Latest News!! 09-02-2019 ~ Austin Miniatures, Conte, FOV updates. Chicago Toy Soldier Show. Plus some vintage TSSD items.

September 2, 2019September 2, 2019 / Warhorse Miniatures / 4 Comments

I hope everyone is enjoying the Labor Day weekend. Now that the summer is over I am returning to my normal work schedule and will have more time to do some things. In this post I have a few updates and some pictures of some items that I have picked up over the summer. We shall start with some news first.

CTSS

THE CHICAGO TOY SOLDIER SHOW IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER! Join us at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg Chicago, Sunday, September 22nd, 10 am – 3:30 pm. This show is the biggest show in the world. All the newest products, prototypes and news can be found here. Plus hard to find vintage toys, custom one of a kind and limited edition sets. You can read more about the show at their website over here, https://chicagotoysoldiershow.com/.

Here is what Conte had post on his FB site in his words below.

Thought you’d like to see 6 ( of 8) poses from Roman Set 1 ‘in action’ .
Please note that the ‘gobs’ supporting shields and such are only ‘there’ to temporarily hold up separately molded parts. They will NOT (obviously) be part of the finished product.

Also, the pila/spears have been artificially made a tad thicker than we’d wanted and designed( so that they inject properly and do not bend or twist) We are hopeful that their thickness will be reduced a bit for the final production while still avoiding any bending…it’s all about compromise when the functioning of the molds vs. playability & original design come into debate….

Lastly, the spearchucker is not holding his pilum at the proper angle as it came loose for the photo-shoot

Can’t wait to show you photos of these fellows mixed with additional poses from sets 2 and 3…

A different view which gives some idea of the full-round nature of these figures. The photos were sent to us this morning BY THE FACTORY. These are actual photos of prototypes for RC’s approval/comment sent to us from THE FACTORY.

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7th & 8th poses from Set 1

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Centurion almost complete; might make some adjustments to the cape ; also working on alternate head and alternate arms. Hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this fellow progress…the problem always is that the large shield hides so much detail.

Austin Miniatures will have the new Japanese Infantry & US Marine figures and playset available at the Chicago Toy Soldier Show. I will have more information soon about the details of these sets.

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Forces of Valor is starting to release more new products in 1/32 scale now. The new Russian tanks will available this month. The German tank above should be released next year in March. We should see new items come out on a regular basis now. Next year will see a lot of German, American and some more Russian armored vehicles. There will be more items released other than the ones shown below.

Soviet T-34/85 Model 1944 Medium Tank – 55th Guards Tank Brigade, 7th Guards Tank Corps, Berlin, 1945 [Bonus Model V-2 Diesel-Fueled 12-Cylinder Engine] (1:32 Scale)

Soviet T-34/85 Model 1944 Medium Tank – 95th Guards Tank Brigade, 9th Tank Corps, Berlin, 1945 [Bonus Model V-2 Diesel-Fueled 12-Cylinder Engine] (1:32 Scale)

Here is the famous “Whittmann” Panzer. German Late Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – Michael Wittmann, “007”, schwere SS Panzer Abteilung 101, Cintheaux, France, 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL 230 TRM P45 Engine] (1:32 Scale)

German Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer – “332”, schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654, Normandy, 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL230 P30 Engine] (1:32 Scale)

German 88mm Flak 36 Anti-Aircraft Gun with FLaK Rohr 36 Gun Barrel and Sd. 202 Towing Vehicle – Unidentified Unit, Stalingrad, 1942 (1:32 Scale)

German Sd. Kfz. 186 Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger Heavy Tank Destroyer with Henschel Suspension – schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Germany, 1945 [Bonus Maybach V-12 HL 230 P30 Engine] (1:32 Scale)

German Sd. Kfz. 184 Elefant Heavy Tank Destroyer with Zimmerit – schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Italy, 1944 [Bonus Two 300 PS Maybach HL 120 TRM Engines] (1:32 Scale)

German Mid Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank with Zimmerit – 3/schwere Panzer Abteilung 501, Orsha, Russia, June 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL 230 TRM P45 Engine] (1:32 Scale)

You can find these new Tanks at https://www.themotorpool.net/Forces-of-Valor-Tanks-and-Diecast-Military-Vehicles-s/50.htm, https://www.hobbybunker.com/products/forces-of-valor-16/mfg or eBay, Amazon and other places. Also https://www.michtoy.com/vendors-Forces%20of%20Valor.html sells them too.

