Plastic Warrior Show 2023

 The PW Show has been running annually since 1985 (2 years COVID lockdown excepted), and on Saturday someone said to me "It pretty much runs itself now doesn't it".  Well, no it doesn't, there are always problems, there are so many things outside of our control, and the Gods love to have fun with mortals who make plans.  This year they had a lot of fun and we had a lot of challenges but the support and camaraderie of the enthusiasts who overcame the travel problems and turned up carried the day.  So if you were one of them, thank you, you're the ones who really make the show.

I always use the show as an opportunity to clear out stuff I no longer need, stuff that has sat in a cupboard unloved, unlooked at and unused for years.  I wanted it when I bought it, perhaps on a whim, or maybe for a project that never came to fruition (plenty of them!), some stuff was just picked up to save it from the skip or the ravages of tiny fingers, whatever.  

The important thing is that it gives someone else some pleasure in acquisition, takes up their storage space and ultimately becomes their problem.  It also frees up space in my cupboards and in my head for me to get more stuff.  This was my haul for the day (plus several bags of Hing Fat WW2 out of the pic), by coincidence I ended the day with as much cash in my pocket as I started it, so in my personal microeconomic view I got all this stuff for nothing.

This is the Garibaldi Red Shirt set made in Italy by Co-Ma, I've only been searching 40 years for them so I expect they'll be turning up all over the place now.  Very similar to Atlantic in style but a bit smaller at about 50mm tall, four of them should have muskets in black plastic, I'll give them Timpo ones.

I do like to see English cavalry in a pillbox cap, this composition figure was made in France by Bon Dufour, badly damaged but condition has never been an issue for me.

Some odds and ends for various collections, a couple of Natives from PZG of Poland, some composition figures gifted from Andreas Dittmann who came over with the collectors from Germany and some French infantry by Toumoulage that will find employment in the International Brigade for my Spanish Civil War project.

I usually try to get lots of photos of the tables to encourage more people to come to the show, this year I didn't really have time to wander around taking pics but here are a few bits that give a flavour of what it's all about.  

When I got home I took a few more pics of the stuff I bought and I'll try to get them posted up over the next few days.

More of the new display

I've been wondering which figures to display on the extra shelves I added to my IKEA display cabinet, this is what I've come up with so far:

Some Polish Lancers, the officer in the centre made in France by JIM, the troopers around him made in Poland by PZG (the Polish Association of the Deaf), beautiful figures destined to remain in the cabinet and not risk the rigours of the wargame table.

The Corsican Ogre himself, made by Cyrnos, the Mamelouk standard bearer made by JIM as are the Carabinier and Hussars behind them. 

The Duke of Marlborough, mounted by Cherilea and on foot made by Tradition, the Grenadiers in the background are repainted Cavendish figures.

A hotchpotch of American Revolution figures, many converted from old Britains swoppets and Helmet kits parts by Denis Donovan and Gareth Lloyd, who have established an enviable reputation for such work.

Lancers of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw made by PZG

Two more examples from PZG (Polski Zwiazek Gluchich), they need no introduction, just beautiful figures.

The markings on the underside of the base.

Beautiful sculpting for toys, amazing that the swords and plumes have remained intact down the years. 

Repairing PZG medievals

For those who might not have come across them before PZG is the Polski Zwiazek Gluchych (Polish Association of the Deaf) and during the Communist regime they used to run employment schemes, one of which was producing toy soldiers.  And extremely good toy soldiers at that, I always pick them up whenever I come across them and I've never been too fussy about condition, these three were long overdue for a bit of attention.

The horn blower had lost his lower legs and base, the other two were just broken off their bases at the ankles, all three had lost their weapons.  They've all had their legs pinned and filled with miliput, the hornist will need a bit more reconstruction, don't know why I put him on a round base instead of oblong though, didn't think that through!

The finished items, I matched the original paint as best I could, the double handed axes are accessories for 28mm figures, made by Fireforge Games, and the crossbow is from the Replicants range of Britains swoppet replacement parts.

Hark the herald.................

This trumpeter comes from a set of Winged Hussars, not surprisingly made in Poland, and invariably attributed to the manufacturer PZG.  The figure has been gilded and was originally mounted on a plinth to be sold as an ornament or tourist item.  It's part of a range that I assume was inspired by the Siege of Vienna as it includes a personality figure of King Jan Sobieski, Winged Hussar, Dragoon, Standard Bearer, Kettle Drummer and Trumpeter.

