About Me

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No Fixed Abode, Home Counties, United Kingdom
I’m a 60-year-old Aspergic gardening CAD-Monkey. Sardonic, cynical and with the political leanings of a social reformer, I’m also a toy and model figure collector, particularly interested in the history of plastics and plastic toys. Other interests are history, current affairs, modern art, and architecture, gardening and natural history. I love plain chocolate, fireworks and trees, but I don’t hug them, I do hug kittens. I hate ignorance, when it can be avoided, so I hate the 'educational' establishment and pity the millions they’ve failed with teaching-to-test and rote 'learning' and I hate the short-sighted stupidity of the entire ruling/industrial elite, with their planet destroying fascism and added “buy-one-get-one-free”. Likewise, I also have no time for fools and little time for the false crap we're all supposed to pretend we haven't noticed, or the games we're supposed to play. I will 'bite the hand that feeds', to remind it why it feeds.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

S is for Silverlit

Silverlit Toys Manufactory Ltd./Dongguan Silverlit Toys MFY Ltd.

Silverlit Toys, Huai De Toys Factory, Huai De Dongguan, China

See also; Motron, Multimack.

Hong Kong/China.

Produced various small scale toys in 1980's/early 1990's. They seem to have copied other-peoples modulated/clip-together toys, added new components and produced the ‘Multimac’ range from the result. Items from Tomy’s ‘Zoids’ and Bluebird Toys ‘Manta Force’ (itself part-Tomy) are identifiable, including a chrome-plated seated astronaut. They also used Roco-Minitanks NATO infantry in the press release/box art photographs. Some vehicles also produced by/under Motron trademark/name.

Incomplete list

Galaxy Series (Sci-fi toys with copy of Tomy pilot/vehicle commander, 20mm)
№ ? - Radar Cannon
№ 9074c - Power Shovel
№ ? - Mighty Drill
№ ? - Super Cannon
№ 9077c - Cannon Tractor
№ ? - Planet Explorer
Ocean Discovery Series (underwater vessels with jointed diver/spacemen figures, 30mm)
- Commander Sub
Item No. 92884W - Octopathfinder Set
- Shark Marine Sub Set

M is for Matchbox...no!...; MGM copies of Matchbox!

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future.

MGM SuperToy International
Blister-packed pirates of Matchbox German Infantry

P is for Padgett

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future.

Padgett Brothers (A-Z) Limited
Imported late, crude copies of the Marx/Blue Box Noah's Ark play-set, but with larger/out of compatible scale animals and only two (40mm) figures (Mr. and Mrs. Noah?!)
Known listinsgs
Cat No. 5009465 Noah's Ark

R is for RAE

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future.

RAE
Produced 40mm'ish horse, no saddlery, probably farm play-set item or die-cast horse-box accessory. Marked; (C) RAE 1972 MADE IN HONG KONG.
List
Horse

L is for Labelle

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future.Labelle Industries
Railway figures, HO, unknown plastic.
Figures
7001 - Waving and sitting
7002 - Slouching and Leaning
7003 -
7004 - All four unpainted

A is for ABC

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future.
ABC (Hong Kong producer)
Various figures mostly pirates of other manufacturers, all marked ABC
20mm WWII range
- Combat (1965)
- Unbreakable Military Police Patrol
40/50mm range
- [8th Army]
- Cowboys (piracies of BritainsSwoppets’)
- Indians (piracies of BritainsSwoppets’)
- English Civil War (piracies of BritainsHerald’)
Other Items
- Mini Trucks (1-ton Humber Pig copies)

N is for Naturecraft

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future. Naturecraft

Factory painted plaster animals, touristy. Might be eight, or possibly ten sculpts in total?

List of known items
Bear (20mm approximately)
Bison (20mm approximately)
Elephant (10mm'ish)
Koala Bear (closer to 1:25?)
- Lion (closer to 54mm)
- Panda Bear (closer to 54mm)
- Tiger (closer to 54mm)
 

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

12 is for 12 to Midnight

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future.

