T is for Tractors

These are a few of my tractors, I have a soft spot for farm vehicles and figures, my fathers family have a farm near Retford in Nottingham and in the days before Health & Safety we spent many a holiday riding the grain trailers, running under the chaff-walkers of the combines and jumping out of the old Victorian loading stage into the grain mountain two stories below! I've also spent some time working farms in the past. This is the Paramount tractor, it came with various implements (which I will cover another day) and the figure is approximately 1:72, although the tractor is a bit big. These are by Jean and as can be seen, the tractor came in civil or military colouring. An added touch was the lifting bonnet (hood) which revealed a very basic engine for the farmer to work on! A selection of Hong Kong production with an old hay-turning rake-harrow and a tipping trailer. The little green one is the sort of thing that may have come with Kinder Eggs, not that I believe it did, it's small enough to have originated in a Christmas cracker? Behind is the Britains Lilliput Farm Tractor, with the nearly always missing driver, in front of which is the Hornby Dublo tractor, which never had a driver - as far as I know - being designed to be used as a load for rail flat-beds and low-loaders, or left parked around the marshalling yard! Finally a carded set of Hong Kong efforts, there is actually a piece missing from the bottom right, I suspect a trailer, and keep meaning to test fit my lose HK trailers to see if one fits. The yellow one above looks like a good candidate, but came with a completely different tractor, however such details mean nothing when dealing with HK output!

T is for TSR

Dungeons & Dragons, the first great 'system' for fantasy role-playing games, ultimately sort of lost out to Warhammer in Europe, but still holds it's own in the USA. And like their great rival - Games Workshop - the system supports a magazine, and various spin-offs. Also like GW they have from time to time produced a stand alone game to introduce new players/fans, of which this is one.

Strangely I've never seen one that didn't have the 6 extra figures or the 'limited edition' flash! It's a lot of box for not much content, this is due to the fact that there are a load card flats included and once they're made-up, storage becomes a problem.

Both sets of character figures, the metal set being provided by Ral Partha, who ironically have also worked with Games Workshop. Some of the figurines are straight copies of the plastic version, some are quite different, also there is a size differential between the two sets.

Sample of some of the hundred or so card stand-ups also included in the set. I think it's a 'live' side and a dead (but undead) or invisible (?) side.

S is for S'mother Stuff!

This is last post today and is to clear a couple of little companies, who's contributions to the small scale world have been on the minor side...

Soma was/is a trade Mark for a Chinese (Probably based in Hong Kong) company making/marketing carded pocket-money or rack toys. They produced two sets of aircraft and space vessels, each of which came with a pair of 'pilots', there were 12 poses in all, they wear a mixture of WWI, WWII, futuristic, SCUBA, fire-fighting and law-enforcement equipment with or without motorcycle/ice-hockey/Africa Corps headgear!!! Oh, and at least one was a female!

Issued in grey plastic with the space-ships and green with the Fighters, they were touched up in colours which could only serve to enhance the awfulness of the aforementioned equipment! Now that Caesar have started doing proper small scale fantasy these will make excellent space troopers. Each was numbered under the base.

Spears were a company long since swallowed up by Parker/Waddingtons (now Hasbro), that produced a board game in the 1970's called Trek, with an assortment of pieces useful to the war gamer, boxes of supplies, several nice 25mm mules, 30mm plastic flats of hunters and a reasonable 1:87'ish willies jeep.

S is for Star Wars

Here are a few not so much rarities, as just unusual items from the Galoob stable, now fully taken over by Hasbro.

The first is a group of three Micro-machine sets issued to tie-in with the paperbacks of the same title, dealing with what the dedicated Star Wars fans call the 'Expanded Universe' that is the universe containing all the characters, and events from, mentioned in or referenced by ALL films, comics, books, animations, toys etc...ever.

They (the dedicated ones - Love Star Wars, hate what the geeks have done to it) have tied themselves in knots on more than one occasion, not least when the money-grabbing one (aka; George Lucas - Love Star Wars, hate what the originator has done with it) brings out a new film or cartoon ignoring something already 'established' the the 'EU'.

Each set contained three EU characters and the ship/vessel most closely associated with them, if I could brake-off learning Klingon long enough to give a stuff about this nonsense I'd further explain, but suffice to say that for a small scale collector, the only thing of interest is that you can get Iberian packaging variants with Gig or Ideal logos!

