News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events; Saturday 26th October - Friday 1st November 2019

Boris is blackmailing Parliament, Trump is sending his goons in to break-up cross-party hearings, Bolsonaru is advising the Italian right, and all 'Tabloid Britain' wants is some poor cow from the 'States to be extradited for a traffic accident?

Let's get things into perspective here peep's, the kid was 19, and on a motorcycle, about the commonest combination involving death after 'Driving hatchback aged 21 with three drunk girls on the backseat'?

The 'diplomat's' wife (he was a spy and his career is almost certainly over if not seriously curtailed) was on the wrong side of the road, a situation I've found myself in every-time I've left the Autobahn at Herne - I didn't kill anyone; so nobody's after me!

She had offered to cooperate, and the finding would have been 'accident' or at the worst 'misadventure', but the US spooks panicked and whisked her away, yet it's not a major diplomatic spat, it's only a Tabloid over-reaction and miss-representation, which the boy's - understandably heartbroken - parents are being encouraged to ride to the max, with both Boris and Trump trying to get capital from it - the pair of turds.

There is no guilty party, ergo; there are no 'winners', only losers.

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Toy Fairs

Saturday 26th October 2019

Brentwood - J&J Fairs (John & Julie Webb)

International hall, Brentwood Centre, Doddinghurst Road, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9NN

Web. - www.j-jwebbtoyfairs.com

eMail - jandjfairs@virginmedia.com

Tel. - 01522 880 383 (J & J Webb)

10:00 - Approx. 14:30hrs

Admission £3, seniors £2.50p, 1st child £2

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Clocks change back to GMT prior to Sunday morning

Sunday 27th October 2019

Doncaster - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'Doncaster Racecourse'

Doncaster Exhibision Centre, Leger Way, Doncaster, DN2 6BB
Web. - www.bpfairs.com
Tel. - 01604 846 688
Mob. - 07966 527 177
10:30-15:00hrs
Admission - Adults £4, Seniors £3.50p, Children £1, 'Early Bird' (from 8 a.m.) £10
Plenty of free parking

Orpington - SRP Toyfairs

Crofton Halls, Orpington, Kent, BR6 8PR

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Reading - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs - Toy Fair & Exhibition

(Incorporating 'Reading Vintage Toy Fair')

Rivermead Leisure Centre, Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 8QE

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01270 652 773

Mob. - 07825 631 323

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £4.00, accompanied children under 16 free, 'early bird' (from 08:30hrs) £10.00, 'lazy bird' (from 09:30hrs) £7.00

Parking, refreshments, full facilities

Layouts and displays

Dateline show - dealers should carry stock up to 1995 only

{If you've never been you should give it a go, it's one of the better shows in the year's calendar}

Seaford - Robert Horsecroft - Toy & Antique Collectors Fair

Downs Leisure Centre, Sutton Road, Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 4QW

Internet presence unknown

Tel. 1 - 01323 899 879

Tel. 2 - 01424 846 676

10:00 - 14:30hrs

Admission £1.50p, children under 12 free

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Tuesday 29th October 2019

Elsecar - Newcomen Fairs Ltd. - 36th Elsecar Toy & Train Fair (evening fair)

Elsecar Heritage Centre, Elsecar, Nr. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S74 8HJ

Web. - www.newcomenfairs.co.uk

eMail - sales@newcomenfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 01226 744 425

19:00 - 21:00hrs

Admission £1.50p, children 50p

Garstang - Janet Pearson - Garstang Evening Fair

Kirkland & Catterall Memorial Hall, PR3 0HR

Web-presence unknown

01282 439 009

18:00 - Finnish

Admission fee unknown

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Thursday 31st October 2019

Theydon Bois - Joe Lock Fairs (evening fair)

Village Hall, Coppice Row, Theydon Bois, Essex, CM16 7ER

Internet presence unknown

Mob. - 07866 641 215

19:00-21:00hrs

Admission £1

(expect needy children with buckets)

