N is for Nearer . . . but Further Away!

There was one thing in the recent donation from Chris that stunned me - a complete set or whole team of the footballers we looked at a while back here at Small Scale World . . .

. . . and it will help with the rest of this post if you go and read the earlier one again first . . . no . . . really - it will make things much clearer . . .

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Have you read it . . . have you?

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OK! . . . OK, I believe you! let's have a look at the new ones again;

Each is numbered and all together are a continuous 1 to 11, with the un-numbered referee. Having read the previous post (as you did, didn't you?), you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a full team, having all the poses we have looked at previously, with the correct shirt numbers and enough missing poses/numbers to make a full team?

Well, so far so good then, the bases are new (from the old post), with each numbered to match the figure attached to it, here 1 and 5 (note that the '5' is reversed), also the 'landscaping' makes them very much a fourth type to the previous three, being light near-parallel striations on the surface of otherwise flat tops.

But, then, just when it's all making sense . . . it goes weird on us!

These were on evilBay about the time of the last post as someone sent me the link, there were more images, but this will suffice to illustrate the problem! There are at least two 'more' or 'other' poses! One almost definitely wearing a number-6 shirt ('our' number six being absent from the line-up) the other apparently replacing the missing 3, but it's not clear from the other shots. I assume the 9 is our 9?

And being sold as a team in a quite ornate paint-job (I found this link for those interested in which teams can be represented), on a backing card - from the other shots in the listing I can tell you each player is glued to a printed outline with his number on it in this un-sequential order, although I don't know what's printed in the referee's place . . . '0'?

From the bases landscaping I think they are the set I called type 2 last time, I think now they are the earliest, but I'll try re-sorting them next time we return to them - which we will, when there's more to tell or questions to be answered! Note also that shirt 1 is painted as a goalie.

It also struck me that both material and base type on these would tie-them in with the Wild West we looked at again recently which would bring Injectaplastic of Portugal and/or Jouets Super Plastic of France into the mix and to help with that theory, the backing card would appear to be set-up for a multinational customer base with various languages, found on the pitch-side advertising hoardings?

So, thanks to Chris (and this was very generous of him) I now have a 'full' team, but there's another one out there! Well; given the evidence in both posts, many teams, with any one of four base types and numerous strips - it could be a field of 'cameo collecting' that would occupy someone for years, just by itself!

And can anyone tell us what number is on- or confirm- a number 3 shirt in the new diving pose? The base-plug/locating-stud is on his left bum-cheek I think?

Cheers Chris, as is often the way; the more we know, the more we have to find out!

H is for How They Come In - Week 18 - 4 Sci-fi, Fantasy and TV/Movie-related

We'll start with the Robots in deference to the recent passing of Florian Schneider (we are not the Robots, but you were!) and because I listed Sci-fi first!

They are in many respects (colour, plastic type, sculpting style etc . . .) similar to the Arco Robots, but are clearly NOT the Arco Robots! They have a cavity in their backs which has what appears to be a mounting spigot for something, but no 'somethings' came with them, which in a sample of such numbers you'd expect; if only one, so it may have something to do with the way they were sold, a secondary function (attached to a bigger 'thing' or part of the production process?

Also, as is always the case with these autograndizedmecha's I have no idea if they represent any known license, or which set of characters they might be if they do?

 

Now known to be Bi-Tron rack-toys, issued by Pikit in the UK and probably Gordy International in the USA, they come with a 'space' helicopter/lifting body thing and various micro-armour multi-wheeled AFV's, who's turrets probably go in the holes on the backs of the Mecha's/giant battle-suits, there's also an articulated recovery platform which seems to be lifted from Takara-Tomy's Votom range, seen here at Small Scale World passim.

These are the best! Believe it or not, they are bendies! I have a small bendy bear which I thought was as small as they could get, but these are teeny-tiny bendy! All given three blobs of black paint they cover quite a range with another autograndizedmecha, a more conventional R2BenD robot microwave and home-entertainment system, and a clown! Bargain! Absolute, total, bloody-bargain!

This is interesting; it appears to be a modern dense polyethylene/polypropylene re-issue of one of the old Post cereal-premium bird-men, themselves downsized from the Lido captain video figures we've looked at before?

Given the way old novelty and premium moulds seem to have migrated to South- or Spanish America over the years, I'm guessing it's from there, but it could be French . . . maybe, or a China-made gum-ball machine capsule-prize? Lovely thing to receive in the post, for free!

