News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events

Well, a week's a long time in politics! The Magnificent seven, all Blairite shysters from the Right of the Left, complaining the socialist party is too socialist! And who have registered their new 'group' as a PLC, rather than a political party so they don't have to reveal their funding for a while, joined by the three Amigo'esses; purportedly from the Left of the Right.

Their claims of their 'old' party getting too fascist for them makes you worry, or it should, as all three of them have consistently voted against welfare reforms or help for the very people Tereasa May-be Maybe-not said she would help in her inaugural speech.

The ten since joined by someone else; a 'Lone Stranger'- no-one's ever heard of! Giving us a new colour in 'the swamp', bigger than the Liberal party, but very grey! There'll probably be some more jumpers today [one more already - he's not talking to the other 11!], or over the weekend, we're four weeks from Brwreakshit Day, with both main parties hollowing-out and factionalised, the DUP being . . . what they've always been; bloody awkward while the Scot's Nat's talk common-sense . . . to the wall!

And everybody hoping for a change to the backstop, that the 27 have said - repeatedly - won't happen!

Buy toys . . . it's as good a time as any to buy toys.

Especially from any European dealers who come over for the day, they may not be here again - after the 29th March? Weighed-in, weighed-out, tax-owed estimated, visas . . . it's gonna' be fun, this 'Brave New World' the snake-oil salesmen sold the 52%.

Lots of stuff this coming week, both fairs and auctions . . . 

..........……∙∙∙∙∙•••●●●◘◙○◊○◙◘●●●•••∙∙∙∙∙……..........

Toy Fairs

Saturday 23rd February 2019

Maidstone - Maidstone Vintage Toy Fair

Lockmedow Market Hall & Leisure Complex, Barker Road (Hart Street entrance), Maidstone, Kent, ME16 8LW

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01622 298 159

Mob. - 01732 840 787

09:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission £2.50p

Park & ride, pay and display parking, refreshments

Cirencester - Retro Ronnie (see note and/or Sunday 24th)

Bingham Hall, King Street, Cirencester, Glousecstershire, GL7 1JT

Web - www.retroronnie.com

Mob. I - 07708 385 061

Mob. II - 07900 266 427

10:00-hrs 'till finish

Admission unknown, early bird (from 08:00hrs) price unknown

Refreshments

NOTE - there is a day/date conflict in some coverage of this fair, I suspect it's Saturday 23rd, it usually is a Saturday, but may be Sunday 24th, check details before going)

Taunton - Exmore Toy & Train Fair

Richard Huish Collage, South Road, Tauton, Somerset, TA1 3DZ

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01643 706 736 (David)

10:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission £2

Worcester - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs

Perdiswell Leisure Centre, Bilford Road, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR3 8DX

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01270 652 773

Mob. - 07825 631 323

10:30 - 14:00hrs

Admission £2, free parking

..........……∙∙∙∙∙•••●●●◘◙○◊○◙◘●●●•••∙∙∙∙∙……..........

Sunday 24th February 2019

Chester-le-Street - Jim Corr Fairs

Lord Lawson Academy, Birtly Lane, Birtly, DH3 2LF

Web. -  https://www.northerntoyfairs.com/clstf_visitors.html (venue)

eMail - jim_corr73@hotmail.co.uk

Mob. - 07504 035 955

10:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission £3, children/senior citizens £2, 'Early Bird' £5

Chipping Norton - Don Davidson - Collectors Toy & Train Fair

Chipping Norton School, Burford Rd, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, OX7 5DY

Web. - www.chippytoys.co.uk

Tel. - 01608 641 870

10:30 - 14:00hrs

Cirencester - Retro Ronnie (see note and/or Saturday 23rd)

Bingham Hall, King Street, Cirencester, Glousecstershire, GL7 1JT

Web - www.retroronnie.com

Mob. I - 07708 385 061

Mob. II - 07900 266 427

10:00-hrs 'till finish

Admission unknown, early bird (from 08:00hrs) price unknown

Refreshments

NOTE - there is a day/date conflict in some coverage of this fair, I suspect it's Saturday 23rd, it usually is a Saturday, but may be Sunday 24th, check details before going)

Coventry - Barry Potter / BP Fairs

The Connexion, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3FL

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £3, seniors £2.50p, children £1, early bird (from 08:00hrs) £6

Free parking

Rayleigh - SRP Toyfairs

Sweyne Park School, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 9BZ

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Wimborne - Model Toys & Trains Collector's Fair

Queen Elizabeth's Leisure Centre (Sports Hall), Blandford Road, Wimborne Minster, Dorset, BH21 4DT

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01202 590 158

10:15 - 14:30hrs

Admission unknown

Large free car-park

Refeshments

Wirral - Barry Stockton Fairs - Merseyside Hobbies & Model Railway Show

Hulme Hall, Port Sunlight, Wirral, CH62 5DH
Web. - http://barrystocktonfairs.co.uk/
Tel. - 01513 343 362
10:30 - 15:30
Admission - Adult £4.50p, Children £1

..........……∙∙∙∙∙•••●●●◘◙○◊○◙◘●●●•••∙∙∙∙∙……..........

