P is for Philanthropic Polymer Pile

I haven't been as quick or often through the Charity Shops, this last eighteen months or so, work commitments, eBay bottom-feeders and a couple of store closures making it a less lucrative quest these days, but I did manage two quick tours of Farnham and Fleet's charity shops last week, while I had some time off, and I found these.

 

This was a quick round-up in Fleet

 

Box tickers for the tubs of generic play-set accessories, but also a new figure, funny how, despite forty-odd serious years of this, there's still new figures, in every bunch of plunder, every donantion, even a random bag of charity stuff! Jame's Opie always asks - primarily of lead hollow-casts and solids - how many figures (actual pose mouldings/sculpting) have there been, and the answer, from where I'm sitting, is millions - one is including copies and colour or paint variations.

 

A couple of slip-cast kittens, with slightly 'Disney' or 'doe eyes', but a rather interesting glaze technique, I thought? And mostly because they are often in mixed lots of cats, or pets, I now have quite a side-collection of china, bisque or chalkware cats. These are priced 3/6 each (three shillings and sixpence, 42 old pence, about 16p in new money, at the time?).

 

A pair of Toy Major Dino's.

 

A right old mix here, with the Ray marked Smartstudy and Viacom 2021, I assume not a Finding Nemo thing, but some other franchise, maybe Baby Shark?

 

And then, the next day - to Farnham!

 

Given the cost of these new, or 2nd-hand with box, I'm guessing a tenner for the three, while a swallow, was also the best I was going to get for what, to me, are box-tickers, to compare with plastics in the future? Not 'Britians' but W'britian from the US.

 

Simply marked 'China' and probably from some toob, or tub type thing, but a nice sample of ocean or shore-dwelling mammals, from the left; a Sea-lion, Mantee, Seal and Walrus.

 

It's Christmas! A nicely executed bit of poured-resin, possibly from Italy, but I don't know, as they are unmarked where visible, and have green-baize discs on their undersides, hiding any clues which might be there?

B is for Big Box of Bounty - Ancient, Medieval, Historical & Ceremonial

Another interesting assortment of figures from Chris Smith's latest parcel, and it's all the other 'Toy Soldier' periods. I keep meaning to do a post on the classification of these things, as it's never an exact science, do you put Huns with ancient, or medieval periods, what about Aztecs, or Ninja/Samurai, when are ceremonials also soldiers (1850's say), or further afield; the whole sorting of civilians, is a nightmare!

 

So, I'll put the Asians first! The Budda votive statuette is a nice piece of scenery for HO/OO type figures, it can even be an objective for your ANZAC's on the war games table! The large figure is actually marked Marx, with the full Hong Kong disc-mark, and is from a set of tea premiums.

 

The guy carrying the straw bundles is from a Hong Kong rack toy called 'Villagers', which we have looked at here, and another of the Kinder Samurai archers, this one complete, will get the base off one of the damaged/painted ones, in my determination to have one of each, in all three (?) colours!

 

Three Ninja's, two from Hasbro, one painted, one in a clear, blue polymer, and the other, smaller one in the middle, from the Panosh set of Lucky Bag giveaways, and other sources? I have tried finding the Hasbro's, but with little success, and suspect they aren't actually Ninja or Samurai, but from something else entirely, Star Wars semi-deforms? Anyone know?

 

Two Crong medieval horses, sans riders, and there's a post in the queue on developments there, courtesy of a Loyal Reader, a Kinder musketeer, Hong Kong copy of Britain's Robin Hood, probably sold as a cake decoration, colours tie-in with things like the Britains arctic explorer piracies, and a contender for 'best in box'. A Hong Kong clone of the MPC small scale medieval knights, and one of the little Blue Box 'Hidden Adventures' castle figures.

 

The little blob in front, is the jester-puppet, from the tip of a jester's wand, as there are very few such figures in the entire canon of toy figures, I guess it must be Starlux, Mokarex or Café Storm? As they often break-off, it may prove to be a very useful spare, one day?

 

Two lead chaps who've lost their armies, on the right looks like he's probably Minifigs, the one on the left looks to be 'a cut above', and might be someone like Stadden or Suren? But I may just be being over-enamoured of his helmet! Equally, he has an interesting detail in the tin-can sword-fist thing, is he a known character from history?

 

Giant-like but no Giant, the reason I didn't attach two of the towers to the wall ends, is because the wall is from a different issuer and the locating studs don't match up with the holes in the towers! We looked at the different types here (https://butisitgiant.blogspot.com/2021/08/golden-trojans-non-giant-gold-plastic.html), but I didn't think to measure the holes/studs; next Time!

 

Three Euro-chaps, the one on the left, I think, is by the maker located in Monaco, and is a Crescent knock-off, the other two probably premiums, and possibly in JC Peiffret's book on the subject - Les Figurines Publicitaires.

