It is a very exciting time for us collectors this time of the year. The Chicago Toy Soldier Show is less than a few weeks away. Usually the toy companies will release new products or show some prototypes at the show. Last week HaT finally re-stocked the Seven Years War Prussian sets in 1/32 scale. These sets will be available this month(September). I have been looking for these for almost 5 years now. I really like these figures. Hopefully they will release the new 1/32 scaled Seven Years War Austrians soon.
The sets are sold as Marching, Action and Command.
With these sets you can change hats of the figures to make them look as either Musketeers, Fusiliers or Grenadiers.
You can get these sets for around $15.00 or less.
Besides being used as Prussians these figures can be easily used as Hessian mercenaries that served for the British in the American Revolution. The mix well with the new LOD/Barzso figures.
I like the Grenadier hats the best. The details on those hats are really nice and have a nice shape to them. Other plastic Grenadier figures that have been made over the years have some weird shaped hats.
Also this week ATS Toy Soldiers has a sale of 20% off your order with a purchase of 2 items or more! You can check that out over at ATS Toy Soldiers.
I was going to write up a post this weekend about some vintage figures that I got last month. I will most likely get to that at the end of the month or in October. Instead of relaxing this weekend, I went to work on Sunday.
Next week I will have an exciting blog post. It will be another interview. On Saturday I did an interview over the phone with someone that I have been wanted to do for a long time now. That is it for now. Thanks for reading.
Here is another blog post on the hobby of toy soldiers. Here are a few pictures of some of the figures that I am going to talk about.
I usually try to visit flea markets, yard sales and antique stores in the late spring, summer and fall seasons. Most of the time I don’t find too many toy soldiers of interest to me. But the last couple of years I have been lucky to find some nice items. A couple of years ago I started searching for new places to visit that were about 2 to 3 hours away from the house. I find a store or town that I want to visit and then take the local roads until I get to that place. Usually we find stores or discover some yard sales along the way. The other day me and my girlfriend took a random drive and discovered the small town of Honesdale, PA. There were a few nice shops there. One of the stores that we visited was Ambeez Toy Box. This toy store was selling a combination of vintage and new toys. I saw a lot of vintage action figures there. Plus some Warhammer figures. The store is family owned. The owner Paul Bas was very friendly and helpful. I picked up a 21st Century Airplane. An WWII Italian Macchi C.202 Folgore in 1/32 scale for $30. If you are ever around Honesdale stop by.
I stopped at a local Dollar Tree and found this Western bagged set. It had a few figures, a wagon and a camp fire. For a dollar you can’t go wrong. The Wagon is not bad, the figure is about 54mm. The other figures are about 60mm.
The last couple of months I have been picking up vintage western theme figures either from the flea markets or the internet. Mainly groups of figures from different companies and not sets. At the same time I have been going through my collection and re-discovering figures or sets that I forgot I had. One example is the Airfix Plains Indians in 1/32 scale. I was looking for a few weeks for some on eBay. The prices are crazy these days. I was watching a set and then discovered a bunch of figures that I already had, lol. I also found some Timpo Solid cast figures and Reisler Indians that I had stored away. I am going to do a future post on them and some other sets that I have. One of my favorite was the 1/32 scaled Timpo Native American in the picture above and the others pictures below. This is from the 1960’s I think. He is holding a rifle with a blanket covering him. I had to repair him and the horse above too. His rifle was broken and the horse’s leg had broken off. I am planning on painting these one day. I think the horse is by Marx?
Most of the items that I picked up this month were from the internet. We will continue with some of the Western themed items that I found. I have been looking for some vintage Marx or European brands lately. I am gathering both painted and unpainted figures. A lot of the older European plastic figures were painted. I first found a few Marx figures. One is Roy Rogers. I put him on a Airfix horse. I got these guys and about 15 other figures for $9.00.