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Auctions

Tuesday 29th & Wednesday 30th October 2019

Newbury - Special Auction Services (SAS) - Two-day Auction

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

Web - www.specialauctionservices.com

eMail - mail@specialauctionservices.com

Tel. - 01635 580595

Fax. - 0871 714 6905

Toy trains and model railways

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Wednesday 30th October 2019

Warrington - Warrington & Northwich Auctioneers & Valuers

551 Europa Boulevard, Westbrook, Warrington WA5 7TP

Web. - www.warringtonauctions.co.uk

eMail - enquiries@warringtonauctions.co.uk

Tel. - 01925 658 833

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Thursday 31st October 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

Tel. - 01642 750 616

General toy sale

"The General Toy sale to be held on the 31st of October features boxed and unboxed groups of Matchbox, Corgi, Dinky, Solido, Sunstar, Lledo, Minichamps, Vanguards and many others. Plus, British Touring Car Champions groups, Piccolino boxed white metal vehicles and kits, Matchbox Super Kings Tankers, Tekno and WSI trucks and trailers; and Corgi Forward March groups, gift sets and Aviation Archive. The sale will also include TV and Film related models, modern tinplate vehicles, Hot Wheels re-carded and boxed set groups and Matchbox of Yesteryear collections. There is also a good selection of Football memorabilia, board games, jigsaws, pictures, book and magazines, Videos, Scalextric, Mega Bloks and Lego, plus a number of soft toys and Steiff Jolly Golly and Bear sets."

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Other Events

Clocks change back to GMT prior to Sunday morning

Thursday 24th (yesterday) - Sunday 27th October 2019

Glasgow - Stitch & Hobby - The Creative Craft Show

SEC, Glasgow, Scotland

Web. - www.stitchandhobby.co.uk

(If you are near or passing it might be very useful for tools or materials for modellers or figure painters)

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Saturday 26th October 2019

Lyndhurst - Wendy Hobday - Dolls & Doll's Houses

Community Centre, Main Car Park, Lyndhurst, Hants, SO43 7NY

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01895 834 348

Hours unknown

Admission fee unknown

Holt - MGM Fairs - Dolls & Doll's Houses

Holt Community Centre, Kerridge Way, Holt, Norfolk, NR25 6DN

Website - www.mgmfairs.co.uk

Email - enquiries@mgmfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 07818 462448  

Hours [probably] - 10:30-15:00hrs

Admission [probably] - adults/seniors: £2.50, children: 50p

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Saturday 26th - Sunday 27th October 2019

Farnham - Maltings - Festival of Crafts

Farnham Maltings, Bridge Square, Long Bridge Road, Farnham, Surry, GU9 7QR

Web. - www.farnhammaltings.com

Saturday - 10:00-17:00hrs (approximately)

Sunday - 10:00-16:30hrs (approximately)

(This is more of a general show (I've been) and among the pottery and glass-blowers there is dolls stuff, novelty stuff and Christmas stuff - worth a punt!)

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Saturday 26th October - Sunday 3rd November 2019

Cardiff - Museum of Wales - Traditional Fairground

St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff, Wales

Web. www.museum.wales

In addition to the above the whole period will be knee-deep in Halloween stuff, Diwali stuff and 'Half-Term' stuff, some of which may have useful stalling-out or novelty/trinket purchasing opportunities! So check your local-press, local library or 'High Street' notice-boards for the next week or three? And then we'll be into the Christmas Market season . . . eight weeks to go!

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Overseas Events

Clocks [UK Time] change back to GMT prior to Sunday morning

 - should only affect you if travelling from Britain over-night

Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th October 2019

Friburg (Switzerland) - Retro Technico - Toy, Music and Technology Fair

Forum Building, Friburg FR, Switzerland

Tel. - ++0793 283 200

(Toys, trains & railway, musical instruments and vintage PC/gaming gear)

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Sunday 27th October 2019

Feytait (France) - CAJAF - 20th Old & Collectable Toy's Fair

Incorpoating the '1st Limobricks' Lego event

Espace/Salle Georges Brassens, Salles du pastel et Pierre Louis, Place de l'Europe, Marie de Faytiat, Faytait, Limoges 87220, France

eMail - limobricks@gmail.com (brick event only)

Tel. I - ++0636 979 667

Tel. II - ++0682 226 138

Tel. III - ++0683 495 908

Admission free

Free parking

Genval (Belgium) - 68 Art - Toy Auction

Manoir du Chateau du Lac, Au Matin's Manoir, Avenue Hoover 8, 1332 Genval, Belgium

