F is for Follow-up - Poundland Wild Animals

Quick follow-up as I turn a third into a half, sample-wise!

Popped over to Farnborough last week for a few essentials (and another handful of face-masks . . . now in Sainsbury's 10 for £8) and dropped into Poundland to see if they'd a new selection of the Play2Discover Wild Animals - they hadn't had on the previous visit, and they had; six of these!

A water-buffalo, more Asian than African? And an embarassed brown bear who's going to hide his embarassment by biting yer' heeed-orff! Who thought that was a good idea, who came to a production meeting and said "Well, now we've got this half-decent sculpt of a brown bear, I think what would really enhance it would be some blasts of airbrush in International Orange on both cheeks"?

And to be honest his dentistry is more Shrek's donkey than Ursus! They are what they are and as I said last time: 50p each; you can't complain!

Z is for Zoological . . .

God! That was obvious; could have used that years ago! Anyway, when we looked at Peter Evans' donation the other day I said we'd look at the Poundland (for that is who they are!) animal pairs again properly as I had myself grabbed a sample . . . while keeping an eye out for the supposed 'series 2' dinosaurs one assumes will - at some point - follow the series 1's we looked at a while ago!

The two sets together, they did have a set of dogs a while ago, but firstly they were really big and secondly they seemed to only send a few to each store, so getting a whole set or even knowing how many were in the set wasn't easy, so I thought "Well . . . they'll come in loose some time"!

But these are more straightforward for several reasons, first they're smaller and in pairs so you can pick them up quicker (I may try to get all of them now my 'sample' has become a fledgling 'collection'!) and they are on the back (we'll look at it below) so you know what you're looking for - the dog-packs had no such 'check-list'.

I think she's supposed to be a lioness (see card back below) but the sculpt appears to be far more textured than the press-photo's presumed master or early test-shot and the darker colour of the cheap paint-job (Heay, they’re 50p-each we can't be too judgemental!) takes her further still from lionid'ness! I think a repaint as a leopard could prove quite successful?

The ape is lovely, I think someone has confused him by doing the cup-&-ball trick with three buckets and a banana!

Again the rhinoceros looks quite different from the shot below, while the polar bear is looking the other was - which might be down to an image mix-up, but the days of upside-down negatives in art studios is long gone, replaced by digital imagery; where you'd have to chose to invert an image? But both nice for the money.

Four more pairs? If I track them down we'll return to look at the rest, but for now, thanks to Peter Evans for doubling the 'sample' and they're in Poundland now if you're passing.

News, Views Etc . . . Plastic Warrior 173

A bit late I'm afraid but the December issue often is, especially if I don't do it literally the same day! A load of good stuff though, so if you're still not subscribing, here's what you've missed!

Articles

* An interesting look at early Hilco Wild West horses by Joe Bellis with additional editorial material on the similar Lone Star examples, with a view to comparison between the two, kicks-off the issue

* Andreas Dittmann reports on the new interactive book/games from Dorling Kindersley (DE), each with a pair of figures; Roman Gladiators or medieval foot-knights

* Steve Morris discovers Kraft Dairylea giveaways

* James O'Connell (lovely chap, we'll be looking at a piece of his erudition, in depth, here, soon) looks at the sort of make-believe armies we used to paint-up, when we were kids

* Scalextric figures go up a size with Adrian Norman's coverage of the rarer 1:24th scale figures

* Les White is back with his lovely conversions, this time a German WWI Schutztruppe in Africa on an Armies in Plastic (AIP) Egyptian base-figure

* Bob Legget (of SAS Auctions and the Alresford exhibitions) 'Shows and Tells' on a very special Triang Spot-On medieval castle

'What The !&*$?' has five queries again this month (there were five in PW172!)

• Colin Penn seeks an ID for a Dr Dolittle-alike
• Brian Berke wants help getting an ID on his Desperate Dan, previously seen here (answers to PW please)

• The Editor is asking for information on a tent (see above, answers likewise)
• Brian Carrick has a knight in need of a name
• Colin's back seeking info on a lovely tradesman's wagon, I know the answer; should be lots of feedback from France and Iberia!

* Speaking of Colin Penn, his F&G 'Crazy Clown Circus' is revealed by Michael Bonnefoy of the Plastics Historical Society to be made by . . . [Subscribe!]

* The Replicants mounted Comanche figures launched at the PW show last year are reviewed by Tom Stark

* The set of eight relief-flat 'Kings and Queens' from Shredded Wheat are fondly remembered and critiqued in depth by Peter Watson

* Finally Brian Carrick covers the 'multipose' kits of S-Model - Ivan Wieslawa from Poland

Which - as I use the same template for these reviews - means there's an extra article squeezed in there somewhere, over the PW172 count; I needed an extra pink asterisk! What? I have to order them from Ulan Bator!

