W is for Window Shopping

Continuing the 'show and tell's' from Brian's holiday in Italy earlier this year, and we come to what he found on the retail front, or at least some of it, there's more to come! The first seven images are of the window of a toy shop in Naples, the only one Brian found, suspecting Italian kids have mostly gone on-line to find their toys?

These first three shots seem to be mostly Schliech and/or Papo types (double -checking the shots; mostly Papo), and while nothing to write home about, they make a fine, and colourful display! A mix of Romans, medievals, fantasy and a few Pirates.

 

The other four look to be more domestic, and a mix of resin and whitemetal, some maybe locally commissioned? Two Napoleonic Brit's looking a little out of place in Naples! I can't make out the name on the labels in the background of one of the shots, can any Italian readers help out?

 

 

The above were to be found in the gift-shop at Pompeii, where the little four-euro one would seem to be role-playing size (28/35mm), and the other four are antiqued in the style of antiquities, but not copies of them, having a modern styling/sculpture. I suspect resin for the teeny and a base metal for the four fake-bronzes?

This is the window of a shop in Capri, and again a mix of metal and poured-resin, we will be looking at the eight-euro black knight in a further post, in fact it'll be a good excuse to dig out a few more and do what I did with the ceremonial odds-n-sods the other day!

 

In Brian's own words - "The [...] shot of red cardinals and chili peppers for some strange reason figure big in Amalfi Coast culture.", there are more ecclesiastic subjects to come, from the trip.

These two were found in a shop outside the Pompeii site, and may have more basis in actual artefacts or monumental masonry of the time, also resin, I think anyone who likes ancients needs one of these in their collection!

Thanks to Mr Berke as always, you can't beat a roving reporter who roves and reports! Cheers Brian!

R is for Roman Bums

Look, we need to get this straight now . . . every time we look at the output of this strange half-resurrected Montaplex, half resin-pirate, we will make a joke out of their name, because they want us to! They didn't call their track-racing system Bumslot for nothing you know; I'm sure there's at least one British ex-pat' in there somewhere!

I think I intended these to go on the Airfix Romans page, where they are still an obvious absentee, but I seem to have shot them without any comparisons to the aforementioned UK-made figures, so we're having them here, now, and I'll re-shoot some comparisons for the other page another day!

Very crude copies, they get round-tipped (Republican?) shields with Imperial-era uniforms, so . . . Spanish mercenaries? And most of the Airfix figures were copied, but - mercifully - not the running-waving-pilum guy, who was quite idiotic enough first time round, although, the marching chap hasn't been cloned either and he was one of the more useful ones, along with the Persian archer type.

The chariot has had a complete redesign in Ed Roth's workshops and now looks more like a field conversion of a Celt's muck-cart! And it has been reduced from 4hp to one, often the way with those custom jobbies, lots of noise and a fancy paint-job, but as soon as you join 'Run to the Sun' they burst into flames . . . some summer weekends that A30 South looks like a technicolor, smoldering, retreat from Moscow!

There was a 'big box' set as well, but I think the vessel-kit was bought in, I haven't studied it but would imagine it's probably from Academy rather than the older Aurora or the Heller/Směr ones? The same single runner of figures won't provide much in the way of useful crew though and the transfer sheet (there's another in the first image) looks like the bastard-child of Revo and Games Workshop . . . on acid!

P is for Pyramids

It's aliens in'it? No! It’s the simplest way to build large structures with low technology . . . basically it’s a pile of solidified builder's sand! And; the shape (viewed though half-closed eyes) is the only thing which links the Pyramids of Egypt with the stepped-temples of Mesoamerica, or orgiastic piles of Madhya Pradesh in pre-Mogul India!

I mentioned another parcel from Peter Evans the other day, and I'm not planning it an 'H is for...' as it will mostly get an outing in rack-toy month (RTM - August), although I have taken a birds-eye shot for later, but these two were loose in the parcel, I have no idea where they came from but it must be a play-set toy or activity pack of some kind?

Both a rather bright yellow polyethylene and entirely hollow, posed here with an Atlantic Pharaonic chariot in 1:72nd as the best size guide. Actually Pharaoh has got in the way - they are separate sculpts, not joined at the corners! 16-06-20 - They are from the larger 'Egypt' bucket by K&M under the Wild Republic brand (code 22854).