Web. - www.68-art.com

eMail - info@68-art.com

Tel. - ++0486 382 054

Tel. - ++026 449 767

Auction 10:00-15:00hrs

Viewing Friday 25th (today) & Saturday 26th 10:00-19:00hrs

München (Munich, Germany) - Automania - Toy Fair

MAN-Truck-Forum, Munich, Germany

Tel. - ++06221 786 422

Die-cast and general toys

Steinsel (Luxembourg) - Module-Club Luxembourg - Train & Railway Show

Centre de Loisirs Norbert Melcher, Steinsel, Luxembourg

Tel. - ++0661 682 404

Thann (France) - Thierry Dungler - 34th International Toy Exchange

Centre Sportif, Collège Charles Walsh, Rue Jean Flory, Thann 68, France

eMail - thierry.dungler@gmail.com

Tel. I - ++0033 / 6 / 85 550 046

Tel. II - ++0389 372 686

09:30-17:00hrs

Troisdorf (Germany) - Jürgen Hörner - Toy Fair

Stadhalle Troisdorf, Troisdorf, Germany

Tel. - ++0210 351 133

Wanze (Belgium) - AMAF - Toy & Train Fair

Salle Binamé Spirou, Wanze, Belgium

Tel. - ++085 713 343

Zürich (Switzerland) - Ursula Alber - Toy Fair

Kunsthaus Vortragsaal, Zürich, Switzerland

Tel. - ++00436 644 041 926

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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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H is for How They Come-in

Two bears! That was it this week; two bears for a quid, or beyahs as Arnie would call them -

"Gim'me your beyah, noowww, or'hy blowyouwaayyy!"

That's how the cookie crumbles sometimes, you get good weeks and we've just had a few in a row, and you get quiet weeks, this was one of those, but I did get those gliders for next time - another quid!

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Links

Having covered a doll's house wagon earlier in the week here at Small Scale World!

Army-men-girls-gate reaches The Times of India! It had hit the Daily Wail the day before.

Headsup for a forthcoming event in South Africa, a first for Small Scale World!

Wargaming in Bahrain - wear something sensible, don't take booze and try to say something intolerant of women, gays, or Sunis or should it be Shia's?

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Staff Stuff

Parcels' cometh there, two . . .

"I think there's something in this end boss, but it's a bit tight!" (Loyal readers - it was empty)

"I'll try the other ennnn..?!?..d"

"WHUMMP!"

"Wheeeeooowww!"  (Loyal readers - cat; head-over-backwards, polystyrene baton, empty-box-one and empty-box-two all disappeared over the side of the bed before this shot was in the camera! They are supposed to be good at balance?)

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Other Stuff

Walnuts, gathered from over the tracks, the same day I shot the Rosemary beetle, drying under the fire after I left them too long in the bag and their cases turned to a heap of quid-ink black-jelly mess! But I ate five after this shot was taken and the nuts are fine!

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K is for another Kwong!

I think I said there were more Kwongs when we looked at the second the other day, and here's a third, there are about seven or eight in the four sources I'm using but so far the rest don't seem to interest us.

I posted these years ago saying I knew the logo but couldn't remember it, I them found it (KM) and added it to the post in my customary salmon-pink with an announcement in one of the first 'News, Views Etc . . . 's.

But the KM was only a logotype for Kwong Ming, and while I can see myself looking for one of those ducks (for completeness you understand!), this should be the last time we visit them here, as they only seem to have produced the one set of figures.

Which - for the second time - are these! We can be pretty confident they made them rather than buying them in, as they encapsulate the same production technology used on the wide range of cheap, rack toy, pocket-money guns seen in the larger ad'.

Namely; two polystyrene hollowed shell-halves, glued-together with the trigger/firing mechanisms caught in slides and recessed points or on catches. Except that with the figures; kept as lightweight half-shells to fall-over when hit. Not strictly 'flats', neither are they semi-flat but more 'relief mouldings' or hollow relief-mouldings?

Rather dwarfed by the Kwong Ming Stormtrooper, 'Berserker' sneaks-up from behind to give us the 70mm measurement we need! That's them, but when I say we won't need to see them here again; they will get an A-Z entry sometime!