More conventional territory here, with two bug-eyed 'Martians' and a couple of astronauts, the three to the left being Matchbox Mega-Rigs, the chap to the right being the unknown, like Wing Mau but smaller chap we've seen before, he differs from that example in having a numeral '1' on his base suggesting cavity codes, not pose numbers?

I first sorted this into the animal pile as a nice-looking humming-bird, but a closer look revealed saddlery! When I raised it with Chris, he managed to find some on feeBay and ten minutes later we had this link and the knowledge that they were McDonald's 'Happy Meal' premiums for Epic.

Seems to have been a good film, but swallowed-up by a couple of other blockbusters that summer (2013) and rather forgotten, I'd never heard of it; but I'm gonna' find it on DVD!

Three bits of fun; a Crater Critter from R&L, a gum-ball lion with charm/key-ring loop, I had a loopless one, so that's a useful upgrade and a flocked rabbit, blowing a raspberry, who can stand-up or up-stand! I love this stuff!

A mix of  . . . probably . . . Pokemon and/or Gormiti and/or Exogini and/or Ben10 &etc? It's impossible to follow all these with everything else going on, but there are plenty of sites carrying the information/data, for when it does all need to be sorted for 'proper'! Obviously; a robot dog with a kukri for a tail . . . IS a bit special!

Again, thanks to Chris for all we've seen in the last four posts, there is one item to come in a separate post, but there was plenty more than we've seen just-now, and it will all be sorted away and come back as full sets or in thematic posts months or even years from now as the Blog's still only a few % into the total of 'all-everything' figural!

H is for How They Come In - Week 18 - 3 Prehistory, Wild West and Civilians

Let's get straight into it . . . lots to cover!

Chinasaurs! The two oxide-brown ones and the yellow one are variants of my favourite silicon-rubber set from my own childhood, so well pleased to get them in the post! I think the pink one goes with them but I don't remember having him when we were kids. Meat-eater gets the ice-picks!

Sliding forward a few millennia's worth of millennia and we see the rise of the hairy-pink monkeys, who, I'm sorry to report have rather taken the role of T-Rex with added fire . . . power!

The three little ones (Tim Mee clones - possibly (from the quality) licensed/permissed) are or were Toy Major and came in the same sets as the TM versions of the Hornby Battle Set's figures (which Toy Major (or their contract manufacturer) would have supplied), indeed, I think these may even be from The Hornby take-off of Jurrasic Park?

That all got too convoluted! The three in front are ex-Tim Mee sculpts reduced-down in size, possibly with permission and were issued in various carded sets by Toy Major (TM)™ and/or their associates and a Hornby model railway playset . . . period!

Behind them are - either side - figures we've looked at before and will return to at some point, while in the middle is the Safari cave-man engaging some mega-fauna in a bit of extinction!

The Horse we saw earlier; it has some of the lines of Texas sculpting but isn't a known Texas thing; however Italy or Spain is a likely origin? The 'big guy' is Phidal-like or Disney-store, and presumably from a Pocahontas play-set of some kind?

The brown-pair are lovely - for sub-scale/sub-standard clones! I think probably Christmas crackers, but that would mean 'capsule' elsewhere? I may have some more somewhere (it's the sort of thing I have spirited away over the years), if I find them we'll have a closer look.

The Totem pole is very interesting as it's a Comansi sculpt, but unmarked and hard 'styrene. It also has a small cavity at the base-rear, which would seem to facilitate the insertion of a card-holding peg, such as used by S for Star/Star Toys and others, so a larger set of theirs?

The running cavalryman is nice, modern I think and slightly damaged, I dare-say they are out there somewhere in a tub of 100 - Hing Fat, Americana? Someone like that, but I don't know offhand?

Three late rack-toy clones, but different for being Timpo 'swoppet' copies rather than the usual Airfix (or Jean!) clones, another of the premium-looking 'unknown' ones, a Texas backwoodsman/cavalry scout rider, Siku smoker (larger size) and Toumoulage archer.

In front is a quite unusual figure who has a plug-on base in the style of Timpo or that Brazilian (?) lot who copied Britains, but he's a relatively original sculpt, probably European anyone recognise him? All polyethylene and seems to be factory paint and (because I've learnt to turn my figures upside down, and read!) he's not marked 'Nardi', 'Italy' or even 'W.Germany', having a smooth underside to the base.

