Le is for Noel, Figurines, and Max - Lemax!

I've tried, I've really tried, to stay away from poured resin, Christmas Village stuff. A fruitless task, as various donators, have, as Loyal Readers will've noticed, over the years, given me several of the things, while others have snuck in from mixed evilBay or Charity shop lots, so I crumbled completely this year and bought two Lemax figurines . . . Then another one! In my defence, they were much cheaper than the others on the pegs, and were clearly dated as old stock.

 

It was the Bavarian barmaid with six foaming Steins that did it for me, and with an equally cheap snowman, it just sort of happened while I wasn't paying attention, and suddenly, they were mine! She's dated 2014, the snowman's date is a little odder, and a little older, at 1099! Clearly, snowmen were a Norman practice, brought to these shores by William and his wicked Barons!

 

I went back a couple of weeks later, and this Lemax 'Mrs. Miggins' and her mince-pies (I think we're actually looking at Mrs. Clause!) had appeared on the hook where the Dirndl girl had been, a while earlier, and also older stock (2019), I thought she had to join the existing pair! For those not familiar with these, if they still look expensive to you, the surrounding others were starting at £4.99 and £5.99!

Q is for Question Time - Whimsical Lead

Again, not so much of a question, as I feel these are likely to prove to be Good Soldiers, but they came as a bulk lot of 'shop stock' with no packaging, which would be an uncommon escape from the garage concern that is Good Soldiers, I haven't seen them in Ron's immaculately-cut, foam-lined 'toy soldier' boxes, on his stall either, and they don't seem to be copies of other, older, plastic figures, as his more whimsical, or fairy-tale-TV-Disney stuff tends to be.

 

These are more 'Good Soldier' like, as the two larger bears seem to be taken from a commonish sculpt, both sides of the channel, and both sides of the pond, often found with backwoodsmen or other Wild West, not holding bowls or spoons, mind!

 

And the girl holding a straw boater behind her back also looks vaguely familiar, but as a group a rather nice Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I would add that Baby Bear is doing a pretty good impression of Mary Plain, while Daddy Bear seems to be a stretched Mummy Bear - owch!

Whereas these Rupert the Bear snowball fighters appear to be unique sculpts, in that they weren't cereal premiums or similar as far as I know, The Tournament Collection did a whitemetal set back in the 1980's, but theirs were smoother finished I feel, and all just standing. From the left Rupet, Podgy Pig and the mischief-makers, Freddy & Ferdie Fox, although how you tell them apart is a mystery to me!

 

So anyways, any ideas, on either set, gratefully received!

Y is for Yearly Yuletide Yield!

Well, I've picked the easiest bits out of a folder with tons of images in, before 'sending it back', a folder I've just been throwing stuff in for a couple of years or more now, but not really considering for posts. Hopefully next year I'll do a bunch of cake decoration posts instead of nativity posts.

I picked this up, as I have a tatty old empty one, and just wanted a good tub/pot (?) against future posts, I wasn't 100% convinced by the contents shown in the listing, and what turned up confirmed those suspicions; two Gem/Festival UK-manufactured polyethylene decorations and one hollow-styrene snowman from Hong Kong?

Which is not to say Supercook couldn't have bought bulk from more than one source, and 'mix & matched' into their product range, but having two un-matching material/construction snowmen, both with brooms, is a hard one to reconcile with how commerce works?

So, while I now have the nice clean container, I'll keep a eye on feebleBay for a more obviously original contents, indeed, I'll need to spot two or three before I can call it firmly, due to the ease with which the lid can be removed/usefulness of the container, against the likelihood of additions not being made to the contents by the householder/cook!

Supercook are still around, or were until quite recently; stores still have 'new' stock, and were carrying resin dinosaurs! To wit: a T-Rex and a rather dodgy-looking Triceratops along with a shallow-spiked 'Happy Birthday' label.