Here are some items that I picked up over the summer. In my last post I mentioned that I picked up a Barzso/TSSD “Road To Stalingrad” playset. After I picked up that set I found a few die cast tanks to add to it. Most of them were made by Ultimate Soldier, 21st Century, Unimax or Forces of Valor.

TSSD Russians & Tanks

Here are two WWII Russian tanks by Unimax and Forces of Valor. Plus WWII Russian Infantry by TSSD. All of them are nicely detailed. They are all in 1/32 scale.

Here are the TSSD Russians in olive green. The T34 tank is made by Unimax.

Here are the TSSD Russians in Maroon. The KV-1 tank is made by Forces of Valor.

Here are some of the TSSD WWII Germans in long coats for the Russian Invasion.

These are early set cast in white gray color.

The first Tank is made by W. Britain. I found it for $34. It was damaged, but I was able to fix some of it. The barrel on the gun turret was warped. Probably from some accident when it fell and hit the ground. There was a small crack on the bottom of the track. I was able to heat up the gun barrel and straighten it out.

Here is another German tank. I think this one is a Panther. It was made by 21st Century toys.

FOV1 FOV2 FOV3 FOV4 FOV5

The half-track is made by Forces of Valor. The figures that came with this set are really nice. They make an epic piece in any collection. The look nice with other brands of toy soldiers in 1/32 scale.

Tree1 Tree2 Tree3 Tree4

I ordered some trees about a month ago from Micshaun’s Closet. Each tree was $12.99. The details are great. It is a nice size. The tree measures about 9 & 1/2 inches tall.

FOV6

So if you need any Germans, Russians or trees head over to https://micshaunscloset.com/, they carry plenty of different sets from multiple companies.

Germans s-l1600 T34

These die cast tanks are great. But they can also cost a lot of money. But if you are patient you find these die cast vehicles at good to fair prices. The Forces of Valor are the best in my opinion.

Over the summer I have purchased a few figure lots. In these lots there was either different sets from the same brand or different brands mixed together. I picked up a few vintage WWII Russian Infantry figures in different colors.

Here are some of the orange Airfix Russians that I think were made in the late 1980’s.

These Marx recast Russian figures I think were cast in the 1990’s??

I have never seen these in yellow before until I got them in a figure lot. They are nicely cast. They are marked Marx on the bottom. They are 1/32 in scale.

It is a few weeks away from the big show. I can’t wait to hear about and see the newest products that are going to be released. I should have a post before or maybe two post before the show. That is it for now. Thank you for reading.

Gettysburg Toy Soldier Show 2019 Review

May 6, 2019September 13, 2019 / Warhorse Miniatures / 2 Comments

Show4

The 12th Annual Gettysburg ended this year with the lights on. There was a good crowd at the show. They came in at a steady rate throughout the show. This year was the first year that I attended as a vendor. It was a fun experience.

Show1

I got up at 5:00am. Me and my girlfriend had arrived the day before and stayed at the Eisenhower Hotel. That was where the show was being held. I unpacked and put the bagged figures that I had in different boxes on the table. After that I took out the Prikaz & Austin figures to display.

Show2

It was interesting to watch the other vendors set up their tables. They put together shelves and huge displays. Gary of the Army Group Center even wheeled his shelves in already filled with boxed sets of toy soldiers.

The first vendor I saw was me…. I had a mixture of mainly vintage figures and some recasts. I really didn’t sell too much.