Here we have the original Galoob 'Action Fleet' Naboo fighter on the left and the Hasbro re-issue of a couple of years ago on the right, note how the re-issue has an enhanced paint finish, with 'weathering' flowing back from leading edges, gun ports and blind-spots and has a chunk of battle-damage. Similar changes were evident in the decoration of the other re-issues, such as the X-Wing, the only one where it caused a problem (in my jaundiced eyes) was the AT-AT walker, which was given a snow-splatter that made it stand out like a sore thumb next to the old ones.

It's one thing to have a couple of aged tatty fighters in a squadron of cleanies, but it's quite another to have a battalion of AT-AT's with the reasonable weathering of the originals, joined at the front by some that seem to have lost a fight in a paint factory with the marsh-mallow man!

These are late production Galoob/Kenner 'Action Fleet' figures as issued in Japan, where they are collectable premiums like Kinder, but often without the chocolate, although with some sort of edible addition. The sets are sold in card boxes and usually one is a secret issue not included on the card/publicity material. In the case of this set from the small capsules Tomy are increasingly selling over here, it would seem that only the seven figures (two; paired and three; large/with large equipment piece) were involved and all are on the card.

S is for Standard

Some of my favourite toy soldiers are the card flats I've picked up over the years, and these are some of the nicer ones. Standard Games and Publications first advertised these in the late 1970's/early '80's. There were three ranges; ACW, Norman invasion of Britain and Fantasy.

This is the whole range of ACW and one of the fantasy sheets, the other being F1 Dungeon Adventure. Also missing are the sheets of Normans and Saxons.

[If anyone has the missing sheets to spare in good condition I have most of the ACW as mint spares for a strait one-for-one swap]

Close-up of the Confederate cavalry sheet, note how the same poses are used for Union and Confederate with a change of paint and also for foot and dismounted cavalry figures with the foot officer reused for the Artillery Officer, in other words, the original artist only had to come up with a small range of poses, yet the finished article still works...

...as can be seen here, there are at least one of everything on the baseboards illustrated. Each sheet came with a base sheet which vaguely matches the bases of the figures.

Comparison between various other modern card flats, left to right; Horse rider from cut-out race game in Christmas edition of Country Life magazine a few years ago; Usborne Publishing medieval peasant from the cut-out and assemble castle; Standard Union standing firer; Steve Jackson Games Half-Orc, this series of cards was recently re-issued as a single spiral-bound book, so if you're taken with them - check Amazon; Finally one of the rarest figures in my whole collection, this is a cut-out and stick figure - in 28mm - of the 54mm Atlantic space series, taken from the collectors cards that were issued with late production Atlantic 54mm WWII figures. I stuck him to a sheet of heavier card before cutting him tight to the artwork, hence the wierd base!

S is for Starlux

The best known of the French producers, these are a few shots of 54mm civilian figures I took a while ago.

These are all factory painted, and were to go with model farm products, as per Britains here in the UK. Interestingly these were not issued in the smaller scales like other Starlux civil stuff.

Paint variations, the one front right, may be (and I stress 'May' be) from a higher priced 'Lux' range, the rest are 'Choc'; the budget range.

Some more poses, I don't collect 54mm (I stop at 50mm) although I think I soon will just to complete the picture as it were, vis-a-vis toy soldier collecting, but in the meantime; will post larger bits form time to time, if someone asks, or I like the items!

S is for S.E.G.O.M.

Societie d' Edition General d' Objets Moules. One of the more sought-after or mythical names in war-gaming circles, SEGOM were primarily a range of 54mm metal figures from France, at some point they experimented with plastics (these are an acetone based injection-moulded resin) possibly as an attempt to counter the products of MDM (who were having a lot of success getting their - factory painted - 40mm figures into hotel and airport departure lounge display cases), in the course of which they produced a very small range of 25mm Napoleonic subjects, for a limited period.

This is the gun, with it's bits, it is of course a French piece, and was moulded in a green plastic.

Here is the same piece after a damn fine paint-job, the guy who painted them has sadly passed away, and I'm afraid I don't know his name, but am glad his work will be seen by a wider audience.

The horse was moulded in two parts with a separate base, there were three poses and three colours, with the bases moulded in the same cream as the figures. Also seen are two of the saddle bag/packs which came separately on the sprue of some mounted figures.

[I have no white 101's but would swap for a dark chocolate one, if you happen to have a spare; eMail me]

By the same artist as the artillery group, showing well what could be achieved with this small range, the figures were (with the exception of a couple of firing foot figures) in non-combat poses and were meant to be for display. He has actually used halves from two different catalogued horses - as was intended - there being a possible 9 different combinations.

