News, Views Etc . . . New Stock at Barneys Emporium of Good Things!

Perfectly timed to meet my return to Blogging, here's the latest news from Barney over at Herald Toys and Models;

"This week we have a good collection of Airfix mounted toy soldiers, a large collection of Speedwell/UNA/VP American Indians. Arriving shortly is a large collection of Herald farm models, together with a good collection of Britains/Herald Swoppet Wild West Cowboys and Indians."

Vectis have auctions ongoing too (today?), but I won't get back on track with those updates until next week.

F is for Follow-up - Speedwell & Co - Walls, Sandbags and Rocks

I said the other day that I'd misplaced both the Speedwell 'master' tub and the spares bag . . .

. . . well, the spares bag is in the foreground here, the master-tub is to the right, the stuff we looked at the other day is mostly in the rear centre tub with the little walls in their own carded bag. Another bag of bits is to the left and the box - the missing bits all turned-up in - had a few other bits for this or the next Post, so the follow-up has come more rapidly than I imagined it would the other day!

The 'Speedwell' master-tubs contents, unlike other Speedwell scenics these are all unmarked, and further, in the catalogue used by Plastic Warrior magazine they are separately listed under farm and military groupings, but these all came together as - presumably - ex-shop stock with the ones in the spares bag, in two shades of red, but the same three mouldings in the darker maroon-red (were the three on the same tool?), the rest in a flat red.

The one bottom-centre, seems to be a doorway blocked with a hay-bale and along with the lapped-fence (middle-right) is unlisted, but as you can see; are both painted in the same pale-green and came in the same large, 'mint' batch.

Note - the church-door, broken gate/corner and hay-pile weren't in the [sizable] sample, so could they also be on a single mould-tool, not used the day my 'order' was made-up and shipped-out?

[And if anyone has swaps of those three, I have most of the others, mint to near mint in the bag of spares, happy to do a one-for-one swap - eMail me]

Contemporary offering from Timpo Toys, a two-part, plug-together, corner piece, which; judging from the number of small holes in it provides little or no protection for troops or sheltering civilians - cinder-blocks!

These are modern I think - a sort of stiff-but-bendy PVC type material, possibly 21st Century or Unimax? The two larger pieces are identical, they can be braced in either of two positions, either side (dotted lines) to make a verity of ruins or a single piece, the sandbag emplacements are the same - slightly-bendy - stuff.

We looked at two of these the other week, and I said they couldn't be Speedwell because of the loopholes, well, the Speedwell is on the right (upper image), and a copy has turned up, I've pencilled Trojan in as it's too glossy for the chalky production of Kentoy or UNA/VP, but could be any of them or someone else?

Along with the Charbens (really a dry-stone wall, but with loop-holes) another two smooth-backed copies have also turned-up, both with a gloss-green grass highlight in paint. And; to be honest, they both look like they were made yesterday in China! I'm not sugegsting they were, the other one (top centre) looks 'Early British' production - but they are very clean, and presumably also ex-shop stock, or very un-played-with?

Hillco shell-crater on the left, unknown pile of rocks on the right, might be Gemodels, but not known to be, and the sort of thing all sort of people would throw in a window-boxed set for visual effect?

Likewise this; the clue here, such as it is, is the little ears either side of the main product moulding, which would have either located in slots in the card base of a boxed-set, or have been used to tie-down, with thread or elastic. Some Charbens pieces have similar 'ears' but they are less obvious or geometrical?

S is for Speedwell and Friends

Except some of them were probably less 'friends' than pirating little rip-off merchant, shit-bags! But, as Speedwell can/could hardly claim a totally original inventory, it's all a moot-point?

This was sitting in Picasa for a silly reason; I'd found a whole bunch of these, and only when sorting them for photographing them did I realise they were the over-spill from a master collection, or swaps, so put them to one side while I waited for the master collection to turn-up in the 'from-storage' lot.

At some point these turned-up, and I shot them thinking they were the master collection, but I don't actually think they are, because they don't contain the farm items in the overspill/spares pile, meanwhile, I'd forgotten where I parked the spares pile, so they aren't here either!

In other words, what's here is some of the master collection being most (or all?) of the Speedwell Battlefield Accessories I have, and some copies, along with an archive shot, but missing all the farm/civil stuff in red plastic (probably most (or all?) of the Trojan I have), except those that are here . . . if that makes sense!

These are definitely, 100%, 24-carat Speedwell! I can say that with some authority as they are both clearly marked Speedwell Made In England! The number 1 pertains to the next-but-one image. Points to note are clean sculpting and surface detail, cracked plaster modelled to the inner wall surface and a sharpness to the 'steps' in the broken brickwork.

There are two cavities seen here, with the one on the right being the 'copy' with a loss of etching-detail and a slightly drunk arch, 'leaning' to one side.