The main reason I went was to promote the Moscow based company Prikaz. I had 4 of the medieval based sets displayed. I had some of the sets in plastic display cases and others displayed with some Conte figures. The collectors that stopped to check them out where impressed with the amount of detail. They liked the unique poses.

They also liked the Austin WW II Japanese prototypes that I had on display. A lot of collectors can’t wait until September to buy some bagged sets of Japanese Infantry. Me too.

One of the promoters of the show is John Stengel Jr. He came through the back door to avoid the press. He had most of the tables towards the back of the show. I was right next to him. His tables had bins filled with plastic figures. They were either in plastic bags or loose. Most were vintage, but some where new bagged sets. He also had some playsets. Every show he digs out boxes of old vintage plastic figures. You never know what he will have. He hopes to have 100 to 150 sets of the his new World War II German Paratroopers ready to sell at the Chicago Toy Soldier Show later this year. After some setbacks he hopes to have a few sets produced next year.

Carl Hoegermeyer was the other promoter of the show. They had a lot of painted metal sets. Check out his website here, https://quartermaster-collectibles.com/.

George Guerriero of Minutemen Toy Soldiers always has the best displays of painted toy soldiers for sale. He brings a huge selection from different companies. I collect mainly plastic or resin figures. Most of the metal figures that I have I purchased from George.

Ab5

Hand Held Warriors was at the show with their beautifully painted metal miniatures.

Army Group Center Wargaming was at the show again with hordes of plastic figures in boxed sets, plastic bags filled with figures and loose figures in plastic bins to search through.

Calvin5

Calvin is one of the Toy Soldier Show vendors that I have mentioned in the past. He always has a nice selection of vintage and hard to find toys.

Stephen Connell was present at this show again too. He had a nice selection of painted metal figures at very good prices.

Eber1

Rick Eber of http://www.marxplaysets.com/ always has a great selection of vintage Marx playsets and figures. Plus vintage figures from other brands.

Frank2

Frank Wakely had a nice selection of vintage toys for sale. He is one of these collectors selling off his collection.

Another dealer of painted metal figures was Al Green of Green’s Collectibles. He also had a nice selection of metal figures.

For the Historian is a local Gettysburg store that sells books & miniatures.

Jones5

Michael Jones had a nice selection of painted metal figures too.

MTS3

Memphis Toy Soldier is another dealer of painted metal figures. They had a nice selection too.

OTS5

Some more old toy soldiers that Mr. Keller was selling.

Show3 Show5

One of the nice things about the Gettysburg show is the great selection of both plastic & metal figures. Both new and old. Vendor after vendor had quality products. Each one had something different to offer. Each year is always different when you come. This year was great if you were looking for tanks. There were two vendors that had huge selection of tanks at very good prices.

Tanks2

There was one collector that was selling off a huge selection of tanks and Conte sets. He was selling loose tanks starting at $25.00. Boxed tanks starting at $45.00. He was asking $600 the Conte sets. He said he will go to a few more shows and then eventually sell whatever is left on eBay from his daughter’s account. I think he will be at the East Coast Toy Soldier show if he still has a lot of things to sell.

Tom Dubel was selling some painted metal figures too. He also had a nice selection to choose from.

Wallis4

Joe Wallis knows a lot about lead toy soldiers, hey he wrote the book… He is very knowledgeable about old toy soldiers and had a nice selection of them for sale.

Fred Sassin had a nice selection of vintage toys for sale too. Both metal and plastic.

TSD4

Gerardo of Toy Soldier Depot had a nice selection of tanks and other military vehicles. He also had some playsets and some bins with loose Conte figures for sale.

That is all I have to show about the show itself. I had a good time talking to fellow collectors about the Prikaz Toy Soldiers, the Austin prototypes and some future projects that I am working on. I am slowing down on with collecting things for now and want to focus on customizing, painting and creating original things. Here are some of the items that I did pick up at the show.

Vikings

I got these W. Britain and Conte figures from Stephen Connell. He was asking $20.00 a piece for them.

