into the pages of history following the events of the Autumn of 1989.

You get a little box with a pull-off lid, which is big enough for a small army to hide in! From the colour differences it would seem that there were three small tools to make this set, suggesting a very-small, possibly hand-operated injection machine, one tool for the combat figures, another mould for the prone poses and boat crew, and the last for the boats.

The figures are obviously Airfix piracies and I'll post some comparison shots on the relevant Airfix Blog posts at the same time as this article. Here the 1st version US Marines have been cloned, and to be honest; compared to the equivalent Hong Kong output as carried by Baravelli at one point, these are quite good copies.

The combat poses are leeching the same kind of greasy powder/film that you often see deposited on Matchbox figures.

My other set is also of Airfix piracies; the 2nd version British Infantry, a set which prior to getting these I would have said was one of the few sets NOT to have been copied!

I can't actually remember where I got these, it could have been one of Andy Harfield's shows back around the turn of the century, or even a Plastic Warrior from the Q. Charlotte Hall days, but I suspect it was from PB Toys at Peter's show in Herne about ten years ago? Anyway, Konrad reports that they do come-up on Allegro (a Polish-language feeBay/Craig's List type platform) occasionally, if you want to find a sample yourself.

The packaging states they were made from locally resourced/ recycled materials (the translation including the term 'Ivory' [or bone], which may be a reference to the small 'ivories' made from scraps and off-cuts, such as the little bear we looked at here, a while back?), and in the case of both my examples that recycled-material is a very soft PVC rubber - quite the very best thing to make a rubber-boat out of!

Again, with 50% in 'plain chocolate' brown and 50% in 'milk', the suggestion is that two tools were required for each set. I would also say that the cardboard made in communist Poland was a darn-sight better than the cardboard made in East Germany; which - in my experience - fell apart if you looked at it harshly!

Konrad also explained how under the state collectivism of the post-war, pre-glastnost Poland, the kiosks were all called Ruch, now they have been re-distributed to the private sector and are called many names and he has sent a couple of local examples, I'm sure they will be recognisable to viewers as that pretty-universal convenience-store known variously as corner-shops, drug-stores, newsagents' or tobacconists - kiosko, tabaque . . . 'Spar'!

He added that Kioskowce also included larger figures of local design; probably Centrum flats, PZG and others, without packaging. The insert slip - in one of the otherwise identical boxes - lists other sets being available as follows:


1 - US Infantry
2 - US Marines (above - and now here)
3 - British Infantry (above - and now here)
4 - Japanese Infantry
5 - Medieval Knights
6 - Cowboys & Indians
7 - Napoleonic Period Soldiers
8 - WWI soldiers and
9 - Ancient Romans

While I assume Airfix to be the donor for most; it would be interesting to know what the Napoleonics, WWI and Wild West look like, or if there were other sets?

Finally - Thanks again to Konrad for his help in the preparation of this article. I'll badger him about Spojnia next (their Napoleonics are Esci/Ertl copies) and then we'll look at their output!

21 comments:

HOUSIK said...

Witam

Hugh Walter said...

Witam to you too Housik, glad you found us!

H

HOUSIK said...

IN POLAND MANY COMPANIES WERE NOT ONLY KAWECKI

HOUSIK said...


1.WYTWARZANIE ARTYKULOW W ZAKRESIE PRZETWORSTWA TWORZYW SZTUCZNYCH/WYROB ZABAWEK CZESLAW KAWECKI LODZ UL.ZAJECZA 13A

JEDEN Z PIERWSZYCH CENY OD 65 ZL , PIERWSZE WERSJE TO PUDELKOWE SPRZEDAWANE W KIOSKU, POZNIEJ ZACZELI OSZCZEDZAC I BYLY SAME KARTECZKI


2.WYTWARZANIE GALANTERII Z KOSCI ROGU SUROWCOW MIEJSCOWYCH I ODPADOWYCH ANDRZEJ KAWECKI 91-347 LODZ UL.ZAJECZA 13A

PRAWDOPODOBNIE CZESLAW I ANDRZEJ TO BRACIA ALBO OJCIEC I SYN , ADRES TAKI SAM , CENY U ANDRZEJA 65 - 75 ZL

LOGO MINIATURY NAPRZEMIENNIE Z WOJCIECHEM JANIAKIEM


3.ZAKLAD TWORZYW SZTUCZNYCH EDWARD MECHANISZYN GDANSK UL.CIENISTA7

BRAK OBRAZKA , BLEDY ORTOGRAFICZNE ,BLEDNA SKALA W OPISIE


4.WYROB ART. Z TWORZYW SZTUCZNYCH LEW PROKOLIJEW TUSZYN UL.POPRZECZNA NR 3

BRAK OBRAZKA SAMA PIECZATKA NA KARTECZCE CENY 75ZL


5.WYTWARZANIE GALANTERII W ZAKRESIE PRZETWORSTWA TWORZYW SZTUCZNYCH WOJCIECH JANIAK/PPHU DELTA LODZ UL.ZAJECZA 18A

WOJCIECH JANIAK - LOGO MINIATURY CZYLI POZNIEJSZA DELTA , 5 NUMEROW DALEJ NA ULICY ZAJECZEJ WIEC MUSIELI SIE ZNAC

OKLADKI BEZ ZADNEGO LOGO LUB LOGO MINIATURY


6.SPOLDZIELNIA RZEMIESLNICZA WIELOBRANZOWA SPOJNIA/HOBBY EME GDANSK WRZESZCZ UL.KLONOWA 1

SPOJNIA CZYLI HOBBY EME - LOGO UZYWANE NA PRZEMIAN , ZESTAWY MALE 75 ZL , ZESTAWY DUZE - BITWY NAJCZESCIEJ Z JAKIMS CZOLGIEM ITP 150 ZL