We then get these, and from the level of detail it would appear that they may have originated in time (chronologically), as numbered? With the 2 a quite close but smooth inner-walled copy (Trojan?), the 3 losing detail to the coping-stones and broken-brickwork and in a glossy plastic (Benbros?) and the 4 being so crude at to have been carved by a myopic invalid!

The 2 and 3 both taken from the second Speedwell one with the lean getting more noticeable on each in turn (hence my numbering), but the 4 has a more even arch.

It's also smaller overall with a smaller window and smaller arch with machine-routed stone-work on the inner-wall, however, it has traces of that dark (decades dried Evostick) glue residue known from Blue Box sets . . . and Cherilea sets? Goes off to Cherilea folder on dongle . . .

. . . to find nothing obvious, they have a similar, thinner version in the later window-boxes, but not this 4. However when looking at the bases the 2 stands out as having the least 'copy' base, I still think it came after the 1, but suppose the 4 was first, just cruder in sculpting, with the brown one possibly an independent copy, contemporaneous with the marked-Speedwell and the 2 being last?

The small window suggests the numbering is more correct than the musing, but it's not clear; anyone got any other bright ideas?

Really pleased with this collage, I shot the dark-green ones (1 & 2) years ago (thank you to John Begg) knowing they would come in useful one day, and then the shiny one came in with the 'big purchase', and is clearly a latter specimen, remember; they (Speedwell) did shiny troops at the end).

But also what we see is that they obviously had problems with the tool, probably getting the product off the mould as a wide, flat dome would 'cling' a bit wouldn't it? So, the left-hand of the two chalky, dark-green ones (2) has had both a couple of release-pins fitted (rim-edge, north and south) and a reinforcing ridge added - presumably a few exist with the pin-marks but no ridge - as the act of engaging the pins bent the cooling moulding (it's quite thin across the top), so a stiffener was added as a spine below the surface?

Finally in my example (3), and having failed to solve the problem with the previous changes (?), four more release-pins have gone-in to force the product off the mould with six pins! the edge/rim has been 'heavied-up' and evened-out at the same time, presumably with the same idea in mind as the earlier spine - keeping the product true after it's got off the tool?

The barbed-wire may not be original and consists of security wire of the sort used by gas and electrical fitters to seal meters and junction-boxes with a lead-plug which is stamped over a loop of uneven wire. I think wire 'escape saws' in WWII were a similar design, but a harder material? By the way, while I say 'may not be original'; given the 'made-yesterday' state of the plastic and paint I think it probably is factory-fitted, and both examples in the Plastic Warrior 'Special' on Speedwell have it fitted . . . incidentally; that publication also has an apple-green base version of the 2 moulding.

All marked Speedwell, the white one having lost nearly all of its paint which seems to have been mostly a yellower olive-green. Of the two tan ones; one is all hand-painted (left of pairs) the other (right) is part airbrushed, it has had a stone removed from the low end. Also, note that the left-hand of the two tan ones has only been painted on one side, the other fully painted (and airbrushed) on both sides.

Unmarked for the both, but internal wall detailing and door/window colour say contemporaneous with the 1-wall (above) and they go well together to make a destroyed out-building, stable or hovel.

I haven't a clue! The one on the left is the simpler of the two and quite glossy and probably equates to the brown 3-wall (above), while the multi-coloured one seems to be of similar agency to the 4-wall?

The only clue I do have is that neither are Speedwell; the recent Plastic Warrior magazine's special (post forthcoming) on Speedwell shows marked versions of this with no loophole and a wider or more-spreading base, I think it's made of fatter pillows too!.

I'm lovin' the colour of the right-hand one, despite the lack of realism, it evokes all sorts of 1960's plastic tat, not least Marx Miniature Masterpiece and Merten plastic display-trays or various forts!

I think an over-zelous fettler may have also removed the top sand-bag from the brown one? As an aside - I wonder if George Musgrave had a hand in any of the above? The first wall section has similarities with his little bridge-pieces and Kentoys could be one of the names in the frame for some of the unattributed versions of this stuff?

We will return to these when either the 'rest' turn-up or the big bag of spares, as there's plenty in that to be going on with, I just have to remember where I've put it down!

News, Views Etc . . . Khaki Infantry Page - Speedwell / VP

Shots of a boxed set branded to one and containing the product of the other have been added over there, under both titles

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events

Well, a week's a long time in politics! The Magnificent seven, all Blairite shysters from the Right of the Left, complaining the socialist party is too socialist! And who have registered their new 'group' as a PLC, rather than a political party so they don't have to reveal their funding for a while, joined by the three Amigo'esses; purportedly from the Left of the Right.