Here are some Replicant Saxons that I picked up from John Stengel Jr. I like how the base of the figures match up so you can “lock” them in place to form a shield wall. I got these for S4.00 a piece. I got a few more Saxons too.

I got these Conte Spartans from the Toy Soldier Depot for $2.50 a piece.

Here are some other items that I picked up at the show for good prices. I got some Barzso foam pieces, an Engineer Basevich Nomads set, a few loose Conte GI’s, an Auburn Horse and an Imex American Revolution Artillery set.

That’s it for the review. Don’t forget to check out the Prikaz Toy Soldiers page.

If you could not make it to the Gettysburg show there is another show with some of the same dealers coming up in a couple of weeks in Ohio.

May 18, 2019 – May 19, 2019 is the 2019 W.Britain Open House, Show and Diorama Workshop. For more information check out the flyer here, https://www.wbritain.com/media/cms/Ericka_Good_Soldier_Show_2019_Flyer_F561B97F38B9F.pdf.

Take Care and thank you for reading.

Latest News!! 3-31-2019. Midwest Toy Soldier Show & Hobby News. LOD, BMC & more…..

March 31, 2019March 31, 2019 / Warhorse Miniatures / Leave a comment

Midwest

Later this week starting this Friday the Midwest Toy Soldier Show begins. It is not the biggest show around but it is quality show. Last year was the first time that I attended. I didn’t plan on going but decided to go at the last minute. I made the trip into a extended weekend get away. I had a really good time and can’t wait to go again. This time I will take part in the room trading that takes place the two days before the actual toy show. I will have a report about the show next week. If you have the time or are a few hours away you should make the drive. You can read more at the over at the Midwest Toy Soldier Show website.

Here are some prototypes of the LOD Amazons that will be out sometime in the fall. They are unique and filled with action. Two poses are mounted and another 4 poses on foot.

Also at the LOD website you can check out this Sale on the American Revolution figures by clicking here Rev War Bundle.

LOD AR

To celebrate the anniversary of the photo release of the LOD figure sets that populated the Barzso Yorktown Playset, we are reviving our “buy 4 get 1 free” special from last year. Just under 3,000 figure sets have found their way into collector’s hands, but we feel confident that there many armies out there still ready for growth!

If you purchase one of each set ($100 for the bundle), you can select one free figure set to be included in the shipment. Shipping and handling in the United States is $18.75 so the total price is $118.75 USD (please contact us for international shipping prices).

When placing an order on the website, please state which bag of figures you would like for your complimentary set. Or feel free to call us at (920) 471-7349 or e-mail lodtoysoldiers@gmail.com to place an order.

Thanks!

News

Over at BMC we received news on their production schedule for this year. It is a mix of new and re-stocked items coming in soon or later this year. You can read more at their page, BMC TOYS: SPRING 2019 PRODUCTION ROUNDUP.

Our last bit of news is about another preview of a Austin Miniatures Prototype. This one is of a U.S. Marine with an Trench Gun. This figure will make a very welcome addition to any WWII collection.

Well that is it for now. Thank you for reading.

An Interview with Austin Beidelschies of Austin Miniatures.

February 17, 2019February 17, 2019 / Warhorse Miniatures / 1 Comment

In 2013 Austin Miniatures started production of plastic toys soldiers plus foam buildings, terrain bases and accessories. Their figures can be compared to Conte figures in scale and detail. The first figure set made was of cowboys. They followed later with a set of Marines for the Pacific Theater.

Marines

I noticed their figures about the time I started collecting again after about a 10 year absence. I had picked up a set of the WWII Marines a couple of years ago. They have nice details and mix well with other brands.

Recently I was able to chat with Austin Beidelschies. Austin is the son of Dan Beidelschies. Together they are now expanding the product line of Austin Miniatures. He was able to take some time to answer a few questions.

Warhorse Miniatures: Hi Austin. My first question is; can you tell us about yourself and how did Austin Miniatures get started?