PZG is the Polski Zwiazek Gluchych (Polish Associaton of the Deaf) which ran workshops producing all manner of goods to provide employment for people with hearing disability.  Founded in 1946, the Association is still going strong today and during the Communist era produced various ranges of toy soldiers.  These days collectors tend to label all Polish made plastic figures as PZG, even though very few are actually marked as such, due to the dearth of information on who manufactured them.
                                                                                                      

The elegantly sculpted horse has damage to a couple of his legs from where he was prised off the original plinth, another project in the queue is to repair, rebase and repaint him, perhaps I'll actually get around to doing it next year.  To get an idea of what he should look like when painted up take a look at Eric's Blog here.

Plastic Warrior Show 2018

The Plastic Warrior Show has come and gone for another year, a part of me is always glad to get it over with, another part can't wait until the next one, we collectors are indeed a curious race.  Some new Replicants mounted Comanche Indians were unveiled at the show, I haven't included pictures of them as they are already poping up all over the blogosphere and on their revamped website which is well worth a look here: Replicants.

Dan Morgan made this rather nice medieval diorama to showcase Replicants civilian figures.

Adrian Little treated us to an extensive collection of Malleable Mouldings figures, of which this is just a small selection

There were a couple of these Polish Renaissance gun teams on Steve Vickers table, they are quite large size, the figures stand about 70mm high

One of the French dealers brought this interesting landing craft over with him.

The Melton Brothers from York had an interesting selection of early English plastics

more of the above!

This was the offering from Belgian collector Daniel Lepers

.....and more of the above.

That's it until next year folks!

There's going to be a BIG PARTY in London tonight.......

No.......... it's not the opening of the Olympics......................

There'll be lots of Music..............

Lots of Women..............

Lots of Dancing..............

Lots of Eatin' and Drinkin'............

Everybody'll have a good time...........until the drink runs out, then.........

Lots of Fightin'.............

Have a Good Day!!!!!!!!!!

Winged Hussar Standard Bearer by PZG

PZG the Polish Union for the Deaf produced a lot of original and unique figures in their workshops to provide employment for deaf people.  Most were made a toys for children but some of the better ones were gilded, set on plinths and sold as ornaments for the tourist market.  The most spectacular set, to my mind, was based on the Polish army during the Great Turkish War of the late 17th Century, so far I have identified seven mounted figures: King Jan Sobieski, officer, standard bearer, trumpeter, kettle drummer, winged lancer and dragoon.

The standard bearer, showing the engraved detail of the flag, frankly I'm amazed this has remained intact through the years.

The horse is well sculpted in a rather elegant pose, the original plinth it was mounted on has been removed, I rather prefer it this way.

The armour and composite bow have a distinctly Mongol style to them.

Detail showing the armament, 2 pistols, long broadsword strapped to flank of horse, shorter sabre, shield and composite bow

I have only ever seen the King and the Lancer fully painted, the rest are always coated in gilt as shown above, I think this chap will be a contender for a repaint.  Such a shame they never made the Turks to oppose them.

PZG Samurai

These plastic Samurai were made in Poland, probably during the 1960's and possibly by PZG, the Polish society for the Deaf, they stand about 60/65mm high. I don't know if the brown paint is original but it may be that they were painted to make them look like terracota, I am sorely tempted to strip and repaint them and it is only the backlog of existing painting projects that prevents me entering into this act of vandalism.

PZG Napoleonic infantryman

This is the last of the collectable figures I picked up at last week's PW show, not a large haul considering the amount of esoteric stuff there to be had but the truth is that before very long I started to suffer from toy soldier overload and became incapable of rational thought. I had taken a shopping list to the show, mostly items I wanted for conversions to supplement the armies I'm building for the "Funny Little Wars" project but immediately abandoned that and bought us stuff tht was totally off list.

This figure was made in Poland, I presume by PZG (Polski Zwiacek Gluchych), the Polish Union for the Deaf, who ran workhops manufacturing all manner of things to raise money for deaf people. The organisation still exists today but no longer makes toy soldiers, this example is 54mm plastic. Collector Jim Lloyd is probably the leading exponent of PZG figures in Western Europe and has a website well worth looking at here.