Regular Features

* 'NEWS and VIEWS and other stuff ' covers

• PW show date - Saturday 11th may 2019
• 100th issue of US Playset Magazine
• News on Britains old factory from Peter Evans
• Call for last few copies of Suspended Animation by Peter Cole - when they're gone; they're gone!
• Website news
• Email anomalies (I've been getting the same thing with some Blog comments)
• Paul J Robinson a 'Marx' man has passed away
• Paul Stadinger has news on a figure for-/the retirement of Ron Barzo
• Chicago Toy Soldier Show date - Sunday 27th September (shurly shome mishtake? Ed. Must be Sunday 22nd or 29th or Friday 27th?)
• Reader request for an unpainted Starlux source?
• Editorial (?) request for Speedwell boxed or bagged sets to photograph

•  Jack Shalatain gets a picture credit

* 'Readers Letters' include

• Norman Nevard has a question on Britains sheep and the relationship between catalogue appearances and availability
• Eric Keggans has repainted Cherilea Sikhs and a lovely set of soldier erasers to show
• Musing on the last PW show and Naval cannons comes from Ashley Needham
• Still more on the Olympians/premiums from issues 171 & 172 comes via Les Collier, Rainer Maul and Andreas Dittmann (I'm waiting 'till all the smoke blows over before showing mine!)
•  Kent Sprecher feeds-back on the Wild West 'What the !&*$?'s from PW172
• Brain Carrick suggests an answer for Chris Smith's figures from the same issue
• There's more on Barrett's coach from Brain Heaps
• While [deep breath...] Erik Kemp, Peter Evans, Brian Carrick and Les White all answer John Rafferty's call for help with gluing and glues.

* 'What's New' covers recent releases from;

• Un-branded figures from the subsidised Russian co-op everyone (in the Old Guard)'s busy pretending is fifteen separate concerns!

o   Romans

o   Slavic's

o   Teutonic's

o   A mounted Conquistador

• Paragon Scenics - Plains Indians

• Expeditionary Force

o   Roman

o   Ancient Barbarians/Celts

• Engineer Basevitch

o   Sumerians

o   Hittites

All available from Weston's Toy soldiers (www.plasticsoldiers.com)

Plus all the usual readers small-ads and a commercial supplement

Covers -

Front has A. Dittmann's Dorling Romans

Rear shows the B. Legget Cotswold fort

PW's contact details;

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Website's back on the menu but won't be updated (email first) . . . www.plasticwarrior.com

Tel: 01483 722 778

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News, Views Etc...Plastic Warrior No.172

Came-in last week? Maybe a week or two ago, I'm so busy, I'm re-reading it/reading it properly for the first time as I do the review! Another corking issue with something for everyone . . . 

 Articles

* The issue kicks off with a wonderful four-page, evocative piece from Peter Nussbaum on Normans (and Saxons) using the imagery of the Bayeux Tapestry to weave (sorry!) through the story

* An auction report on a sale at Willington Auctions reveals some interesting 'Britains archive' figures with assistance from Sarah at the auction house

* Peter Evans studies Polytoys from Monaco, I can pink-text a past post now!

* Daniel Morgan returns with an unscheduled 'Herald Notes & Queries' looking at the Robin Hood set and some of its anomalies

* While Michael T. Hyde also returns with another of his lovely round-ups of ecclesiastical subjects, looking - this time - at Nuns

* Recent production under the Lineol branding is compared to its Airfix donors by Andreas Dittmann

* A return to Napoleon from PL Cunha is most welcome, I still remember the first one (issue 154) and this is another fine line-up of Emperor-corporals!

* Fred Barratt expands on his Elastolin cover shots with more of the same and some blurb!

'What The !&*$?' has five queries for subscribers' to ponder-over.

• Anon seeks help on two cowboys who look very Crescent compatible but aren't!
• Brian Heaps asks a pertinent question about the Olympic Sportsmen and who actually made them - I would add they come is different sets, colours and sizes!
• Marx-alikes (or Heimo-alikes!) need further identification for Rainer Maul
• Mathias Berthoux seeks more on RP variants
• The figures we saw here from Chris Smith (link) still need further work, it looks like they may prove to be SAE!

* Replicants are looked at by Tom Stark, with revised Highlanders of the '15 and the '45

* The plastic version of Barrett & Sons coronation coach is discovered by Colin Penn

* A follow-up to Scalextric shows some of the figures on David Pomeroy's bench, highlighted by the editor.

Regular Features

* 'NEWS and VIEWS and other stuff ' covers

• There's some data protection nonsense
• The death of toy show promoter Bill Lango is reported by Paul Stadinger
• Tiger Hobbies announce a shipment of Plastic Platoon into the UK
• C&T Auctions next date is posted (12th December 2018)
• A request for pictures of Solido Belge boxed or carded sets - to the Editor please
• An explanation of the small ads regimen!