Austin: My name is Austin Beidelschies, I am 19 years old and I am the concept artist and painter for Austin Miniatures. My dad (Dan Beidelschies) started up Austin Miniatures in 2013 and named the company after me in hopes that I would eventually take over the business. Which I am most definitely going to do. The passion for toy soldiers started with my dad when his mom bought him a Marx Battleground Playset when he was just 8 years old. Like some of us he “grew up” and got rid of his toy soldiers. He still regrets doing it to this day. It wasn’t until his late twenties that he reconnected with toy soldiers again. He saw Conte’s Airborne figures on the internet and was so amazed at how detailed they were. So then I got to grow up with all these great WW2 figures from his collection. He would make these giant dioramas that went from the kitchen to the end of our living room. Playing with Conte’s WW2 figures is how my passion for toy soldiers began. I was around 14 years old when we released our western figures. Since I have grown I have been becoming increasingly more involved into Austin Miniatures. Just last year I created some concept sketches of a new set of WW2 US marines and now they are in the hands of our sculptor who is making a new set of US Marines. These will be the first Figures coming from Austin Miniatures that I have designed.

Terrain

Warhorse Miniatures: I recently picked up some of your cowboys the details are really nice. Why did you start here as your first set of figures?

Austin: We decided to do cowboys as our first set because we love the idea of the wild west. This era of American history happened very fast but so many awesome characters and battles have came from the wild west era. My dad grew up watching many western movies. It just seemed right to make cowboys for our first set.

Warhorse Miniatures: I have seen your prototypes of the WWII Japanese Infantry for a few years now and heard you were supposed to produce that set years ago. Can you tell us more about this?

Austin: We have been teasing you with the Japanese figures for a very long time. The simple answer as to why you don’t have them yet is life. We are not a multi million dollar corporation like Hasbro or Mattel, we are just normal everyday Americans. Sometimes life gets in the way of our goals and aspirations. But they are going to be available for purchase this year so we can all look forward to that. Trust me I want to make shooting noises and knock over the Japanese figures just as much as you guys do. We at Austin Miniatures are just as much collectors as we are producers.

Warhorse Miniatures: This year looks like it might be a break out year for you with the announcement of a few news sets to be produced. Can you tell us more about your plans?

Austin: So for 2019 we have 3 new sets planned as well as a pacific theatre playset. We have another set of WW2 US Marines coming after the Japanese. The new Marines are being sculpted as we speak and will include 2 riflemen, an NCO with a Thompson, a Navajo code talker radio man, and a new and improved BAR gunner. Included in the set will also be interchangeable arms and equipment. This will be very useful for the guy who likes to convert their figures. For example; the radio man can swap his radio for a backpack turning him into a standard infantryman. Maybe you want him to have an M1 Garand instead of a carbine, you can do this with our new set. Because of our new system we were also able to include the parts to make a Marine with a Winchester model 97 shotgun which I am very excited about. After the Marines we have more cowboys in the works. So far the new set of cowboys will include a Mexican bandito, “Old Timer”, an Indian scout, and the kneeling rifleman that we have not yet released yet. As for the playset it is going to include everything you need for a battle in the pacific. Marines, Japanese, one of our foam battlefields, BMC amtracs, Pegasus palm trees and some other accessories. If this playset sells well you will definitely see more playsets from us. We have all those awesome western buildings so it only makes sense to do a couple western playsets.

Warhorse Miniatures: Are you planning on releasing the playset this year will you be releasing it for next year?

Austin: We are planning to have the playset ready for sale at this year’s Chicago toy soldier show.

The playset could look something like this? These are pictures from the Austin Miniatures.

Warhorse Miniatures: I collect mainly Dark Age or Medieval figures and early American Colonial figures. I recently started collecting WWII & Western figures. Do you have any plans on ever making Medieval figures or Colonial figures?