12 to Midnight
Produces role playing (paper-based) games and accessories, not believed to have produced any figures.

O is for Orion (and Dark Dream Studios)

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future. Already needs updateing, best place to go is PSR, link to left in bloglist.

Orion/Dark Dream Studio
Dark Dream range
72001 -
72002 - Landsknechts (Sword/Arquebus)
72003 - Pilots of the First World War
72004 - Landsknechts (Pike)
72005 - European knights
Orion Range
72001 - English Pirates
72002 - Chechen Rebels
72003 - Modern Russian Federals
72004 - Vikings
72005 - Gladiators
72006 - Roman Sailors
72007 - Polish Winged Hussars
72008 - Roman Siege Troops
72009 - Boxer Rebellion
72010 - Turkish Janissaries
72011 - Red 1st Cavalry
72012 - Modern Israeli Army [still only ‘announced’, true to mid-2010]
72013 - Ukrainian Foot Cossacks and Artillery
72014 - Cossack Cavalry
72015 - Medieval Siege Engines Part 1
72016 - Medieval Siege Engines Part 2
72017 - Volkssturm
72018 - German Paratroopers
72019 - Medieval Siege Troops
72020 - Turkish Cavalry [still only ‘announced’, true to mid-2010]
72021 - Parthian Heavy Cavalry
72022 - Assyrian Rams
72023 - Assyrian Siege Tower
72024 - Scythian Cavalry
72025 - Scythian Infantry
72026 - Basmachi
72027 - Byzantine Infantry
72028 - Slavic Warriors
72029 - Early Rus Warriors
72030 - Khazar Army
72031 - Rus Foot Knights (Druzhina)
72032 - Kievan Rus Infantry
72033 - Rus Mounted Knights [still only ‘announced’, true to mid-2010]
72034 - Cumans (Polovets) and Pechenegs [still only ‘announced’, true to mid-2010]
72035 - Iberian Infantry [still only ‘announced’, true to mid-2010]
72036 - Soviet Tankmen and Crew (Summer Campaign Dress), [still only ‘announced’, true to mid-2010]

3 is for 3-D Contours

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future.

3-D Contours
This seems to be a trade-name only. Apparently produced a series of scenic/terrain pieces and entrenchments. They/he also provided a painting service. There is notheing else known at this time.

I is for Incorporated - 1320 Inc

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future.

1320 Incorporated
1320 Inc. made/make models for/of Drag Racers, not known if they still exist, not known if they produced figures.

Z is for ZIP

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future.

ZIP
Hong Kong producer of 54mm farm animals with 'ZIP' marking
Animals
- Hen
- Pig
- Sheep

E is for Evolution

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future.

Evolution
EVC002 - Russo-Balt 1914 Armoured Car
EVF001 - Napoleonic Polish Infantry
EVF002 - Macedonian Cavalry
EVF003 - Bactrian Cavalry
EVF004 - Scythian Cavalry
EVF005 - Macedonian Artillery
EVF006 - Parthian Cataphracts with M Crassus
EVF007 - Parthian Cataphracts with Roman Prisoners
EVF008 – Gastraphet
EVF009 – Ballista
EVF010 - Onager and Crew
EVF011 - Scorpion and Crew
EVF012 – Vinea
EVF013 – Inquisition
EVF014 - Medieval Knights
EVF015 - Medieval Mortar and Crew
EVF016 – Pirates
EVF017 - Napoleonic War French Engineers
EVF018 - Wellington's Generals
EVF019 - World War II Russian M30 Howitzer
EVF020 - World War II Russian Anti-tank Gun
EVF021 - Russian Artillery Crew
EVF022 - Russian Pilots and Ground Crew
EVF023 - War Elephant
EVF024 - Napoleonic French Band
EVF025 - German Horse Wagon
EVF026
EVF027 - Napoleonic Polish Infantry
EVF028 - Celtic Warriors
EVF029 - Carthaginian Mercenaries
EVF030 - World War I German Cavalry
EVF031 - Russian Tank Crew
EVF032 - Roman Legionary Artillery
EVF033 - Medieval Russian Warriors
EVF034 - Cavalry of Imperial Rome
EVF035 - Roman Assault Troops Testudo
EVF036 - Dacian Cavalry
EVF037 - Sarmat Cavalry
EVF038 - Bosporan Cavalry
EVF039 - Roxolan Cavalry
EVF040 - Cossack Artillery
EVF041 - Roman Artillery
EVF042
EVF043
EVF044
EVF045
EVF046
EVF047
EVF048
EVF049
EVF050
EVF051
EVF052
EVF053
EVF054
EVF055 - Russian Medieval Knight
EVF056
EVF057
EVF058
EVF059
EVF060