While I had camera and Egyptians at the same location . . . this one is a polished piece of what I suspect is Portland sandstone, but filled with vegetative detritus rather than the more recognisable fossils you find on Westminster Bridge or the side of the Economist Building; an off-cut in other words, which lent itself to being shaped-up and polished as a pyramidal keepsake!

In comparison with the card one we looked at a while ago, some kids' activity-magazine I picked-up in a charity shop a year or so ago. There is a fourth I could show, but anyone who's seen the Marx Miniature Masterpiece pyramid will know it's too tall, too blunt, too 'square' and too err . . . purple (!) to be included this time, we'll check it out in a MMM-accessory round-up some time!

The figure shots here show the commoner colours of these; from orangey- through tanned- to pale-flesh, but it's worth noting that unless you're a box-completeist, you're always better trying to get your hands on the larger chariot or 'Egyptian Cavalry' sets (1503, 1603 or 2503) as you don't always get all the poses in the smaller box (1803).

And many thanks to Peter for the plastic ones! 

F is for First Show of the Season!

And so to Sandown Park racecourse and my plunder from the best show in the UK, I used to say the best show in the world, but some of those Dutch and Belgian shows are very big and very good these days, from what I've heard.

I didn't get much, but it was all good, interesting or unusual stuff, most of which we'll look at in a minute but above are a couple of 'Khaki Infantry' of note; the kneeling firer I thought might be Polish, but Adrian reckoned British (confirmed by the arrival of PW 178 this morning, reminding me I have a different one somewhere!) and it is a soft polyethylene (rather than the hard recycled mix the Poles used) so I'll have to sort them again and slot it in with whoever had those grey helmets, Speedwell over on the Khaki Infantry page? The other is an anonymous MG-gunner in a flecked-brown.

Below them is a pack of styrene kit-built (R&L style) racing cars (thanks to Gareth Morgan) which appear to be the same as, but likely the originals of, the ones we saw recently here at Small Scale World from Tito. The mouldings are finer than Tito's and the assumption has to be that Tito copied, but I haven't had a chance to compare them properly yet.

A small pack of probably 'box scale' ship's boats from an old Pyro or Revell-Monogram kit, some hollow-cast corn-stooks and a couple of Cane musketeers make up the rest of the stuff not looked at below.

The main theme of the day ended-up being Native American Indians; and while the bulk of these came from John Begg's stall (PTS52 on eBay), the trio of Waddington's copies were from Gareth and the Tri-Ang mounted cowboy came as a swap with Barney of Herald Toys & Models.

The polyethylene Thomas Indian in the centre seems to be painted the same as the earlier PVC pirates and costumed-children, so may (must?) be a crossover piece from between the painted PVC era and the unpainted PE-era? While the other Thomas pose (green, rear) is actually a smaller, semi-flat piracy, possibly a premium of some kind.

There were some other Wild West procured on the day, for a project I've been working-on for a while, and I left them out of these shots as I was going to post the article this week (or last week if the forecasts had been more accurate!), but I've learnt someone else has gone to print with them so I'll wait for them to have the first word on the subject! However thanks are still due to Adrian Little and John Begg for managing to find some for me, and also Steve Vickers who had some hollow-cast originals the same day!

I picked-up three 'colonial' types, the FFL from Cherilea is not my first, but he has the best paint I think, and while their bag is getting quite stuffed, I can't say the same for the Arab, where every example is damaged! While some legionnaires can be brittle, most are still supple; the same can't be said for the nomadic 'local' tribesman who's always brittle now! Really; I should give-up on finding a good plastic one and settle for a hollow-cast example!

The copy of the Britains Herald ACW officer is probably Argentinian*, but could be Spanish and the Grant's Whiskey premium (Britains-supplied) is a new pose in a slowly growing collection of the die-cast 'New-Metal' / Deetail style figures - which sounds grander than it is, I have five or six maybe, and one (initial offer?) seems to be far more common than all the others?

*06th June 2020 - Now known to be Oklahoma and indeed; Argentine

A bit of Sci-Fi, I can't remember how I ended-up with a bunch of 4" action figures (less than two weeks ago and my mind's a blank! Must have been cheap, or in a bag of something else?), the two 'actual' action figures (battle droid and un-panelled C3PO) will go to charity, but the polished C3PO is a vinyl solid, so will stay.