Austin: We currently have no plans for medieval or colonial figures. However we are gonna be coming out with a bunch of new stuff in the next couple of years. I will just say that NOTHING is off the table. We are collectors just like you guys, except we can produce figures. So we might see a new movie or read a new book that gets us excited for a certain battle or war. If there is enough demand for something we will definitely consider it. There are many sets that I personally would like to produce. World War two is my favorite time period so I would like to make Waffen SS and US GI’s some day. The big conflict when I was growing up was the war on terror in the Middle East, I have always wanted to make modern marines and insurgents. The possibilities for the future of Austin Miniatures are endless. I believe the future of the toy soldier hobby is very bright. The third “Golden Era” of toy soldiers is coming.

Warhorse Miniatures: Here is my last question. I would like to thank you and your father for taking your time to answer the questions. Is there anything else you would like to say to the collectors?

Austin: Thank you for the interview! The only other thing we would like to say to the collectors is thank you for your continued support to Austin Miniatures and to all the other great producers in the toy soldier community. Keep an eye out for our new products, we will be posting pictures of our new sculpts as we get them.

Here is what Conte had post on his FB site in his words below.

Thought you’d like to see 6 ( of 8) poses from Roman Set 1 ‘in action’ . Please note that the ‘gobs’ supporting shields and such are only ‘there’ to temporarily hold up separately molded parts. They will NOT (obviously) be part of the finished product.

Lastly, the spearchucker is not holding his pilum at the proper angle as it came loose for the photo-shoot

Can’t wait to show you photos of these fellows mixed with additional poses from sets 2 and 3…

7th & 8th poses from Set 1

Centurion almost complete; might make some adjustments to the cape ; also working on alternate head and alternate arms. Hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this fellow progress…the problem always is that the large shield hides so much detail.

Austin Miniatures will have the new Japanese Infantry & US Marine figures and playset available at the Chicago Toy Soldier Show. I will have more information soon about the details of these sets.

Soviet T-34/85 Model 1944 Medium Tank – 55th Guards Tank Brigade, 7th Guards Tank Corps, Berlin, 1945 [Bonus Model V-2 Diesel-Fueled 12-Cylinder Engine] (1:32 Scale)

Soviet T-34/85 Model 1944 Medium Tank – 95th Guards Tank Brigade, 9th Tank Corps, Berlin, 1945 [Bonus Model V-2 Diesel-Fueled 12-Cylinder Engine] (1:32 Scale)

Here is the famous “Whittmann” Panzer. German Late Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – Michael Wittmann, “007”, schwere SS Panzer Abteilung 101, Cintheaux, France, 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL 230 TRM P45 Engine] (1:32 Scale)

German Sd. Kfz. 173 Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer – “332”, schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 654, Normandy, 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL230 P30 Engine] (1:32 Scale)

German 88mm Flak 36 Anti-Aircraft Gun with FLaK Rohr 36 Gun Barrel and Sd. 202 Towing Vehicle – Unidentified Unit, Stalingrad, 1942 (1:32 Scale)

German Sd. Kfz. 186 Jagdpanzer VI Jagdtiger Heavy Tank Destroyer with Henschel Suspension – schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Germany, 1945 [Bonus Maybach V-12 HL 230 P30 Engine] (1:32 Scale)

German Sd. Kfz. 184 Elefant Heavy Tank Destroyer with Zimmerit – schwere Panzerjager Abteilung 653, Italy, 1944 [Bonus Two 300 PS Maybach HL 120 TRM Engines] (1:32 Scale)

German Mid Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank with Zimmerit – 3/schwere Panzer Abteilung 501, Orsha, Russia, June 1944 [Bonus Maybach HL 230 TRM P45 Engine] (1:32 Scale)

You can find these new Tanks at https://www.themotorpool.net/Forces-of-Valor-Tanks-and-Diecast-Military-Vehicles-s/50.htm, https://www.hobbybunker.com/products/forces-of-valor-16/mfg or eBay, Amazon and other places. Also https://www.michtoy.com/vendors-Forces%20of%20Valor.html sells them too.

Here are two WWII Russian tanks by Unimax and Forces of Valor. Plus WWII Russian Infantry by TSSD. All of them are nicely detailed. They are all in 1/32 scale.

