W is for What Can You Find!

Just for fun (and to help TJF, or - more likely - his cronies, line-up some spoilers!) this is the contents of the 'All other stuff' folder, one of about 250 in the queue, but the one with the most stuff in as it's where everything ends up if it's not in the medium or short queues, this is the 'long queue' if you like; in its entirety!

What can you spot! There should be approximately 726 images in there somewhere, but some are un-cropped or duplicates, a few have been seen, others are what's left from old posts which never got put away or deleted, but there's some bloody good stuff too and it should enlarge in a new window to a  reasonable size?

Hummm....it enlarges to a . . . errr . . . 'tantalising' size!

Latex tents should be tomorrow afternoon!

D is for Due to Unforeseen Circumstances . . .

You were supposed to be reading about latex tents here, now, and Dinosaurs & Cavemen tomorrow, but Mr Glenn Sibbald of the near-neighbouring parish of New Zealand sent me a parcel [gratis] of such staggering significance on Thursday, everything rather got put on hold for a few days!

New Zealand's finest - coming soon!

I appreciate - equally - everything anyone does for the blog, whether it's photo's, donations, cheap stuff or other help, it's always humbling people contribute something; time, money, effort or 'stuff' but Glen has gone the extra five-miles on this one, and it's been ten-years in the gestation.

All will be revealed in/over the next week or so, but in being stunned by its arrival (10 'things', 3 carded, 1 boxed; 65 figures), my Thursday night's editing went out of the metaphorical window and today I have to Google board-games, see if a 1970's magazine is still publishing and go in the attic to find a pop-group!

Luckily I'd got the Show dates up a day early, but there'll be nothing here now until Monday afternoon, unless I manage to squeeze-out a quick filler-post tomorrow morning (Friday), and throw it up for Sunday? But if I do I'll add a line here when I post everything tomorrow.

- I have managed a fun collage for Sunday . . .

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events

Firing into the New Year with a plethora of dates and events, not! It's a steady week though, with something for everyone . . . look out for the last date, which is the annual society member's auction of the BMSS (British Model Soldier Society), one of the best auctions of toy soldiers in the calendar, although tending to be heavy in painted white-metal kit figures, there are always lots of rare figures, hollow-cast 'cast-offs', flats, unpainted castings and other treasures. You can join at the door so even if you aren't a member, you can be bidding later the same evening!

It's the 11th already, it's 2019 . . . now! Get up out of your rocking-chair Grandpa, and go; buy toys!

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Toy Fairs

Saturday 12th January 2019

Hawkinge - SRP Toy Fairs

Hawkinge Community Centre, Heron Forstal Avenue, Hawkinge, Kent, CT18 7FT

Web. - http://srptoyfairs1.co.uk/

eMail - srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Mob. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Ludlow - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs - Ludlow Toy & Train Collector's Fair

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

Web presence unknown

Tel. - 01270 652 773

Mob. - 07825 631 323

10:30 - 14:00hrs

Admission £2

Free parking

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Sunday 13th Jaunuary 2019

Great Bentley - R & G Toy Fairs

Village Hall, Plough Road, Great Bentley, Essex, CO7 8LD

Web presence unknown

Tel. - 01206 251 351 (Gary)

Tel. - 01255 473 509 (Richard)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission £2.00, under 16's free

Free parking, refreshments

Stafford - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'Stafford Showground'

The Preston & Argyle Suites, Stafford County Showground, Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0BD

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

10.30 - 15.00hrs

Admission £4.00 (early-bird £8), OAP's £3.50, Children £1,

Free parking

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Tuesday 15th January 2019

Wootton Basset - Steven Clements Fairs - Wootton Basset Evening Fair

Memorial Hall, Station Road, Wootton Basset, Wiltshire, SN4 7EN

eMail: clementfairs@aol.com

Tel. - 01380 725 322

Mob. - 07958 101 891

18:30 - 20:30hrs

Admission charge unknown

Free parking, café

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Thursday 17th January 2019

Thatcham - Steven Clements (evening fair)

