News Views etc...German Toy Soldier Show - Herne

Don't forget...it's this coming Sunday...

 

...all those tables will be loaded to overflowing - with fantastic stuff!

 

Details here.

News, Views Etc...Links

Just time for three new entries on the A-Z (did the Dolls earlier!)

Two were covered in the autumn - Fairchild and Highlander, the other (Mulberry) achived some approbrium via its comments sections from anonymous...it's always anonymous!

Highlander Toy and Miniature Military
Mulbery Miniatures
Fairchild / Selcol-Fairchild

Hope that's all spelt correctly...apparently my problem with Vodafone is down to their shop software not being able to cope with [four year] old technology!

News, Views Etc...New Page

I have posted a new page:

Dancing Dolls

It has taken 18 months to research and collate (on and off) and four or five weeks to unload, finish and edit, so I hope you enjoy it...understanding - of course - that most toy soldier fans couldn't give a feckin' heel for small plastic 'dolls'!

I will add the four companies histories to the A-Z pages tomorrow and add the links here and to the DD page when I've done so.



Two day later....Needless to say I didn't get that done yesterday and Vodafone (the Prince of Internet Darkness) have decided I'm library bound again! I have got a Van Brode draft up though, and a Clinton Mfg. cross-ref., so it's slowly hapening!

Commonwealth on the A-Z
Sanitarium on the A-Z
Van Brode on the A-Z

All done!

N is for New Blog

Dear Prime Minister...understand; I am partisan!

C is for Craftline Canal Cruisers

As Hornby struggle to re-finance, threatening three other old brands for the umpteenth time; Airfix, Scalextric and Corgi, it's nice to know that some companies just keep plugging away at what they do best, not going for world domination, not experimenting with new lines, new materials or new production chains, just...plugging away...

...and one such is Craftline Models, makers of fine craft-models (you have to do the bulk of the work) in balsa-wood, primarily for the model railway hobby, their vessel kits and buildings (well, lock-gates and bridges!) are also very useful for 'Operation Sealion' scenarios.

The lower shot is a scan of an old 1IW Toy Fair article, and represents the models carried by Hobbie's Annual in the 2000's, the full range is a little bigger now, and I'll get a listing in the A-Z before the end of the day and post the link here.

They have updated their header-card over the 40-odd years I've been aware of them! Possibly three times? But the enclosed sheet and balsa components have ensured the packaging dimensions have remained the same.

Their core customer base is not even model-railway aficionados, these are for sale at every 'corner' shop, gift shop and general store along the paths of Britains waterways, craft and industrial museums, tourist hot-spots like Iron Bridge and those sorts of places...and it was where I got one, doing the Grand Union Canal back in 1977/8...

...my modelling skills, especially with balsa were not show-stopping back then, and I have since made a much better one which I'd been hoping to show here as well, but the photographs haven't been forthcoming from the recipient! I could 'do' this 'up', but it's a bit of my past, and I intend to build one of the three in the stash at some point...we'll come back to them then!

AMX is for Blobs of Plastic

Another quick Montaplex box-tick...or envelope-lick! They actually produced three of these AMX-13 a'like AFV's, which is strange as Spain was never (as far as I know or can find) a user of the type...maybe one of the colonies? The third model is a micro-blob in - I think - two parts and not shown here, the others are workable with a hot glue-gun, sharp knife and application of advanced painting skills!

The earlier version is the white one on the left, it's very crude and has a tendency to fall-apart as soon as you've [nearly] finished putting it together! The later one (shown on the envelope as a Pz.II 'Luchs' - Lynx) was a more realistic sculpt, but still fails to model the canvas cover of the oscillating-turret, or indeed the turret; terribly well at all.

Comparison between the two construction systems, ironically the track-units on the fall-apart version have a better profile than those on the re-design. They both have a poor excuse for the flash-eliminator!

B is for Battle-Squads

Galoob really blossomed in the 1980's and 1990's and were responsible for a group of really nice toy lines before or alongside their Micro-Machines, among which were the Z-Bots and and Army Gear which we will look at briefly (I only have small samples of each) here soon, and these - Battle Squads.

They are a sort of parallel range to Action Fleet, being an scale-up of the Micro-Machine concept; in the same way that range scaled-up the Star Wars MM's, these scale-up the combat stuff. The figures become 28/30mm mini 'Action Figures' with two (whole!) points of articulation; the hips and shoulders, and have greater play-value in the vehicles.

That enhanced play-value is illustrated here with the LVTP7/1A: Cupolas open, rear door and top hatch operate, the troop compartment takes at least eight figures, the turret traverses and a bloody-great rocket launcher has been welded to the side! Compare with the micro-machine in the main pic. The tracks are fixed, moulded units with hidden carpet-wheels.

There were two 'army builder' packs of 9 figures each, all in a loose/generic late-1980's early 1990's US combat uniform with 'Fritz' helmet, one set in 'army' green/khaki, the other set in 'German' grey!

The small number of sets issued in this line would also contain figures; typically two, or two per vehicle/aircraft. There was a large play set with a Hercules heavy-lift transport and para-drop-able Jeep which recalled Dinky's Mini Moke with a pallet and everything! the above collage is a few of those figures.

