This was - as far as I was concerned, I'm sure some of you know more than I did, certainly Ed Berg helped - a mystery, then it wasn't a mystery, then it sort of was a mystery again, maybe, now I don't think it is, but it does point to the firm who might have been supplying early or pre-BMC mouldings.
This larger 'rack toy' set, badged to Wing Wah (formerly, and for some 30-odd years, of Kennedy Town, Hong Kong Island, before moving to the New Territories, where they seem to have folded in 2021, or thereabouts), who's over-imposed WW-mark is quite common in rack-toy circles.
And it was bought from Greece, where the air-miles of an HK import would be considerably less than from the States, especially if they were so imported, before BMC ever put their moniker to them?
Anyway, I wasn't sure of their heritage, as the ones on the Internet seemed to have BMC on the base underside, and sometimes the extra rim, so I asked Ed, when he was Blogging his 'Frankenset' a while back, if they were BMC and said he thought so.
But me being a Doubting Thomas, without empirical evidence, still didn't post them for a year or two more, until I was clear they were all the same Wing Wah / early BMC stock, which I'm now convinced they are! The three to the left are BMC, rimless, but the newer colour, I bought last year, at PW's show, specially for this post, which has been in edit-hell since 2020!
I seem to be missing a pile of boxes, to which the two small ones were positioned either-side, in the blister, and I keep seeing various gun ramps, but I think they're all CTS, Marx re-issues or TSSD!
I'm not one to comment on the exactness of the authenticity, but they don't look that accurate to me, especially the Texans, and they are definitely not Action Figures in the normal use of the term among both collectors and the wider toy trade, but when did the Hong Kong toy-men pay more that lip-service to accuracy?
1965-1990-something (?) on the left, terminal logo (1998-2021?) on the right.
Wing Wah - formed in 1965 and - apparently - the original supplier/manufacturer of BMC's Alamo figures/accessories, joining the Wing's Luen, Lung and Mau in the Tag-list. There is a current Wing Wah (Wing Wah Precision Mould & Plastics), in Dongguan City, Guangdong, mainland China which probably has no connection.
And, of course, this is a red-letter day for your diary's, as it's the date after which Deadleaf Hairband, Master Baiter Sell and Pericles over at the HK toy soldier site, will all start using the Wing Wah attribution, like they knew all along!
Above we see an early BMC set with the same rimless figures as the Wing Wah set, with the current Amazon image of the side-rimmed versions. I have also seen the Texans in the paler blue of my Mexicans.
I don't know if BMC licensed the 'generic' Wing Wah set for Greece, or other territories it wasn't then interested in, or if it was before BMC's involvement, most likely, while a third option is that WW were just being naughty behind BMC's back, or didn't have an exclusive with BMC for the sculpts/production.
The Texans sculpts seem to have been influenced by the John Wayne movie, The Alamo.
ReplyDeleteYes Terra', the full set which you can just about make out in the last image is, or are definitely the main characters from that movie!
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I bought BMC Alamo Mexicans and Texans in Texas in 2013. Literally in a store across the street from the Alamo.
ReplyDeleteI bought a few blister packs as I thought I would never see them again.
Based on the John Wayne movie, the Mexicans were easy to paint but apart from four character figures I found the Texans dull and not well produced.
Too many top hats. No militia types.
Hopefully will be back in Texas in October.
That's actually quite cool Anon', like going to Camarón and finding Starlux Foreign Legion in a shop over the road, or something!
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It's John....I was too lazy to sign in as I wasn't at home.
DeleteYes...a chain called Hobby Lobby had BMC (Alamo and Revolutionary War). Not particularly good figures but not really found on this side of the Atlantic.
I bought some Safari Toobs...interesting.....and should have bought more.
There was a quaint store where I.bought some babies ...four in all....Two in blue nappies and two in pink nappies....and although the store has changed hands and re-located I will have to go again....need another blue baby and one yet to be determined.
I emphasise these are grandchild focused rather than child focused.
There were also some sports figures....American football. Baseball, and Basketball.
Probably nearer to 60mm and stamped "CP INC"
Have you come across them?
In October I hope I find the BMC Civil war Andersonville Prison playset.
Dubious "moral territory" here. Accuracy and cautionary tales....or exploitation of suffering?
Cheers John, all interesting stuff, funnily enough, I have a tub of babies in pink and Afro-Caribbean brown, which I think were bubble-gum premiums back in the 1980's? Yes, Andersonville is an odd choice for a playset, one would need an opposite one for balance? We've had CP Inc here a couple of times recently (in the tags), and their earlier US Toy branding, I wonder if the sports figures are copies of the old Ajax ones, or all new? I haven't seen them yet!
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I think Andersonville was actually available at Plastic Warrior about 15 years ago. I can't be certain. The tents and figures would work just as well as very bored camp figures.
DeleteWhen I get home I will check the tags for CP.
Just to add that there is a big pond and small pond syndrome. There is not much available in shows, stores, flea markets, charity shops. I am actually envious.
DeleteYes, we're lucky with the Charity shops, I don't understand your Thrift Store thing, it seems to be more of a for-profit chain, stocking nearly-new or good-to-fine? But on cheapo' stores it's evens I think, Brian Berke finds nice rack-toys in 'downtown' NY, and your Halloween stuff doesn't always make it over here, so I'd swap Poundland for a Dollar General!
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