News, Views Etc . . . Vectis - The French Collection

This has been released by Vectis Auctions to publicise their forthcoming dedicated Dinky collection, the sale due to be held on Tuesday 5th November 2019 (fireworks night), and thanks to Louise Harker at Vectis for the Info.

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The French Collection, a sale to remember!

Regular Vectis customers, and avid Dinky Toy collectors, may remember the phenomenal David Ireland collection which was held at the North East Auction house in 2011.

Many of the pre-war boxed sets from that collection realised record breaking prices, and the sale at the time was described as “one of the finest private owner collections ever to come onto the market”. A number of those sets were bought by a single buyer, who has now decided the time is right to part with some of his collection. And the quality of those lots is still as magnificent today as they were eight years ago.

The collection includes the Hornby Series No.22 motor vehicles set, which at the time sold for a record price of £22,800 (inclusive of Buyers Premium), the set includes an Army Tank, Delivery Van, Sports Car, Motor Truck, Sports Coupe and Farm tractor. It has been described as a bright example of a hard and rare to find set and graded Excellent Plus to Near Mint, contained in a generally Good to Excellent blue patterned lift off lid box with original card.

Another pre-war set, this time no. 24 “Motor Cars” set is in a later type wide box with display insert and contains 24a Ambulance, 24c Town Sedan, 24d Vogue Saloon, 24e Super Streamlined Saloon,  24f Sportsman's Coupe, 24g Sports Tourer 2-seater and 24h Sports Tourer 4-seater, conditions overall are generally Good to Excellent (although some are showing signs of fatigue) however they are still beautiful examples in a hard to find set.

The French Collection, consists of the some of the finest examples of pre-war sets, including Gift Sets, Trade Boxes, Aeroplane sets, plus many superb single models.

The catalogue is now online to view, and the sale will be held on Tuesday the 5th of November - a date, definitely to remember, and starts at the earlier time of 10am.

For further information please contact Andrew Reed on 01642 750616 or email admin@vectis.co.uk

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Vectis's contact details:

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions

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

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

T is for Two - Cantonieres . . . Cantinières . . . Canteniers?

Not to be confused with Cantonniers (two 'n's) who are road workers (on railways?) or Cantonnières who are the feminine type, but not necessarily female, just confused! Those flibbertigibbets with a barrel of booze who follow armies, anyway!

A real Picasa clearer, or more accurately Picasa sorter-out, as removing four images is a slow way of emptying the laptop, but it does unify two related items and gets them gone! The one having been hanging around since 2012, intended for another Blogger, but I never got his email and he seems to have stopped blogging now, the other a recent find?

This is the older one, I suspect a French piece (CGB Minot?), solid, 54mm and on a substantial base, she could just as easily be a home-painted casting of more recent origin (post-1960's), she's a useful paperweight if nothing else, but quite nicely 'drawn' and well painted in a 'toy soldier' style -  semi-matt though. I can't explain why, but she looks more Portuguese than French to me? However; I went with the tricolour for the frame-boarder!

Thanks to Adrian at Mercator Trading (link) for letting me shoot her . . . with a camera, seven years ago!

This one ought to be the easier for me to ID but it isn't! Del Prado did a part-work set over here 'Relive Waterloo' which may have had a canteen lady (I'm not falling for that mess in the title!) in the higher numbers (126 issues meant over 750-quid for the whole 'work'), but I bailed-out after about issue 15?

The card here is in Spanish or Portuguese (I don't pretend to know either, but can muddle through the context of a text; here - soldiers and strategy revisited (or revealed) in miniature?), and while Del Prado did other sets similar to the Waterloo set - possibly from the website - in France (Austerlitz) and maybe Spain and deAgostini, Altaya, (also Spanish) Atlas (mostly Corgi products?) Eaglemoss-AMC, Hachette, SC Content Media (Hungary, using Ocean in China) and others (that US/Australian one) have issued figures as part-works in various sizes, I can't place this one.

Also she's a little closer to a 15mm scale (or HO's 18mm?), even for a young woman (as you can see from the Airfix pilot, even the pony/mule is a bit small), so - does anyone know the origin of this small, whitemetal, carded for a part-work, moustachioed canteen lady? I shot it last month, but it may have been in the storage-lot I did for RTM, in which case - probably dating from the 2010's or earlier?