The ranges - like most these days - had no real or apparent aim, nor parameters, and consisted of a few planes (approximately 1:70) a few larger and smaller vehicles (1:64th/US slot-racing 'HO'), the later with under-scaled scenic pieces and as a separate range within the line some 4 or 5-inch (?) action figure sets!

As with the 3 ACW figures tacked-on to the end of the Micro-Machine combat series, this lack of a vision for the brand leaves us with a couple of WWII Germans and a few Vietnam era M1-helmeted guys.

The anachronistic figures probably came with the Jeep and Kubelwagen - two of the smaller vehicles - who are seen here alongside a rather tasty Big-wheeled Ferret in RN Mediterranean-grey! Cyprus? A towed-Hawk SAM battery can be towed by the A/Car or either of the two utility vehicles which are ten-times nicer after their cannons have been sent to recycling!

I do like a gunship, when it's not pointing it's nose at me over 'the wire' on a march and shoot! Those Hind-D's...they're big, like large flying houses, and noisy...like a Sea King on steroids! The same missile launcher as the Amtrak has been strapped to the stub-wing on this Hawk/Cobra'esque beast.

Worth seeking if you've not got any yet, the line could have been so much more with a little thought and some time for expansion. Mint boxed sets still turn-up on evilBay all the time. Yes...I should have dusted-it...in my defence I'm carrying around a prescription for glasses I can't afford!

S is for Skeleton Skull Knights

Looking at PVC lumps; these came-in just before Christmas, there are quite a few of them around, and while I have a some in storage (odds and sods) I didn't get sets when they were common first time around, but now they are mostly enjoying re-issues, or what looks like - in this case - copy of copy status!

99p Stores via PMS these are 'Skull Knight Knight's From Hell'...so they're knights then? Apart form a few dodgy round shields there's nothing to place them historically, but as with Zombies, there are no rules, they're make-believe! Shaun looked at them in much greater depth here - I love the psychedelic bag of eight figures!

Eight rather soft poses, leading to some odd posing which requires a bit of hot-water treatment down the clinic! The lower shot compares them with some of the commoner 'other' skeletal warriors, left to right: Dark World (Canada Games), Heroquest (MB Games via Games Workshop) and the Egyptian-looking 100 Piece Army Skeleton Warriors currently available about the place - also including a 'Battling Pirates' set.

Four more of the larger figures, with the painted original which was issued by Playwrite as Tomb Warrior Skeleton Warriors the baseless one is the mounted version. The final figure is one of those odd pencil-tops with a hollow too big for a pencil...I'm guessing they start life as American Halloween cake decorations, and end-up here as bagged rack-toys, or gum-ball prizes?

Various Christmas cracker and gum-ball skeletons, and a Chap Mai 'Skull Fighter' giant next to the 99p Store/PMS one.

Shaun's got more here

F is for Follow-up - Deadstone Valley

Well...what can I say...I'm a  weak man...they reappeared at Christmas and were discounted to 67p each a few weeks ago (I got you one for the stash, as well Ed), so I couldn't refuse and now have a worryingly large sample of these - for less than a tenner, all-in, over many months! They are horrid though!

Their stockist (99p Stores) has now gone, and been replaced by it's buyer; Poundland, so it remains to be seen where the remaining stock will turn-up, but I'm guessing Poundland will carry them themselves at some point, they've both been carrying the same vape-juice for a couple of months now, so I'd imagine the bulk of the 99p exclusives will be returned to the warehouse, sorted into usable stock bundles and sent back out to selected Poundland's, but some of it will be off-loaded to clearance wholesalers, so worth looking out for it in a discount-store near you!

O is for Other Hong Kong Horses

Mentioned the other night in the old show-photo's post, these are about 15mm for gaming purposes, and were issued in Christmas Crackers here (UK), but probably also in gum-ball machines here or elsewhere.

Britains Swoppet poses, there seem only to be the six (three each; Cowboys & Indians) and like the Lone Star cracker toys, seem to come in every colour under the sun, but in one's, or the occasional two or three! Also like the L*S figures, they are single mouldings of rider and horse together. There were a couple of other colours in the shot the other day I think, which at 7 figures was likely someone else's amassing!

This (bottom right-hand shot) is four-years worth, with my original sample in the upper scan (and a 1IW shot to the left?), they did grow somewhat - as a sample - between the photo's being taken and them going into storage, so we'll look at them again one day when they are all together and get-at-able!

These are also a tad removed from the run-of-the-mill Hong Kong hollow-horses, in that the horses are solid, but otherwise there's not much in it, the foot figures are standard fare, and the riders likewise: common HK post-Giant poses, with the leg-plugs.

Given away with breakfast cereal, they were also available in the US (maybe first?) so it will probably be one of the less popular brands over here like Force or Grape-nuts?

M is for Mini Play Sets

I can't remember when I reviewed these in One Inch Warrior magazine, but I seem to remember it was an early issue, so they must have been shown at the Toy fair around 2001/2-'ish? They started turning -up at car boot sales about 2006 anyway, and I've procured this little handful, which are really only good for a box tick, as while they have been branded to various stores and chains, they were originally Blue Box, so this gets them on that tag!

In the style of Micro-machines or Action Fleet from Galoob, but a little stumpier; I think these were a Knights of the Round table play-set with (note sword 'in stone') King Arthur centre, and Guinevere as one of the two ladies of the court top right.

Other sets had a more magical or fantasy setting with dragons and ghosts and stuff. All the little weapons are the same, but the shields had different stickers and the horses alternative paint.

When a set has background stickers on a separate sheet, there are often on or two that can be turned into a card 'flat', such is the case with this suit of armour, I have similar Storm-troopers and a couple of crowds of civilians in my Galoob Star Wars collection!

Larger accessories, there were also sets of Romans and US Cavalry/Wild West if I recall correctly? With various accessories being issued in more than one set. Each set was centred on a small, not terribly realistic/useful [to gamers], clip-together fort.

I'm not sure if the Turtles weren't issued by Playmates, but that might have been something similar? Clearly there was also a pirate set, with what looks like one of Tom of Finland's friends starring in a leather jerkin! That's Blue Box micro-action figures ticked off.

R is for Rocketry

We'll pull the shutter down on 'space day' after this one! having taken your winged Electra-Glide or fancy train into town avoiding the steam-punk road roller on the way, you need transport of an altogether more violent nature to escape the 'surly bonds of Earth' and travel to your intergalactic heavy-weapons stations....

...and there's no shortage of choice in the space-port today! the Chromium-plated Thunderbirds ones are candy-container lids I think? Or actually candy-containers, missing their lids..sherbet dips? The dime-store three-stage is unknown to me, while the chocolate-brown cap-bomb is a particularly fine example of the genre, although passengers must be strapped to the outside please!

Two Wannatoys space-cars might have made for a better trip to the space-port, than either a Harley-D or a 'streamlined' train! Although the cockpit nacelle/bubble-canopy is the wrong way round on one of them and it's not that clear which one!

A close-up of the dime-store rocket and a couple of larger space weapons....one - the missile-launcher is a very common design, being given away with American cereals, British comics, copied by Jean &etc...ad nauseum in dozens of slightly different designs and various polymers - we will return to them, in a post of their own one day.

The other is a copy in plastic of the Lone Star army-lorry piece originally a die-cast item.

S is for Space...Cannons and Trains

From the plastic colours these are believed by some to be almost certainly Ajax or Archer, but could just as easily be Lido or Plasticraft, for now though - hobby wide - they remain unknown! I actually favour Plasticraft...the pastel metallic mauve and that pale minty-blue gun?

Small dime-store cards of micro-toys, being a futuristic train (which hasn't happened yet!) and a set of heavy weapons...bargain!

Similar aerodynamic trains were in service, back in the fifties, with a steam-loco under the fairing, I love how the fairings give-away the prescence of standard twin-bogies underneath!

But we're still waiting for ray-guns, disintegration-rifles, sonic-destroyers, immobilisation-sprayers, phasers and just about everything else that was predicted back in the days of real 'pulp' fiction. We do have a range of much smaller, small-arms rounds, with no real stopping power?

"But the ambulances...think of the ambulances they'll need!" Yeah...those Talib's; they really choked-up the Hindu Kush with convoys of para-medical, paraphernalia...didn't they? And that Putin fellow...he starts shaking and orders more military medical facilities every-time someone says "NATO" on the radio! Although he is offering a 5.56 export model of his 7.62 squaddie-killer!

R is for Road Roller

Apropos a comment I left on Geoff's Superhero's blog;

The slightly 'futuristic' (or engine-less/air-powered), dime-store/pocket-money, road-roller from Irwin, although it has a steam-stack! In the 1950's the future was clearly steam-punk! If you followed the link to Geoff's blog, you'll know what a Harley Davidson Electra-Glide was going to look-like in the future! Doh!

I'm afraid these are a couple of the first 'test' shots I ever took on a digital camera back in 2007, so they are low-res as I hadn't sussed the tulip-function out!

S is for Spacemen...by Comansi; Ovni and Thunderbirds

We've looked at these Spanish Comansi figures before, both the Thunderbirds and the Ovni (UFO) figures, but new colours and new poses guarantees a return visit!

Bagged set of rubber-horrors like mine, as I think I said last time: In this form they are common, box-fulls turn-up at Sandown Park regularly, so don't pay over the odds BIN prices for them on evilBay! As polyethylene figures (left-hand lot) they are a tad less common, but only a tad!

[I now can't find them in the tag list, so maybe I never posted them? A return there then at some point, although mine might be the same pink/yellow ones? I seem to remember telling you all about their deformation in rubber, but sometimes I'm just 'writing' an article in my head as I handle figures which I then forget to photograph!?]

A much better sample of the Ovni figures than we looked at last time, again earlier ethylene, I haven't discovered yet how many poses there are, but it's probably a few more than shown here?

Close-ups of the base marks, I don't know if the numbers are in-house stock codes, or wacky 'futurist' dates, and if the later, why the difference? The painted originals are the rarer, box ticked.