The bag of Hasbro's Star Wars Command figures were a quid! Mostly duplicates but the two in front are new to collection (and therefore to Blog!), while the Tomy Egyptian Pharaoh mummy-zombie thing (King Sphinx from the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers) came from Abid's stall with a couple of other bits. I love the Darth Vader key ring, he's been plated in an anodised chromium type coating, which make him look like he's been grown as a crystal of pure bismuth!

Finally the Rocketeer figure (Applause) came from a stall which always has nice stuff, I try to get at least one figure from him each time, this show it was The Rocketeer, which - strangely - I had been wondering about the likelihood of toys-of, a few weeks earlier - and for no particular reason; I saw the DVD in passing somewhere or something?

These - as a single bag - were bought on the cusp of packing-up time, and are an interesting mix, the lower shot of micro-planes will be familiar to some of you, they are credited to various brands, and I have them with three different slot-types in the undersides, and two materials; hard polystyrene and softer polyethylene.

The upper ones are newish (to me - Adrian gave me a yellow one about a year ago) and may face a call for 'Airfix' at some point, they are of two variations, the top five are firm, near-mint polystyrene, the middle pair are a less stable phenolic or cellulose/celluloid-based polymer, starting to curve downwards with age at the wing-tips, which raised the nose of the twin-boom (Vampire, Goblin?), while digging it in on the more conventional 'plane.

Now, I know they're not Kleeware or Tudor Rose, as I have both, marked, while the parallels with Airfix's early animal-flats and the micro-planes I've 'called' for Airfix (some years ago), not to forget the 12 'first' figures are hard to ignore; the colours and the two tranches of material; so I suspect I'll call them at some point, but for now they are unknown [probably] early British!

Of note - the PS five are marked MADE IN ENGLAND, the older pair are totally unmarked - which I think was the same situation with the mico-ones?

This was another of the items I picked at Abid's stall in the annex (more of a small, temporary State, all they need is a flag!), post-GIANT, and in need of a good clean, here's a before-&-after! Nice subdued colours for this 25mm 'plastic small', which are usually far more leery!

A lovely novelty to finish-up with, probably a Christmas cracker-prize and I have a matching diver in yellow somewhere, but she lacks a base (so I though; cake decoration), meaning that this chap (from Adrian Little - cheers!) tells the next bit of the story!

C is for Catch-up - Sandown Park - November

And so to the most recent show, about a month ago, I was actually trying to be frugal (Christmas is coming and I knew I had parcels to post (all done now - phew!)), but managed to grab a big bag for a fiver at clearing-up time from one of the die-cast guys.

The bag's top right and explored below, but among the other things was another Tula Cartridge Works AFV, a BTR152 (I think?) 6x6 wheeled carrier, a boat-trailer which looks very Thomas/Poplar but still needs to be checked against the tractors and their equipment to see if any of the wheels match, I'll also have to find the right boat and a tower! I also picked-up a small VW-Beetle type from Hong Kong which may be Blue Box, or may be one of several imitators - although they were all copying Matchbox or similar. Then there's the WHS's I've already Blogged as a follow-up.

There were also a few Blue Box small scale Wild West including a wagon, less one horse, Magic Roundabout Ermentrude and Gladiator premiums, Marx HK lifeguard, the composition Guards and a few other things. I got the Cherilea Sheikh from Steve Vickers, I always have a look at his table as he always has such lovely stuff, but it's often a bit beyond my budget (high-end plastic, quality hollow-cast and the odd bit of European composition), so I was well-pleased to find something.

My big mistake was the Xandria Holland key-ring, the seller had at least five (and they weren't cheap!); I instantly recognised Brains clutching his model spaceship and Lady Penelope with her mauve costume-jewellery, there was a Parker (I think - don't remember seeing the mafia violin-case) and a darker blue Tracy boy I thought I had, but I couldn't remember any of mine having a radio, so thought I'd found a sixth pose and bought this one. needless to say I do have it and then imagined I'd seen three Tracy's and left the 'wrong' one, but I think that's wishful thinking, and the seller had the same group as me? So this one is available with a straight swap for an equally interesting thing, if anyone wants him!

The thing second-down from the left is a blow-moulded chicken with tin-legs, and why not!

I bought the bag of Wild West for these chaps; dead common in oxide brown or an off white (the two at the bottom), but less common in these bright colours. They are good quality Hong Kong copies of the Jean figures from Germany and I rather like them!

The bag also contained a mix of British plastic and Hong Kong figures, and in each shot the upper row were 'keeps', the lower row was in the recycling by midday on the Sunday! Except the Timpo Indians, where I decided to keep the two middle figures, until I've checked them against my box of bits, where I may or may not have them, if I need them I'll glue them.

