Wagon Train in 20mm from 1960

Tying up the last few odds and ends that I came across at the London Toy Soldier show last month, among which were this rather dinky plastic Wagon Train set tied in to the Universal TV show which ran from 1957 to 1965.

Helpfully the backing card carries the copyright date of 1960, which can be seen in the bottom right hand corner.  It amused me that the manufacturer used such a large package to emphasise the media tie in for three such tiny little wagons.

This close up of one of the wagons also catches the manufacturer Morestone's (Morris and Stone) brand mark BUDGIE.  Morestone's were the firm that employed Roy Selwyn-Smith and Charlie Biggs to make the moulds for the old Timpo hollowcast figures, Selwyn-Smith was the sculptor and Biggs engraved the detail into the brass moulds.  Later they both went off to work for ZANG on the Herald range and when that company was bought out by Britains they both ended up as Directors of the company.  I vaguely recall that Morestone's made quite a range of diecast vehicles back in the day.

Fontanini figures seen at the London Toy Soldier show March 2012

I spotted these figures made in Italy by Fontanini on one of the tables at the London Show and couldn't resist taking a few pics. The foot figures turn up quite often but you rarely ever see the mounted ones, they are a bit on the smallish side being about 50mm but I particularly like the rather animated poses.

Marx tinplate western town buildings

Over on the Marx Playsets Yahoo Group a member asked a question about the Marx tin lithographed western buildings, by coincidence I had just recently photographed a western diorama containing some of these buildings as part of the never ending tidy up of all the junk which represents my life's work.  So Scott these pics are for you, I hope they are helpful but they may not be what you need, click on the pic to make it bigger.

Coming soon to a cake shop near you!

This looks to me to be a copy of a plastic Elastolin figure, I bought it in a local baking shop last week and it is part of a set of cake decorations which mostly comprises copies of Britains Wild West series. This example stands (or lays) about 60mm in size and is made in a slightly bendy but acceptable PVC, it is clearly marked "made in China". While we all naturally abhore the practice of pirating or copying another companies products, would I like to see the venerable inheritors of the Hong Kong trade make copies of say..... the Elastolin Huns? You bet I would.