Some of the cavalry as issued, note the Lancer on the left and Hussar on the right have their pack/saddle roll moulded onto their bum, but the Cuirassier/Dragoon types have the separate piece attached to the sprue.

S is for S.A.E.

Swedish African Engineers, the final (I think/hope??!!) incarnation of the work of Holgar Ericsson, a man who's style was his saving, as some of his execution was pretty poor, but the sculptural 'life' with which he imbues his figures more than make up for the lumpen state of some of them.

These are a set of Union infantry 'in camp' during the American civil was and are a large 25mm size. He also worked in most other sizes from 18mm through to 40mm Flat and Semi-flat figures. I think this is a full set, and I have a few identical figures in Confederate paint-jobs, so clearly they could have either, a common occurrence with metal ACW across the board!

These are posted in part to help Clive Smithers over at The Old Metal Detector Blog decide whether one of his 'unknowns' is SAE or not;

http://theoldmetaldetector.blogspot.com/search/label/unknown%20manufacturer

When I first saw the figure I thought it probably was, then while taking these photo's I decided it was of better sculpting, now I'm not so sure?

Also by HE (the mark often found on the upper surface of his figures) are these Highlanders of the 1880-1930 period, this is a 'standard' SAE set, presented like old hollow-cast toy soldiers...i.e. a handful of 'standing do'in not much' and an officer!

This is a bit of a mock-up of what they look like in the box, the box needs some work, but I will do it as a restoration project one day and post the pictures here. I will also - at some point - look at some of his other work.

S is for more Shermans

Mostly not actually Shermans, but AFV's on a Sherman Chassis, starting with three more Shermans though;

Front of the row is the Manurba Sherman I've posted before, this is a little on the big side at around 1:65 scale. Next is a pocket money toy, probably by Kleeware, it's marked 'Made in England' and is a UK produced Gilmark U.S. dime-store 'bin toy', proportions are all over the place! Final mark in the line-up is the Midori push-and-go clip-together model, also produced for/in Riko (Richard Kohnstam) packaging.

Comparison shot of the underside of two Midori Shermans, I don't know if there is any significance to the different wheels, i.e. Midori/Riko batches, or just a change of wheel/motor-unit supplier at one point, but some people like this type of variation when collecting old toys, and it means you get to keep both...because 'you MUST have them'!!!

Here we have a slush-cast Lee/Grant (you wanna decide which it's meant to be!!?) and a Rocco Tank Destroyer, the M3 has an antiqued finish like the pencil-sharpener in the previous post but is probably 30 years older - if it's a day!

Two Priest SPG's, the one behind is a contemporary Hong Kong one, the nearer one of the two is a Gilmark original, missing the gun-piece. Compare this to the UK issued Sherman at the top; track units are painted and the US produced vehicle has thermal printed markings.

S is for Sherman

"General" Sherman to the soldiers of the North, "Ronson" to the soldiers of the Normandy breakout! The most common toy/model tank after the Tiger, and coming in all scales and levels of accuracy!

Left to right we have the Matchbox 17lbr. 'Firefly' the Airfix ready-made Firefly and a HaT Sherman. The Matchbox model is a nice one and I've stuck a few sandbags on the front as they did!

This is an Atlantic clip-together (their answer to ready-mades, but with little bits to lose!), she's sitting next to two of the recent Corgi die-casts, one in desert/Tunisian colours, the other more suitable to the Normandy bridgehead.

This slightly more eclectic line-up consists of an 'antiqued' pencil-sharpener 'gift' (with a crude dozer-blade and the suspension of a Pz.II Luchts!!! Not to mention a copy of the Matchbox commander?), next to that is a Hong Kong toy around 1:80, this has a late war turret, and similarities with the Playart toys, but is not from the same range, nor is it marked with anything familiar (W.T. 310?). Finally the little Sherman from the Aurora Anzio Beach model kit/play set, compare this with my first post which showed the carded version of this model.

A comparison shot between the Airfix and Atlantic polythene models, detail on the Airfix one is much better than the Atlantic offering, but the Italian toy has better proportion, the British effort seems a bit flat and/or too wide, so giving the impression it's been trodden on by a giant!

R is for Revell

I can't remember where I got these from, but it was more likely to have been a general toy fair rather than a war-gaming convention. General toy fairs and railway enthusiasts meets always have richer pickings for esoteric collectors such as myself, and I never understand why people complain about - for instance; the lack of Airfix Highlanders, when if you go to the right place you'll find as many as you want.

