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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.

Monday, July 22, 2019

'West' is for Panini Sticker Album - Plus!

Previously issued in the 1970's as either a sticker-only exercise or with other (commercially available) figures - it's not terribly clear - the Sticker Album 'WEST' was re-issued in the 1990's with a figure included in each pack of 6 stickers, today we're having a look at them.

I imagine you could also purchase the whole set (with card fort frontage and figures?) from the UK page of the website for a while-after (link at end of post) as you can order complete sticker sets for some foreign issues (50-quid-plus for a sticker album!) to this day, but I don't know how well-developed, or 'international' the site was in the 1990's?

'West'; 1 Fuerte; 1 Soldadito Coleccionable; 49 to 52 mm; 6 Cromos; 7th Cavalry; Al Viejo Oeste; Album au Figurines; American Indians; American Natives; China; Collect Set; Custer; Far West Panini; Figurine Panini; Fort Apache; George Armstrong Custer; Hormis les Cavaliers; Indians; Little Big Horn; Magazine Part Work; Native Americans; Panini "The West"; Panini Espana SA; Para Jugar; Part Work; Part Work Figures; Plastic Soldiers; Plastic Toy Figures; Premium Figures; Premiums; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Vintage Toy Figures; Vintage Toy Soldiers; Vintage Toys; Y 36 Soldados;
Mounted figures for the cavalry, six different poses, of which only two are engaged in any sort of fighting, which may be a clue as to what happened at the Little Big Horn . . . too much saluting, bugling and carrying of small flags, not enough fighting-back!

Joking aside; I particularly like the Indian scout while the chap in buckskins could pass for General George Armstrong, but he'd need a bottle of Grecian2000 'Blonde' first! Am I right in thinking only the scout is wearing his braces correctly?

'West'; 1 Fuerte; 1 Soldadito Coleccionable; 49 to 52 mm; 6 Cromos; 7th Cavalry; Al Viejo Oeste; Album au Figurines; American Indians; American Natives; China; Collect Set; Custer; Far West Panini; Figurine Panini; Fort Apache; George Armstrong Custer; Hormis les Cavaliers; Indians; Little Big Horn; Magazine Part Work; Native Americans; Panini "The West"; Panini Espana SA; Para Jugar; Part Work; Part Work Figures; Plastic Soldiers; Plastic Toy Figures; Premium Figures; Premiums; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Vintage Toy Figures; Vintage Toy Soldiers; Vintage Toys; Y 36 Soldados;
The US get eight foot poses, each of which is numbered (the mounted poses are unmarked), here we are looking at - top row from left;

23. Kneeling Shooter
24. Sentinel
25. Soldier with Gun
26. Standing Shooter

. . . and the figures are sized to around 50mm or 1:35th scale

'West'; 1 Fuerte; 1 Soldadito Coleccionable; 49 to 52 mm; 6 Cromos; 7th Cavalry; Al Viejo Oeste; Album au Figurines; American Indians; American Natives; China; Collect Set; Custer; Far West Panini; Figurine Panini; Fort Apache; George Armstrong Custer; Hormis les Cavaliers; Indians; Little Big Horn; Magazine Part Work; Native Americans; Panini "The West"; Panini Espana SA; Para Jugar; Part Work; Part Work Figures; Plastic Soldiers; Plastic Toy Figures; Premium Figures; Premiums; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Vintage Toy Figures; Vintage Toy Soldiers; Vintage Toys; Y 36 Soldados;
Again using the top row, from the left we have;

27. Standing Shooter
28. Standing Shooter
29. Running Soldier
30. Standing Shooter

. . . and all the figures are manufactured from a  softish PVC replacement polymer with decoration mostly done through stencils, although there's some hand-painting.

'West'; 1 Fuerte; 1 Soldadito Coleccionable; 49 to 52 mm; 6 Cromos; 7th Cavalry; Al Viejo Oeste; Album au Figurines; American Indians; American Natives; China; Collect Set; Custer; Far West Panini; Figurine Panini; Fort Apache; George Armstrong Custer; Hormis les Cavaliers; Indians; Little Big Horn; Magazine Part Work; Native Americans; Panini "The West"; Panini Espana SA; Para Jugar; Part Work; Part Work Figures; Plastic Soldiers; Plastic Toy Figures; Premium Figures; Premiums; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Vintage Toy Figures; Vintage Toy Soldiers; Vintage Toys; Y 36 Soldados;
Horses are probably the poorest element of the set, suffering from the softness of the plastic and slightly effete sculpting. There are three poses, which are also marked on the bases;

A2. Cavalry Horse
B2. Cavalry Horse
C2. Cavalry Horse

. . . two of the poses are very similar (either end), with only the feet reversed while the other seems to be pacing or high-stepping in a formal fashion?

'West'; 1 Fuerte; 1 Soldadito Coleccionable; 49 to 52 mm; 6 Cromos; 7th Cavalry; Al Viejo Oeste; Album au Figurines; American Indians; American Natives; China; Collect Set; Custer; Far West Panini; Figurine Panini; Fort Apache; George Armstrong Custer; Hormis les Cavaliers; Indians; Little Big Horn; Magazine Part Work; Native Americans; Panini "The West"; Panini Espana SA; Para Jugar; Part Work; Part Work Figures; Plastic Soldiers; Plastic Toy Figures; Premium Figures; Premiums; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Vintage Toy Figures; Vintage Toy Soldiers; Vintage Toys; Y 36 Soldados;
The Indians get very similarly-posed horses, but with blanket saddles;

A1. Indian Horse
B1. Indian Horse
C1. Indian Horse

. . . their decoration is also more muted with various over-sprays on the same hazelnut-coloured animals. And as they are numbered ahead of each Cavalry version, I'm not saying they followed, but probably lead?

