Plunder from the Plastic Warrior Show 2026

 I usually take a lot of photos at the Plastic Warrior show, particularly the more unusual items that turn up, partly to share information and images for those collectors who can't attend but primarily for use in promoting the show the following year.  This year I took my camera along but spent so much time running around I completely forgot to take any photos, so apologies for that and here are some of the bits I managed to pick up.

First up an early Monarch brand Conquistador in red/brown plastic which carries the lozenge shaped indent marked "England" under it's base which was used by Hilco (John Hill & Co), seen here previously: Collecting Toy Soldiers: Converting Monarch Conquistadors   I have lots of these and don't really go in for collecting all the different plastic colour variations but this chap was in a 50p junk box so he deserved rescuing.

My prize find of the day was the figure of Queen Elizabeth I from the Sir Francis Drake set made by Charbens, I am now just missing the figure of Sir Walter Raleigh to complete the set.  Everything turns up eventually and it's that quest which keeps us collecting.

The 75mm Warsaw Pact Sailor in blue is made from some sort of PVC plastic, he was made in the former East Germany by PGH Effelder, and is marked as such under the base.

The Standard Beaverette Light Reconnaissance Car (produced by the Standard Motor Co and named after Lord Beaverbrook) is an unusual item, it was an improvised armoured car with armour plate being riveted onto a commercial car chassis.  Considered unsatisfactory for overseas service it was issued to the Home Guard and RAF Regiment for home defence so I'm not sure what I'll do with it but I like the concept.  This is a 3D print and is very robust, I bought it from John McRae who has started a new venture making 3D printed figures but I think he said this was made by someone else.  I've noted with such 3D printed vehicles that they often seem to have this pronounced riveting, which is not particularly accurate but gives the model a bit of character, and I rather like it.

The Infantryman standing to attention is an early Zang for Timpo, there are several versions of these figures but this is the first I've seen in a beret, a forerunner of the figures Roy Selwyn-Smith would later design in plastic for Zang/Herald.

A copy of the Britains Armoured Car (based on the Crossley) which was issued from 1934 until 1941, the body and wheels are a one part white metal casting with separate revolving turret so it's quite a weighty piece.  I missed one of these at last year's show so was delighted that the same seller brought  along another one this year, it will see service in any number of 1930's scenarios.

An assortment of composition French infantry, the first made in Germany by Manzsoldaten dates from about 1910 he's not fully round and is what the some collectors describe as "Demi Ronde".  

In the centre a 60mm Poilu made in France by INCA (no relationship to the Belgian firm Incamin), according to the French "soldatplastique 1/32 forum" trade catalogues show the firm was based in Paris and made toys between 1957 and 1965.  They produced a small range of WW1 French and Colonial troops, including mounted, and are sometimes marked INCA FRANCE along the front edge of the base (none of mine are marked). 

The 80mm Standard Bearer was made in France by Cellose, the flag staff is complete, but out of picture, and is missing the cloth flag, fortunately I have one somewhere to make him complete.

Now this one is a mystery which I'm hoping some of the French collectors on the soldatplastique 1/32 forum or one of the facebook groups will  be able to identify.  Made in a composition material he stands 100mm tall, has no base and no markings, my first  thought was it's made by the French firm J.R.D. who's figures were on the large size and sculpted in a cubist art deco style

Rear view of the 100mm Foreign Legion figure above.

John Clarke very kindly cast eight of these smaller explosions for me in white metal, along with the recast of a Taylor  Barrett deep sea diver, and passed on four of the larger resin example, which were made by Paul Watson.  The explosions are copies of originals from the 1930's made in Germany by Lineol, can't wait to get these painted up and see them on the table.  

The three English Civil War conversions were made by Eric Kemp and kindly gifted to me by Graham Apperley, who knows that I'm a big fan of Eric's work, from the ECW collection he acquired last year (see link to Graham's blog "Tales from the Toy Room" in the list on the right) 

Last but not least Andreas Dittmann gave me this mix, a post WW2 composition infantryman made byy Solido Belge, a 1980's resin copy of an Elastolin WW2 marching drum major and three plastic horses made in Germany but I can't remember who Andreas said they were made by. 

