N is for Nearly the Nativity!

It's the 20th! I don't know where that month went in such a hurry, but it did! I haven't shot any Nativity sets this year, nor have we had a chance to clear any of the unused stuff from last year, or the years before, all sitting down the bottom of Picasa at 1968! But, to prevent anything else joining them, there are still a few bits from this year to get up here, and this is Brian's Nativity finds in a store in New York.

 

The Archangel Gabriel getting busy with Satan! Two sizes.

 

The family shot, then they were off to Egypt as asylum-seeking refugee migrants!

 

OK, got it!

 

But did they pay?

 

13 pieces is a fair count, and beautifully presented in gold silk!

 

Quite a few styles, from the super realistic miniatures through to the mawkishly sentimental cartoonish baby-faced stuff, but nice that you can 'pick and mix' off the shelf, or slowly add items, year to year. Mostly resin, but it looks like some may be china? Many thanks to Brian as always, for sending these into the Blog.

O is for Once Upon a Time, in June! Ancient & Medieval

So, the 'Ancient and Medieval' vein was both rich and numerous, although I've got them down to ten images and a close up. Probably my favourite section, after space, and maybe ceremonial, although you find a lot of interesting Wild West stuff, and new civilians are always turning-up to amaze, farm, zoo, jungle . . . Pirates, pirates are my favourite, or they bloody-well should be? Anyway, we've got the opening paragraph; Let's play show repooooort!

 

Small-scale; Another bag of our Auther and his mounted Roman Gladiator Knights! To be compared with the other bags, as I think there was a hint at one point, the content's supplier changed, or the horses got diluted with a second type or something, none of it's actually Giant, but the story still needs to be accurate!

 

A few of the other Hong Kong knock-offs, Quaker and Elastolin Romans, and a Britians Trojan War figure, along with a broken Airfix and the ex-Montaplex runner of BuM Slot's Vikings. The mast and furled sails on their cross-spar have to be made from the central tree-runner!

 

Someone came and asked me about it, and I told him what I knew, then I either bought it off him later, when I found I still had cash in my pocket, or he just gave it to me, toward the end of the show? But he's not in the credit list? One of the Liverpool or Birmingham 'gangs'?

 

Hot on the heels of the three we saw the other day, both blog wise and literally, as the show was a couple of weeks after I acquired the others, came a fourth Marx 6" Egyptian pose, on the right here, and a broken duplicate, on the left. The good one needs a bit of a clean to match the others, while I intend to give the broken one a Kopesh curved sickle-axe-sword, and I'll use quite thick Plasticard, to match the chunkiness of the originals.

 

Between them, a Gashapon Samurai (not well shot!) and one of the Lik Be/LB cavemen. 

 

Hong Kong Timpo piracy on the left, also carried by Ideal in a fort set I think? Cherilea in the middle, and another Hong Kong (Britains 'War of the Roses' swoppet-copy) on the right. All good stuff!

 

These are very interesting, copies of the Lone Star/Hubley/Kresge 'Metalions' (it's increasingly unclear just what the history of those die-casts is/was), I think someone did give me some info' on them at the show, but so much goes-on, on the day, I'll be damned before I can remember what they said! In the style of some French reissue/Bazaar stuff and may be by Norev?

 

Did I say fourteen Richard I's the other day? Make that fifteen! And Bonux here, have simplified the folds of the cloak to such an extent it's getting back, closer to the Lone Star original, and further from the Jem/Norev it was copied from, for these washing-powder premiums!

 

Dom Landsknecht, Lone Star medieval and three Cherilea's, two of the early 'swoppets' and a solid in a nice greeny-yellow plastic. There is a forthcoming post on the swoppets, as you may remember I got four at the previous year's show, and have since obtained more besides.

 

More modern stuff, the old Marx/Tudor Rose knights, and the Romano-Greek motorcycle-raider 'knights' currently still findable on Amazon and similar platforms, all grist to the mill; colour variations etc . . . 

 

A bunch of Starlux, I think I picked a few of each a few years ago, from the same seller, but they went on clearance near the end of the show, so I just bought them all, doing him a favour, really, you understand, I didn't need them, they don't even look good en masse!

 

Bloody-lovely, that's what they is! And the unpainted one is a Starlux moulding, but perhaps issued as a premium, by a third party? We saw the white, polyethylene ones from Spain years ago.

 

Me box-ticking, or bag-ticking (playing catch-up) on Replicants!

 

Biblical figures are a difficult one, they can go with the civilians, or get their own section (which they often do at Christmas!), but as they are ancient, they might as well go here, two Marx nativity animals, home-painted (?), a French Santon, looking a bit like Mary, mother of the bloke standing next to her! He is also Marx, and was called Jey'sus'ah!

 

Again, many thanks to - Issack, Graham Apperley, John Begg, Barney Brown, Brian Carrick, Peter Evans, Adrian Little, Michael Mordant-Smith, Trevor Rudkin, Steve Vickers, and with no emails since the intro-post, anyone else who gave me stuff, including the BuM Vikings (?), and which I have forgotten to add.