 

The Imperial Guardsman has a furry plume, caused by the fraying of a layer of plastic, which cooled quicker than the core (cold tool?), and has lifted and frayed! I could probably restore it with a pass though a lighter flame, but think I'll leave it as it is, as a fortuity?

 

In a similar vein, these plug-ins are part of a series of similar French and Italian types, from the better known Texas, through to several premium issues, each with different bases, but many figures in common, one day I'll cover them properly, but I haven't the time to try and tie-down these, or the previous ones, right now!

 

A lovely Napoleon, possibly made of casein, and a real treat, as I know Chris has a sub-collection of such things, so this must be a duplicate he's kindly sent us, it did feature here in a question-time, and I think Chris is still looking for a formal ID on the figure.

 

The larger figure I think we've seen before and is a . . . no, it's gone, I'm sure he's been ID'd here, or had his ID told to me, by someone, at some point, but it's escaped me now! I thought he might be Tringa, but he's not in my flyer?

 

The big one is almost certainly missing a sand-timer, off the right-hand spigot, and utilises a Deetail figure, unusual as it's more often seen with Hong Kong Herald figures, but he's meant to be in there, he has a large hole in his posterior for the plastic spigot seen in the second image, which is pushed through from the back of the chalkware sentry-box.

 

To the left, one of the sucker blokes, he's in a bit of a state, but rather a sample, than no sample! The little chap looks like he was made yesterday, and is polystyrene, so he may be, as he's absolutely mint, possibly an accessory for a tourist die-cast vehicle set which has avoided me, or is he a doll's house toy, as in from the playroom of a doll's house? A lovely little chap in any event, but ID needed!

 

Uncivil war, with a marked ABC figure fighting slavery, and a small lead figure (Hinchliffe?) fighting the Norman landed-class for a smidgen of democracy - they went a bit over the top on protestant dourness though, they sort of banned Christmas for several years!

Crescent conversion OBE, and a figure which could be home-made, or one of those 'Oojah-Cum-Pivvy' figures imported by Shamus Wade from India, between them is what I believe is an ocean-washed, sand-ground, or smoothed, Deetail Arab horse rider!

 

Many thanks again to Chris, some interesting stuff here, and still at least three posts to come. 

E is for Eye Candy - Naval & Marines

This was shot back in November 2020, so five years ago, give or take the odd day and a leap-year! There's about the same again to be added to this, in the still being sorted pile, at the lip of the storage container, and we've added a couple of rack-toy assault-craft over that time, all seen here in various posts, I think, try 'Vessels' or 'Naval - Marines' in the tag list. But what can you spot?

 

Top left is all the larger 60mm'ish stuff from Marx, MPC, Auburn (polymer, not rubber) or Ideal (?) and so on, originals and re-issues, to their right is the Lone Star sample, with some PVC, Timpo-branded, Toyway reissues, while the more historically-uniformed Charbens are in the little bag.

 

In the box, top right, are the more modern (WWI/II'ish) Charbens with four of the ever more brittle Lone Star marines - fighting in No.1 Dress uniforms! I have added one or two I think, but they may be duplicates. Below them is a mixed tub of the smaller Marx and a few others; Reisler, hollow-cast &etc, which we saw in an early post on the subject. There's been a few hollow-cast additions too.

 

Sandwiched between those two tubs is a wooden, hand-carved, tourist chap, who we also saw here over a decade a go, but there are four, similar, and very interesting plastic versions about to hit the blog! To the left of the mixed tub is a newer one, since enlarged, but still not ready for the definitive post, with the Britains Naval gun, now 'guns', but not all versions yet, although we did have a look at them, in part, a while ago.

 

In the corner are the three Greek assault-boats, copied from Britains, which got a post, and then in the top-left quarter of the box, all the iconic novelty floating toys from Britains and Timpo. You can see the Greek crewmen under the US Assault craft . . . I've actually done an 'Assault River-Crossing', in a remarkably similar boat, but ours didn't have engines, so we had to fucking paddle, in the rain!

 

The final tub, outside the box, has all the European types, obvious are Cofalu/Cofalux swivel-heads and the Coma assault marines, but there's some other stuff, a couple of Atlantic, a Hong Kong or two, and, strangely, mu original Frog trio, who are RAF rocket-troops! They've since been moved, as the sample is up to about ten now!

 

You can add a largish sample of the Gem cadets, those Argentine rubber ones which came in a while ago, and more Atlantic, Lone Star and Reisler, along with some Starlux (not sure where they are?), but, there's actually quite a few to sort into this tub at some point, and more take-away tubs will be needed! Then there's all the ABC and other Hong Kong copies, from hollow-cast, taken from Britains, which we have looked at here, on more than one occasion, now.