Here are the TSSD Russians in olive green. The T34 tank is made by Unimax.

Here are the TSSD Russians in Maroon. The KV-1 tank is made by Forces of Valor.

Here are some of the TSSD WWII Germans in long coats for the Russian Invasion.

These are early set cast in white gray color.

Here is another German tank. I think this one is a Panther. It was made by 21st Century toys.

The half-track is made by Forces of Valor. The figures that came with this set are really nice. They make an epic piece in any collection. The look nice with other brands of toy soldiers in 1/32 scale.

I ordered some trees about a month ago from Micshaun’s Closet. Each tree was $12.99. The details are great. It is a nice size. The tree measures about 9 & 1/2 inches tall.

So if you need any Germans, Russians or trees head over to https://micshaunscloset.com/, they carry plenty of different sets from multiple companies.

These die cast tanks are great. But they can also cost a lot of money. But if you are patient you find these die cast vehicles at good to fair prices. The Forces of Valor are the best in my opinion.

Over the summer I have purchased a few figure lots. In these lots there was either different sets from the same brand or different brands mixed together. I picked up a few vintage WWII Russian Infantry figures in different colors.

Here are some of the orange Airfix Russians that I think were made in the late 1980’s.

These Marx recast Russian figures I think were cast in the 1990’s??

I have never seen these in yellow before until I got them in a figure lot. They are nicely cast. They are marked Marx on the bottom. They are 1/32 in scale.

It is a few weeks away from the big show. I can’t wait to hear about and see the newest products that are going to be released. I should have a post before or maybe two post before the show. That is it for now. Thank you for reading.

The 12th Annual Gettysburg ended this year with the lights on. There was a good crowd at the show. They came in at a steady rate throughout the show. This year was the first year that I attended as a vendor. It was a fun experience.

I got up at 5:00am. Me and my girlfriend had arrived the day before and stayed at the Eisenhower Hotel. That was where the show was being held. I unpacked and put the bagged figures that I had in different boxes on the table. After that I took out the Prikaz & Austin figures to display.

It was interesting to watch the other vendors set up their tables. They put together shelves and huge displays. Gary of the Army Group Center even wheeled his shelves in already filled with boxed sets of toy soldiers.

The first vendor I saw was me…. I had a mixture of mainly vintage figures and some recasts. I really didn’t sell too much.

They also liked the Austin WW II Japanese prototypes that I had on display. A lot of collectors can’t wait until September to buy some bagged sets of Japanese Infantry. Me too.

Carl Hoegermeyer was the other promoter of the show. They had a lot of painted metal sets. Check out his website here, https://quartermaster-collectibles.com/.

George Guerriero of Minutemen Toy Soldiers always has the best displays of painted toy soldiers for sale. He brings a huge selection from different companies. I collect mainly plastic or resin figures. Most of the metal figures that I have I purchased from George.

Hand Held Warriors was at the show with their beautifully painted metal miniatures.

Army Group Center Wargaming was at the show again with hordes of plastic figures in boxed sets, plastic bags filled with figures and loose figures in plastic bins to search through.

Calvin is one of the Toy Soldier Show vendors that I have mentioned in the past. He always has a nice selection of vintage and hard to find toys.

Stephen Connell was present at this show again too. He had a nice selection of painted metal figures at very good prices.

Rick Eber of http://www.marxplaysets.com/ always has a great selection of vintage Marx playsets and figures. Plus vintage figures from other brands.

Frank Wakely had a nice selection of vintage toys for sale. He is one of these collectors selling off his collection.

Another dealer of painted metal figures was Al Green of Green’s Collectibles. He also had a nice selection of metal figures.

For the Historian is a local Gettysburg store that sells books & miniatures.

Michael Jones had a nice selection of painted metal figures too.

Memphis Toy Soldier is another dealer of painted metal figures. They had a nice selection too.

Some more old toy soldiers that Mr. Keller was selling.

Tom Dubel was selling some painted metal figures too. He also had a nice selection to choose from.