Their claims of their 'old' party getting too fascist for them makes you worry, or it should, as all three of them have consistently voted against welfare reforms or help for the very people Tereasa May-be Maybe-not said she would help in her inaugural speech.

The ten since joined by someone else; a 'Lone Stranger'- no-one's ever heard of! Giving us a new colour in 'the swamp', bigger than the Liberal party, but very grey! There'll probably be some more jumpers today [one more already - he's not talking to the other 11!], or over the weekend, we're four weeks from Brwreakshit Day, with both main parties hollowing-out and factionalised, the DUP being . . . what they've always been; bloody awkward while the Scot's Nat's talk common-sense . . . to the wall!

And everybody hoping for a change to the backstop, that the 27 have said - repeatedly - won't happen!

Buy toys . . . it's as good a time as any to buy toys.

Especially from any European dealers who come over for the day, they may not be here again - after the 29th March? Weighed-in, weighed-out, tax-owed estimated, visas . . . it's gonna' be fun, this 'Brave New World' the snake-oil salesmen sold the 52%.

Lots of stuff this coming week, both fairs and auctions . . . 

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Toy Fairs

Saturday 23rd February 2019

Maidstone - Maidstone Vintage Toy Fair

Lockmedow Market Hall & Leisure Complex, Barker Road (Hart Street entrance), Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8LW

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01622 298 159

Mob. - 01732 840 787

09:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission £2.50p

Park & ride, pay and display parking, refreshments

Cirencester - Retro Ronnie (see note and/or Sunday 24th)

Bingham Hall, King Street, Cirencester, Glousecstershire, GL7 1JT

Web - www.retroronnie.com

Mob. I - 07708 385 061

Mob. II - 07900 266 427

10:00-hrs 'till finish

Admission unknown, early bird (from 08:00hrs) price unknown

Refreshments

NOTE - there is a day/date conflict in some coverage of this fair, I suspect it's Saturday 23rd, it usually is a Saturday, but may be Sunday 24th, check details before going)

Taunton - Exmore Toy & Train Fair

Richard Huish Collage, South Road, Tauton, Somerset, TA1 3DZ

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01643 706 736 (David)

10:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission £2

Worcester - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs

Perdiswell Leisure Centre, Bilford Road, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR3 8DX

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01270 652 773

Mob. - 07825 631 323

10:30 - 14:00hrs

Admission £2, free parking

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Sunday 24th February 2019

Chester-le-Street - Jim Corr Fairs

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

Web. -  https://www.northerntoyfairs.com/clstf_visitors.html (venue)

eMail - jim_corr73@hotmail.co.uk

Mob. - 07504 035 955

10:00 - 15:00hrs

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

Chipping Norton - Don Davidson - Collectors Toy & Train Fair

Chipping Norton School, Burford Rd, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, OX7 5DY

Web. - www.chippytoys.co.uk

Tel. - 01608 641 870

10:30 - 14:00hrs

Cirencester - Retro Ronnie (see note and/or Saturday 23rd)

Bingham Hall, King Street, Cirencester, Glousecstershire, GL7 1JT

Web - www.retroronnie.com

Mob. I - 07708 385 061

Mob. II - 07900 266 427

10:00-hrs 'till finish

Admission unknown, early bird (from 08:00hrs) price unknown

Refreshments

NOTE - there is a day/date conflict in some coverage of this fair, I suspect it's Saturday 23rd, it usually is a Saturday, but may be Sunday 24th, check details before going)

Coventry - Barry Potter / BP Fairs

The Connexion, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3FL

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £3, seniors £2.50p, children £1, early bird (from 08:00hrs) £6

Free parking

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

Wimborne - Model Toys & Trains Collector's Fair

Queen Elizabeth's Leisure Centre (Sports Hall), Blandford Road, Wimborne Minster, Dorset, BH21 4DT

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01202 590 158

10:15 - 14:30hrs

Admission unknown

Large free car-park

Refeshments

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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Tuesday 26th February 2019

Garstang - Janet Pearson - Garstang Evening Fair

Kirkland & Catterall Memorial Hall, PR3 0HR

Web-presence unknown

01282 439 009

18:00 - Finnish

Admission fee unknown

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Auctions

Reminder - Today

Chippenham - Wessex Auctions

Wessex Auction Rooms, Westbrook Farm, Draycot Cerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 5LH

Web. - www.wessexauctionrooms.co.uk

eMail - enquiries@wessexauctionrooms.co.uk

Tel. - 01249 720 888

Viewing - Too late

10:30 - Finish

On-line catalogue, general toy sale

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

01642 750 616

Railway Auction

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Saturday 23rd February 2019

Cockermouth - Mitchells - Vintage and Antique Toy Sale
Mitchells Antiques & Fine Art, 47 Station Road, Cockermouth, Devon,  CA13 9PZ
Web. - http://www.mitchellsantiques.co.uk
Local Press - Times & Star

Tel. - 01900 827800
Viewing - Friday 22nd February from 3pm to 7pm, and from 8.30am on sale day.