Thatcham Catholic Hall, Bath Road, Thatcham, Berkshire, RG18 3AG

eMail: clementfairs@aol.com

Tel. - 01380 725 322

Mob. - 07958 101 891

18:30 - 20:30hrs

Admission charge unknown

Refreshments, free parking

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Auctions

Wednesday 16th January 2019

Tunbridge Wells - C&T Auctioneers

The York Suite, The Spa Hotel, Mount Ephraim, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8XJ (Venue)

Unit 4, High House Business Park, Kenardington, Near Ashford, Kent, TN26 2LF (Auction House)

Web. - www.candtauctions.co.uk

eMail - enquiries@candtauctions.co.uk

Valuations - jamesopie@yahoo.co.uk

Tel. - 44 1233 510 050 (from abroad)

Tel. - 01233 510 050 (within the UK)

Viewing from 08:30hrs, sale starts 10:00hrs

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

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

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

Specialist die-cast sale - "The Specialist Sale to be held on the 16th of January features seven private owner collections plus other vendors. The Northern Collection features Solido racing cars; Dinky cars, trucks, service vehicles, and aircraft, plus Corgi vehicles and TV and Film memorabilia. The Bus Collection features 20 lots of boxed and unboxed buses from Minialuxe, Gamda (Israel), Tekno and Dinky, plus others and The Hampshire Collection includes Dinky cars, motorcycles, South African, and French Dinky. The Borders Collection, The Hereford Collection - Part 1, and Part 2 of The Puerto Rico Collection all include boxed and unboxed Corgi and Dinky cars, commercials, haulage, military and aircraft plus many others, and the French Dinky from The London Collection features a number of buses and military vehicles"

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Thursday 17th January 2019

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

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

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

Specialist die-cast sale -  "The Specialist Sale to be held on the 17th of January features a number of boxed and unboxed groups and single models from Corgi, Dinky, French Dinky, Siku and others, including cars buses trucks and lorries, military and Gift Sets. There is a large collection of Matchbox Superfast, Regular Wheels, King Size, Super Kings, Speed Kings, Accessory packs, twin packs and gift sets plus The Colin Davison Matchbox Collection. The "Big" North East Collection - Part 2, contains 1/18th, 1/16th, 1/12th, 1/8th Scale models plus other various Scale Models & kits, radio-controlled cars and Figures. The Surrey Aircraft Collection features 29 lots of Franklin Mint, Carousel and other boxed Aircraft. Further lots include TV and Film related vehicles, Buses, trucks and Matchbox models of Yesteryear"

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Friday 18th January 2019

London - BMSS - Members Auction

Church hall, St. Saviour's, Lupus Street, Pimlico, London, SW1V 3QW

Web. - www.bmssonlineee.com

Telephone unknown

17:30hrs - last call

Viewing from 17:00hrs

Admission to members only; re-up on the door

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (last day of a three day auction)

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

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

Trains/model railways - "The Model Train sale to be held on the 18th of January features OO Gauge British Outline, HO USA & Continental Outline, N Gauge and Triang. Plus, OO Gauge Brass and Kit/Kitbuilt OO Gauge, and Gauge 1 & Larger. Part 9 of The Chris Broos Lifetime Collection features further interesting locomotives, coaches, and accessories. The sale also includes a fantastic collection of Garden Railway Centres Limited ex Shop Stock LGB & G Gauge Locomotives, Rolling Stock & Accessories, plus Hornby, Modern and Further O Gauge, Modern American Outline O Gauge and Scratch/Kitbuilt O Gauge Finescale. The sale concludes with Meccano & Other Constructional Toys, Live Steam, Railwayana, Books, Magazines & Catalogues, Pictures & Prints and our usual good selection of General Trains"

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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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A box for a box!

Joining an Internet trope here! You see these memes all over the place at the movement, mostly pertaining to Amazon deliveries, but this was waiting for me in my local Ryman's the other week! It's packed like medical equipment for a disaster zone, and contains approximately 75% space!

It's been used for the combined paratroopers to be sorted into as the first phase of preparation for a/soon-to-be 'the' parachute-toy page.

Thought for the day - this sort of thing has to stop. The scientists gave us ten years to make major changes in every aspect of human existence; that is - if we want to exist further-forward than the next 35 years. They did so about 6/8 weeks ago, so we have already spent wasted 1% of the time available to us - to start saving ourselves . . . from ourselves - doing nothing!