Joe Wallis knows a lot about lead toy soldiers, hey he wrote the book… He is very knowledgeable about old toy soldiers and had a nice selection of them for sale.

Fred Sassin had a nice selection of vintage toys for sale too. Both metal and plastic.

Gerardo of Toy Soldier Depot had a nice selection of tanks and other military vehicles. He also had some playsets and some bins with loose Conte figures for sale.

I got these W. Britain and Conte figures from Stephen Connell. He was asking $20.00 a piece for them.

Here are some Replicant Saxons that I picked up from John Stengel Jr. I like how the base of the figures match up so you can “lock” them in place to form a shield wall. I got these for S4.00 a piece. I got a few more Saxons too.

I got these Conte Spartans from the Toy Soldier Depot for $2.50 a piece.

Here are some other items that I picked up at the show for good prices. I got some Barzso foam pieces, an Engineer Basevich Nomads set, a few loose Conte GI’s, an Auburn Horse and an Imex American Revolution Artillery set.

That’s it for the review. Don’t forget to check out the Prikaz Toy Soldiers page.

If you could not make it to the Gettysburg show there is another show with some of the same dealers coming up in a couple of weeks in Ohio.

Take Care and thank you for reading.

Here are some prototypes of the LOD Amazons that will be out sometime in the fall. They are unique and filled with action. Two poses are mounted and another 4 poses on foot.

Also at the LOD website you can check out this Sale on the American Revolution figures by clicking here Rev War Bundle.

Over at BMC we received news on their production schedule for this year. It is a mix of new and re-stocked items coming in soon or later this year. You can read more at their page, BMC TOYS: SPRING 2019 PRODUCTION ROUNDUP.

Our last bit of news is about another preview of a Austin Miniatures Prototype. This one is of a U.S. Marine with an Trench Gun. This figure will make a very welcome addition to any WWII collection.

Well that is it for now. Thank you for reading.

In 2013 Austin Miniatures started production of plastic toys soldiers plus foam buildings, terrain bases and accessories. Their figures can be compared to Conte figures in scale and detail. The first figure set made was of cowboys. They followed later with a set of Marines for the Pacific Theater.

I noticed their figures about the time I started collecting again after about a 10 year absence. I had picked up a set of the WWII Marines a couple of years ago. They have nice details and mix well with other brands.

Recently I was able to chat with Austin Beidelschies. Austin is the son of Dan Beidelschies. Together they are now expanding the product line of Austin Miniatures. He was able to take some time to answer a few questions.

Warhorse Miniatures: Hi Austin. My first question is; can you tell us about yourself and how did Austin Miniatures get started?

Warhorse Miniatures: I recently picked up some of your cowboys the details are really nice. Why did you start here as your first set of figures?

Warhorse Miniatures: I have seen your prototypes of the WWII Japanese Infantry for a few years now and heard you were supposed to produce that set years ago. Can you tell us more about this?

Warhorse Miniatures: This year looks like it might be a break out year for you with the announcement of a few news sets to be produced. Can you tell us more about your plans?

Warhorse Miniatures: Are you planning on releasing the playset this year will you be releasing it for next year?

Austin: We are planning to have the playset ready for sale at this year’s Chicago toy soldier show.

The playset could look something like this? These are pictures from the Austin Miniatures.

Warhorse Miniatures: I collect mainly Dark Age or Medieval figures and early American Colonial figures. I recently started collecting WWII & Western figures. Do you have any plans on ever making Medieval figures or Colonial figures?

Warhorse Miniatures: Here is my last question. I would like to thank you and your father for taking your time to answer the questions. Is there anything else you would like to say to the collectors?

Besides selling plastic toy soldiers, they also offer painted sets too.

Thought you’d like to see 6 ( of 8) poses from Roman Set 1 ‘in action’ .
Please note that the ‘gobs’ supporting shields and such are only ‘there’ to temporarily hold up separately molded parts. They will NOT (obviously) be part of the finished product.