Continuing to explore the plunder from
Saturday's toy soldier fest with more donations and a few more specific
purchases . . .
Brian Carrick (who I haven't seen
eye-to-eye with for a while) came up to me at the end of the show and thrust
these at me and wouldn't take money for them, which was very kind, although it
means another rabbit hole for me to disappear down!
They are Mainz Carnival figurines, I knew
of them vaguely from the trumpeter who I have seen before (being slightly
military-looking one or two people have them in their unknown or minor-make
zones!), but hadn't given them much thought, but had I, I might have realised
there's a new one/s every year!
There's a fully-round margerine set as
well, hence; 'new rabbit hole'! They used to be simple pin-badges, but health and
saftey has lead to the neck-ties in red & white string. Clowns seem to
feature heavily as a theme, along with civic dignitaries in historical dress
(very useful figures), although one is military - I'm guessig Mainzer
Prinzengarde is not the 1890's mayor's robes! And they are a hard
'styrene around 54-60mm
Just an overshot today, I'll do a post on
them at some point. The little box contains a convention exclusive 'dog tag'
from Airfix, also from Brian, while the purple runner, is the accompaniment to
an cheapie action figure, and came via Gareth Morgan at some point in the
afternoon, so thanks to both of them, it's all grist to the mill, and more for
you to look at!
Peter Evans also had a bag for me, and the
contents were very eclectic, the wooden elephant is exquisite. He needs a
replacement tusk, and could do with a new pair as the survivor is a bit bulgy
in the middle, but I have lots of Ivory off-cuts and bits somewhere, and now
you can't trade in it I will have a stab at carving, as there are a few tusks
needed around the collection from these 1cm littlies, up to 1½" or more.
The Chaplin caricature is resin and I think
the Sponge-Bob's were Disney Stores, but these got put away a
bit quick and I didn't take notes! We will return to all of them at least
twice, if I live that long; A-Z entry and another article or two, here on the
'home Blog'.
More from Peter's bag I think, the horse is
interesting, possibly from a magnetic game, but I think it's one of those
jiggling-mat racecourse games, each hoof has a polished steel patch set into
it, and as you handle it the legs flick back and forwards, so I suspect it's a
race-game piece.
Dolphin is vintage, but slightly demented-looking!
Cavalryman was Safari (I think?)
while the footballer is a cake decoration, the action figure is small enough to
be retained, while they aren't actively sought, still they have a place! Two Phidal's top-out this shot.
And still with the lot from Peter; two
Pocahontas, one a Phidal Busy Book
figure (right), the other from Disney Stores
(or similar, left), a nice Wizard and a footballer sans base; several of these
have come in now from Peter, Chris and Charity Shop bags, and I did get an ID
from some with bases, but have forgotten it!
Liking the Wizard too, Harry Potter knock-off? Kellogg's
Snap (of Crackle and Pop fame) Superhero premium and two more
WWF's (Peter sent four from two
sources in his last 'red cross' parcel!), the grey chap is a DFC fantasy type I think, but his
significance will become clearer in a minute! Thanks to Peter for all.
This was a straight purchase from the hall,
and something I've been after for a while, there have been a few on evilBay but
always too expensive when you factor-in the postage. Obviously five of them are
the same Crescent copies as the Maysun we've looked at here, while, the
tiger and ring-mistress were seen in a generic set, not that long ago.
We will however return to these, probably
in RTM and look a little more closely at all of them. I think the horse should
be slightly more horizontal, but has broken out of his blister and got stuck
under the thinner part!
Not cheap, but not that pricey either (i.e.
'fair shout'), Steve Vickers had these three and given what we've already
posted here and what was bought in the late autumn, along with stuff from Chris
and one of the Poles we will return to them again (with more than has already
published here, much more!), but for now, nice artwork (taken - in part - from
the Esci big-box diorama sets?) on
three larger sets from Spojnia -
D-Day, Tunis and Salerno.
Two items on the shopping list were ticked
off in one lot, someone had two Lone Star
FFL and two ACW in one bag, the confederate is the missing standing firer from
that set, which will free-up the FFL substitute who is missing from the lot we
looked at the other day! Equally they were blue-trousered, while these two
(left) are red, so made a good start on the second set!
The seller of the two forecourt attendants
said they were Timpo, but a couple of
the old guard said no, someone else, but no one could remember and directed me
to Joplin's big book, which is back in storage, so if anyone can help in the
meantime, that would be useful, they're from old hollow-cast moulds anyway.
Finally; a pair of the larger Gemodels
cake-decoration dancers, in near-perfect paint.
Another couple ticked off the shopping list
were the missing standing firer from Deetail
and the Gatling Gun, both added to the shopping list only the other day! In
front is an Ohio Arts (?) rubber
bear, behind them the actual Captain
Video from Lido, he's a big chap,
solid 'styrene, in metallic mauve!
The Hopalong
Cassidy is an Argentine copy of a Timpo
original, from hollow-cast, I earned the opprobrium of certain members of the
old guard by suggesting Hilco on that
one! The Crescent Indian Army figure was
vaguely on the shopping list, but in fact there were only five I saw in the
whole room and paint was poor on all of them, this one was slightly the better of
them.
The other four are NOT DFC, or at least I don't think so, but could be mistaken for their
output. They are bigger and unmarked (a comparison is in the pipeline - 5th
post I think), I suspect they may be from another big-box fantasy play-set
maker of the 1980/90's; Toyco, Polotoys, someone like that, but I've
got to check them out. I have some more spacy figures in red and white which go
with them somewhere.
Three Reisler, I was vaguely aware of the
saluting chap I think, from a website or catalogue image, but I wasn't familiar
with the surrendering pose? Flamethrower is just nice and clean . . . and
complete!
60mm Lone
Star swivel-head was going cheap, as were the white-plastic take on the ABC-Britains hollow-cast copies (Chris
sent me three different blues the other day and I grabbed a 4th at PW!), which leaves three ancients, the
African on the ground has been converted, lost his base and had a shiled
added, the charging 'hoplomachus' (?) is from a German
book, the brand of which escapes me, but it was in a recent issue of PlasticWarrior magazine, which is a good reason to subscribe!
Leaving the chap at the back. You may
remember me getting excited by one a few shows back (5 years ago!),
which had had a crappy weapon replaced, that was by Clairet, and I think this is too, and with another replacement weapon,
but they need them and now looks almost as good as the other one, but his
shield is a bit meah!
While these are four-inches-huge, and two
are wooden, the GI is solid polyethylene and could be Hong Kong or US, I don't
recognise him off-hand, while the others are obviously skittles! Now I said on
the day they were Winmau (who make
the pub dart-boards), and assumed pub-skittles, but in fact with an eye-glass
they are © 1989 K. Wiman, so my bad .
. . I have an unfulfilled prescription for reading-glasses, another
conversation on the day!
They look to be French, but could be
Spanish, that Foreign Legion uniform colour looks like Spanish Legion, while .
. . brown sailors? The cummerbund though is more French.
Many thanks again to Brain, Gareth and
Peter for the additional goodies, part 4 in the pipeline!