Tuesday 26th February 2019

Garstang - Janet Pearson - Garstang Evening Fair

Kirkland & Catterall Memorial Hall, PR3 0HR

Web-presence unknown

01282 439 009

18:00 - Finnish

Admission fee unknown

..........……∙∙∙∙∙•••●●●◘◙○◊○◙◘●●●•••∙∙∙∙∙……..........

Auctions

Reminder - Today

Chippenham - Wessex Auctions

Wessex Auction Rooms, Westbrook Farm, Draycot Cerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 5LH

Web. - www.wessexauctionrooms.co.uk

eMail - enquiries@wessexauctionrooms.co.uk

Tel. - 01249 720 888

Viewing - Too late

10:30 - Finish

On-line catalogue, general toy sale

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions

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

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

01642 750 616

Railway Auction

..........……∙∙∙∙∙•••●●●◘◙○◊○◙◘●●●•••∙∙∙∙∙……..........

Saturday 23rd February 2019

Cockermouth - Mitchells - Vintage and Antique Toy Sale
Mitchells Antiques & Fine Art, 47 Station Road, Cockermouth, Devon,  CA13 9PZ
Web. - http://www.mitchellsantiques.co.uk
Local Press - Times & Star

Tel. - 01900 827800
Viewing - Friday 22nd February from 3pm to 7pm, and from 8.30am on sale day.

Ludlow - Mullock's Specialist Auctioneers and Valuers

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

Web. - www.mullocksauctions.co.uk

eMail - reception@mullocks.co.uk

01694 771 771

Toys, collectables, Historical items and Native American antiquities

..........……∙∙∙∙∙•••●●●◘◙○◊○◙◘●●●•••∙∙∙∙∙……..........

Tuesday 26th February 2019

Newbury - Special Auction Services (SAS)

81 Greenham Business Park, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG19 6HW

Web: www.specialauctionservices.com

eMail: mail@specialauctionservices.com

Tel: 01635 580595

Fax: 0871 714 6905

Trains and model railway sale

..........……∙∙∙∙∙•••●●●◘◙○◊○◙◘●●●•••∙∙∙∙∙……..........

Wednesday 27th February 2019

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

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

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

01642 750 616

General toy sale

"The General Toy sale to be held on the 27th of February features over 630 lots, with large groups of Lledo, Matchbox, Corgi, Dinky, Hot Wheels, and Vanguards plus many more including Gift Sets, Cars, Buses, commercials, promotional issues, and aircraft. There is a large selection of Tractors and Farm related vehicles from Britains and others, military related vehicles, Dinky and Corgi car transporters and commercials, Corgi Super Juniors Trucks, and Triang Railways. Other items in the sale include Brooklin and Lansdowne Models, Atlas Editions, plus Matchbox Power track and motorised motorway and Superfast carded issues. The sale also features board games, jigsaws, Lego, annuals, Perspex model cases, shop display cabinets, plastic ride-on toys and a Sinclair ZX Spectrum."

..........……∙∙∙∙∙•••●●●◘◙○◊○◙◘●●●•••∙∙∙∙∙……..........

Thursday 28th February 2019

Sheffield - Shefield Auction Gallery

Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB

Web. - www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com

eMail - jmorgan@sheffieldauctiongallery.com

Tel. - 0114 281 6161

Viewing - Wednesday 27th 09:00 - 16:45, from 08:30 on sale day

14:00 - Finish

Football programs and sporting memorabilia

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

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

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

01642 750 616

TV and Movie memorabilia sale

"The TV and Film related sale to be held on the 28th of February features The Iain Gothard Collection, 21 lots of Bubble gum trading cards, vintage TV and film related collectables, games and Lego. Other items in the sale comprise a number of vintage and modern Star Wars lots, including carded figures, boxed vehicles, a large collection of Black Series 6" scale items, Star Wars Unleashed, graded figures, graded model kits, vehicles and accessories, porcelain figures, cookie Jars, annuals, games and much more. There is a nice collection of UK graded Transformers within the sale, plus Dr Who DVDS and figures, Action Man, Gerry Anderson, Laurel and Hardy figures and collectables, Subbuteo, Lego, a large collection of Marvel and DC Comics, Diecast vehicles, retro games and consoles and vintage children's toys and games."

..........……∙∙∙∙∙•••●●●◘◙○◊○◙◘●●●•••∙∙∙∙∙……..........

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!

..........……∙∙∙∙∙•••●●●◘◙○◊○◙◘●●●•••∙∙∙∙∙……..........