Ludlow - Mullock's Specialist Auctioneers and Valuers

Ludlow Racecourse, Bromfield, Ludlow, Shropshire, SY8 2BT

Web. - www.mullocksauctions.co.uk

eMail - reception@mullocks.co.uk

01694 771 771

Toys, collectables, Historical items and Native American antiquities

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Tuesday 26th February 2019

Newbury - Special Auction Services (SAS)

81 Greenham Business Park, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG19 6HW

Web: www.specialauctionservices.com

eMail: mail@specialauctionservices.com

Tel: 01635 580595

Fax: 0871 714 6905

Trains and model railway sale

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Wednesday 27th February 2019

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (1st day of a two day auction)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

01642 750 616

General toy sale

"The General Toy sale to be held on the 27th of February features over 630 lots, with large groups of Lledo, Matchbox, Corgi, Dinky, Hot Wheels, and Vanguards plus many more including Gift Sets, Cars, Buses, commercials, promotional issues, and aircraft. There is a large selection of Tractors and Farm related vehicles from Britains and others, military related vehicles, Dinky and Corgi car transporters and commercials, Corgi Super Juniors Trucks, and Triang Railways. Other items in the sale include Brooklin and Lansdowne Models, Atlas Editions, plus Matchbox Power track and motorised motorway and Superfast carded issues. The sale also features board games, jigsaws, Lego, annuals, Perspex model cases, shop display cabinets, plastic ride-on toys and a Sinclair ZX Spectrum."

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Thursday 28th February 2019

Sheffield - Shefield Auction Gallery

Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB

Web. - www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com

eMail - jmorgan@sheffieldauctiongallery.com

Tel. - 0114 281 6161

Viewing - Wednesday 27th 09:00 - 16:45, from 08:30 on sale day

14:00 - Finish

Football programs and sporting memorabilia

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (2nd day of a two day auction)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

01642 750 616

TV and Movie memorabilia sale

"The TV and Film related sale to be held on the 28th of February features The Iain Gothard Collection, 21 lots of Bubble gum trading cards, vintage TV and film related collectables, games and Lego. Other items in the sale comprise a number of vintage and modern Star Wars lots, including carded figures, boxed vehicles, a large collection of Black Series 6" scale items, Star Wars Unleashed, graded figures, graded model kits, vehicles and accessories, porcelain figures, cookie Jars, annuals, games and much more. There is a nice collection of UK graded Transformers within the sale, plus Dr Who DVDS and figures, Action Man, Gerry Anderson, Laurel and Hardy figures and collectables, Subbuteo, Lego, a large collection of Marvel and DC Comics, Diecast vehicles, retro games and consoles and vintage children's toys and games."

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If you are an event promoter/show curator/auctioneer and you want your toy, model, collectable 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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Only the One Link

Donation

A bit derivative of stuff previously seen here, but she's young and her heart's in the right place, she will go far!

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'How they come in'!

Yesterday (Thursday)'s trawl up the high-street; an Invicta Dino' . . . nice, and it's a third (there didn't seem to be any in storage - I wasn't sure if there were, when I mentioned there may be), a weird sea-horse/dragon cartoon/monster thing, another Hasbro/Parker Simpsons' related Cludo board game, an AAA wolf and a Schleich Meercat family! Bargains!

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Double-plus Good, Citizen Smith?

It would appear that my 'amazing' is more 'amazing' than his "Amazing"! Not that I would normally claim any such idiocy, but it's a game he plays regularly and which I only occasionally lower myself to - were I to make the effort I could probably frag his arse, five-times a week. And because I'm a collector, not a dealer, I don't need to wait 48-hours for the stuff to be sent via Moscow, or from Stuttgart!

A few weeks ago it was only "Semi-amazing" (a bit limp!), in a week or two he'll be reaching a great big cadenza of amazing, and then what? Roll-over and go to sleep? Too funny, the man's too funny.

He literally started a war with me, without an aim, without the wherewithal to conduct it, or win it and without a proper plan beyond a couple of false accusations and a bit of blow-hard-ery!

Those who may not be as fully ensconced upon the fence - as they might be giving the appearance-of to the rest of you loyal readers - are probably best advised to disengage before they are dragged further-in and go down with him, for - in case you haven't noticed - his wing's been on fire for a while now.

In eight years, I haven't seen enough stuff from him; actually his; belonging to him, to fill three shoe-boxes! If he starts showing us stuff he hasn't shown us before; we all benefit - but I don't think he can, and he's clearly struggling to. C'mon TJF; piss, or get-off the pot . . .