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Churchill's Toy Soldiers to go on display at Chartwell

S is for Squat Squidgy Squadies and Safe Samurai 'Sassins

You may remember a while ago, Brian Berke sent some shelfies to the Blog of these delightful little weirdoes, well; he only went and sent the Blog some in his autumn parcel - didn't he!

 

Imported into the 'States by those new-old favourites Greenbriar/DTSC, but apparently on behalf of Imperial to whom the figures are also branded, and they are a soft, hollow silicon rubber, a bit like squeaky-toys but sans squeak, or; sans squeaker!

Ninjas; too cool for martial-arts school and the colours are lovely; the camera's flash has reddened one, who - to the eye - is a pinky-heliotrope sort of colour, while the purple one has reproduced quite accurately. Style is slightly 'deform', or cartoonish with big heads, hands and feet.

The cool colours extend to the generic (but vaguely 'Fritz' helmeted) combat infantry, with butterscotch, mint and blueberry, fairy-cake, icing hues! I have no idea how many colours there are in ether line, nor - indeed - whether the rich colours of the Ninjas carry over to the soldiers or the pastels vise-versa?

Equally I don't know how many poses there are in either line, although they are numbered sequentially; so this may be 'it'. While the packaging carries the details of Greenbrier and DTSC (for Canada) it carries the logo of Imperial, however the figures are all marked Greenbrier International.

You can also see here just how squidgy they are and - courtesy of the 'Berserker' that they are around the 100mm mark. Many thanks to Brian for sending them.

B is for Box-ticking - Russian Troops - Unknown

Having shown the Starlux for the second time the other day I feel a bit guilty doing it again so soon, as this chap was also on the blog years ago, but given he's still 'unknown' and as I was shooting everything in the fully-round tubs (flats are elsewhere) and for completeness sake here he is again! Not really box-ticking, but then neither was the Ost Deutch passenger, nor - these days - are the Timpo!

He's a very fine composition (the type still manufactured by the original inventors for the film, furniture & fine-arts' trades; George Jackson Ltd.) or a two-part epoxy (poured resin); it's hard to tell. One of my first large scale, I bought him at a car-boot sale, around 1997/8 specifically for a little display unit I had glued to the wall!

Clearly a Cossack, and I've seen the same pose in two other paint-schemes, I think - possibly in a recent book, or in passing somewhere on the Internet; I can't remember! But he must be known to someone, could the sculpt be a tourist-kiosk thing like our Cavendish/HK figures or a more standard West European-made composition toy? Is it a specific [modern] regiment's ceremonial dress, or a regional thing . . . Russia, Ukraine or further afield?

B is for Box-ticking - Soviet Era Troops - Russia

I mentioned this chap when I looked at the other two (below) and thought I might as well cover him while I'm looking at all the other Russians, maybe TJF, or well; his mates - can show us more or tell us who made them?

Large blow-moulded Infant toy, as I said last time there are a whole bunch of these I and really like them, but I haven't tried hard enough to grab some more. This chap is supposed to be a naval officer or cadet I think, in 'Best' or 'shore leave'? And he's armed with a toy-like but more WWII looking SMG.

United with the newer acquisitions, he reveals himself to be the smaller size at only five inches!

B is for Box-ticking - Soviet Era Troops - East Germany

Given what else I've managed to garner in the ten years since I extended the scope of the collection to larger scales - purely to feed the blog . . . and because it's fun - it's odd that I've only managed five of these, as they aren't that rare!

PGH Effelder's rather large (75-80mm) rubber Nationale Volksarmee (NVA), with their distinctive helmets; unique to the East German forces and possibly the oddest general-issue helmet worn in the 20th century by anybody other than the rebel star-ship guards in a galaxy far, far away!

Manufactured in a similar material and style to the Czechoslovakian Bata figures, although - as far as I know - Effelder weren't a shoe-factory! As I say they aren't particularly rare, being quite robust, and issued in one of the wealthier of the Soviet-puppet countries, so quite numerous.

They also track the changes in uniform in the East German army with the figures also issued in the rain-fleck camouflage, white (winter war) and three-colour camo'. There are also many poses and pose variations, so only a small sample above, maybe TJF's mates can show us some more? He can't; he's a dealer not a collector!

