T is for Two - Plastic and Metal Flats

A couple of bits that came to Small Scale World recently, one as photographs the other as a tangible 'sample' for the collection! Yes; I know Stadinger had flats the other day, but A) these have been in the queue for three weeks and B) I don't think I can be accused of competitively following him in quite the same way as he is following me these days, with his recent Leprechauns, 'what's this' British 50mm mounted (fancy not knowing?) and Jaru tank?

Especially as we always have a few flats here from time to time - return to 'Zoo' coming soon!

All shown days after I've posted the same/similar, he's threatening to show us a whole Imperial bag next, which will be nice, the follow-up comments will make for interesting reading too, after the Jaru tank (rack toy tat) you'd think he'd found the crown jewels or a new pose of Swoppet knight with pink caparison!

I can't work out if he's playing "Look - I've got some of those too" which would be tragic in a slightly pathetic sort of way or "I've got some Hugh didn't show" which would be pathetic in a slightly tragic sort of way.

But either - equally childish - way; he's taking the position of sitting in my dust and if that's what he meant by watching my very closely, I've nothing to worry about, as apparently I'm now setting the agenda for what appears over there; responsibility for two blogs . . . I'm not sure I can take the pressure! And the other 700-and-odd of you are the winners - again . . . and every time!

So this came into the fold the other day and what's interesting about it is that it's a strip, and a damaged strip at that, not only has the gazelle lost both a horn and an ear (that's the trouble with poachers using battlefield weaponry!) but an unknown number of other sculpts - well; at least one - seem/s to be missing from one end?

These shots make it easier to see that the runner is broken-off beyond the ape, my question is, were they designed to be broken off, by a retailer, say, and issued one at a time as a premium/prize or token-gift for a purchase of something else; cigarettes, cakes, sweets, or beer even, or was it issued in strip form (as a mini-set or part set) in coffee or similar and has since become damaged?

I think I have a few singles with similar bases in storage, so we may well return to these but if anyone knows more about them, or can put a brand/maker to them; please tell the rest of us!

I know what these are 'cos it says so on the box! Heinrichsen Russian [something - strike?] Infantry Storming or at least I think that's what it says! And they are obviously grenadiers as they are nearly all throwing grenades.

It's funny, as a kid I used to pop-up the Library and devour all the  - now 'old school' - books on toy soldiers and war-gaming and I don't remember detailed rules on Napoleonic grenade throwing? I've since learnt some early ones were glass balls and almost as lethal to the operators as they were to the intended victims . . . fuse technology lacking the finesse and fine-tolerances of the modern era!

Only four poses, and only one each for two of them; devoted to an officer/SNCO and drummer, with 8 each of the two line grenadier poses.

The two line grenadier poses again, showing the distinctive Heinrichsen bases, they weren't the finest of flat makers, but they were prolific. Shot's not up to my usual standards, maybe I borrowed the picture from you know who, straight-swap for one of my ideas on what to post!

E is for Exhibition Report

So, trundled down to Southampton in last Sunday's gales, spent an hour in a traffic-jam minutes from the venue (note; come off the A27 (M) at the A31, not 'town centre and docks'!), was well worth the trip...and the wait!

Character figures featured, with Herr Hitler coming in for a fair bit of ridicule! I believe the Kitchener doll (about 15", larger than Action Man/GI Joe) pre-dates the First World War, and reflects on his efforts in South Africa? - Correction - an hour later...He's a WWI patriotic item...Kitchener Doll

Wartime wooden austerity figures from the States ("Manufactured under licence by Colorgraphic") rubbed shoulders with some lovely Heinrichsens, tin-plate clockwork Westerners and Britians risible swan-song!

The three Heinrichsen cavalry are particularly interesting as they have a moving-arm feature brought about by a sort of tube/rivet/collar running through the body of the flat, joining the arms in free-movement. The Britains figures were reasonable, but the vehicles? Awful, just awful, and it's only when you see them like this that you appreciate how incredibly poor the support stuff for the figures was.

What's going on here?!! Just enlarge (right click, open in new tab) and enjoy...you've got Lilliputian Bluebird tying-down a vintage Action Man, while a modern one gloats, they are being totally ignored by an AT-ST engaging some Airfix Japs and DAK...an so it goes on...I could have spent an hour going round this table spotting stuff!

Architecture provided by Burnett's Ubilder and the entrance lobby of the museum building, part of the old Town Hall, the museum itself is a very modern structure.

There was plenty for kids, voting boxes with a supply of rack-toy figures to vote with (I was tempted to palm a couple of the larger pale green ones I hadn't seen before (I didn't!), colouring sheets, video-loop displays etc...

It's a small exhibition, took 40/50 minutes to cover? The message is social history, with specific regard to war toys, and there is a vague chronological path to follow through the room, with thematic displays.

Not photographed are lots more flats, some really nice compositions, the expected hollow-casts (including some lovely small size Britains khaki cavalry of Boar War typeidge (made-up word!)) and a lot of board games...if I have a criticism - it's the display of the board games; a lot were unopened, some just had the lids off and where they were 'set-up' it was 'token' rather than 'by the rules', and on CAD printed boards, not the actual boards (which were present, folded in the boxes)?

I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in these things, and while I don't know how much longer it's 'on tour' or where it's going next (if at all), it's will remain at So'ton 'till the 10th May, so you've got a month there.

And...I had no problem taking photographs in full view of the attendant - and wish I'd taken more!

H is for Heinrichsen

Right, after all that crappy old text-only stuff imported from the now defunct 'manufacturers listings' blog, I better load something to look at before I climb the wooden hill to bed'fordshire! Those waiting for Detail Germans will have to wait a little longer, I haven't sorted the images out yet.

I bought this the other day, it's a late set in a cardboard box, the earlier ones being in thin wooden oval containers. The box is OK, it has an English label over-stuck and some dealers illegible scribbling but is solid and seems to contain the right packing straw. However I'm not so sure of the contents, it's supposed to be a medics set, yet contains only casualties (one of whom is definitely dead!) and er...two cows!

And they are just the pieces that seem to be Heinrichsen (same bases/paint), there are a whole bunch of more problematical figures (below), while there are no medics, doctors, surgeons or nurses?

The other contents of the set; Top left is a Heinrichsen from the base, but not needing or being a medic he must be from another set, likewise the tree seems to be Heinrichsen but is a bit tropical methinks?

Top right and bottom middle both seem to be home-painted castings, possibly home-cast (heavy bases), but they aren't as chunky as most home-casts, so they may be modern - badly painted - castings from old Nuremberg moulds? Whatever they are - they are 7YW/30YW/French-Indian/New-world Colony Insurgency period, not Napoleonics!

The two Jager/Light Infantry are nice figures but clearly don't belong in the box either, so I think it's fair to say what I have is a box of floor-sweepings...but they are all nice examples (except the home painting) and will go on the foam-boards I use to keep these flats pristine. The four guys who have seen action (Austro-Hungarians?) will stay in the box, the cows will get a note and mental question-marks, and I'll look out for some medics!!