'West'; 1 Fuerte; 1 Soldadito Coleccionable; 49 to 52 mm; 6 Cromos; 7th Cavalry; Al Viejo Oeste; Album au Figurines; American Indians; American Natives; China; Collect Set; Custer; Far West Panini; Figurine Panini; Fort Apache; George Armstrong Custer; Hormis les Cavaliers; Indians; Little Big Horn; Magazine Part Work; Native Americans; Panini "The West"; Panini Espana SA; Para Jugar; Part Work; Part Work Figures; Plastic Soldiers; Plastic Toy Figures; Premium Figures; Premiums; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Vintage Toy Figures; Vintage Toy Soldiers; Vintage Toys; Y 36 Soldados;
They also get six unmarked poses of rider, three in leggings/trousers, the other trio in just loin-cloths. The figure on the far right is particularly fine, shooting over his forearm, downwards into the/an - unseen - mêlée, and they are all more active than their cavalry counterparts.

'West'; 1 Fuerte; 1 Soldadito Coleccionable; 49 to 52 mm; 6 Cromos; 7th Cavalry; Al Viejo Oeste; Album au Figurines; American Indians; American Natives; China; Collect Set; Custer; Far West Panini; Figurine Panini; Fort Apache; George Armstrong Custer; Hormis les Cavaliers; Indians; Little Big Horn; Magazine Part Work; Native Americans; Panini "The West"; Panini Espana SA; Para Jugar; Part Work; Part Work Figures; Plastic Soldiers; Plastic Toy Figures; Premium Figures; Premiums; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Vintage Toy Figures; Vintage Toy Soldiers; Vintage Toys; Y 36 Soldados;
The natives get ten foot poses, and just as the riders are more animated, so too are the foot figures more imaginative. Again from the left;

13. Indian with Gun
14. Indian with Bow
15. Indian on Ground
16. Indian with Dagger
17. Kneeling Indian

'West'; 1 Fuerte; 1 Soldadito Coleccionable; 49 to 52 mm; 6 Cromos; 7th Cavalry; Al Viejo Oeste; Album au Figurines; American Indians; American Natives; China; Collect Set; Custer; Far West Panini; Figurine Panini; Fort Apache; George Armstrong Custer; Hormis les Cavaliers; Indians; Little Big Horn; Magazine Part Work; Native Americans; Panini "The West"; Panini Espana SA; Para Jugar; Part Work; Part Work Figures; Plastic Soldiers; Plastic Toy Figures; Premium Figures; Premiums; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Vintage Toy Figures; Vintage Toy Soldiers; Vintage Toys; Y 36 Soldados;
The base-titles however are just as lacking in imagination with these as they were with the US troops, with several having duplicated text!

18. Indian/Tomawac [sic]
19. Indian Lance/Shield
20. Indian/Tomawac [sic]
21. Indian with Bow
22. Indian with Bow

'West'; 1 Fuerte; 1 Soldadito Coleccionable; 49 to 52 mm; 6 Cromos; 7th Cavalry; Al Viejo Oeste; Album au Figurines; American Indians; American Natives; China; Collect Set; Custer; Far West Panini; Figurine Panini; Fort Apache; George Armstrong Custer; Hormis les Cavaliers; Indians; Little Big Horn; Magazine Part Work; Native Americans; Panini "The West"; Panini Espana SA; Para Jugar; Part Work; Part Work Figures; Plastic Soldiers; Plastic Toy Figures; Premium Figures; Premiums; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Vintage Toy Figures; Vintage Toy Soldiers; Vintage Toys; Y 36 Soldados;
Base marks for - clockwise from top left - cavalry trooper, crawling Indian, Indian horse and foot Indian; the fact that the prone Indian is marked (down his leg) makes it all the weirder that none of the mounted poses have any marking at all? All marked items also have a 'CHINA'.

Thanks to John Begg for these which scraped-in under the 'small scale' parameter (perimeter!) back some time in 2006-7 and have just slid-out of storage..

A useful link with more information;

While, in numerical order;

Set Listing
Horses
A1. Indian Horse
A2. Cavalry Horse
B1. Indian Horse
B2. Cavalry Horse
C1. Indian Horse
C2. Cavalry Horse

Riders
1-6. (?) 6x different Indian riders
7-12. (?) 6x different Cavalry riders

Foot Natives
13. Indian with Gun
14. Indian with Bow
15. Indian on Ground
16. Indian with Dagger
17. Kneeling Indian
18. Indian/Tomawac [sic]
19. Indian Lance/Shield
20. Indian/Tomawac [sic]
21. Indian with Bow
22. Indian with Bow

Cavalry Figures
23. Kneeling Shooter
24. Sentinel
25. Soldier with Gun
26. Standing Shooter
27. Standing Shooter
28. Standing Shooter
29. Running Soldier
30. Standing Shooter

Other Items
?. Relief Card Fort Frontage ('stage set' in log 'stockade' construction "Fort Apache")
?. Sticker Album

2 comments:

Jason Holmes said...

Those look great! Thanks for posting this. I’m a collector of US Cavalry figures and didn’t know these existed.

Hugh Walter said...

Glad to have helped Jason.

I think they are commoner on the continent so try searching specifically eBay.it or eBay.fr, perhaps eBay.ge at a pinch? But they were quite popular, and I think there were several iterations, as blind-bag part-work collectables with the sticker album (also very nice), as a single set, and as a mail-away with the fort?

There are better sites on them than my post!

H