We continue with a lot of figures that I got from Europe. Most of my collection of toys are items from about 20 years old to the present. I am not that knowledgeable on vintage figures. Here are some pictures of the lot that I got for about $13.00. I think some are by Crescent, Lone Star, Cherilea, Hilco and Timpo. Most are about 1/32 to 1/35 scale. Some are smaller. A few have broken weapons and a few scuffs. I will try to fix them and them repaint most of them.
I found this Airfix Mulipose German set for $5.00. Another box to the pile of projects….
Here is an old Britain Herald set of Highlanders. I found this in an antique store for around $7.00. I have about 30 of these or these type of band figures. Most of the ones that I find have broken instruments or weapons. Plus the others have the paint flaking off. This one was no different. One of the figures had two broken legs. I glued the legs together with the Brush on Krazy glue. It works nicely and I have used it on a few of figures. Ed Borris gave me that tip. I am going to keep these guys in the package and display them.
Next are some figures that I picked up a long time ago. I got these Merten Indians for $3.00 at an auction. At the time I never heard of this brand. They are very colorful. These are 54mm. Made in Germany. They are painted hard plastic. The more common size is 40mm for these figures. These are some of my favorite figures in my collection.
The other day I came across these Walking Dead Zombie figures. Being a fan of the Walking Dead series I decided to get a few different figures. One was the zombies and then some character figures. I will make a mini playset one day. I am thinking of painting zombies one day. Maybe make a display box for a one of a kind playset. Plus I think that we shall see more Soldiers in the future episodes. I can add some of them for the future too. These figures are 1/32 in scale.
Besides the solid unpainted figures they have character figures that you put together. I had to connect the arms, legs, head and a few other parts together. These are 1/32 in scale too. There are some solid cast characters too. These are based on the comic and are different from the tv show.
Here are two 54mm Elastolin swoppet type figures. I don’t to many swoppet figures. When I was a kid I had the Timpo fort with the Cavalry & Indians. These two are nice. Made in Germany.
Here is another lot that I got from eBay a few days ago for around $20.00. I decided to add these figures to the post at the last minute. It is another grouping of European western figures. The main reason I bid on this lot was because of the mounted Indian. I later found out it was made by Cherilea by Paul Robinson who runs the facebook page Marxplaysets (Yahoo Group). This was seconded by Kent Sprecher of Toy Soldier HQ.
I have been coming across some of these older figures here and there. Some of them are expensive. So when I find them they are usually in group lot that I find. This mounted Native American Indian is 1/32 and this figure is casted with the horse.
Besides this figure above there were some other interesting figures. The first batch of Indians were about the same size as Airfix Plains Indians. The three cowboys are about 60mm. The other groupings of Native Indians are about 45mm. The dark blue U.S. Cavalry figures are also 60mm. The other groupings of cowboys are about 50mm. I am planning on painting most of these figures. I will give them a wash and scrub off the old paint with a toothbrush.
That is it for the new additions to my collection. Now here is some news on the hobby.
Just a few things to mention this time. The first is a preview of Evan Oelrich’s World War One figures. You can check that out at Stad’s Stuff. I think the details look good, but the arms and weapons look a little small.
Also mention on Stad’s page and other hobby forums was that Armies in Plastic has a new promotion and some new recasted figures in different colors to be used as Napoleonic Lancers.
You can head over to Classic Toy Soldiers if you interested in World War II. They have some limited sets available at the moment. The first is the Iwo Jima Playset. It includes the following items.
CTS952A Iwo Jima Playset Contents (175 pieces) (1:32 scale) plastic toy soldiers 1 CTS Bamboo Machine Gun Nest 1 CTS Concrete Pill Box 1 CTS Chi Ha Position 2 CTS Fox Holes 1 CTS Artillery Position 1 CTS Cave
25 MARX Marines
32 CTS GI’s 25 MARX Japanese 24 CTS Japanese 3 CTS Sherman Tanks 1 CTS Half Track 3 CTS Japanese Chi Ha Tanks 2 CTS US Howitzers 2 JAPANESE Field Guns 6 CTS Tree Stands 1 MARX Palm Tree Set 2 CTS US Weapons Sets 8 Barbed Wire Sections 4 Concertina Wire Sections
2 CTS Flag Poles w/bases 1 Japanese Rising Sun Flag 1 American flag
Here is the second set, the Iwo Jima Defensive Positions Set.
