H is for Hausser's Homage to Half-n-Half's

A bit of a box-ticker today, a quick over-view of Elastolin swoppets or 'Steckfiguren' (stackable figures) as they are called over there; where 'The 27' will continue to forge competitive trade deals with the likes of Japan and China, while we get used to 96 new pesticides and chlorinated chicken - lovely!

It's only an overview as I have a mere eight figures myself and one of them's got a question mark over his weapon . . .

. . . the second figure from the left here. The 'European Theatre' figures, possibly meant to be NATO forces or US GI's, they have a mix of vaguely post-war weaponry, vaguely WWII German webbing and vaguely British 'Battle-dress', although the struggling German war economy of 1944 had adopted copies of the battle dress for their forces, so they can be WWII from that point, but these aren't Germans, we'll get to them in a minute!

Helmets are US M1/'NATO-standard', so I think of them as US, although the third guy along from the left is carrying something closely equating to the EM2, looked at here in the past. Of my eight, six came in their separate little bags, two didn't and the second figure here seems to have a non-Elastolin weapon and to have stolen his base from an Afrika Korps-man!

The 'German Infantry' looking a bit too-grey, and far too-Nazi; with their black helmets, of all the swoppets of the 1960's and '70's (these were late to the party), the Elastolin ones are among the least-accurate, but (as you would expect with Hausser) well engineered and quite animated.

The DAK get solar toupees (so we know exactly who they are and where they are fighting!) and red-brown webbing, the grenade is an odd design; very small and easy to lose, while both the grenadier and officer can hold something in their other hands but I forgot to borrow weapons from the others before photographing them!

I'd forgotten to borrow weapons when shooting the others to, and here we see the radioman given a Mauser rifle!

The rifle is a good representation of the original, while the 'EM2' is a bit long, the extra length being in the foregrip - I suspect it's trying to be a G3, but it's neither really! The AK-lookalike is obviously not Elastolin, but as I don't know - offhand - where it came from/belongs, and as it's needed by one of the figures, I keep it with him - for now!

The grenade is a 'pineapple' type fragmentation grenade, the bazooka and pistol are both simplified and the walkie-talkie is of US design-influence. Sold from shop-stock/counter-display boxes, each figure has a little bag to live in and they are clearly marked on the base-underside Germany which means - for the PSTSM's TJF - that they must be Italian (link) but not Nardi!

While I was photographing the GI's the DAK recce-patrol was laid-waste by a dessert rat, but a dessert rat who would happily eat real dessert rats for breakfast!

Secrets of Small Scale World's photography, number 347; Laundry day provides a range of new backgrounds prior to folding and putting-away - Elastolin Swoppets get the t-shirts; green-wash!

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events

So in the end I had six days in the garden as today (Thursday)'s rain never really materialised!

Last weekend there was a dwarf daffodil out, the tail-end of the pale purple & white crocuses in the lawn and a single imperial purple one in a bed, along with next door's Mirabelle just coming into blossom . . .

. . . now the pink cherry-plum has joined the Mirabelle (which means they will both be pollinated and we might get fruit - if all the pigeons die first!), loads of daff's including most of the dwarves and some full-size, dozens of white, cream and yellow crocuses, one of the quinces is in blossom and the weeping cherry is about to explode.

But, it doesn't bode well for the future - the mild winter has killed the last bit of the witch-hazel, most of which was killed by last year's mild winter! While fuckwits like the Trumpton bang-on about Global Warming like it's a comedy sketch, the scientists talk of 'Climate Change', and as I hit 55 (any day now); I'm old enough to know climate change for myself, when I see it!

Not only was this the third, fourth, fifth (?) mild winter in a row, but after the summer's heat wave, the ground is bone dry. As very few people are doing anything meaningful about it, and governments even less, the message remains; buy old toys - while you still can!

Public area in Basingrad on the 22nd

I'll be at BP's Sandown Park on Saturday; the last one before Brwreakshit and I already know a couple of 'Euro-dealers' who won't be there . . . May's show will be the bigger test though.

                         ..........ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ◈◇◆◊☼◊◆◇◈ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ..........

Toy Fairs

Saturday 2nd March 2019

Plymouth - Events Frontier - 'Devcon 19' Sci-fi and Comics Convention

Plymouth Guildhall, Guildhall Square, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2BJ

Web. - www.eventsfrontier.com

eMail - eventsfrontier@hotmail.com

Mob. - 07508 548 938

Admission - "From £6"

Hours unknown

Sandown Park - Barry Potter / BP Fairs

Exhibition Centre, Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9AJ

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission - Adults £6.50p, seniors £6, children £2, early bird (from 08.00hrs) £10.00

Tons of free parking

                         ..........ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ◈◇◆◊☼◊◆◇◈ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ..........