They've got cartoon faces, which could be painted out, but as they're going to stay in the packaging, they can stay looking a bit dim-witted! Keeping them sealed will also - hopefully - keep them from the inevitable chips or broken extremities which resin figurines tend to suffer from.

Back to the contents of the tub, and the Santa Clause - holding ball and teddy bear - was a new sculpt (to me), and joins these others who/which have come-in over the last year or so, all Gem/Festival and all seen before. Note the yellow one has lost it's skis, for which it has the lugs, but which weren't heat-sealed underneath the ski, hence the loss!

Another thing I've discovered over the  last couple of years is that George Musgrave experimented with different icing spikes or "picks" to hold the things onto the cakes before adopting the common flat base you just squidge into the icing before it sets!

A few other points of note, clockwise from top left; A variation of the Hong Kong copy of Gem's sledging Santa' is equipped with a stick-on sheet of 'snow' (left of pair), two snowmen who are primarily pencil-tops, but could also be used as cake decorations and a size variation of the smaller Hong Kong Father Christmas we've seen here before.

That's it, I'll try to do more cake decorations, this time next year, and we'll be back to more normal output from now. That is, with silent-gaps, while I get this house sold and move into a temporary (I hope!) rented flat I paid-for, in advance, in full, several weeks ago!

A is for Advent!

This year's figurals, I think they are the same as some I had a few years ago, but I shot them so they can go up!

Halfway through the period we got an extra-big or double one, Santa' and his sleigh! And there's a soldier!

M is for Merry Festive Eraser Flats

This post morphed out of nowhere, I found two of them among Mum's things the other day, and was putting them in an H is For... folder of similar finds, when I remembered I had something along the same lines in the forthcoming Dinoraser follow-up/update folder, so I threw them together for a quick festive offering!

The Erasersaurs, I don't know if he's a known character (U.S. TV?) or a generic cartoony thing, maybe tied-in to someone's Christmas card line? But he looks friendly enough and Christmas fun is clearly the name of the game, a bit mawkish for me in the normal course of events, but now there's a Dinoraser 'zone' they had to go in there!

These Halsall imported erasers must have been a long-forgotten stocking present, and I suspect they were being held until Mum found something similar for the other boy, she was always scrupulously fair in the packing of the stocking, or I should say - ensured Santa was scrupulously fair!

They have reacted with either and/or both the inner (a kind of cling-film) and the outer packaging (a cellulose bag), and it's hard to tell if they were once rubber, or candy, but from A) the fact that Redfields still exists as one of those over-priced "end-destination leisure-facility" garden centres, and B) there's no ingredients list, I guess they were pencil-rubbers originally, but they are now rock-hard and covered in a sweat which make them look suspiciously like edible icing!

C is for Christmas - At Poundland

From Hobbycraft (see previous/'older' post), I moseyed-on over to that there Poundland to see what their festive offerings looked like, and was pleased to find A) a few bits worth Shelfie'ing for you, loyal readers, to look at and B) a couple of bits worth purchasing for the stash.

I wasn't ever going to buy these, they are shite, they have been covered in more shite, they are priced as if they are far better quality shite than the shite they actually are! But . . . and it's a valid 'but', they will appear in those 20/40/50p baskets in charity shops in a few years time, either in this condition, or so tatty they can be stripped back to the (probable) neutral granule (think - greyish-white) plastic and re-painted or left plain; a generic cake-decoration style pumpkin coach!

The wheels are actually a leftover of European margarine premium/US Wilton cake decoration coaches of the 1950's, but in those cases they worked, indeed the European one came both assembled in a mail-away box and loose as a clip-together 'kit of parts'.

A pair of small 'nutcracker' tree-decorations, very tempted and I might go back for them, but two of each is more than I would want, so needs some thought, but as I haven't seen many worth shooting, and because we did a lot of them a while back, here they are!

