Canoes and rafts were an essential mean of locomotion in the rivers of North America. I´ve got a few in my collection. Britains The Britains canoe is very carefully moulded, showing a wood frame to support the animal skins. This canoe was moulded in a strange blue colour. It has a piece of cargo and […]
Osul This Portuguese toy maker, made some military figures in a very hard plastic The sculpture is very schematic and painting was kept to a minimum. Portugal Militar This is a new company that produces painted metal toy soldiers, sculpted by Ricardo Leite. They are in the traditional 54mm size and in matt paint. This […]
This German produces figures with an childish appearance but some are very well researched and historically correct. Antiquity The couple Cleopatra and Julius Caesar is the most famous of Antiquity. I think they are very nicely done. Ref. 5394. The Egyptian army very well represented with the “khopesh” sword and shields with cow skin. A […]
Lego is a Danish company that produces plastic pieces to make everything you could imagine. This is probably the most famous toy making company of all. This company produces figures to go with their houses and vehicles. In my collection I have some figures of the Star War series. Some come with space ships and […]
This British company is, probably, the most famous maker of toy soldiers. Plastic Figures Britains Swoppets Swoppet, War of the Roses figures The swoppet figures are made of parts that joint though pegs. This series is one of the best ever produced in plastic. These figures were produced between 1959 and 1972.There are six different […]
Airfix was one of the most important makers of plastic kits and figures. The figures were made in scales 1/72 and 1/35. Nowadays the production of plastic kits continues. Recently a few boxes have been produced of figures in kit form. Airfix WWII Australian Infantry A02709 This reference included 7 different poses. The figures were […]
Flat figures are engraved in thin metal sheets. The tradition of flat figures continues in Germany. The figures are mostly 30mm height. Some artists achieve really masterpieces of painting with flat figures. I painted this medieval knight trying to give a sense of depth. This is always the challenge when painted this type of figures. […]
This company makes rubber moulds to make metal figures at home. There are various scales. I have figures in sizes 25 and 40mm.
Composition figures are made of a mixture of sawdust, glue, kaolin and cassein (Joplin). This mixture was put in a mold around a wire armature. The figures were sold painted.
For me to collect toy soldiers is not only to get many figures but also to know something about the company that made that particular item of my collection. Over the years I bought some books and magazines that I’m going to comment in the following posts. I hope that fellow collectors will find this […]