M is for More from London, First of Three Plunder Posts

I was back up to The Smoke in September to pick up another batch of Car Booty from Peter Evans, and with another parcel from Chris now sorted and shot, I'd better get these up and cleared from the PC first, not least because there's one or two cross-over items!

 

How the sort/photoshoot starts, with me unpacking a box of goodies, giving them a once-over, having a look-see at what I've got, and deciding how to proceed! I did shoot the six bagged/carded sets for a post, but realised Peter had sent them all as shelfies in time for this year's Rack Toy Month, so those images have gone in the archive for now!

 

Three of the larger sized Fontanini Napoleonics, the third one is supposed to be Napoleon himself, I suspect, but in his earlier days as an artilleryman of the revolution? Note, as in past posts on the subject, the flatter painting of the cavalryman, over the faded washes of the two foot-figures, I also thought the horse was nicely painted, for a plastic tourist keepsakes, and all three mounted on a piece of Carrara marble.

 

Possibly home-painted, and seen before in one form or another, Peter remembers them being part of a shooting-game, which I have as yet failed to find on the internet/feebleBay, but now I know what I'm looking-for, it should only be a matter of time?

 

Parachute-toy figures, including an Imperial Toys PVC-rubber Poopatroopa (in front), always gratefully received, as there have been so many over the years, copies-of-copies, and slight variations, it's a probably never-ending field, and even if I've shot them for the Parachute Page, now, there will be update shots in the future, with all the colour/size/detail variations added.

 

Two Hong Kong divers to be added to their sample, and one of the small grey ones which I thought were Bluebird but aren't, and I can't remember if they've been ID'd yet or not, but I think there's a second pose?

 

Two 4-inch biggies, Blue Box, Blue Box-like or Blue Box for someone else? A bit battered, they'll be compared to the master collection and retained until better ones turn up, rather have a tatty one than none.

 

A mix of Hong Kong chaps, with a few modern China-troops, I think we've seen them all over time, but not necessarily in detail, and that's a job for another day! But an MPC copy with his accessories, sold in sets by Telsalda among others, they also came singly in generic bags at the 6d end of the market. A couple of the Arco Rambo types, a New Ray knock-off in silver and others.

 

A Tim Mee knock-off (or flashy, late-production from the European factory?), a chap who's probably from the turret of a novelty/powered tank/AFV of some kind, best ID'd from old catalogue images, or - if you're lucky - a minter on evilBay, another version of the common seated figure we've seen from several US makers and as a parachute toy. Lastly, a new-to-me figure I think, but possibly from one of the many sets of Monogram knock-offs!

 

Three Britains copies, who will need sorting into the larger collection, against a future shot for the Khaki Infantry page, there are so many variations of these, and I suspect this trio goes with the sets that include Lone Star poses, and came in generic trays?

B is for Back to London, July, 2 of 2

The other half of the carbooty-bag I picked up from Peter in July, is the civilian and animal stuff, a couple of interesting dinosaurs, a handful of Kinder, with sports, a few sci-fi/space types, and a bag of bits & bobs!

 

We'll start with the Dinosaur pair, neither was marked, both are well-decorated according to current fashion-trends for the muted colourfulness of natural-camouflage, but of more interest is that they both have articulated legs, the whole suggesting they were in a better (and more expensive) set, than yer' normal rack-toy fayre?
 

Standard tourist keepsake, only the marker-pen to remind you where you visited to purchase the piece. He's very much in the same vein as the Xandria stuff from the Netherlands, being a stack of PVC components, but on a plaster base.

 

A sizeable sample of the Hing Fat 'Galaxy Cowboys', we saw a couple of, the other day, and I have a reasonable sample already, so it will be a case of bringing them all together, and sorting out a definitive sample of foot, mounted and horses, by pose and colours.

 

Unknown, or Pioneer/Realtoy buggy, K&M/Wild Republic and Pioneer.

 

Short-arsed LB clone, Marty, MPC piracy

 

Mixed domestic stuff, I love the kitten scratching its ear, the puppy too, is new to me, while the rest are grist to the mill, with tatty Cherilea and Britains farm stuff.

 

Similar wild animals, nice Timpo wolf, and the brown bear is new.

 

Hong Kong and 'China' farm people.

 

Circus - Charbens, Hong Kong (various) and Marty/M-Toy.

 

Road workers and mechanics, a Padgett/A-Z on the left I think, two China chaps, a Dinky and a dumper-truck driver from Hong Kong or China.

 

An interesting sort of 1970's (?) knock-off of Strawberry Shortcake stuff, or something of that age and aesthetic? Unknown mini action-figure and racing car driver, and a micro-tractor from Kinder.

 

Hong Kong copy of Gem footballer, unknown skateboarder (there's a lot of them around), Marx boxer, Remco firefighter, and Corgi US Policeman with megaphone.

