H is for How They Come In - Charity Shop Backlog - 2023, 2 of 3

Continuing through 2023 backwards, although these are also dated December, so I think I must have either kept-up with most of 2023, or not found much charity-stuff to post until the end of the year, when we were already running through various other things like Christmas posts, Jon's donations, Chris's box, railway stuff &etc? So . . . more animals!

Six bags of mixed animals, or at least mixed themed animals! Two-each, sea life, dinosaurs & reptiles and domestic animals, all of which are rather piling-up against the day when I seriously sort them all out.

 

Some lovely tropical fish, a couple of huge star-fish and half a set of sharks/cetaceans, along with a few other bits, it's funny how some things become popular, in the last 20-odd years documentaries on Penguins have taken-off like nobodies business and as a result there are a lot of model penguins out there, and many have come-in, with purchases like these!

 

The other halves of both sets (future posts, obviously!) duplicates of the star-fish (I now have a huge 'starfish' bag with very few actual items - about six?!). The eel is interesting, as I have several now, and this one is new - I think - and I wouldn't have guessed that eels would be that popular or have that sell'ability?

 

However, my own childhood was full of tales of electric eels, giant eels, men fighting eels etc . . . and maybe that's still true today? I don't know what younger kids read these days, but they don't seem to have all those 'boys own' or 'adventure' books, they don't have the Lion, Tiger, Eagle or Hotspur annuals (Swift, was there a Swift, I seem to recall a Swift annual?), nor do they have anything like Look & Learn, World of Wonder or Tell Me Why? So I don't know where they would get an interest in eels, or giant squid, Pirates, the count of Monte Cristo, the Three Musketeers . . .?

 

Mixed bunch of Dinosaurs, I think the one back left had branding, while the snake is fun. I used to get a shot of nostalgia when I saw these rubber snakes, as we had them as kids, but actually they are a timeless toy and still very much 'around', most toy shops, chains or the few independents, have a tub or basket full of them!

 

More of the same, and the snake is definitely a modern one, ours were never that well decorated! But unless you sit down and research them to the same level as old Starlux or something, you'll never know (beyond the odd 'China' mark) whether they are old or new, reused or re-cleaned tools, unless it's as obvious as with this one, with the previous one it isn't?

 

A quite full sample of the late Britians (now Tomy?) sheep and goats, with a few other pieces and a nice Hong Kong setter. More of the wild 'minis' in the front row.

 

More of the same, larger animals, I think I've seen the slightly colourful horses in a blister somewhere, so we may get a brand for them when I do finally sit down and try to make sense of it all, which will make for some interesting, non-military posts in the future!