WWII CTS7444A Pacific Theater Iwo Jima Defensive Positions Set #2 — 7 different pieces (painted) for 1/32 scale plastic toy soldiers
Iwo Jima Pieces Set #2
Palm Log Machine Gun Nest (12”L x 7.5” W) Dug-In Chi Ha Position (11”L x 9.5W”) Artillery/Machine Gun Position (9”L x 6”W) 2 Fox Holes in 2 types (4”L x 3”W) Cave #2 (large) (6”L x 4.5”) Concrete Pill Box (7”L x 5”W)
I hope to see the Hat Seven Years War Austrians by the end of the year. Last I heard they are still in development. They are working the 1/32 Austrians and 3 other projects.
Well at least we shall see the new figures from the LOD in September. Here are some of the older sets above.
Here are more previews of the new Revolutionary War figures. Well the hype train is all most pulling in for the Yorktown Playset. It will be here at the end of September. I can’t wait to see it.
My Union Softball tournament came again at the our annual picnic. This year we came as the defending champs. My team made it to the championship game again, but we lost…. We will be avenged!! I don’t know where these Viking shields came from be we had some fun with them, lol. Nobody had to the courage to take up the challenge to “Pick up the Shield!!!”
That is it for this post. Thanks for reading, Take Care.
Greetings everyone, here is another blog article on the hobby. In this post we will cover some news about Toy Soldiers, yard sale finds and some products that I purchased off the internet.
Before I start I am sorry to say that William Lango has passed away at the age of 74. He was the promoter of the East Coast Toy Soldier Show for about 35 years. He also published the magazine Toy Soldier review for many years. I met him a few times over the years at the shows. He was a really nice guy. He will surely be missed. Gentlemen like Bill are the reason I started a blog page in the first place. He inspired me to continue promoting the hobby of Toy Soldiers.
I went out hunting again the past few weeks and here are a few things that I found. First I stopped at a few yard sales. I got these 4 trees about a minute away from my house for a twenty five cents each.
I got this Star Wars figure for $1.00, a nice find.
While at an antique store I found a bag of toys. Here are some of my favorite figures that I found inside.
Some Vintage 54mm Marx Indians and some green Hong Kong Indians that were a little smaller.
Some Vintage Marx Union Civil War Soldiers in powder blue and some other vintage western figures. They look like they are 54mm or 1/32 in scale.
Here is another picture of the cowboy, I never seen this one before.
Here are some 54mm Marx World War II Americans and Germans.
Here is a vintage Marx Robin Hood figure. This figure is 1/32 in scale.
Some more vintage World War II American toy soldiers. These figures are about 45mm.
This figure looks like Batman. This is 1/32 in scale.
This MPC Soldier looks like he is being attacked by some type of alien. I guess quality control was not that good back then. This figure is 1/32 in scale.
Those trees already came in handy for this picture. I think these deer are made by Marx. These figures are 1/32 in scale.
I found these on eBay the other day. They are a mixture of farm animals in 1/32 scale by Reisler of Denmark. I am always looking for things to add to make my displays come to life. These farm animals are great for that. I got these for about $13.00.
You don’t see to many cats in this scale. These are really nice.
These piglets are excellent too.
Some Rooster and Chickens.
You don’t see to many ducks either.
A few young horses.
Here are some lamb and rams.
Some young calves.
And lastly a Billy goat and a jumping kid.
Here are some 54mm Cowboys that were also made by Reisler. I also got these on eBay for $9.99. They look like ranch hands. The guy with the throwing knife is an unusual pose for a Cowboy.
After I got those Marx Indians last month I started searching on eBay to get a few more. I got lucky with this auction. 68 Vintage Indians for $9.99. Most of these figures are in very good condition. I bid on this auction for the brown 54mm Marx Indians. The other Indians were a pleasant surprise once I looked at them first hand.