I did grab these for a pound of your Earth money, knowing I had the other five in the bag and having surrendered my opposition to resin years ago! An eclectic mix, but I think they are meant to be put in hollow-plastic 'capsule' baubles which seem to be making a come-back, having last been seen in numbers - in the nineteen-seventies!

Reasonable sculpts for what they are and what they are charging, and three Christmas tropes ticked-off, birds, deer and bears - polar! they would all benefit from a bit of home-paint though?

These are also resin, and a quid-a-go, with a gingerbread man (who looks more like a teddy bear), a very happy snowman, similarly jocular Santa Claus and two ger'nomes; one tobogganing and the other opening (or wrapping?) presents. There is one other - sixth - sculpt . . .

. . . a grizzly bear, carrying a Christmas tree with two birds - probably complaining about the loss of their nest! It came home with me, it's fun! Again a resin casting, base apparently sanded after painting!

All the above in Poundland right now. I would add that there was nothing in Wilkinson's I would give house-room to, and apart from the astronaut we looked at a week or so ago, nothing in ASDA or B&M; they have plenty, but it's a matter of taste/preference with these, isn't it?

I haven't been to look in Tesco, and our Sainsbury's isn't big enough, neither apparently are our local Flying Tiger's both of which aren't getting the bauble issue this year, bigger stores are and I may try to get over to Guildford who I'm assured - by the Basingrad staff - do have some.

Ph is for Phidal's Phrozen Phellows

No, it was similar but I don't think is was exactly the same! Just a quickie, we've seen some if these as an incomplete lot in a charity-shop bag, but this is the whole set, there was another set with smaller figures (and the useful sleigh) which has also come-in as both  awhole set and some spares now.

And it's a while since we've had a Phidal post, but apart from one or two superhero sets still to find (the earlier ones) whole, and the Transformers one (which I've nearly bought several times, to actually picking it up - only to suck my teeth at the x6 micro-vehicle blobs and put back) along with various Disney/Mickey type which I'm not so worried about, I think we seen most of the better ones here now?

A mass of snow-babies and another useful deer, useful for 54mm rather than the 25/28mm of the one in the other set? The three figures are big, too big for much @approximately 80mm, but would fit-in with ELC-Papo-Schleich medievals, while the snow monster (Marshmallow?) could be thrown straight in a fantasy/D&D army/setting!

News, Views Etc . . . Christmas & New Year Events

This is as rushed as the last, due to the fact that I've just realised (19.57hrs Sunday) that tomorrow may be my last visit to the library until after Christmas, so I'd better (full of beer) get the dates up for posting tomorrow (when I'll also check the spelling and typo's - sober!)

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Toy Fairs

Weeks 51 / 52

Friday 27th December 2019

Birmingham - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'NEC'

Hall 18, National Exhibition Centre, Birminham, B40 1NT

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

Fax. - 01604 771 070

Hours unknown (probably 10:30-15:00hrs)

Admission £7.50, early-bird (from 08:00hrs) £12, OAP's £7, Children £2

Free parking

Llandudno - Llandudno Toy & Train Fair

Venue Cymru, Llandudno, North Wales (it's not a swimmer Mr. President), LL30 1BB

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01492 517 004

10:30-15:30hrs

Admission £2.50p

Worthing  - SRP Toyfairs

Charmandean Centre, Forest Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN14 9HS

Web. - http://srptoyfairs1.co.uk/

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

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Saturday 28th December 2019

Bexhill-on-Sea - SRP Toy Fairs

St. Barnabas Parish Church, Cantelupe Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN40 1JG

Web. - http://srptoyfairs1.co.uk/

eMail - srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Mob. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Carmarthen - Chris Dyer Fairs

Carmathen Leisure Centre, Llansteffan Road, Johntown, Carmarthen, Wales (it's a country Mr. President), SA31 3NQ

Web. - www.chrisdyerfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 01643 702 757