This chap is a question-mark, obviously from a model vehicle, probably plastic, but it could be an older tin-plate thing, but unquestionably East German with that salad-bowl on his head. Nicely painted and in the style of pre-war composition outriders from Elastolin or Lineol.

It's a parade pose, with hands fisted on thighs (in the British Army you brace and stretch to the knees for parallel arms) and back straight. He's closer to 54mm and seems to be a standard hard polystyrene plastic.

Now known to be Plaho - Thanks to Andreas Dittmann!

B is for Box-ticking - WWII Russians - Starlux

Heading home (actually we're going East again next), we reach France, were I can only show you a set of figures who appeared on the blog eight or nine years ago! It doesn't happen often, but occasionally things will appear more than once without the excuse of a follow-up or additions!

Starlux were very clever with their set, producing 5 in summer dress, including a nice female sniper, officer and three troops, along with five in winter dress who include a sneaky-looking NCO who could be a commissar, a goose-stepping sentry for anyone wanting to model some modernist statuary, or a mausoleum, and an office who looks more like a 'White Russian' Imperialist, shooting a Commie'-Bolshie'-people's-Soviet-somebody in the back of the head? . . . Or; am I reading too-much into it?!

B is for Box-ticking - Revolutionary Russians & Modern Spetznaz - Italian Makers

Back across the pond and heading south to the Med'; like my US sample, the Italian sample is nothing to write home about, which is probably why I'm writing it here! However; I do have all of them in small-scale, so at some point we'll have a look at them, probably over on the Airfix Blog as comparisons with their late-issued set.

A revolution era Cossack (who would cover through to the end of WWII and our shameful repatriation of the German-allied Cossacks) from Atlantic, on a slightly small, flying horse!

He's one of those figures who tends to slide off his mount as soon as you glance at him, but if firmly fixed and painted-up, he's be a really nice stand-alone figure.

The Esci/Ertl/A-Toys set of Modern Russian special-forces or Spetsnaz should probably contain the 15 poses of the small-scale set, or at least twelve, so very much a part-set, and at a 1:35th scale, a bit small for most of their contemporaries in the toy world.

Size apart; accuracy with these is nice and all the weapons are recognisable while the kit/uniform is vary Afghan campaign 'summer' dress. The hat looking a bit like our 1930's boy scout hat (or the US 'Smoky Bear' hat) was (is still?) also used by the border forces, while the wide, flat beret is also used by regular paratroopers and marines.

B is for Box-ticking - WWII Russians - US Makers

Nice to see my posts on Monday having such an influence on The Jabbering-F, but he was looking to be a bit out of out-put - as it were - this last few weeks, luckily now he has Dildobrand Hildabreath on-board, to add to Sell's erudition; we should see a marked improvement!

Quick trip across the pond today, not that productive either, but then Marx and MPC aren't priorities for me, although they may be one day, while the Tim-Mee are silly money, if you can find them!

MPC; a mix of 54 and 60mm, like my GI sample, but less numbers! And a mix of dress with Cossack, 'Deputy Dog' and side hats along with one helmet! I also forgot to turn the prone figure!

My Marx sample consists of two, I'd like to think there might be a few in the big mixed-Marx box, but I'm pretty sure there 'aint!

Still; one of my favourite poses/figures, not one of the ten you'd save from a fire - but close. He's similar to the equally-dynamic US GI figure we looked at awhile ago, naturally another of my favourites! Late base/plastic type, but US original I think, not a Mexican import?

Stop Press: Imediately after I sceduled this I found Brian B has just sent me images of another pose which will go in a follow-up with some other stuff soon!

This chap is apparently from the same set, but he's the 1st version and has a base you wouldn't credit to Marx! Is it (the shape of the base) a vague outline of the Soviet Union? To be honest he looks more like a backwoodsman seconded to the Canadian Mounties for the duration of a man-hunt! Especially with that buffalo-rifle!

What makes the figure though is the sculpting of the deputy-dog hat, which is fantastic, and really looks like a heavy lambs-wool chap... . . . czhr... . . . Deputy Dog 'at!