I used to think these were repackaged Plasticville by Bachmann, but they are in fact a different thing altogether, the kit is not as simple as a Bachmann, not as pre-coloured as the European kits of the same era, yet has more accessories than the Airfix Branchline stuff.

The figures look like Preiser but aren't, there are figures in the set at the top, but they don't show up so well as they are brown, and I haven't taken them out of the bag!

I used to always make up old kits like this, I made-up two (not one but two!) True-scale jailhouses (what an idiot!!), these days I am a little less philistine in my approach to old toys and models, but will always take new production off the sprue - the stuff t'aint never gonna be worth nothing, not even the 'limited edition' sets from the East.

R is for Rose Miniatures

Steady guys, they're as cold as lead and in need of a repaint, which I will attempt in the near future. These are really nice when painted well and are part of a small range of slave-girls and bathing beauties produced - presumably - when sculptors got tired of soldiery!! [Actually the Roman Slave set]. And coming in at about 26mm, quite compatible with some modern plastics (Zvezda/Italeri!!).

R is for Rogue Trooper

The G.I. or Genetic Infantryman was a fast talking, one-liner delivering, sardonic, cynical git with several pieces of fast talking, one-liner delivering, sardonic, cynical equipment! In short; My kind of people!!!!

Making his début in 2000AD comic so long ago it's beyond the capacity of my mind to remember when, but Google reveals it was 1981 3 or 4 years after 2000AD began.

This game was issued by Games Workshop, who sadly not only didn't expand the range, they couldn't even be bothered to design a second figure for the 'Traitor', so we get a 28mm figure for the (6) players' GI's and a 50mm card piece for the traitor.

It was a hybrid game, working on role-play with counter-based elements and card collecting to add to the over complicated rules, which probably point to one reason why it A) disappeared without much fuss, and B) turns up on eBay, mint or near-mint, for bugger-all money on a regular basis!!

The box lid has a fine piece of artwork, stirring the old nostalgia gene! Technically he was 'The' Rogue Trooper and his talking equipment contained the Bio-chips of his dead comrades, Venus Bluegenes was an occasional love-interest, lets have a model of her please!!

R is for Robinson Crusoe

This is almost certainly from a board game, and further the board game almost certainly pre-dates 1965'ish, as by then any game which had not adopted plastic was using/experimenting with die-cast mazak type alloys. He is hollow cast lead and you can see the air-hole in his head where the excess lead would have been poured out while the figure was still in the mould.

Moulds were constructed in the same way as bullet-moulds, two halves hinged together, the mould would be closed, a quantity of molten lead would be poured in, shaken and then the excess poured out before it set.

This process would have to be quick as without the heat-source of the crucible, lead cools very quickly. Indeed the fact that the air-hole was so often in the top of the head, is probably why so many 54mm figures used to divest themselves of their heads, as the cooler lead leaving the mould would settle in greater quantities in the head cavity leaving the figure top-heavy, after a few hits with a matchstick-gun, the head would just roll off!

Finally after waiting a few seconds, the mould would be opened, the figure checked for 'missing bits' and then (still too hot to handle) dropped in either the finished or the reject bin, which is why even mint tied to card in box examples can have dents in them.


This figure has a 'spirit paint' finish, originally in a yellow-gold over silver. The spirit paint was like a modern ink wash, and the colour of this figure (who could have been left silver) suggests a set of identical playing pieces in different colours, if anyone has a spare in another colour I'd love to track some down.

The actual name of the game is unknown to me, however I am sure it's Robinson Crusoe as his garb follows traditional printed renditions from the authors description, and stands exactly 40mm tall.

R is for Rawcliffe Pewter

These were produced some time ago and fit in very nicely with almost everything else being slightly larger than Airfix and slightly smaller than most 25mm (these days 28mm!) metal.

The range was not large, being designed for display a' la Franklin or Danbury Mint. The company is still going but these have not been issued for a while, although they do seem to re-issue items from their inventory from time to time, so they may well become available again one day - especially if they keep getting eMails requesting them...hint...hint!

Although I have tracked them down on the 'net, these are the only two I have managed to get hold of and I think they are both damaged, the pewter is also quite pure, so very soft.

Franklin Mint did a fantastic set of Wild West wagons which would go very well as part of a display with these, if you are a non-painter. They are mostly in these non-aggressive poses, but then they WERE non-aggressive until the White Man started killing them, raping their women and stealing their land (just watched Danceing With Wolves!).