There was lots of Wild West in Chris's parcel, I've just shot a few of the interesting pieces for now, you may have spotted in the first post, several Lone Star shooting-game figures; I'm going to save them until I have a full set in both colours, as I've blogged them here several times now and PW has published the full set.

Civilians; a lovely soft-plastic Hong Kong copy of the Gem golfer, usually HK copies of Gem are hard polystyrene? Then an unpainted Dinky road worker, probably ex-outpainters leftovers, as they are usually painted?

Two little girls I know nothing about, the same lifeboat crew as I think Chris sent before, but complete and I have since confirmed that they are from the Frog kit, the tool for which seems to have ended-up in Russia. Nice copy of the Corgi safari guide, seen here before but only as a chewed/broken example!

Equally nice rubber fireman, who is very similar [in material] to Auburn but smaller? I guess some US maker and I'll try to find him before I do that page - which is still happening! In front is another PVC figure, a petrol-attendant, but kneeling, so probably included in a racing-car set?

Finishing-up with some footballers, the small one is from the least-common type of Gem copy (this one is 'styrene) with the oblong base, the other two (not necessarily on the right bases) are from a recent part-work (I think, I did find them the other day or Chris sent me a link?), anyway they are rather nice and - obviously - personality-specific sculpts.

Thanks again to Chris for sharing these with the rest of us and there's more to come - sci-fi, fantasy and TV/Movie next!

H is for How They Come In - Week 18 - 2 Other Military

We're starting with the money box (known as money banks over the pond), which doubles as a 'bissquit' tin, well, it's primary goal is one of protecting biscuits, the saving of money is the novelty 'added value' afterthought!

I did send this to Moonbase's recent season on the subject, which continues apace with a tram added the other day (I might have a bus somewhere, but buried deep in the garage I fear) , however and in the meantime I had found out a little more about it, so we'll have another look now!

I wondered from the shape if it might have contained the dry crackers for cheese, but on reflection suspect it may have been shortbread, aimed at the tourist market, it obviously bearing the likenesses of several ceremonially-attired British troops, namely a Coldstream Guardsman (paired buttons), Royal Marine bandsman/drummer, a Yoman Warder 'Beefeater' from the 'white' Tower of London and a member of the ceremonial 'Kings Troop' of the Royal Horse Artillery (RHA).

Issued by Huntley & Palmer, a local firm here, down the road in Reading (I well remember the smell!)* it is apparently the third in a series, issued in 1971 it followed the pattern of tins originally issued in 1910 and 1914 (hence the 'apparently', it's such a big gap to the third design, one feels there may have been interim designs?).

*Reading had two smells when I was a kid, the H&P factory's wonderful baking sugar and bread smells and - in the centre of town - the sour, stick-in-your-throat smells of the brewery!

The plastic roof was the innovation on the 1971 version, as was the money-slot and all three sentry boxes are on Reading Museum's website (which is why I suddenly know so much about them!) and the earlier two can be seen here;

1910 - Huntley & Palmer's tin - Sentry Box

1914 - Huntley & Palmer's tin - Sentry Box

I've had an email exchange with Matthew Williams at the museum, and after lockdown they will look at adding images of the other sides of the tins, as while it will be interesting to see who's on the other sides of the 1910 tin, more interesting will be who - if anyone - replaces Germany on the 1914 tin?

[06-06-2020 - In fact the notes have already been updated to reflect that fact, Germany was replaced with Belgium! But the RHA is still described as a Hussar. Oh, and it's the 76th anniversary of D-Day today!]

The marking however, is an HBS, which was for many years an independent 'arm' of the biscuit makers started and run by one of the sons; Huntley, Boorne and Stevens, although eventually it was brought in-house, it will - for half a century or more - have also supplied tins and tin-plate goods/components to other customers around Britain and across the 'Empire' - as was.

Other ceremonial or historical figures in Chris's donation include the large guardsman who goes with the previously seen Guards officer and RHA trooper, but this time is based with the full set of Tringa Toy marks including a date; 2004, showing how quickly things which are 'It's still in the shops' current production, become 'Blimey, it's over 15 years old' collectables, purly by dint of the inexorable march of time!

He's missing what I have half a recollection was an SA80, and I think I may have one in the loose weapons zone, from another mixed lot as some point? If I can marry them up we'll have another look at them all-together, as they (three and a sentry box) have all been donated to the Blog (Chris Smith and Peter Evans) for showing to you, loyal readers!