An eclectic haul, as always at the Plastic Warrior show, because anything can turn up, and many thanks to John, Graham and Andreas for thinking of me and passing on these goodies.

Junk box finds at Sandown Park Toy Fair

 The joy of junk boxes is that you never know what you'll find, it might all look like rubbish but you can't help having a rummage anyway, maybe there will be something rare in there?  Sometimes there is but mostly not, it doesn't matter, it's the search that drives us collectors on, the hope of finding something, anything!

It might be something damaged or even something you don't really want, it doesn't matter, because it's cheap, so if you get something wrong or you change your mind there's no great harm done.  I didn't go looking for any of these figures or need any of them, the plastic were about 30p apiece and the leads £1, I bought them because they were there, and so was I.

PLASTIC

Top row: Three figures from the Cherilea Elizabethan series, the two in red are originals from the 1960's and the grey one is a reissue made in the original moulds by Giles Brown of Dorset Toy Soldiers, who sold them as British Battle Set under the name Icarus Toys.   Next a Cherilea Chinese/Korean Officer with pistol from the Korean War set and a REAMSA cowboy falling wounded.

Bottom row: Crescent WW1 Britsh cavalry, Britains Deetail French Foreign Legion cavalry, Timpo Duke of Wellington, Timpo Cossack and two Louis Marx Vikings.  

All are imperfect and destined to be repaired or converted but not necessarily by me.

LEAD

Top row: Street Gas Lamp Cleaner and Inn Keeper by Johillco (John Hill and Co.) the former is quite a rare piece, his narrow base extends pointedly at the front so that it fits into the steps of the ladder which he grips in his hands as it leans against the gas lampost.  Next a female customer which came in both the "Butchers Shop" and "Fish Shop" box sets from Crescent.  The two lads selling newspapers and waving are modern solid white metal figures (unmarked and unknown to me) possibly to go with model train layouts.  The Height Finder is very similar to the one in the Crescent " A.R.P Range Finder Unit" set, with a leg missing I have no qualms about a repair and repaint in grey to go on my Gunboat.

Bottom row: The whimsical Postman being chased by a dog is marked GB telling us it was made by Giles Brown of Dorset Toy Soldiers and is a typical example of Giles' humour.  The 1:43 scale gentleman in bowler hat, waiting for a train to take him on the daily commute into the City, is marked Dinky Toys on the upper side of his base.  The Bishop of Hereford is from the Benbros Robin Hood set and finally the motorbike goes with the Charbens GI rider.

All useful stuff which will find a home somewhere, be restored, repaired, repainted, converted or given away, the important thing is that they've been rescued from obscurity and entered the realm of the collector.

Mexican Revolution from White Tower Miniatures.

 I went along to the London Toy Soldier Show at the weekend to see Matt Thair, who was showcasing a mass of his new castings for the latest range of White Tower Miniatures Mexican Revolution figures, here's what they look like:

A much overlooked period for collectors and wargamers, Mexico had a turbulent and continuous history of  revolution through the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, as it struggled to transform from an Imperial Adventure to Dictatorship and finally a Federal Republican Government.  Involving shifting factions and sometimes spilling over the borders, it was rather a haphazard irregular affair offering endless scenarios for gamers, something like a "Back of Beyond" in Central America.

There are some new artillery with their attendant crews, like this heavy cannon (looks like a Parrot gun to me) and a French 75mm, very useful for several armies as it was widely exported.

An unusual touch, but very welcome, are several train riders, peasants and accessories designed to go on Timpo trains, they also fit nicely inside 54mm vehicles.

More of the train riders and a mounted Mexican General, the Federales are on their way!

The ladies haven't been forgotten either, there are plenty of Soldaderas armed to the teeth to support their menfolk.  The new 75mm gun can be seen with it's crew in the right background above.

The figures are available painted in a matt finish or as unpainted castings and mix well with western figures from all plastic manufacturers.  Matt also brought along new castings of replacement weapons for Britains Deetail etc, you can see them and the full range of Mexican Revolution  figures on their website here: White Tower Miniatures

Medieval figures on display.