 

Bits and bobs, including a sand-castle flag which seems bigger the usual, and may have a bit of age, and some useful rockets and missiles for something, still on their runners.

 

 

There was a tin of contemporary or near-current Kinder animals, some have had several issues, and there can be colour variations (camels), and while some are super realistic, some can be a bit cartoony, or - in the case of the ones with babies - cutesie, and it's another black-panther!

Thanks to Peter Evans for saving this lot for the Blog, there was an even bigger lot in August, which should be next, but I've got a Sandown Park report to squeeze in before the next one, and another supporter of the Blog is sending a parcel as I type!

B is for Back to London, July, 1 of 2

Lunch was moved from Islington to Essex, and we got there via a van driven by none-other than Micheal Mordant-Smith (thoughts with him, as he goes through what I've just been through), and a boy's day-out ensued, with toys, dinosaurs and all-sorts. But, a bag of Carbooty had come as part of the package, courtesy of Peter Evans, and that's what we're looking at here.

 

Rack toy air-forces, I love the little helicopter, I think I remember them coming in Christmas crackers, while the larger version (both loosely Sea Knights, rather than Chinooks?) has its stickers. I used to chuck this stuff, now I keep it, to check against a 'master sample', so I - hopefully - have one of each in the end.

 

Matchbox, just coming-in as we got out of such toys, and the ferret erroneously described as a fictional Weasel, when it is really a Ferret, a Big-Wheeled Ferret (FV711) at that! Along with two of the recoilless-rifle armed Jeeps and the toylike matchstick-firing gun, it did come with blunt-ended 'slugs' but they soon vanished and a resupply of matchsticks was called-forwards!

 

The Jeeps, interestingly, have different body mouldings, with one having a catch-plate over the hook, to hold the towed gun on, while the (older?) one has the better registered sticker on the bonnet, but it has discoloured, possibly due to something in its own glue?

 

Also interesting, because while I think I have both already, on cards, coming loose, together like this, sort of confirms the tank is Rado Industries as well, because the Armoured Car is marked Ri-Toys on the base, with the tree-logo.

 

More rack-toy plunder, again, it will all be compared and sorted with existing samples, and where possible ID'd to sets or catalogue imagery. We have looked at the smaller tanks, in some depth, and, I think, the recently mentioned Hans Postler was one of the issuers?

 

From the left, a Hong Kong copy of the Crescent Roman, being shot, a nice Lone Star spearman, with spear intact and the Crescent knight, unchewed, but tatty paint!

 

There were fascinateing, they are the Hilco sculpts, decorated as you'ed expect to find the Hilco's, but the HILCO mark itself, has clearly been removed in the factory, on the whole sample, so I must assume they are Phoenix, or Cherilea-for-Phoenix production, but useing the Hilco outpainters?

 

Army-men! The larger 45/50mm French (copies of Airfix WWI troops), being particularly welcome, I have lots of the HO-OO copies, but a very small sample of the larger versions. Behind, in the bags are various US Infantry and Paratroops, mostly Airfix clones, to be checked against existing samples.

 

More of the same stuff, the pink one is fun! Russians in red are probably Ri-Toys, the bag in the middle are Hong Kong knock-off's of Ideal GI's, and two bags of Airfix clones finish the line-up.

 

Current Hing Fat, French Infantry attacking a German who seems wholly unconcerned by the imbalance of forces! Indeed, he's not paying any attention to his imminent demise!

 

A pair of paratroopers, both the Rosebud sculpt (although I've found an equally good one with an American branding, so there may be a mould swap in there somewhere), both sub-piracies, one better than the other . . . sort of third- and fifth-generation copies.

 

Three more recognisable - Airfix, Cherilea and Britians.

 

Smallies, a couple of Airfix, the Matchbox pair which accompanied the guns above and some hollow-horsed Hong Kong Cowboys & Indians - a relatively clean, if small sample of Wavymane type two, I think. I did do the Intro to 'Wavymane' (ex-Crescent sculpt) on the But is it Giant Blog, but I haven't got any further with it, the posts are in the queue . . . maybe over Christmas, between railway posts!

 

Two Manurba clones, one better than the other, an Airfix copy cowboy, in the middle, and one each of the protagonists in the Condor game The Blues and the Grey at the far ends.

 

The Thomas-Poplar-Tudor Rose-Quaker Wild West.

 

Culpitt's Wild West, also AHM, Injectaplastic and Jouets Super Plastic, although only handled by the latter trio if with the separate bases, of which there is only one here, the Indian with the green base. I have a good sample of these, and we have looked at them in some detail in the past, but always worth a check against the master tub, to find the odd colour variations, orange-for-red being one.

 

Many thanks to Peter Evans again, and animals, civilians and space next time.