Due only to the delay in getting these posts out, we now know - from the recent plumping of Plastic Warrior magazine No.179 onto our door-mats that the Herald clones are from the Argentine company Oklahoma, we looked at another a while ago (from Adrian I think - another officer with sword?), however, the mag' shows the ACW bugler was also given the Argentinian Army make-over!

The other three are an Esci gunner, a small Highlander 'mocherette' and another Highlander, who may have been removed from a pop-up toy and wired, but Chris suggested he may be an old, damaged earring? I think there's millage in that.

Medievals; Both Chris and I suspect Poland for the rider, the under-paint polemer is very 'Polish' and I have a memory of seeing plain, gold-paint foot figures attributed to Poland somewhere? The little guy may be a war-gaming figure, but I suspect either a board game or a touristy thing; another 'mocherette' anyway! While the archer is Wild Republic (K&M).

I placed him on a spare horse - also in Chris's donation, and if you think the angles poor for getting a handle on the horse, we'll look at it again in the Wild West shots! It's not the rider's horse, but looks the part of a tough little steppe-pony!

Many, many-thanks again to Chris for sending us all these and next-up; Wild West, Prehistoric and Civilians!

H is for How They Come In - Week 18 - 1 Overview & Army Men

Hot on the heels of Peter's lot (looked-at a couple of days ago) came another parcel, from Chris Smith and it's a cracker, which should have been published yesterday (or weeks ago!) but I was struggling with the Internet, or certain parts of it, yesterday!

I could get on Faceplant with no trouble at all from start-up, Hotmail was intermittent, YouTube was slow but trying to get on mine or any other Blog was not happening, and even getting Google's page up took forever, once I was there I could get to Blogs through their URL, but even then images needed to be reloaded and the blue-circle never stopped? Hay-ho, it's working now (middle of the night by the time I get these loaded!), so, onwards and upwards!

I think I bought my assistant off with some cheesey-dreamies as it was a trouble-free opening and this is a shot of the initial 'excitement sorting', it's just awesome, as every time you remove something, especially the larger pieces, you find half-a-dozen other things underneath, rapidly running out of room, you have to bring some order to the chaos . . .

. . . which is what has happened in this shot; like the last big lot from Chris, I started with thematic piles by subject matter which are;

1.      Trees & plants

2.      Robot 'set'

3.      Weapons, scenics and equipment

4.      Wild West

5.      Sci-fi / Fantasy

6.      Ships & boats

7.      Aircraft

8.      Ceremonial and historical soldiers

9.      Farm & zoo

10.  Ancient & medieval

11.  Prehistoric Hominids

12.  Dinosaurs & Chinasaurs

13.  Flags!

14.  Cartoon / TV/Movie-related

15.  Money box/bank

16.  20th century soldiers / 'Army Men'

17.  Civilians

18.  'Halloween' / Horror

19.  Sports

20.  Vehicles

And we can then meander through some of the piles looking at highlights and with both the above photographs it's a case of 'what can you spot', but we'll be looking at lots of them in close-up, the second biggest was the 'Army Men' pile which as it was closest to me, got shot first!

Again, mid-sort shows piles of like-figures being sorted from the main pile, although unrelated figures may end up in the same pile, this is because when they get further sorted into the main collection similar figures are often together; I know I've mentioned in the past the quandary over whether to sort alphabetically by makers or thematically by subject, it's bit of a hybrid arrangement at the moment!

Final 'exploded view', the blue rifle should have been in pile '3', but fell out of whoever it had got caught-up in as I was sorting them! It looks like a Christmas Cracker (budget range) novelty 'charm'.

Highlights not covered below include the two Aurora kit-figure Russians in shop-window display paint (I think, top right), some Matchbox Mega-Rig and Battle-King figures (centre) and a Corgi pair, various Airfix clones including some more Russians, Toy Story Tim-Mee clones (middle left) and another of those Spetznaz types I got all confused with a while ago, I think this is the other size, but I'll dig them all out and compare before I get it wrong again!

The pale yellow ones (middle top) are a new form or version of Airfix US Para-clones, and as I've now ID'd the third set I did have, I'll do an update on that Airfix page soon . . . ish (I must stop making rash plans as promises!).

Chris has contributed greatly to the parachute toy sub-collection and this lot contained six, the two blow-moulds on the right being different versions of a new (to me) variant, the Tim-Mee copy is possibly a Toy Story thing, but a knock-off I suspect, not a licensed one - which we have seen here. Next to him is a less common version of the smaller ones, while the two Airfix clones weren't duplicates of any I have here, and there are quite a few, but with about eight variants and many colours, there's loads to find!