I know - I've already posted a bigger shot! But Adrian had put these to one side for me, and it was in the collageing of these, here, that I got the idea for the other 'eye-candy' shot! All W. Germany-marked, four with integral wheels and five with separate wheels and . . . I can't get enough of them!

Adrian had also put the chariot aside for me, we have looked at one, which I debagged due to its having already broken-free, but this bag looks to be holding-up well, so will remain as a 'minter' although the bag is getting the fogging of a million micro-folds!

John Begg (PTS52 on eBay) managed to find me the WWII leaders, not in time for the posts earlier this year, but that was only because I'm an impatient git, there is another post on the Monogram legacy, on the way at some point, and I'll do these closer then.

Finally and for something completely different, with the Earth dying an'all that pink-monkey related shit, it was nice to see the plastic cutlery being replaced by wooden alternatives - I can report that the knife was bloody good and dealt with proper bacon - no problem - but the fork was a bit less successful and split after the first prod! It's probably steam-shaped and that weakens the grain?

Also - a big thanks to the management at Sandown Park for getting back to a full breakfast with drink (tea or coffee) for a fiver, it's been creeping up to seven or eight quid plus for the two this last year or so, and I began to wonder if the 'Saturday crew' knew what they were doing, let's hope it now stays back at a fiver-with-drink for a while?

So four shows, four posts, filled a weekend if nothing else! Some of it we've already seen in close-up, some of it we won't see again for years, like that trailer, for instance - I really will have to find the boat and the towing vehicle before it can be Blogged properly; right now I don't now whether to put it with the unknown boats & ships, or with the 'Car Ferry' farm sets!

It's all grist to the mill - more tomorrow, if I remember!

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events - Saturday 13th - Friday 19th April 2019

Brwreakshit's going so well now; I don't know whether to laugh or emigrate!

Netanyahu's 5th term got off to a good start with the dumping of more rubbish on the moon! Did you know there are 120 tons of human shite on the moon? Some of it in self-seal bags and without the 'e', one small dump for a man, one giant headache for the man in the moon! Will they name the new crater? Mare Israelius Follyii?

Meanwhile The Trouser-trump seems to be looking to a third-term - as a dictator! The way he's just hijacked the security services, sacking anyone who won't do what he says or say what he wants to hear, really is Third-World, Banana-Republic stuff . . . but welcoming Assisi, a military dictator as a 'friend' sums up the golf-cheat; nes't pas? And having used Wikileaks to his advantage in the election campaign, smearing Clinton, he's now going to hang the idiot Assange out to dry! Rotten - they are all rotten.

Toys aren't rotten! Pretty evens between Saturday and Sunday this weekend, a Tuesday evening show and a bunch of auctions through the week, should be something for everyone, and there's tons of Easter Holiday stuff . . . happy hunting!

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Toy Fairs

Saturday 13th April 2019

Faversham - SRP Toy Fairs

Bysingwood Road, Faversham, Kent, ME13 7PA

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Henfield - David Parsons - Toy & Train Collectors Fair

Henfield Village Hall, High Street, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9DB

eMail - modelcarmart@gmail.com

Mob. - 07742 609 865 (David)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Nottingham - Townsend Toy & Train Fairs (Malcolm Townsend) - Nottingham Toy Fair

Bluecoat Academy, Nottingham, NG8 5GY

Web. - www.tttf.co.uk

Mob. - 07951 072 790

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission unknown, accompanied under-16's free

Light refreshments

Free Parking

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Sunday 14th April 2019

Birmingham - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'NEC'

Hall 18, National Exhibition Centre, Birminham, B40 1NT

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

Admission £7.50, early-bird (from 08:00hrs) £12, OAP's £7, Children £2

Free parking

Haltwhistle - Jim Corr Fairs - Toy, Train & Sci-Fi Fair

Haltwhistle Leisure Centre, Greencroft, Haltwhistle, Northumberland, NE49 9DP

eMail - jim_corr73@hotmail.co.uk

Mob. - 07504 035 955

10:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission £3, children/senior citizens £2, 'Early Bird' £5

Rayleigh - SRP Toyfairs

Sweyne Park School, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 9BZ

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Reading - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs - Toy Fair & Exhibition

Rivermead Leisure Centre, Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8QE

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01270 652 773

Mob. - 07825 631 323

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £4.00, accompanied children under 16 free, 'early bird' (from08:30hrs) £10.00, 'lazy bird' (from 09:30hrs) £7.00

Parking, refreshments, full facilities

Layouts and displays

Incorporating 'Reading Vintage Toy Fair'

Dateline show - dealers should carry stock up to 1995 only.