* 'Readers Letters' include

• Peter Cole muses on boxing and figure size
• Thanks for the recent PW show from Brian Heap
• Graham Apperly likewise waxes lyrical on both show and magazine
• Memories of Airfix's diminutive figures comes from John Purse
• Colin Penn discovers Klutz figures with card play-sets in charity shops
• Peter Watson follows up on Pirates with reference to the movies
• More on box sizing from Thomas Stark and John Rafferty who also asks about suitable glues for figures
• Pascal Crouchet follow-up on his own previous Hugonnet Elizabethans with some Café Pecheur ones!
• Chris Goddard ID's figures from two articles in PW171
• Brian Shorthouse attempts to drink too much rum - the editor tells him you can't!

* 'What's New' covers recent releases from;

• Plastic Platoon - Vietnam era GI's (with news of scenics; available from Tiger Hobbies in the UK)
• Chintoys / Engineer Basevich (via Steve Weston)

o   Conquistadores (Chintoys set 009)

o   Zapotec's Azteks (Chintoys set 015)

o   Russian Medieval Nomads (EB set 23)

Plus all the usual readers small-ads and a commercial supplement

Covers - Elastolin Scenes by Yves Escarre photographed by Fred Barrett

Contact details, as always, are . . .

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News, Views Etc...Plastic Warrior No.171

Been out for about a month now, so I'm slipping slightly! Another packed issue with something for everyone.

Articles

* The continuing series on Scalextric by Adrian Norman reaches the Spectator sets

* An editorial on Marx oddities covers pirates, cowboy test shots and the 'Marxie' pin badge.

* Michael T Hyde continues his charming overview of ecclesiastical types (if that's the right collective noun?), with a comprehensive collection of Orthodox priests, Catholics, padres and a missionary - most not known to this author.

* 'Converters Corner' continues with Les White's production of colonial types, this time Brit's in hot-weather gear, using Armies In Plastic WWI figures as a base.

* A small piece on Reisler shows the Walt Disney tie-in Davy Crocket figure issue with their little card-discs

* An 'in depth' looks at the full range of Lone Star Robin Hood and the Siege-engine crews with an interesting copy, all the figures, catalogue imagery and a pink Sheriff - hides the blood!

* Schuco Piccolo figures are covered by Adrian Levano of the Maidenhead Static Model Club.

* Tom Stark looks in detail at the new trappers from Publius

'What The !&*$?' has three question marks this time

•  Joe Bellis asks after a Cowboy marked PR and a copy/licensed product from the US maker Ausley's moulds?
• There's two guards from Brain Carrick, possibly Speedwell?
• Two sailors also seek more information on their origins

* Pedro L. Cunha concerns himself with the weights and measures of packaging v. shipping

* John Murray shows the late Arthur Belshaw's ACW armies

'Updates' covers the following;

•  New poses of Hugonnet Copies of Cherilea Elizabethans (thanks to Pascal Crochet)
• Airfix for Sugar Puffs Cowboys & Indians
• Galt Toys repacking of Britains farm animals

* An obituary for Ian Gothard is provided with a collective by-line from the team at The Hamilton Toy Collection, I didn't know the name, but recognise the face and have had dealings with him (at the old Birmingham venue - I think) and he was a friendly, cheerful soul, knowledgeable and with a smile for everyone.

* This author provides the London Toy Fair report for 2018

Regular Features

* 'NEWS and VIEWS and other stuff ' covers

• Limited re-run/printing of the book Herald Civilian Models: The Golden years by Barney Brown and Peter Cole
• Plastics, Hamleys and Toys 'R' Us
•  Forthcoming sale of TSSD
• Ron Barzo's retirement and final co-operation with Lod Enterprises
• Plea-for/details on contributions

* 'Readers Letters' include

• Eric Crichley reminisces on Airfix and Sugar Puffs premiums
•  Steve Pugh corrects on the historical accuracy of adversaries!
• Peter Evans replies to David Pye and Brian Petrin from PW170
• Yours Truly writes on Lone Star plastic colours, Russian drivers and Lines TV towers
• Frank Langcaster muses on Timpo pricing

* 'What's New' covers recent releases from Engineer Basevich -

• Russo-Japanese War Russians
• Russo-Japanese War Japanese
• Caucasian Warriors
• ACW Command (in blue or grey, Eng.B for Chintoys)

Plus all the usual readers small-ads and a commercial supplement

Front Cover - A Victorian Villain Vignette from Les White 'Incident in Whitechapel'

Back Cover - Saint Cyr cadet from composition mould by RP of France (Andy Partridge)

Contact details, as always, are . . .

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