Sunday 3rd March 2019

Eastleigh - Steven Clements Fairs

Barton Peveril Sixth Form Collage, Chestnut Avenue, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 5ZA

eMail: clementfairs@aol.com

Tel. - 01380 725 322

Mob. - 07958 101 891

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Falkirk, Scotland - McLaren Models

Tel. - 01324 624 102

(All other details here)

Haydock Park - Barry Stockton Fairs

The Exhibition Centre, Haydock Park Racecourse, WA12 0HQ

Web. - http://barrystocktonfairs.co.uk/
Tel. - 01513 343 362
10:30 - 14:30hrs
Admission - Adult £2, Children £0.50p

Kidderminster - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs

Guilt Edge Leisure Centre, Zortech Avenue, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 7DY

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01270 652 773

Mob. - 07825 631 323

10:30 - 14:00hrs

Admission £1.50p

Free parking

Needham Market - Stowmarket Railway Club (club event)

Needham Market Community Centre, Shool Street, Needham Market, Sulfolk, IP6 8BB

Web. - www.stowrailclub.org.uk

Tel. - 01449 672 698

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission - £1.50p, accompanied children free

Wheelchair access, free parking, refreshments

York - J&J Webb - 'York Racecourse'

The Knavesmire Stand, York Racecourse, York, Yorkshire, YO23 1EX

Web. - www.j-jwebbtoyfairs.com

eMail - jandjfairs@virginmedia.com

Tel. - 01522 880 383

10:00 - 14:30hrs

Admission £2.50p, seniors £2, 1st child £1.50p

                         ..........ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ◈◇◆◊☼◊◆◇◈ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ..........

Wednesday 6th March 2019

Hertford - Joe Lock Fairs (Evening Fair)

Richard Hale School, Hale Road, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG13 8EN

Internet presence unknown

Mob. - 07866 641 215

19:00-21:00hrs

Admission £1

                         ..........ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ◈◇◆◊☼◊◆◇◈ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ..........

Auctions

Wednesday 6th March/Thursday 7th March 2019

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (2-day sale)

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

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

01642 750 616

Military & Civilian Figures, Equipment and Accessories

More info./imagery will probably be added to this section in the week.

Wednesday 6th -

"The Military & Civilian Figures, Equipment & Accessories sale to be held on the 6th of March features The Philip Dean Collection, 525 lots of pre and post war figures and sets, including Britains, Charben, John Hill & Co, Pixyland Kew, Timpo and many others. Series include Wedding party, Circus, Farm, Village, Railway Station, Garden, Sports and Space plus many more.  Further items in this sale include 79 lots of post war CBG Mignot ranges, including Napoleonic, Ancients, WW1 and 18th/19th and 20th Century Ranges."

Thursday 7th -

"Day 2 of the Military, Civilian Figures, Equipment & Accessories sale starts with Modern and Contemporary Issues from Britains, King and Country, Figarti, Thomas Gunn and more. There are 19 Lots of Grenada Studios, Lead Army, Aeroart studios and similar in the Connoisseur Miniatures From Russia; plus Britains Motorcycle Series and Civilian Issues from Benbros, Timpo and Britains Racing Colours; and Plastic Issues including Connoisseur Selection. The sale continues with Britains - Boxed & Unboxed Military Issues, Un-boxed - Special Editions & Paris Office, Militaria including medals, uniform and clothing, and Toy Soldier & Military Books and original Airfix Archive artwork."

                         ..........ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ◈◇◆◊☼◊◆◇◈ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ..........

Friday 8th March 2019

Taunton - Greenside Taylor Hunt (GTH)

The Octogon Saleroom, 113a East Reach, Taunton, Devon, TA1 3HL

Web. - www.gth.net

eMail - antiques.saleroom@gth.net

Tel. - 01823 332 525

                         ..........ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ◈◇◆◊☼◊◆◇◈ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ..........

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!

                         ..........ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ◈◇◆◊☼◊◆◇◈ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ..........

H is for How They Come In

They just keep coming-in! The last seven day's charity-shop purchases, nothing exiting; less than a fiver for the lot, but you've gotta' love the Central European (Bulgarian?) bottle-stopper couple!

                         ..........ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ◈◇◆◊☼◊◆◇◈ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ..........

Toys in the Media

It's a well-known construction toy system (Hestair-Kiddycraft's bricks!) tied-in to the half-term movie for these Add's from DFS furniture warehouses!

                         ..........ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ◈◇◆◊☼◊◆◇◈ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ..........

New Publication

Dodgy photograph but out there now if you're also a fan of old comics!

                         ..........ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ◈◇◆◊☼◊◆◇◈ᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥᴥ..........