R is for Roman, but not Roman's!

I had an interesting chat with the couple manning the Roman stand at the NEC last month, not stuff I need to pass on, as they knew little of the history of Fontanini, had never heard of the elusive Fonplast, and were really just trying to find customers for their US-based stock, of whom I clearly wasn't one, but I shot a few of the modern 'Precepi' while I was chatting to them.

 

They've come a long way since the hand-crafted terracotta being prepared village by village between the wars, but it is now mostly poured-resin, and most of it wasn't worth shooting, as it just wouldn't have interested any loyal readers! And I think the Joseph's Studio stuff is 100% American in any case?

 

Company website;

https://www.roman.com/products/nativities/

L is for Lots of London Loot - November's Shots

Pretty sure this lot is all courtesy of Peter Evans, with some obvious bits from the late Michael Hyde's collection, but I've just found a whole box I hadn't photographed, which I have now done, and underneath which, was another box with a shed-load of Atlantic, which I think might have been part of this lot, anyway it is now photographed and will appear as a future part of this sequence!

 

A couple of Dinosaurs!

 

We've seen this chap before, more than once, in Keycraft and House of Marbles packaging, and a generic or two I think, here's another, these are the newer ones with the inverted net cone instead of shroud lines, which then necessitates a larger parachute to cope with the weight of all the extra fabric!

 

The trio to the right will be for a single set, probably a small 'toob' or tub, maybe a carded bag, the Rhino from a similar set and the Jaguar was a Schleich, isn't it beautifil?

 

Clearly from Mike's stash! A Marx Moses, a homemade Franciscan friar, who is doing a pretty-good job of doubling-up for Obi-wan Kenobi! A sub-scale hollow-cast type, actually a solid I think, but maker unknown, looks British C-of-E, though? And a small after-market whitemetal one, which is a European Catholic, I think, it's O-gauge compatible, and I haven't a clue who made it (O-Men?) or whether it's home- or factory-painted?

 

Lovely Hong Kong copy of Britains Highlinder on the left, a quite clean Cherilea on the right while the guy in the middle is a bit of a mystery, I guess he's a mascot for a commercial product, but Google didn't really help, shoes or perfume might be in the frame, the latter leading to soap, but I couldn't find anything solid, and the spelling is the incorrect use for a ceremonial?

 

He might have been a key-ring, but it wasn't obvious and in a flexible rubber which was more natural than PVC, so my guess is an item from the USA or a US-made product, there IS a Colgate-Palmolive shampoo, it was short-lived (1978+) and confined to the Philippines, but they had a human mascot; Charlieng Balakubak, (Dandruff Charlie), so possibly connected with cleaning or hygiene, and having some age; 1960/70's?

 

A set of ebony, or 'ebonised' carved wooden elephants - tourist keepsakes.

 

In researching what is actually 'Harry's' Animal Planet, I've managed to ID the show-jump and rider we've seen in the last few weeks, this sign and probably one or two of the horses in Jon Attwood's big donations, although they are currently in about four stacks, in two storage units, one day they will all be labelled-up and brought back together!

 

The sign is directing a late vinyl Britains sheepdog, a rather clean Crescent (?) sheep and a dinosaur which looks similar to some of the dinosaurs which I recently shelfied in B&M play sets.

 

From the left, Corgi Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang, unknown street character (two points of articulation, arms), a hollow-cast mechanic from Timpo, missing his spare tyre, but I've never seen one with it! And a racing driver, probably from a sports car, but who . . . Monogram, MPC, Pyro, Revell? Someone like that!

 

French bazaar / premium Indian, cheapo-motorcycle, DFC knock-off knight, home-painted, an over-moulded capsule novelty chick, and a Viking / barbarian type, who I think we may have seen before, but possibly in a different colour?

 

A few bits of war-games detritus, all useful, and as well as the Atlantic, I think this was the lot with a quantity of 'lead' which I haven't photographed, it was heavy and went to storage the next day, but there was some useful stuff among it, Alberken, Higgins, Laing, etc . . . 

 

This was a bit of fun, a novelty Fungus the Bogeyman tin (which will end-up next to the sentry-box money-box Chris sent a couple of few years ago (I think Mum was still alive, so over four?)), on my future-past desk.

 

I love the strategically-placed splash announcing Jelly Bogies, as let's face it, if you're the age that enjoys a tin of snot, you're probably too young to be having the Birds, Bees and Bogeyman's Knees talk! Issued by a Hunkydory, and almost certainly a seasonal / novelty gift type thing?

 

Most of an OBE nativity scene? From Airfx! I can see Romans, Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin Hood, Bedouin Arabs, Tarzan and Station Accessories, have I missed any? Also a couple of Preiser-type N-gauge wagon horses.