Q is for Quaker Oats Breakfast Cereals

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future.

Quaker Oats
The U.K. arm of this multi-national carried two lots of 1:76 scale figures in the 1970’s, both sets were issued in 'Sugar Puffs' and possibly 'Oat Crispies' (Now called 'Oat Crisp'), and in the case of the Gladiators; have been falsely attributed to Kellogg’s and Nabisco Foods. Dates are unknown; exact contents of each promotion are also unknown - memory serves that the Gladiators were issued as two foot or one mounted, see entry below for thoughts on the Airfix combat troops.
Gladiators
Possibly made by Hilco’s plastics division (or late Cherilea who ended up with the Hilco moulds), going purely on the plastic colours used. These are uncommon and command a premium when encountered. The excess stock (or moulds) seem to have ended up with Tom Smith who carried them for several years, my own memories are of single figures coming in Christmas crackers around 1974/5
- 5 x Foot figure poses (some of which make good Roman soldiers, particularly from the end of empire era)
- 3 x Mounted figure poses (one of which is suitable for use as a republican Roman)
- 1 x Hollow horse similar in construction to Hong Kong horses but are of a unique design.
British Infantry
These are supplied by Airfix and consist of an unknown number of ‘Combat Group’ (probably a sprue, or a sprues worth?). See Airfix for further details.

3 is for 3-D Miniatures

This has been imported from 'Boring Blog' (which I will close down) and may have images or other text added in the future.

3-D Miniatures
Producing metal and resin (28mm?) castings for themselves and others (Aberrant Games, Darkson Designs) using new CAD/CAM technology and 3-D printing, they may very well prove to be the future of toy and model soldiers
Bitz Range
3DM-FA-BTZ-0001 - Zombie Heads
3DM-FA-BTZ-0002
3DM-FA-BTZ-0003
3DM-FA-BTZ-0004 - Slugman Alien Heads
3DM-FA-BTZ-0005 - Cyber Ratman Heads
3DM-FA-BTZ-0006 - Mutant Heads
SF/Weapons Ranges
3DM-SF-BTZ-0001 - Heavy Weapons set
3DM-SF-BTZ-0002 - Caseless Rifle
3DM-SF-BTZ-0003 - Lazer Rifle
GaurTaur Figure Range
3DM-FA-GAU-0001 - GaurTaur Minotaur
Sumeru Figure Range
3DM-FA-UND-0001 - Hungry Ghost
Thrade/SF figure ranges
3DM-SF-THR-0001 - Thrade Scout Advancing with Rifle
3DM-SF-THR-0002 - Thrade Scout w/ Rifle Raised, Signaling with Hand
3DM-SF-THR-0003 - Thrade Scout, Kneeling w/ Rifle, Readying to Fire
3DM-SF-THR-0004 - Thrade Scout Armed w/ Dual Disintegrator Pistols
3DM-SF-THR-0005 - Thrade Scout w/ Disintegrator Pistol and Scanner
3DM-SF-THR-0006 - Thrade Scout Using Psychic Powers
3DM-SF-THR-0007 - Thrade Scouting Force
3DM-SF-THR-0008 - Thrade Scout Rifleman Squad
3DM-SF-THR-0009 - Thrade Emissary
‘Crusoe’ Designs
- Ceremonial Tripod/Brazier
- Chaos Stone
- Large Cauldron