 Slowly getting around to putting figures back on display after they had to be packed away for work on the house a few years ago, a change is as good as a rest and it's good to see them out again.

Medieval figures always add a good splash of colour and and these are some of my favourites, lots of conversions and some will get pulled out from time to time to serve in a wargame but mostly their purpose is to please the eye.  

The Playmobil ship is crewed by Einar and his men from "The Vikings" movie, as portrayed here in plastic by the French firm Ougen, Matt Thair has now produced the set in metal and you can see it here: White Tower Miniatures  

The castle walls and towers are from a Foreign Legion fort gifted to me by another friend Barrie Blood who commissioned it from a chap called John Russell, who exhibited his wargame buildings at the first Plastic Warrior Show and built the Spanish Town shown in the previous post One Hour Wargames - Double Delay

 The fort was built in scale for 54mm toy soldiers and rather large so I solved the storage problem by incorporating it into this display, it should come out without to much difficulty if needed for a wargame.

In the foreground an assortment of figures made in Poland by PZG (Polski Związek Głuchych - The Polish Association of the Deaf), rear right a mounted knight made in Italy by Nardi and Joan of Arc made in France by Starlux.

Two Elastolin siege engines, behind them a group of crossbowmen made in France by RF (Rene Fisher).

Lords and Ladies of the Court, too many to list but included are figures by Elastolin and Starlux with many conversions and also a few chessmen.

More conversions with a resin model of Joan of Arc (mounted) sold in France as a tourist item.

Some folk heroes are dotted around in this corner, including Robin Hood figures made in England by Crescent and Italy by Res Plastics, some of the Wiliam Tell set from REAMSA of Spain (Resinas Artificiales Moldeadas S.A.- Moulded Artificial Resins Ltd.) and yet another Joan of Arc on foot which is a Starlux conversion.

In another corner the musicians and jesters strike up the band.  The larger yellow jester was made in Germany by Heinerle, Manurba, Domplast (take your pick) the smaller one beside him is a ceramic knick knack and the seated piper is a shepherd boy made by Elastolin.

In the foreground a group of crossbowmen made by Res Plastics and offered in Kinder Surprise chocolate eggs, there are four figures each with different styles of armour, pavise and bows.

In the foreground various footmen made by Starlux, behind them Edward The Black Prince is a Starlux conversion made by Vince Mattocks and the mounted knight to his right was made in France by Guilbert.

In the tower are three figures from the Alexander Nevsky set made in Russia at the Progress factory in Moscow, I bought these at the second Plastic Warrior Show back in 1987 from a chap who was importing figures made in the old Iron Curtain countries, I think he was the only dealer at the show that year.  To the right of the standard bearer is the portrait figure of Albrecht Gessler from the William Tell set made in Spain by REAMSA (Resinas Artificiales Moldeadas S.A.- Moulded Artificial Resins Ltd.), this is the later reissue made by Oliver.

You can never have enough archers, the front row kneeling are Starlux behind them are mostly figures by Rene Fisher.

Another display case filled.

 Finally got around to rehoming the collectable English plastic figures in a display case where they will be relatively safe from damage.  There is no real order to this, more a case of getting stuff out of the boxes they've been shunted around in for the last several years and standing them up so I can see what I've got, it's part of the separation between collectables for research and wargame armies for play.  There will be changes, some added to the shelves and others relegated back to the boxes but for now it's a step in the right direction.

The cabinet was one of those rather naff 1920's deco display units that my aunts used to keep their best china in, the stuff that was for show and never got used from one end of the year to the next, I think every house had one in the 1950's and I never liked them.  But this one was abandoned in the back of a junk shop in need of a complete overhaul and cost me nothing (someone said they'd pay me to take it away).  After stripping the crazed varnish, re-glazing the doors, fixing mirror tiles to the back and adding all new glass shelves (so not such a bargain after all!) it now occupies a suitable niche in the Toy Soldierarium (my wife's term not mine). 

I will get around to putting up clearer pics of individual figures at some pint but in the meantime here are a few random closeups: