News, Views etc . . . dying!

If you're reading this I haven't posted anything new until at least next Tuesday, due to my imminent death from man-flu! I posted Fridays stuff on Thursday while half-asleep and then [probably] went back to bed, where I had been for the preceding 24hrs, and yes; I know there are worse things happen as sea, but I'm not at sea, I'm at sixes and nines!

Still, yesterday was the 12th, and today is a Saturday, which can only mean . . .

. . . it's exactly four months to the best show of the year! Which is just the news you need in on a grey January day, full of flu!

Come back on Tuesday, there'll be something here!

Thought for the Day 12

For anyone who thinks to decive . . .

A half-truth is a whole lie

-          Russian Proverb

P is for Picasa Clearance - Matchbox WWII British Commandos

Took these in 2013, so well over-due for their Blog appearance! Bit of a box-ticker, but it'll all be here one day!

A couple of colour variations; with a washy, apple-green paddler and a pale, greyish, olive-drab boat.

Note the 'Spruletts' on the right-hand figure, in a mint set they all should have one or two of them.

Baseless and prone figures, I'm missing the ladder (and possibly a couple of figures?) but I only started collecting the large scale nine-years ago! And I think you'll find the small-scale set in/from the tag-list to which these have now been added - box ticked!

D is for Dunderheads (Sterwin Watch)

Well, it's like shooting fish in a barrel isn't it? They wanted to open a new front on the day-to-day ID'ing of figures, spent last week not knowing their own space figures or failing to comprehend the term Amerindian and then this priceless piece of fuckwittery from TJF turned-up;

It's Selcol you dimwitted dunderhead, you think to correct me on a foreign figure I said I didn't know, yet appear incapable of copying a name from the magazine - presumably - open in front of you! Still - it's nice to see I'm not the only one driving your output in 2017, you have no original ideas in you, do you; no imagination?

I'm so surprised he thought it was the non-existent 'Secol', in fact I'm so surprised . . . went to floor . . . and x else . . . Yadayada!

After Mr. Churchill - the dog!

Sacul - Oooh yes! Oooh yes! (British, Mr Lucas)

Salco - Oooh yes! Oooh yes! (British, Salco-Toytown)

Secal - Oooh-nononononononoo! (See Sacul or Segal?)

Secol - Oooh-nononononononoo! (Invented by Paul 'The Jabbering Fuck' Staddinger)

Secor - Oooh yes! Oooh yes! (US, Jerome Secor Manufacturing)

Selco - Oooh yes! Oooh yes! (Portuguese, Leeway Selco)

Selcol - Oooh yes! Oooh yes! (British, Selmer-Selcol (MPI), Selcol Products Ltd)

Segal - Oooh yes! Oooh yes! (British, Phillip Segal)

Segom . . . (that's enough sec's and sell's! Ed.)

Of course - it's only a typo (albeit repeated!) but if he's going to pick me up on minor points I'm going to remind everyone he gets it wrong several time s a week! Pot and kettle, goose and gander . . .

From the 'here's how it works' Department.

First the cock-wakin' monkey-lizard is sent to Vichy France to demand answers;

Who made it !??? Not even a 'please'; now he may be intending to be polite, but because he clearly gets an illiterate 5-year old to do all his typing it's hard to tell!

A couple of hours Googling later (allowing for the differences between British and European Summer Time and Eastern Standard Time) and he's waxing lyrical, well maybe not 'lyrical' chapter-&-verse as if he's the 'Walking encyclopedia of toy solders' one of his more sycophantic supporters put it a while ago.

No he isn't; as I've said before and will say again, he makes it up as he goes along when he's not stealing other peoples efforts without credit, he didn't even thank the chap who told him where to look - for reasonably common 1970/80's Polish figures?

I'm so surprised he thought it was French, in fact I'm so surprised . . . went to floor . . . and x else, etc...etc...! Too bloody funny; these Muppets are too bloody funny.

". . . more Central and or South American . . ." try 'Amerindian'! You're both Too Funny!

Thought for the Day 11

For the junior members of Vichy and the PSTSM . . .

Men, it has been said, think in herds,

it will be seen they go mad in herds.

While they recover their senses slowly,

and only one-by-one

-          Charles McKay

P is for Picasa-Clearer . . . Rubber Cat-Girl-Lady-Woman

Peter Evans sent me this just before Christmas, and apart from 'Thank you Peter' I really don't know what to say about it, or what to make of it, so I offer it up for your delectation . . .

. . . it's a silicone-rubber, Cat-woman - super deform, full of water! I dare-say there is some alcohol in the mix to prevent greening, although you have to really squeeze her to make her transparent (as the pastor said about the actress!) and she is marked with the usual DC Comics licensing panel and on the base a 'KXAA'. The disc-marking is a production-date code thing.

The nature and properties of her material have left her a bit hirsute! Meiow! Google reveals they are called 'Mashems' and they cover Marvel as well . . . 

Kev's Toy Fun

The KXAA turns out to be a radio-station in New York, and the Mashems are actually made by Tech 4 Kids - New tag!

S is for Sterwin Watch . . .

Did you see what I did there, sort of like 'Amerind', except it's Stads and Erwin!

Being the latest nonsense from Paul 'The Jabbering Fuck' Stadinger (TJF) and his cock-wackin' money lizard; Erwin 'Makin' it up as I go Along, Again' Sell. Crappy Post but I can't have the two idiots thinking they're getting away with it!

How fucktarded is he? . . .

. . . This fucktarded apparently! And what the hell is an 'A. American - brackets - Peruvian' when it's at home, some unleavened bread, an Arizonan wall-builder? Still it’s nice to know he has a hand - for all that cock-wackin'! Too funny, just too funny!

I could have used the word 'Mesoamerican' but I would have been on shakier ground, so I used the cover-all (for a figure I'd admitted I didn't know 100%) . . . 'Amerindian' . . .

. . .  which was the correct word to use, this is the Oxford University page, but there are others - all saying the same thing! In point of fact had a tossed the coin for and got Mesoamerican I would have been spot-on, but I'm careful, so lost a Brownie-point!

This guy is so stupid, so ignorant, so utterly fucktarded he sought to correct me on a word which has totally escaped him, a word which it didn't even strike him as maybe being worth Googling before his pontification! Trying to be clever when you're not very clever is not very clever. Too funny, just too funny!

Meanwhile his sponsor [TJF] has decided to spend January (or maybe the whole year?) playing I've got those too! This means I'm now literally driving the output on Stad's stuff - pretty poor output - it has to be said! Unfortunately it seems he didn't have the Lido 'Captain Video' figures necessary 'cos he showed some Lido knights he's shown before, instead - not a full set or anything useful like that-  and then threw-up some other space figures which he stated he didn't know!

Can he (or his supporters) not see the blatant hypocrisy in pulling me up for not knowing a Spanish figure, then he, himself; not knowing his own US-made Ajax and Archer, like his apprentice, he's too fucking funny! And - as I've said before - as thick as pig-shit; if not thicker, he started this war a year ago and so far has done a very bad job of prosecuting it.

If I wanted to play along!

While he has - for a while now - shown a tendency to play I've got those (or something similar!) too, I try not to post stuff they've recently shown (because I don't need to follow, too busy leading!) unless it's a major correction, so this lot (above) which has been in the queue for a while can stay in Picasa for a while-longer and we'll look at other stuff!

To find a level of stupid to match that coming from the PSTSM's headquarters these days, you have to go to Kim Jong-un's palace . . . or the White House! Hard to tell; both buildings are inhabited by child-like ranters with weird hair!

The children are making a concerted-effort to take over the nursery! Something more toy-like this afternoon!

Thought for the Day 10

For people who keep secrets . . .

In time all things are revealed. 

Dragged, kicking and screaming 

into the light 

- Unknown

P is for Picasa-Clearer . . . Hot Foot Snow-Boarder

This guy came in with all the other key-rings back in July was it? Anyway, he's been in Picasa too long, and somehow managed to miss all the other key-ring postings, some of which were elsewhere I think?

'Hot Foot' snow-boarder, I'm not sure if he's a branded premium (doesn't appear to be from Google?) or just carrying a 'Rad' graphic man! PVC vinyl-rubber key-ring.

News, Views Etc . . . Toys in the Media

Rather thin gruel this time and with only two figures; but there are seven images which meant it was easier to hive them off to a separate post, only to make room for other stuff in the other 'News, Views...' posts. Minor rant after the 7th image . . . politicicicing again - don't you know!

A while ago now, this turned-up in some half-serious magazine, the title of which I can't even remember now, it's gone to recycling, but I think it might have been the disability magazine Focus or Soldier Magazine (the official mag' of the British army), anyway, it - obviously - depicts the houses from Monopoly (it was illustrating an article on purchasing property-for-profit if I recall correctly).

The interesting thing is that although they look like the old wooden houses (and are wooden), they are also very clean and new looking with rounded/smoothed edges in a more modern style, so I'm guessing that among the plethora of Monopoly versions out there is a De Luxe, 'legacy' or 'nostalgia' set with newer wood-buildings? And - of course; those Pound-coins are history now!

Mary Mother of Christ! No, no, as far as I know TJF hasn't said anything untoward in the last 48-hours*; it's Mary, the mother of the Little Baby Jesus! On a bookie-wook! Although judging by the title; she's turned to the demon 'Drrrink'!

Looks to be one of those slip-cast, hollow, 6-8 inch, bisque-fairings, with a terracotta wash and over-decoration.

* Turns out he has, but I'll cover it later in the week.

Also on a book cover we have what looks to be Airfix's (or Frog's?) Boulton-Paul Defiant (sans fiddly-bits) or Hurricane night-fighter (?) and a Ford Escort (Granada?), the title is clever and found on all the books on the shelf, the spine of the actual tome photographed being identical to those in the artwork!

Dominos being used to flog watches in Woman & Home magazine!

I can't remember where I found this - it may have been the Daily Wail or the Evening Standard? Anyway; it's an article on the art of packing your luggage, illustrated with Priser's flight-bags! If only we all had the problems that belabour the jet-set huh?!

This has been/is in most of the daily print-media these last few months in various formats or dimensions, and we like it because it's got a gnome, and last time we ran gnomes here TJF ran them a few days later, will he oblige again or does it have to be tagged to Leprechauns?

This was the funniest . . . a Daily Wail, article complaining that one of its readers - having taken out a year's insurance and opted for the instalments payment choice, had written his car of and got 100-squid in scrappage, only to think he shouldn't have to keep making the payments on the policy - something The Fail seem to agree with!

Beautifully summing-up the hypocrisy of the Right, of whom the Daily Pail is standard-bearer; they don't think the less fortunate should be given a penny or a leg-up, but one of their readers should be let-off his contractual obligations!

If you pay in-full, up front and get less for the car than the policy is worth, you don't get a reimbursement, yet their oafish-reader shouldn't have to pay-up to the full amount, because his car wasn't worth it? The twisted 'Trumpundbrexit!' logic of the selfish, self-regarding, self-absorbed, small-c 'conservative', parochial, reactionary, 'moral (white, over-50, lower middle-class, mostly male) majority' . . . they make me puke with their Tory votes and desire for a Thatcher Museum!

Nice stock-image though - Minis; Wolsey, BMC and Austin Morris I think, from the Leyland days and presumably a mix of Dinky, Corgi, Spot-On and . . . ? I think also; they are all slightly different?

That's it for the toys spotted around and about, usually flogging stuff, or an idea, have you seen any?

Thought for the Day 9

For Trumpundbrexit'eers everywhere . . .

Those who would sacrifice freedom for security
deserve neither

- Benjamin Franklin

P is for Picasa Clearance - Britains' Universal/Bren-gun Carrier

It's a Carden-Lloyd configured Carrier in the section-fire support Bren-gun role of an infantry company's carrier, as made by Britains in slush-cast lead with hollow-cast crew figures, photographed on Mercator Trading's table a year or two ago. That's it.

News, Views Etc . . . Unknowns . . . Now Known!

So we've had readers ID a couple of items recently and as they may have been missed over the holiday season (traffic was right down!), or because the post concerned was some time ago, and also because I didn't put them in the Tag List at the time; I thought I'd shove them in a 'News, Views', to highlight them again.

Dan recognised these unknowns from Brian B as having been sold by Target, mid December and then remembered they were on Thor Trains 'Army Men' site, providing both links. When I was putting everything on the dongle I found a folder with the [now] familiar title of 'Double Dippin' Fun' and realised Shaun had posted them a while ago as well!

Between Thor's site and the Fantasy blog there's good imagery for both the figures and accessories along with the packaging . . .for two brand marks, links;

Thor's Figure page - http://www.thortrains.net/armymen/medfigs1.html

Thor's Accessories page - http://www.thortrains.net/armymen/medfigs2.html

Shaun's Fantasy Blog post - http://fantasytoysoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Target

And Shaun's right, they are a bit foppish! But I think that's par for the course with medieval toy civilians, think Merten's Ladies in Waiting, Starlux's Courtiers (above) or even Exin's diminutive castle figures, their mounted Prince is such a  fopping-fop he's more foppish than a fopping fopper and no self-respecting Princess would go anywhere near him!

No offence to fops anywhere, any-when, but I want my Medieval Princes man'ed-up and killing stuff; not waving at butterflies with a pomade!

The other day Mike Cozart ID'd these from a 2012 post and his comment tells the whole story so I'll reproduce it verbatim. . .

"... MOST of the 1/87th (HO Scale) unpainted metal Victorian figures are by LYTLER & LYTLER Scale Architects - they made metal and plastic American Victorian architectural kits for HO scale model railroads - their figure line was called RAGTIMERS . There were sets with names like LADIES & GENTS , LARIMER STREET MERCHANTS, FOURTH OF JULY, BORN WINNERS & BORN LOSERS, THE DIGNITY OF LABOR , SUNDAY ON THE LAKE.

These were manufactured between 1979 and 1993. They were highly detailed and on par with the quality of Preiser's sculpting. Each set included about 8 figures and often a few accessories, except SUNDAY ON THE LAKE which included the boat, oars, a man and a lady. For a short time there was a company that sold many of these figures individually in painted editions."

Elements of a couple of the sets isolated from the above image, to the left of the boat is a possible 'Shoeshine' vignette, while the photographer must go with some of the standing figures - those in their best Sunday finery?

Mike's use of 'most' is not unfounded either, getting this post together I noticed that the figure 'A' above is both smaller, and seems to be a near-copy of the Matchbox hunter from the dog-carrier in the 1-75 range, while 'B' is looking like a figure from the Airfix rail-gang ('maintenance of way' in the 'States) set, also smaller and both figures lack the mounting spikes of the Lytler figures, although some of them have had theirs removed as well, so that's no proof of anything and they'll need a closer look.

The trouble with obtaining a start-painted, lose-in-a-bag set like this - often from a bereavement sale - is that it's rarely 'clean', cirtainly can't be 'taken as clean' and there seem to be a couple more which might be home-casts from Airfix (or the Meccano-Hornby 'lozenge-based' set), one even looks Preiser-like (The not very American-looking policeman with 'feltmutze'), but until I can find more on the Lytler originals I can't 'set' them-up or sort out the detritus - I'm hoping my old Walther's catalogues will help when they come out of storage, where I think the figures may be now as well? They weren't in the unknown civilians when I did those metal posts last Spring . . . must do rest of the Napoleonics!

Finally; 'Spectrum' ID'd the above, again - in his own words;

"As no-one has yet identified the bowman as yet, it is a figure of 'Hawkeye' the Marvel comics character. This figure is from the Phidal company's line of 'Busy Books' which you can see on their website. He is from 'Avengers Assemble' and there are others including both Marvel and DC titles along with other licensed tie-ins. Actually they are often found in TK Maxx stores in the children's books next to the toy section. As well as a story book you get 12 figures and a playmat. Hope this is useful to you."

As I said at the time; "...very useful"! What’s annoying is that as a comment, I myself didn't take it on board, so when I was in TK Maxx this afternoon (5th Jan.) and saw the mass of kid's books in the January sale, I didn't look through them for those interactive book/play-sets! As I won't be near a TKM for a week or two . . . it's up to you - whoever you are - if you're passing one of their stores in the next few days . . . sent us a shot of the contents - if you find any - and they can go-up here!

A couple of them appeared elsewhere, and were equally unidentified, which was so surprising to me that I was surprised by the level of my surprise, indeed I was so surprised to be that surprised I nearly went to the floor and x all else! Joking apart (and the whole thing with the PSTSM is a joke), he thought to correct me on 60/70-year old Spanish PVC (from behind the frontier of a fascist dictatorship) while he himself can't ID current, 'high-street' PVC any better than the rest of us! It's too funny.

Because the ID's tend to lye forgotten in the comments I will try to make an effort to record them and re-hash/highlight them at a later date in posts like this one, in the future.

From the Top:

Target Inc. - Double Dippin Fun - Castle Accessories

Lytler & Lytler Scale Architects - American Victorian - Various

Phidal Co. - Busy Books - Hawkeye (Link to website)