Mob. - 07966 694 579

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £2

Haydock Park - Barry Stockton Fairs

The Exhibition Centre, Haydock Park Racecourse, WA12 0HQ

Web. - http://barrystocktonfairs.co.uk/
Tel. - 01513 343 362
10:30 - 14:30hrs
Admission - Adult £2, Children £0.50p

Thornbury - Bulldog Fairs

Thornbury Leisure Centre, Alveston Hill, BS35 3JB

Web. - www.bulldogfairs.com

eMail - bulldogfairs@aol.com

Tel. - 01373 452 857

Mob. - 07917 125 641

10:30 - 14:30hrs

Adults £2.50p, under 16's free if accompanied, early-bird (from 08:30hrs) £5

Free parking, light refreshments

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Sunday 29th December 2019

Rayleigh - SRP Toyfairs

Sweyne Park School, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 9BZ

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Reading - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs

Rivermead Leisure Centre, Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8QE

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01270 652 773

Mob. - 07825 631 323

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £4.00, accompanied children under 16 free, 'early bird' (from08:30hrs) £10.00, 'lazy bird' (from 09:30hrs) £7.00

Parking, refreshments, full facilities

Layouts and displays

Dateline show - dealers should carry stock up to 1995 only

{If you've never been you should give it a go, it's one of the better shows in the year's calendar}

Wirral - Barry Stockton Fairs - Merseyside Hobbies & Model Railway Show

Hulme Hall, Port Sunlight, Wirral, CH62 5DH
Web. - http://barrystocktonfairs.co.uk/
Tel. - 01513 343 362
10:30 - 15:30
Admission - Adult £4.50p, Children £1

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2020 Week 1

Monday 30th December 2019

Ditton - SRP Toyfairs

Ditton Community Centre, Kiln Barn Road, Ditton, Kent, ME20 6AH

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Doncaster - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'Doncaster Racecourse'

Doncaster Exhibition Centre, Leger Way, Doncaster, DN2 6BB
Web. - www.bpfairs.com
Tel. - 01604 846 688
Mob. - 07966 527 177

Fax. - 01604 771 070
10:30-15:00hrs
Admission - Adults £4, Seniors £3.50p, Children £1, 'Early Bird' (from 8 a.m.) £10
Plenty of free parking

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Tuesday  31st December 2019 (New Year's Eve)

Bolton - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'Macron'

The Premier Suite, Macron Stadium, Bolton, Lancashire, BL6 6SF

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

Fax. - 01604 771 070

10:30-15:00hrs

Admission £4.00, early-bird £8, (from 08:00hrs), seniors £3.50, children £1

Free parking

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Wednesday 1st January 2020 (New Year's Day)

Bridgnorth - Toy & Train Collectors Fairs (Tony Oakes)

Bridgnorth Leisure Centre, High Town, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 4ER

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01270 652 773

Mob. - 07825 631 323

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £2.00, accompanied children under-16 free.

Newark - J&J Fairs (J&J Webb) - 'East Midlands'

George Stephenson Exhibition Hall, Newark & North Nottinghamshire County Showground, Winthorpe, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 2NY

Web. - www.j-jwebbtoyfairs.com

eMail - jandjfairs@virginmedia.com

Tel. - 01522 880 383 (Lorraine)

10:00 - 14:30hrs

Admission - Adult £4.50p, seniors £4.00, 1st child £3.50p, 2nd+/under-5's free

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Saturday 4th January 2020

Cardiff - Chris Dyer Fairs

Penarth Leisure Centre, Andrew Road, Cogan, Cardiff, Wales (it's not a marine mammal Mr. President), CF64 2NS.
Web. - www.chrisdyerfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 01643 702 757

Mob. - 07966 694 579

Hours unknown (probably 10:30 - 15:00)

Admission [probably] £2

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Sunday 5th January 2020

Chester-le-Street - Jim Corr Fairs

Lord Lawson Academy, Birtly Lane, Birtly, DH3 2LF

eMail - jim_corr73@hotmail.co.uk

Mob. - 07504 035 955

10:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission £3, children/senior citizens £2, 'Early Bird' £5