Only the One Link

Donation

A bit derivative of stuff previously seen here, but she's young and her heart's in the right place, she will go far!

..........……∙∙∙∙∙•••●●●◘◙○◊○◙◘●●●•••∙∙∙∙∙……..........

'How they come in'!

Yesterday (Thursday)'s trawl up the high-street; an Invicta Dino' . . . nice, and it's a third (there didn't seem to be any in storage - I wasn't sure if there were, when I mentioned there may be), a weird sea-horse/dragon cartoon/monster thing, another Hasbro/Parker Simpsons' related Cludo board game, an AAA wolf and a Schleich Meercat family! Bargains!

..........……∙∙∙∙∙•••●●●◘◙○◊○◙◘●●●•••∙∙∙∙∙……..........

Double-plus Good, Citizen Smith?

It would appear that my 'amazing' is more 'amazing' than his "Amazing"! Not that I would normally claim any such idiocy, but it's a game he plays regularly and which I only occasionally lower myself to - were I to make the effort I could probably frag his arse, five-times a week. And because I'm a collector, not a dealer, I don't need to wait 48-hours for the stuff to be sent via Moscow, or from Stuttgart!

A few weeks ago it was only "Semi-amazing" (a bit limp!), in a week or two he'll be reaching a great big cadenza of amazing, and then what? Roll-over and go to sleep? Too funny, the man's too funny.

He literally started a war with me, without an aim, without the wherewithal to conduct it, or win it and without a proper plan beyond a couple of false accusations and a bit of blow-hard-ery!

Those who may not be as fully ensconced upon the fence - as they might be giving the appearance-of to the rest of you loyal readers - are probably best advised to disengage before they are dragged further-in and go down with him, for - in case you haven't noticed - his wing's been on fire for a while now.

In eight years, I haven't seen enough stuff from him; actually his; belonging to him, to fill three shoe-boxes! If he starts showing us stuff he hasn't shown us before; we all benefit - but I don't think he can, and he's clearly struggling to. C'mon TJF; piss, or get-off the pot . . .

F is for Follow-up - Polish Production

I mentioned the other day that a lot of stuff gets credited to PZG which probably never saw the inside of their workshops and this post is in some way to explain that point, while clearing the smaller samples from my Polish WWII/Soviet-era tubs, most of these are described as PZG somewhere on the Internet.

Stating with a scaler/sizer, we have the Airfix Cold War troops at either end of the top row, struggling to be 54mm at about 52-mil! Inside-one on the right is the full-on 54mm WWII Russian from the same maker, with two of the PZG's from the previous post - the rest are to be looked at below and vary from around 55 to 75mm, bases having a lot to say in the final height though, with 56mm as a starting point.

60-mil with base, but actually the smallest at around 55mm foot-to-crown, these are PZG, and I suppose (like 'assume' Erwin, but a different word, just for a change!) they may be an earlier incarnation by dint of a slight finesse over the chunky based ones, and the fact that they seem to turn-up less often?

Bearing in mind what Gisby said in the comments section of the previous PZG post, these appear to be copied from the Airfix HO/OO (1:76th) scale set! Which also dates them to no earlier than 1964; probably a year or two later.

Base mark, I've dealt with the PZG in the past; Polski Zwiazek Gluchych (Union of the Deaf or 'Polish Association for Deaf People'), the ZSP is an abbreviation for - in Polish - Zwiazek Syndykalistów Polski (Polish Syndicalist Association), which seems to be a second tier of bureaucracy, some collective/state function? I think it's a bit like our putting a 'Royal National' in front of Institute [of the] Blind to get RNIB, or RNLI for the Lifeboat Institution?

The largest are these 75mm prone figures, and the odd thing is no standing or based figures to go with them? Except, I think I may have the standing figures in the still missing box of Eastern Bloc flats, along with another BRDM-type like the ones we've seen here previously, which means they are probably Centrum not PZG?

Plastic Colours also match those Centrum AFV's, along with the flattish nature of the prone poses, the actual 'flat' nature of the upright troops and the AFV's and the fact that their material is cleaner (or 'purer') than the insipid, striated, flaky re-grind and recycled off-cuts PZG tended to use.

Now, these are interesting, I think they may also be Centrum, due to their semi-flat nature, size and the mould-release pin marks, but I don't know for sure. The second-largest at 65mm and carrying the same yellow paint on their bases PZG are known for?

What they depict is equally interesting, it's hard to tell from the sculpted-blob whether it's a soviet style paratrooper badge, Polish paratroopers (most likely) or a UN peacekeepers globe and wreath, if paratroopers it might mean they are Russian production, but the Poles did partake in several UN missions before the 'wall' came down and continue to, so it would be nice to think that's what is depicted here?

[At time of posting - Google suggests they are polish paratroopers Iin UN berets, WITH the polish cap-badge, which is just perfect!]