7.SPOLDZIELNIA RZEMIESLNICZA RZEMIOSL ROZNYCH ZGIERZ/UNIWERSUM UL.DZIERZYNSKIEGO 21 (ZAKLAD NR 145)

ZGIERZ CZYLI POZNIEJSZA SPOLDZIELNIA UNIWERSUM - OKLADKI ZE SKRESLONYM LOGO ZGIERZ TO JUZ SPOLDZIELNIA UNIWERSUM


8.FIRMA GLOBUS KRAKOW

PODRABIALI OKLADKI DOSC NIEUDOLNIE NP ZMIENIAJAC TYLKO NAZWE A RYSUNEK BYL Z INNEGO ZESTAWU
W ZESTAWACH BYL MIX INNYCH ZESTAWOW - TRUDNE DO IDENTYFIKACJI


9.ZABAWKARSTWO LAURA JACKOWIAK-BARANOWSKA 91-858 LODZ UL.CZYSTA NR 8

OKLADKI Z NIEBIESKIM LOGO 1/72, CENY OD 250 DO 350 ZL CZYLI KONIEC LAT 80-TYCH


BYLY TO TAK ZWANE PODROBKI TYCH ZAGRANICZNYCH NAJCZESCIEJ

ATLANTIC,AIRFIX,MATCHBOX,REVELL,ESCI,ITALIERI

HOUSIK said...

POSIADAM WIELE OKŁADEK
JAK MOŻNA DODAĆ FOTO ?

HOUSIK said...

I HAVE A LOT OF COVERS
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO ADD THE PHOTO?

HOUSIK said...

SCAN 8 ARMIA BRTYJSKA KAWECKI

http://www.mediafire.com/view/2h1ouzu7696m51e/8_ARMIA_BRYTYJSKA_MINIATURY_ANDRZEJ_KAWECKI_0.jpg/file

Hugh Walter said...

Hi HOUSIK, I found that last image, but it would be easier to send them directly to me as 'attachments from this computer' to my eMail;

maverickatlarge@hotmail.com

Cheers!
H

Maciej said...

Housik - A byłaby możliwość również przesłania skanów na mój adres? Mój zbiór etykiet przepadł w domu rodziców, ale próbuję go odbudować. Zebrałem już blisko 30 oryginalnych etykiet, ale wielu, które kiedyś miałem, wciąż poszukuję lub chociaż ich skanów. Mogę jakby co służyć swoim zbiorem. Mam też dużo dubli różnych żołnierzyków - może coś, czego Panu brakuje.
maciej_jasinski@vp.pl

Hugh Walter said...

Getting better at Google Translate . . . Maciej - Housik . . . if you can fix it between the two of you and one send me the images I would love to share them with a wider audience.

Stać się lepszym w Tłumaczu Google. . . Maciej - Housik. . . jeśli uda ci się to naprawić między wami dwojgiem a jednym, prześlij mi zdjęcia, którymi chciałbym się podzielić z szerszą publicznością.

H

Maciej said...

Done. Check Your e-mail

Hugh Walter said...

Nothing found?

maverickatlarge[at sign]hotmail[dot]com

H

Maciej said...

I have send it again.

Maciej said...

OK. Please check again

Hugh Walter said...

Yep! Gotem! They went through fine, thanks, I'll get them written up over the weekend and on the Blog, we love this stuff at Small Scale World!

Your eMail must be blocking Hotmail for some reason? Corporate or governmental? But thanks, got them now!

Tak! Gotem! Przeszli pomyślnie, dzięki, napiszę je na weekend i na blogu uwielbiamy te rzeczy w Small Scale World!

Twój e-mail musi z jakiegoś powodu blokować Hotmail? Korporacyjne czy rządowe? Ale dzięki, mam je teraz!

H

Hugh Walter said...

I've deleted the previous coment as I don't want anyone having it, but if you send again use that eMail, and then let me know here as it alerts the Hotmail!

Usunąłem poprzedni komentarz, ponieważ nie chcę, aby ktokolwiek go miał, ale jeśli wyślesz ponownie, użyj tego e-maila, a następnie daj mi znać tutaj, ponieważ ostrzega Hotmail!

H

Maciej said...

Great! I have send some additional photos.

Hugh Walter said...

Got them too Maciej - no problems! Thank you

Też mam Maciej - żadnych problemów! Dziękuję Ci

H

HOUSIK said...

MACIEK AND HUGH JESTEM JAK NAJBARDZIEJ ZAINTERESOWANY

CZEKAM NA KONTAKT

HOUSIK said...

SPOLDZIELNIA SPOJNIA OR HOBBY EME

HOBBY EME IS EDWARD MECHANISZYN GDANSK UL.CIENISTA7

Hugh Walter said...

Hi Housik - My eMail is down the side of the page, you will need to eMail me, I don't know your eMail?

Yes, the Spojnia/EME connection was in more recent posts, or a forthcoming post, but a family bereavement has kept me away from the Blog.

************************

Mój e-mail znajduje się z boku strony, będziesz musiał wysłać mi e-mail, nie znam Twojego adresu e-mail?

Tak, związek Spojnia / EME był w nowszych postach lub w nadchodzącym poście, ale żałoba rodzinna trzymała mnie z dala od bloga.

H