Colour variations and mould variations of figures we've probably seen before, except the painted chap, who will get a full collage on the Khaki Infantry page, when I do the next update, as he appears to be A) an earlier, unmarked, better-quality version of the 'Empire'-marked one we looked at a while ago (from Adrian Little) with the scalloped-out base and B) possibly British? It's a hard call, the plastic could be HK'ish, or even South American, but it could be British, it's bloody-interesting anyway!

The figure on the left (a non-exact Airfix US Marine clone) is marked Macau which makes it quite unusual, then two larger figures one an HK copy of a US (?) maker and the other 'Rambo' probably Arco, they made the smaller Rambo set (see tag list) with bases, and I think these larger baseless ones were them too - plastic is the same and poses are similar? Finally a really nice, dynamic pose of sniper, who pulls DNA from the Airfix British paratrooper sniper, but is by no means the same.

Not from Chris, but currently on sale under the probably phantom-brand of 'Black Temptation', these hark back to the previous Rambo figure (and the mentioned smaller set) in that one or two of the poses here are taken from there! You get 12, six green and six . . . primrose! There's a bit of Marx and a bit of Bundeswehr in there too!

Back to Chris's donation to the Blog, and saving the best to last; Chris got a nice 'score' of Tiny Trojans, among which was one which hadn't been painted on the base and another which has a pod-foot effect caused by a short-shot on the tool and he kindly sent both to the Blog.

The significance of the unpainted base is there as all my brown weapon and/or black helmeted ones have plain bases, while the pea-green helmeted ones always have painted bases, as did the rest of Chris's substantial find, so it's not that it's an interim or crossover 'version' but rather a mistake!

All superb stuff and I can't thank Chris enough for sending this lot to the Blog, except by sharing it with you, the loyal readers and next-up we'll have the ceremonial/historical types!

S is for Small World; Small Scale World!

I just discovered - through Faceplant (it has its uses) - that an old school-friend of mine is a miniaturist, working by hand in various scales, predominantly 1:12, and she both works to commission and has a catalogue of one-offs, ready for sale;

Magic Minis and Welsh Miniatures

Beautiful Little Things

So if you know any doll's house fans, or are looking for a unique present, give Rosie's website a once-over, you may find just the thing - I thought the Victorian butterfly display in a glass dome was rather exquisite.

News, Views Etc . . . Vectis Flyer

If you've spent 'lockdown' having a bit of a sort out, now might be the time to 'consign'; anyway I got this in the Mail today, and am happy to re-post it here as food for thought!

Now, you may wonder why PW, Vectis and Herald get so much promotion here, as against other operators? It's simply because they send me the copy. I keep inviting both SAS and C&T to use the blog for promotional purposes, and they will enthusiastically declare that they intend to then I never hear from them again until the next show, when the conversation is the same.

It's exactly the same as the conversations at the London Toy Fair each year; three years running now, Papo have enthusiastically asked for my eMail and address, promised to send all sorts for the promotion of their range on my platform, they even take notes . . . and then six, eight, twelve months go by and the same conversation occurs at Kensington again! And not just Papo; GW, Galeforce Nine and others, all enthusiastic at the time, but then no follow-up. It's as if they think turning-up to a show or fair and glad-handing a few peeps is enough?

Now, it may be that they decide I'm a bit prickly, or that the stuff with the idiots at the PSTSM is a bit 'non-u', but that's missing the two points; A) it's the Internet stupid; everything disappears off the bottom of the page and is quickly forgotten! And B) publicity is publicity, good or bad! And please don't think this is a winge, it isn't; it's an explanation of the facts of the matter and as to why some organisations seem to be getting preferential treatment!

I've got plenty to keep me occupied what with purchases & shelfies, contributed new production and shelfies, the vintage stuff, the 'queue', news, 'dragging-out' Toy Fair reports &etc. . . . although I might use stuff anyway, if I like the product, or think it will enhance a post, but it's not my job; nor do I have the time, to chase up other-peoples output or content if they can't be bothered to send it, however those who send me stuff will see it promoted.

I think this may have published earlier today without the picture (and unfinished), I've been having problems with blogger today and I don't know if it's BT, Google or Mozilla's fault, but it seems to be a semi-regular Friday 'thing'?