The Bases; the two central, evenly spaced release pins are similar to those on the Centrum AFV set, but under collectivisation, different toy firms would have been getting tools from the same machine-tool firms!

This chap is very interesting, and the only one I've found of the type, if you didn't know better or if the base was a glue-on, you'd be forgiven for thinking 'Bloody hell, un-documented, rare as rocking-horse shit, Malleble Mouldings khaki infantry figure?'

Sadly the base IS attached as part of the moulding, and the paint points East! But where in the East? . . . your guess is as good as mine . . . but someone knows?

With the leggings/puttees and helmet I'm thinking Czechoslovakia, Hungary or Rumania . . . Bulgaria . . . maybe; one of the lesser Soviet satellite-states anyway, but big-enough to have their own toy-production, over-and-above Russian imports? People use the Airfix Italians as Rumanian troops, from the puttees; so Rumania seems likeliest?

Two orphans, probably both PZG, the radio operator is in blue plastic under the paint, but has a late (?), solid, thick PZG type base, while the harder plastic, cruder-sculpted bazooka-man is less obvious - being baseless - and looks familiar, but I can't place him . . . cut-n-shut of the US Infantry bazooka and kneeling firing 2nd version Para' from Airfix?

Base comparisons of some of the above figures.

Three more which turned-up elsewhere; must have been from the November show in Birmingham 2011, and went straight into storage in the wrong 'zone'! All PZG, but one's a 60+mm against the two standard 54mm's.

The larger guy's base in  a third or fouth variant of PZG's and the second hollowed-out type, with a clever PZG-ZSP with the zed used twice! The 1 - 2 will be a production code or batch number or something equally insignificant, I doubt it's a '1-of-2'!

Z is for Zis, Zil, Maz, Gaz, Kraz or something else with a Z for Zavod in it!

It may even be a Robur . . . Robar, Rober? I can't remember; it's 30 years since I did my Soviet studies course!

This is a rush post as I took these shots in 2015 when the truck joined the fleet, but the rest of the fleet is in the storage pile at the moment, and when I get them out I'll do them all properly, however, as we seem to be having a Soviet era toy day, today, I might as well clear it from Picasa!

Probably in the same medium-utility/light-artillery-tractor class as a 1-ton F/C Land Rover, Pinzgauer or the old Dodge 'Beeps' and I'm pretty sure the Robur was an East German or Hungarian copy? I think it's a Gaz, but my recognition manuals went to Winchester and have yet to come back! When I do them properly I'll Google all the relevant stuff!

Approximately 1:43/1:48th and as well made as anything in the 'West', better than some, but lacking the finer details of top-end 1980's Dinky or Corgi the wheels always remind me of those German or Scandinavian rubber vehicles - something else in the queue . . . with contributions!

We may have had this shot before?

I know the truck is item 17 from the big boxed set that also has the ZSU air-portable SPG we saw here about ten-years ago (item 20, above again), FROG (18, also above) and the Tank Transporter (8) for which I've found the single-vehicle box. I can vaguely remember jack-knifing the cab into a smaller space when packing them up! The whole was too heavy to keep in the box, as it would just drive out of one end as soon as you picked the box up.

There are 19 vehicles in the set (and some heavy die-cast figures) and they were all available separately, I have five or six so far and we may have looked at the 6x6 truck (and copy) already, back in the day, if not - they will come with the others.

F is for Follow-Up - Potemkin's 'Pirates'

Chris Smith kindly sent this pair to the blog to highlight the point I mentioned in passing earlier today, and the other day in the Rasnoexport post - copies!

There's no mystery to it, as I pointed out; all countries have their copies and copyists, not excluding the Hong Kong thing, but specifically within countries, things are 'borrowed' or lent, influence or get influenced by; the difference with the Soviet Union back when it was a collective-economy was that the bulk of the copying was sanctioned, where in the west it was usually more problematical.

The one which is the same as mine is on the right, the one on the left has sharper detail, but it's a slightly smaller figure, so was probably pantograph-copied and then re-etched. It actually makes a better figure, except in the shoe department, where the wide flares of the Rasnoexport figure have been re-cut into shorter trousers and a pair of Olive Oyl's dancing pumps are worn!

While our makers copied each other purely for commercial gain - with or without each-others permission, I think that under the 'Soviet system' manufacturers were told or expected to share tools or designs; in order that toys (the same toys?) be available to kids everywhere . . . far rather that someone in Kiev made copies of something from Moscow, than 'another' truck burn fuel taking them there every few weeks or months? It's all conjecture but it will contain a kernel of truth!

No brand for the copy . . . yet!

Nor for three of these! More copies, seen before; the green one is Bulgarian Progress and one of the red ones will be Russian Progress, but the other two are other works, and which is the Russian Progress is still to be confirmed - I suspect the first on the left of each shot, but without much confidence?