 

This was fascinating, as I'd not seen it before (I've since found several on feeBay, so it's not rare), but in conversation with a reader who contacted me though Rusty at Playset Magazine, a while ago, the connection I've raised before, in a 1"Warrior article and a later one here, many years ago now, between Marx and Blue Box is becoming stronger as a theory, both because of some images I've seen of Miniature Masterpiece sets issued in the States but not here (format rather than contents), and this set.

 

It's not Marx, it's not sold as Marx, but I think they are based on the Marx sculpts (they're around 40mm), and with Rado Indistries (RI Toys) ending up with both Blue Box and Marx tooling (as I've mentioned before), the idea that Blue Box, or more correctly perhaps, the parent; Tai Sang, was involved with some of the early Marx hard-plastic, painted-production, looks more likely.

 

Obviously sold as a keepsake, for display, once I'm settled I'll obtain one of the complete ones for another look, or even a couple-more in this state, so we can study the figures without the guilt of ruining a set - they are heavily glued-in! I've seen several incomplete sets, and I suspect people take their favourite Saint to put in the car, or another room or something, maybe send one to a child at Uni', or they keep touching one for a prayer, until the paper under the glue tares?

 

Nuntastic Nun-chucks mate! Still available from revolving display-trees in Waterstones, we've seen a few others in this range of pester-power novelty games and figurines over the years!

 

Finish as you started! With a large dinosaur! And an Airfix Centurion!

Thanks as always to Peter, and thoughts wander to the memory of Mike, who I'd actually got to know a bit in the last few years, even being allowed to see his collection, so I'm pleased a few of his lesser pieces have come into the pile - I suspect the Nuns were probably from his stash too!

P is for Polymer Plunder Package - Historical & Ceremonial

Arguably my favourite 'grouping' in these mixed-lot sort-out's, as the breadth of the subject and vast quantities of tourist keepsakes issued over the years, means there's so much to find, and there are some real pearls in this latest lot from Chris Smith.

Starting at the beginning; early city-state dwellers from the Fertile Crescent! These 60mm'ish, PVC, biblical figures are similar to those BibleToys Inc., sets Brian sent to the blog a few years ago, but not quite as cartoony, but still styled for infant play, they will be from some kind of bible-related play-set I guess?

 

Perfectly illustrating my 'tourist' comment above, despite seeing over half a dozen on the blog, and possibly having more in the stash, both these Welsh national dress ladies are new to me. The one on the left probably 1960's and hard polystyrene, while the PVC one is likely 1970/80's and was a key-ring ornament.

 

I love finding these with their loops cut, not because I still cut them myself; I used to when I was more of a Philistine. But because they tell me other people were finding and converting esoteric figures to join their Toy Solders & Model Figures (where key-rings have always been a source of unusual subjects), as I was, way back when I was a silent, solo/lone collector!

A tad damaged, his horse will need a hoof and a tail, but I think this is one of those French MDM figures, and they are so nice, even a damaged one is a joy . . . And a sample!

 

And on the subject of damaged samples, these two are both a bit on the battle-casualty side of things, but both useful additions. If you've been following the development of the KT story here, you'll have worked out/seen that there are more damaged than whole Beefeaters and Guardsmen (similar story with the HK Cavendish!), but, they are polystyrene so easy to glue, mend, convert etc, therefore maybe a future project, while the more samples, the easier to see paint variation between batches or over time.

 

The resin Highlander with be a gift-shop special! Unfortunate that he looks a bit like Prince Andrew! Similar to the Sculptures UK figures we've seen previously, but a different maker and tartan treatment, which I think is very effective. Until a better one turns-up, he's very welcome here!

RP issue of the old CoMa Roman signifier, we may have seen him here before, more than once or twice, I can't possibly recall how or why, but people like to see them from time to time!

 

This is brilliant because it's a second sample of the 4M knights, clearly these were/are a heritage-site gift-shop thing, and I'm tempted to take myself to Windsor and see what's available there, but something which was free (as a national asset and educational destination) when I was a kid is now 25-quid or more, plus parking! So I may just hope Chris and charity shops continue to send them my way, occasionally - current rhythm is one every eight years!

 

A few pirates which aren't worth hiding until September, a PVC generic in the ELC style, a Soma, the Black Chine mascot and a Poplar pirate in a new colour for that pose!

 

These two are resin, and while I suspect the one on the left is another gift-shop/touristy piece (very ECW), the one on the right looks like he;'s from a Christmas village, and I couldn't tell you which range, as there are many, I recently acquired/inherited a Hong Kong/Netherlands Edelman B.V. 'Luville' catalogue, and there is tons of this kind of stuff out there, although, very little in the collection!

The small scale is a gang of Shreddies/Tom Smith gladiators putting the jump on a smaller squad of non-Giant 'Romans', from two or even three sources! They'll be sorted into their rightful samples at a later date.

 

Thanks again to Chris for all these, some lovely additions to the collection, and they will all enhance future posts on all sorts of things.