Action Figure is for Points of Articulation

Following-on from the earlier post's large sandy-coloured gentleman; this is not the normal output of the Blog, and is presented here as an easy read, to clear Picasa of images going back to 2016, for general information and because it's Rack Toy Month, and these are classic modern rack toys!

I don't collect these, I don't think many of you do, but they come in . . . there are shelfies here from Brian Berke and myself, there are donated samples from Peter Evans, stuff I've picked-up and things which have been included in mixed Charity Shop lots . . . they just come in!

Once they have been annotated and photographed they tend to go on to the Blue Cross charity shop here in town, where hopefully the mint/near-mint stuff provides a nice surprise for a kid who's parent may only be able to afford toys from charity shops?

An overview . . . chronologically according to the dates on the .jpg's!

These are two on the left from Brian, which he sent to the Blog back in 2016 (Combat Soldiers) and 2017 (Desert Force), the latter branded to both Hunson (obverse) and JPW International (reverse), the former a generic. The one on the right is from Peter, much-later (2019) and was just collaged into the trio, it too; lacks a brand mark.

Two of the 'laws' of rack-toy army-men are established immediately; loads of SF (Special [or Security] Force/s) panoply festooning the figures and over-sized accessories - play value comes before realism with these! Although - to be fair - the left hand figure has received a semi-realistic wash paint-job.

Also from Brian, also 2017 came these chaps, similar to the figures in the middle set of the previous trio of sets, these are nevertheless new sculpts and shrinking their berets on the correct side!

A further 'law' makes itself obvious; random accessories such as undersized flags, or oversized rockets from WWII German halftracks! I'm not sure if Super is a phantom brand or an over-optimistic corporate QA statement from the otherwise anonymous manufacturer!

This gets us to 2018, with the two on the right from Peter (we may have seen another in a similar post last year or the year before?), both 'minters' I hope they went on to bring joy to a small person, the larger one branded to Maxxi (a Middlesex-based importer) the other generic.

Some further close ups of the previous pair from peter; the franchise-tied (Call of Duty) but outherwise generic one is actually a very well made and finished figure, possibly Blue Box (BBI) clearance?

While Maxxi have been connected to those crude 54mm'ish Wild West sets also issued by about five other 'brands' in the last three or four years, their figure comes with candy (and may have been seen already, in a candy-container post?). I have a lot of novelty stuff kicking about in Picasa and tend to grab it without much planning during RTM!

Speaking of the Maxxi 54mm solids they are responsible for this chap too (right-hand image); Apache Big Chief, also from Peter, while the Accoutrements (Archie McPhee) Oscar Wild came from Brian, the two prooving that non-Army Man, rack toy, action figures are out there!

Also JPW; Brian sent these shelfies over 2018 and 2019, and there's no way they are in any way connected to a certain stony movie franchise, on no, not at all, and the white guy doesn't even look like Mr Stallone! These are actually quite cool toys, if I was younger . . . and etcetera! They each come with a piece of boxing-gym equipment, so you can build-up a little training-regime, while Sly . . . I mean the guy in the stripped shorts worries about failing the big test!

Taken last October is this overview of some of the above with others that had come in from various sources as lose figures including some pricier branded civilians from younger kids 'big name' toy ranges, I haven't given any sizes, as I haven't noted any as they went through, and those who know about these things will . . . err . . . know!

A couple more loose ones and a set we have seen before I think, from H&H Distribution. I can see the appeal of them, but action figures need more space than I have ever had, and - on the branded side - more funds than I can or am willing to provide!

V is for 'Vivid and Great in Style'!

I've had to squeeze this post in here as I found it after I'd written the earlier and later posts today, and I had thought it was published a year or two ago, but was sitting on the desktop in an un-loved corner 'hidden in plain sight', but is referred to in this-afternoon's post!

Another one from Peter Evans's secret mother-lode of Chinatroop, 'Army Man' rack-toy tat!

Coming from an H&H Distribution here in the UK, and sold in Poundland (I think?), Peter sent these to the Blog on separate occasions which is why some ended up hanging around in Picasa to be included in this-afternoon's post which was meant as a folder-emptying, follow-on from the desert chap in the - now - previous post this morning!

As I had only written the one line before abandoning the post last year, I must have had writer's block on what to write in the intro' and or this image's blurb, both tasks have been accomplished by the comedy of errors and their explanation so we can move swiftly on to the contents!

Nearly every rack-toy, no matter how dismal, will have something of use, whether to war-gamers, modellers or straight 'collectors' will depend on those contents 'contents', but I kept the two B1 Bombers ('cos there's a whole box of sub-scale aircraft - which we have dipped into on numerous occasions), the large packing-crate (it's the sort of thing Jeeps were delivered-in, in WWII!), the two ammo-boxes (useful props in future photography if no other use), the marquee-tent (a new variation of older Rado/Kamley designs) and the tree.

Everything else, from both semi-blind [window-]bags, went-off to charity with a bunch of similar accessories which had accrued over time, for onward transit to someone who has Action Figures - hopefully!

As is often the way with rack-toys, the artwork offers far more than the inclusions can deliver and both the M16 and the tree are made out of that rather bitty polymer which breaks easily, but everything else was a more robust dense polyethylene or polypropylene.

So; some useful stuff with Military Real Sniper, thanks to Peter, box ticked . . . the rest of the Action Figures will now be publishing this-afternoon!