I am planning on using some of these Indians with the Barzso Great Buffalo Hunt playset. They should mix well.
Here are some pictures of the other Indians that were in that lot. Some are also from Marx. Most of these have broken weapons. Some have some really nice details.
Now for some Toy Soldier news.
“The New Figures are coming!!!!”
“The New Figures are coming!!!!”
“There Is still time to Pre-Order!!!!!”
The figures are finally done. The color selection is really nice.
“The new Rev War sets are shipping next week from the factory and should be at LOD headquarters in early August. Pre-sale orders will be shipped shortly after they arrive.
There is still time to pre-order the sets to receive one free as well as earn an entry into the drawing for a Barzso Yorktown Playset.
The pre-sale will conclude at the end of the weekend after July 4th (official end time on 7/8). If you have not ordered your sets yet or want to increase your odds in the Playset drawing, visit us at www.lodtoysoldiers.com.“
These are still pictures of the prototypes, but test shots should be arriving next month that depict the characters in their production colors. They should be ready for the holidays. The size of these figures is 60mm.
“The full set with Santa, the elves, sleigh with reindeer, and gifts will retail for $22.50 and be packaged in a decorative box. The figure set is named Santa’s Christmas Delivery.”
“The smaller starter set includes Santa, the three elves, and two gifts. It will be packaged in a header bag and retail for $12.50. It is appropriately named Santa and his Elves.”
“The prototypes for the 6” figures have arrived and the details look great. Each figure will retail for $17.50 or you can purchase both for $30.00.”
“The original War at Troy set gets a small makeover as there will be limited bags available with grey Trojans. The Greeks remain in the beige hue they have been over the three sets. These figure sets will be available late summer for $27.00 per bag or included in the combo or super sets.”
As it was stated before the Hat 1/32 Seven Years War Austrian figures have been approved. You still can pre-order the sets at a discount. Hat 1/32 7YW Austrians
I can’t wait to get the sets that I pre-ordered. These figures should be really nice and cost efficient.
“New set on the Vietnamese war – Marines set 2. Battle of Hue of 1968. 6 figures in 6 poses. 1/32. Material of rezino-plasticity. Flexible and strong, real game miniature.”
You can now find these figures on eBay.
Engineer Basevich. New set 23 NOMADS. Polovtsy, Pechenegs and Khazars. plastic, 1:32.
You should be able to find this new set in the near future. The price is most likely around $60.
Here are some future pirate figures that Warhansa is working on. They said these figures are 1/32 in scale. The weapons seem to still be over sized. They should be available in a few months.
Toy Soldier Review ~ Paragon Sioux Indians
I finally got a few sets of the new Paragon Sioux Indians. For the price of around $30.00 you get 4 mounted Sioux Indians in 2 different poses. Plus another 8 figures on foot that you can get 5 different poses. Two of the figures have plug in hands. You can create 4 different combinations of weapons that these warrior could use. They are 1/32 in scale are about the same size as the TSSD Plains Indians.
Here was the first pose I made. I gave him a Tomahawk and knife to weld into battle.
Here is the next pose that I made. I gave this warrior a spear and shield to protect himself. The other poses would be a Tomahawk & Shield or Spear & knife.
Here is one of my favorite poses in this set. This warrior is running and shooting the bow. His face reminds me of Wes Studi a little.
This pose is unique and my least favorite pose. Only because I can not re-use this pose easily. I will try to convert these figures first one day…
Here is another nice pose. This warrior has a carbine.
Here are the two mounted poses. They are both very nice. The are mounted on TSSD horses.
I like this pose. It can be used in many different scenarios. A classic pose. I like the touch of having a quiver and bow on his back too. The figure can also be pushed so he is resting on the mane of the horse. These figures rest nicely on the horse’s back and you don’t have to be worried about them failing off easily.
I like this pose too. This is a realistic pose of getting close and have better odds of hitting someone after you shot the rifle. Plus doing more damage.
Here are the Paragon Sioux Indians raiding a TSSD Plains Indian camp.