{If you've never been you should give it a go, it's one of the better shows in the year's calendar}

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Tuesday 16th April 2019

Wootton Basset - Steven Clements Fairs - Wootton Basset Evening Fair

Memorial Hall, Station Road, Wootton Basset, Wiltshire, SN4 7EN

eMail: clementfairs@aol.com

Tel. - 01380 725 322

Mob. - 07958 101 891

18:30 - 20:30hrs

Free parking, café

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Auctions

Saturday 13th April 2019

[Runcorn] On-line Auction - British Toy Auctions

Web. - www.britishtoyauctions.co.uk

eMail - enquiries@britishtoyauctions.co.uk

Tel. - 01928 579 032

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Tuesday 16th April 2019

Newbury - Special Auction Services (SAS)

81 Greenham Business Park, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG19 6HW

Web: www.specialauctionservices.com

eMail: mail@specialauctionservices.com

Tel: 01635 580595

Fax: 0871 714 6905

'Glorious Trains' sale

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Wednesday 17th April 2019

Warrington - Warrington & Northwich Auctions

551 Europa Blvd, Westbrook, Warrington, Lancashire,  WA5 7TP

Web. - www.warringtonauctions.co.uk

eMail - enquiries@warringtonauctions.co.uk

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Thursday 18th April 2019

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

01642 750 616

General toy sale

"The General Toy sale to be held on the 18th of April features over 400 lots of cars, commercials, buses and military vehicles from manufacturers such as Corgi, Dinky, Matchbox, Vanguards, Lledo, Oxford Diecast, Rami, Solido and EFE. Plus, Lansdowne and Brooklin, Jaguar Model Club, and Atlas Editions, including aircraft, with further models from Corgi Aviation Archive and Sky Guardians. Other lots in the sale include WSI Collectables, Tekno and other Trucks and Trailers; Scalextric, Railway related, and Plastic Kits from Revell, Tamiya and Airfix. The sale will also include reference books, comics and annuals, pottery, vintage games, F1 figures, and Trade Packs from Star Wars modern collectables, "Stig" and Thunderbirds figurines, and "The First Real action" game system."

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Other Events

From Now

London (Kensington) - Lindt (sponsor) - Gold Bunny Treasure Trail

Kensington Palace Gardens

Tube - High Street Kensington (Circle & District), Notting Hill Gate (Central, Circle & District).

Ages - 3-12

Duration - Approximately 90-minutes

Runs until April 22nd

From Now - Sunday 14th April 2019

Whitby - Whitby Goth Weekend

Whitby (all of it), North Yorkshire

Web. - http://www.whitbygothweekend.co.uk/

Saturday 13th April 2019

London (Central) - London Games Festival - Free Family Day

Trafalgar Square

Web. - http://games.london/ (odd URL, but that's it!)

"Free, fun, family-friendly"

Seem to have missed the first 11 days - blame the promoter!

Saturday 13th April - Sunday 14th April 2019

Manchester - 'Animecon'

Sugden Sports Centre, 114 Grosvenor St, Manchester, Lancashire, M1 7HL

Web. - www.manchesteranimecon.com

Cosplay, manga artists, panel discussions &etc.

Saturday 13th April - 23rd April 2019

Basingstoke - Festival Place Shopping Precincts - Lego in Space

Web. - https://www.festivalplace.co.uk/events-features-offers/features/bricks-in-space/

From Saturday 13th April 2019 - 'till . . .

Windsor - Legoland - New Ride; The Haunted Monster Party

Web. - https://www.legoland.co.uk/explore-the-resort/land-views/adventure-land/rides/the-haunted-house-monster-party/ (beware of pop-ups)

"Lord Vampyre invites you and your family to the ultimate fang-tastic celebration at The Haunted House – Monster Party!"

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If you are an event promoter/show curator/auctioneer and you want your toy, model, collectable or popular-/youth-culture type sale/exhibition/event listed here -  FOR FREE  - or linked to; please eMail me -

maverickatlarge[at]hotmail[dot]com

- stating the date/s of the event, address of event, contact details, opening/viewing times, admission pricing and any other relevant facts/details or features - parking, travel notes, disability access, availability of refreshments, event subject matter &etc.

