N is for New Finds, Pt.3 - Here and There

Some other bits that have come in over the last 18/24 months or so (it's all got a bit behind!), some of which I can't even remember the source of, but they should all be available off a Google search!

These (Homade iSoldier) were reduced somewhere, designed to be some sort of a ipad/ifone/isnob prop thing, I couldn't see how they would work that well but hey, I wasn't buying them for an ithingy, I was buying them as a couple of GI's on pitchers mounds!

The four on the left all came from Wilkinson's before Christmas, the natural successor to Woolworth's, they often have useful toys, and these were obviously meant to catch the eye of parents looking for stocking-fillers. The bag of China rip-offs was a mix of ex-Matchbox DAK poses in herb-green, While I can never resist a bag of paratroopers.

The space vehicle erasers were broken when I go them home but a bit of glue sorted that and the wooden guardsman was a trip down memory lane. The two to the right...did I say I can't resist paratroopers...top from Asda a year or so ago, the lower from a discount store in the Autumn.

The two to the left here were both bought from a new cake decorating supply shop, sadly the shop has already folded, but they managed to find two interesting items; The Goofy is a late Culpitts vinyl with the Culpitt moulded into the rear of the figure, while the other one looks like Grandmother Stover, the character for a brand of cake decorations and dolls-house accessories from the US of the 1960's? How they ended-up in the window of a new unit is anyone's guess.

The blind box was one of the last (?) and came from what used to be Esdevium Games in Aldershot - again - over a year ago and I can't remember what the new name of the store is . The angels came from a Christian Charity pop-up, just before Christmas and went on to special people.

More Toy Story (check the link-list) GI's, I ripped into the silly train with a small tool kit and scalpel and ended-up with three nice 70mm 'Disney' figures for the collection and a pile of bits for the spares box!

P is for Piggy-wiggy

Lazy post tonight - smallest is about 15mm in diameter - "Th'-th'-th'-th'-th'-th'-that's All, Folks!"

J is for Just call me Wikileaks!

I found these stuffed inside a hollow log the other day, and felt that in the wider global interests of true and lasting peace, justice and democracy they should be made available as public documents...there was blood on the log...

H is for Hand-carved; Coaster

Not really a 'Collectable' but something I'm fond of, I carved this by hand from a piece of Marble I ploughed up in 1983, the plough left some huge gouges in the surface which I sanded out by spending a hour or so rubbing it on the Patio while I had my after work cigarette and cup of tea! After a week or so it was half the depth it had started, but smooth on both sides.

I then penciled-in a design and cut it with lots of back-and-forwards 'scratching' with some wood augers that had a fine chisel end, not the right way to go about it but it worked, and has been with me everywhere since! It's very 'long-haired greebo' with the runes an'all; "Yeh man! Bruford & Howe, Tolkien, Anderson, Fields of Taliesin..." Aah! Childhood huh?

Why was a small square sample of marble in the middle of a field in Alderney, C.I.'s? Anyone's guess...but...whispers...I like to think a Roman left it there for me to find!