C is for Chinese Combat Chaps

Another box-ticker really, but nice to get this one out of the way, as I've had the bottom shot in Picasa for about six-and-a-half years waiting to find the rest (out in the market place), only to find them, near-mint, in the Cherilea box, putting something away the other day (mixed, might-be-Hill Wild West!), which was nice! It also means the missing Sikhs may turn up as I was sure I had them but can't find them anywhere?

Six poses, are they Chinese, North Korean or UN? In those bloody awful winters, everyone ended up wearing 'Deputy-dog' hats and there are two Bren-like weapons in evidence! But the officer sets the tone - and he's an indoctrinated, enthusiastically-invading, 'commie' rat-fink . . . if ever I saw one!

From the other side (or another aspect), points to note I suppose are the different colours of base plastic, the Japanese style puttees, the US bazooka and British 'life-belt' flamethrower? And that's it really, it's why I call them box-tickers; you all know them . . . other people have covered them . . . these are mine . . . now in the tag-list!

I have spares! Here compared to the Sino-Japanese flamethrower from Charbens (make a useful Rumanian on the Russian Front - summer of '43), ostensibly; the Cherilea are supposed to be 60mm and the Charbens 54' but you can see there's not much in it!.

I could shoot them in a line, but that's for the A-Z Blog one day, I could do more comparisons, but the obvious one will be on the Airfix Gurkha page eventually, so that's it!

R is for Regular Round-Up - Divers Etc...

Time of one of the irregular 'regulars', namely; a quick look at the various novelty diver/bath toys which have come the way of the Blog since we last looked at such things.

Did I mention this the other day? It may have been in an eMail to someone, anyway this came back from September's Sandown Park toy fair with me, I think Adrian had put it to one-side for me, and it's a little charmer!

Around 25mm-compatible (allowing for an air-filled rubber suit), and blow-moulded celluloid or cellulose acetate (so probably Japanese), he is weighted in his feet and was probably one of the up-and-down with a cork's pressure type of bottle-novelties?

Not long after the little-one joined the  . . . skool? I think 'a skool of divers'! Brian B sent the shot on the left, his latest find in the cannon of air-hose, bath-toy, divers, here compared to the old packaging (on the right, also sent by Mr. Berke; a year or two ago) from the same Tobar stable.

Brian has also sent this in Support of the ITLAPD Captain Pugwash shot you may remember; he has shelf-captaincy of a right old motley crew of victorian sailors and deep-sea fish-tank ornaments!

Looking for something else I found this chap in with all the naval, marine and assault-boat stuff, when the divers have their own box, which we have pretty-much mined for it's goodies, over the years, so I thought I'd better shoot him now while he was here as it were!

'E has a long hole up 'is jacksey Pa! It's too thin for a pencil, so I suspect either a stick to anchor him into the aggregate at the bottom of a fish tank, or an aeration-hose for the same end-destination, as he is not dusty; those pale marks in the folds and crevices are limescale which didn't come-off with a cursory wash.

Finally; and because they have gone together in the past; and because I knew I'd find a use for that race-game central divider, I give you the gate-guardians at the Magical Museum of Multicoloured Miniature Mersibles, Sub.

One from Chris with all-four of its sticky-out bits intact, one from a job-lot, 'streamlined' for err . . . silent-running! And both - new colours!

Cheers A, B and C!

V is for Very Small Scale World

Picked this little muck-cart and draft horse up the other day . . .

It's a solid box of a thing with no raves or side bars (smaller than ladders or supports - I've done my homework since we last looked at wagons!) or apparent fixings for them, so more of a wooden 'bucket' for manure or harvesting heavy goods; a Lancashire 'potato cart' perhaps, or something! I was going to compare it to the Britains tumbrel-cart but . . .

. . . it's from the very, very small scale world! Although, it would be just right for 1:300 micro-armour, blocking a crossroads - I know; I always suggest the same scenario, but that's what wagons are for, it's the law; barricades or blocking roads!

I suspect this may be from or by the Minnie Maria people who made that miniature 1:12th doll's house toy Noah's Ark we looked at a few years ago? The depth of the gloss paint being the closest match, I'll tag it as such anyway?