And please mention any flyer-art or poster-/leaflet-scans but send by separate eMail, in case they go to the 'junk' folder, from where they can be recovered and marked safe, but only if I know they're there!

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Competition - Just for Fun!

Tom reveals the answer to last week's little quiz question - while I must apologise as I had said I'd give a further clue on Monday and then didn't! It was another time-poor week! The clue - which would have confirmed the Oracle at Smithii was 'It's waterproof to 600-meters below sea level!'

Seiko Prospex Diver's Watch!

Handing over to Tom . . . "With our guessing game, I’m pleased to say Chris ‘the master of suspense’ Smith has largely nailed it first post!

The figure is indeed a mascot for Seiko divers watches. But here, the plot thickens. Assuming you could afford the $700 AUD entry level price for one of these watches (that is a million Brexit pebbles to you guys) ~ you do not get the figure with the watch :-(

I asked in the shop, and the woman there explained to me that the figure is part of Seiko's ‘VM’. So I stood there and smiled awkwardly, and she elaborated – their ‘visual merchandising’. Which for you and me means – you can’t buy him!"

But please - less of the 'Brexit pebbles' Mr [consummate] DJ; I'll have you know the crazies wise old Etonians on the Tory's back-bench have assured us we will be signing very agreeable trade-deal's with you and the neighbouring Kiwi's any day now!

Burkina Faso is already in the bag, and talks with Mongolia are quite advanced, I believe! While you can almost smell the artisan whale-blubber candles winging their way here from the Faeroe Isles; firmly packed in guano - The Little Englanders' Brave New World, who needs Gibraltar huh?

And anyway, some of the pebbles in those Welsh streams 'round Brecon have little silver and gold flecks in; they must be worth a tanner or two, or at least a swap for a couple of sardines?

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H is for How they Come In

Bought some stuff this week for Easter posts which I'm not showing now, sorted artillery and tracked vehicles, shot some of the Russian die-casts, found the [storage] totem poles but haven't combined with the newer ones yet and combined the Roco-Minitanks' stuff, both vehicles and figures - who have separate, different sized boxes.

The above was an odds bag from Blue Cross the animal charity; three ELC medieval/fantasy giants, a late Britains Petite knight and a Kinder mole, not just any mole, no common-or-garden mole, but a sexy, busty, Baywatch beach-babe mole!

You can't make this shit up anymore, with TJF and Sell spouting their shite at one end of the hobby and Funko-superdeform-Star-Wars-Angry Bird-Lego-Minecraft-Pencil Top mash-up's at the other end; it's Warhol's 'pop eating itself' writ-large!

I actually purchased these as I was posting last week's 'Events' post and have since acquired four more for a forthcoming post (or 'update') on Jada's Nano-Metal figures, here from the Halo gaming franchise and on clearance at The Works.

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Toys in the Media

Two this week, large Duplo-compatible bricks of unknown (but likely Duplo) origin are being used to illustrate an educational story in the 'i', while UK readers will be familiar with the IKEA ad. (here in Metro), as I seem to remember it being used a few times now, but for loyal readers further afield, it pertains to a 'real' chariot (flat-packed - of course) but very-much channels the pictures on the backs of old Airfix 'Blue Boxes' or the Atlantic ancient sets!

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A is for Archive - So Called Joggers!

The man the PSTSM and their French friends would have us believe is a 'connoisseur' of toy soldiers, knew - in 2016 - absolutely nothing about the previous 70-odd years of the US Toy industry's history or its relationships with Europe, Japan, Hong Kong or domestic wholesalers!

One would also hope we'd all be a little less flippant about ivory production now!

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Sorting!

The 'Treasure Chest', or one of them! Spencer Smith's combat infantry and a few plastic Authenticast copies, some Japanese blow-moulds, Tiny Trojan's and Springwood's Napoleonics; all together now except the blow-moulds which have outgrown the tray and will be moved when I've found somewhere to put them and the others, still elsewhere.

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Spring!

The mild winter and sudden cold-snap in February followed by a mini-heatwave has produced a mass of wild, native violets in among the strawberries, there's always a few, but this year there's a mass of them! They won't pose a threat to the strawberries and - as their flower seasons overlap - may help get the strawb's pollinated, ergo; more strawb's - bargain!

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