Croydon Airport - Dave Sutton - Military, Aviation and Model Collectors Fair

Hallmark Hotel, Purley Way, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 4LT (venue - near IKEA)

27A The Grove, Biggin Hill, Kent, TN16 3TA (organiser)

Web. - www.hallmarkhotels.co.uk/our_hotels/croyden/location/ (directions)

eMail - davidsutton16@aol.com

Mob. - 07973 885 754 (for traders - Aviation Antiques)

10:00hrs - Finish

Admission price unknown - children under 10 free

Control tower visits, aviation memorabilia & militaria, books, toys & models

Eastbourne - Robert Horscraft - Eastbourne Toy & Model Collectors Fair

East Dean Village Hall, East Dean, East Sussex, BN20 0DR

Internet presence unknown

Tel. I - 01323 899 879

Tel. II - 01424 846 676

Hours unknown

Admission £1.50, under-12's free

Free Parking, refreshments

Midhust - SRP Fairs

The Grange, Bepton Road, Midhurst, West Sussex, GU29 9HD

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

[Probably] 10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Potters Bar - Toy & Train Fairs (Peter Levinson)

Elm Court Centre, Mutton Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 3BP

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01282 051 518 (Peter or Diane)

10:30 - 14:30hrs

Admission charge unknown

Spalding - J&J Fairs (J&J Webb)

Springfields Events & Conference Centre, Camelgate, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE12 6ET

Web. - www.j-jwebbtoyfairs.com

eMail - jandjfairs@virginmedia.com

Tel. - 01522 880 383

10:00 - 14:30hrs

Admission - Adult £2.50p, seniors £2, 1st child £1.50p

Swindon - Retro Ronnie

Swindon Town Football Club, County Ground, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN1 2ED

Web - www.retroronnie.com

Mob. I - 07708 385 061

Mob. II - 07900 266 427

Hours unknown

Admission charge unknown

Walsall - Transtar Promotions (Geoff & Linda Price)

Oak Park Active Living Centre, Coppice Road, Walsall Wood, Walsall, West Midlands, WS9 9BH

Web. - www.transtarpromotions.com

Tel.- 01922 643 385 (Geoff or Linda)

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £1.80p, seniors £1.50p, child £1.00

Refreshments

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Friday 10th January 2020

Alfreton - Toy and Train Fairs (Malcolm Townsend) - Evening Fair

The Leisure Centre, Church Street, Alfreton, DE55 7BD

Web. - www.tttf.co.uk

Mob. - 07951 072 790

19:00 - 21:00hrs (check hours - might be running as a weekend show?)

Admission charge unknown

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Auctions

A bit quieter on the Auction front;

Friday 3rd January 2020

Sheffield - Shefield Auction Gallery

Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB

Web. - www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com

eMail - jmorgan@sheffieldauctiongallery.com

Tel. - 0114 281 6161

Viewing - Thursday 2nd 09:00 - 16:45, from 08:30 on sale day

14:00 - Finish

Toy & model railway sale

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Other Events

Newark - Jeep Promotions - Militaria Fair

Lady Eastwood Hall, Newark & North Nottinghamshire County Showground, Winthorpe, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 2NY

Web. - www.newarkmilitariafair.com

eMail - jeep.promotions@btconnect.com

Tel. - 07889 516 401

09:00-15:00hrs

Admission £5.00, under-14's free

No dogs (guides excepted), free parking, refreshments+

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Overseas Events

Saturday January 4th 2020

Eanglewood (USA) - Regal Railways

Elks Lodge, 401 N Indiana Ave, Englewood, FL 34423, Florida, USA (venue)

501 East Bay Drive, Apt. 1503, Largo, FL 33770, Florida, USA (promoter)

Web. - http://regalrailways.com/regal-railways-upcoming-toy-and-collectible-shows-sale/

Tel. - ++17 272 441 341

09:00-14:00hrs

Admission, $5.00 children under 12 free, 'early-bird' $7.00 (reserve between 08:00-09:00hrs)

Vendors and exhibition model train layout, antiques and crafts

Lunch Available

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If you are an event promoter/show curator/auctioneer and you want your toy, model, collectable, military, historical or popular-/youth-culture type sale/exhibition/event listed here -  FOR FREE  - or linked to; please eMail me -

maverickatlarge[at]hotmail[dot]com

- stating the date/s of the event, address of event, contact details, opening/viewing times, admission pricing and any other relevant facts/details or features - parking, travel notes, disability access, availability of refreshments, event subject matter &etc.

And please mention any flyer-art or poster-/leaflet-scans but send by separate eMail, in case they go to the 'junk' folder, from where they can be recovered and marked safe, but only if I know they're there!

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Stamps

I may have sent some Christmas cards out with no stamps on? I thought I'd stamped them all, but the stamp booklet seemed to have more left than it should have done after I'd posted them? If you get a card without a stamp - I'm really sorry.

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Cards

Meanwhile Chris has recived a card with nutcracker soldiers on, I thought we might have a nutcracker-free Xmas this year but no chance!

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H is for How They Come In

&

Received with Thanks

A small package from Peter Evans was on the doorstep on Friday when I got back from the Library, seven figures including two snowmen (one - centre - new to collection/Blog) and a Hong Kong clown who's so white he could be considered a snowman for the season!

Which encouraged me to rumage about in Picasa for the 'After' shot to last year's tatty chalkware snowman I said I'd repaint . . . he came-up alright in the end!

In the course of which I found this, which was a late purchase last year in the January Sales from Tiger (now Flying Tiger) Stores it's a cheapo, resin knock-off of the whatsit-village stuff.

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Assistants

I though Chris had sent me a shot of his assistant providing the same level of help mine does, but he'd sent me something else, but by then I'd got permission to post a couple of other 'staffers' on the job, so we'll fill-up with my pesky-pesker!

This is Theo van der Weerden's assistant Maya, about to helpfully sort a figure to the floor with all the archival skill's of the Blog's own Katie-kat.

Maya's better side! Very pretty; one of Katie's kittens had a split-face like this, we called him . . . err . . . 'Splitface' . . .  yeah, well he had a proper name (Spitfire), but it was only temporary as he would have been named in his new home!

Brian Berke's Timothy Thomas seems to have been a more hands-off assistant and can be seen in the background here, observing Brian's home-made Roman Galley (with Marx Romans on deck).

Timothy's best side! In Brain's own words . . . " His name came from . . . the Nicholas Thomas books and Toby Twirl books were big sellers in the late40's early 50's . . . a series of kids books I had as a youngster in the early 50's . . .  Nicholas Thomas was the black cat and his human friend was Timothy. I combined the two names . . . As far as I have ever known they had no toys marketed with their branding.

Both titles were dropped when a new series of books were introduced by the same publisher in the same format. Noddy. No end of merchandising came with him."

Meanwhile Girly-girl (Katie-Kat's everyday name) was 'helping' me shoot those Lledo firefighters the other day! Thanks Theo and Brian . . . everybody's cat is the best cat in the world!

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This week I are bin mostly . . .

Sorting Wild West!

Two boxes . . .

. . . became three . . .

. . . then four, but the shopping-bags (temporary sorting equipment!) were emptied, before I got bored (Asperger's = low attention span!) and dug out Brian's CMV khaki infantry! A bed-full of cowboys & Indians, and what do I do, get out the combat types . . . what am I like?!

Finally a fifth box was sorted as I tried to make sense of those intermediate cracker/capsule figures in 35-odd millimetres, other sub-scales, old premiums and such odds.

2020 might be the year of the Wild West here, but then again, it might not; it's all very kinda' fluid at command central these days!

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E is for Eye Candy

Hong Kong & minor makes rabbits . . . and hares!

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