Is toy soldier collecting dying. (1 Viewer)

[Simpson & his donkey.]

Having been to Brisbane's biggest model & hobby show on the weekend I found I could count the the number of young kids on my fingers .There was a lot of middle aged modelers there and it was a great show but you have to wonder about the new people coming into this hobby.There was a few toy soldier stores there but how many did they sell.I saw on uk tv the toy soldier show over there and for some reason I thought it would of been bigger.There are a few young ones on the forum but is it enough to see this hobby grow.How can K&C and other toy soldier collectors help to bring more of the young ones into this great hobby.Has anyone any ideas.

 

[Rob]

I think one of the major and possibly fatal problems is that children just don't play with toy soldiers at a young age anymore.Its just a different generation now.When i was a kid, myself and my friends grew up with Toy soldiers,Commando comics,Action man and countless War films.This kick started my interest in Military History.Its so different now.They have PC's,Mobile phones and they are always on the go.My nephews attend so many parties it makes your head spin.At weekends they swim and play football etc.They don't hang around the streets and back yards like we used to.Also they have no real interest in Military History anymore,we were possibly the last generation to be enthralled by WW2.It holds very little interest for them now.Technology and social networking has moved on i'm afraid.Look at what happened to Airfix models,when i was a kid everyone and their dads made them but not anymore.

No i think it is a very sad but perhaps natural evolution.Whether collecting will actually die out altogether who knows,time will tell.

Rob

 

[Harrytheheid]

I think one of the major and possibly fatal problems is that children just don't play with toy soldiers at a young age anymore.Its just a different generation now.When i was a kid, myself and my friends grew up with Toy soldiers,Commando comics,Action man and countless War films.Rob

I had an order in with my local newsagent. Six brand new Commando comics every month. But I got fed up of the same old formula; There was always a bad german, usually a good german, and it got a bit boring. I actually preferred the "War", "Action" and "Battle" comics that were in the same small comic-book format. They always seemed to be a wee bit more realistic. Wish you could still get them. The artwork was amazingly accurate as I remember.

 

[Rob]

I had an order in with my local newsagent. Six brand new Commando comics every month. But I got fed up of the same old formula; There was always a bad german, usually a good german, and it got a bit boring. I actually preferred the "War", "Action" and "Battle" comics that were in the same small comic-book format. They always seemed to be a wee bit more realistic. Wish you could still get them. The artwork was amazingly accurate as I remember.

Harry,they are releasing collections of 'War' and 'Battle' in the next couple of months,you can order them from Amazon.

Rob

 

[Harrytheheid]

Harry,they are releasing collections of 'War' and 'Battle' in the next couple of months,you can order them from Amazon.

Rob

This had better nae be a wind-up noo Rob. Wonder if I can get them sent to my Dad's house and then dream up some pressing reason to go to the UK for a few days to get my grubby paws on them? Hmmmm....better get my scheming hat on.....

Seriously though, thanks for the info. I would love to get them. I'll check out Amazon later today. Huh, if I can get them into China, it'll be yet another reason for Little Boss's girlfriends to look at me as if I've just beamed down from the mothership.

 

[Tony Neville]

Easy answer to this is ..................NO it is not from what i see

We have a mass of junior members and we are finding a number of parents wanting to collect for their kids.

As much as there more interesting things Playstation can be thanked for a lot of things and their WAR games help keep history alive for the young.

I had one kid (and i tested him) who could name all the DDAy vehicles we had on display and he correctly named the regimenst and then even the personalities that we had! this was this weekend and he was 8. He now has his first metal toy soldier a single 101st figure..........i gave him it after he impressed me so much. Mind his mum then spent £150 on other stuff with us

Tony

 

[Harrytheheid]

Easy answer to this is ..................NO it is not from what i see

We have a mass of junior members and we are finding a number of parents wanting to collect for their kids.

As much as there more interesting things Playstation can be thanked for a lot of things and their WAR games help keep history alive for the young.

I had one kid (and i tested him) who could name all the DDAy vehicles we had on display and he correctly named the regimenst and then even the personalities that we had! this was this weekend and he was 8. He now has his first metal toy soldier a single 101st figure..........i gave him it after he impressed me so much. Mind his mum then spent £150 on other stuff with us

Tony

Aye, the ploys of marketing. Get them young and then sting the parents. Your a baaaad man Tony.

 

[Rob]

This had better nae be a wind-up noo Rob. Wonder if I can get them sent to my Dad's house and then dream up some pressing reason to go to the UK for a few days to get my grubby paws on them? Hmmmm....better get my scheming hat on.....

Seriously though, thanks for the info. I would love to get them. I'll check out Amazon later today. Huh, if I can get them into China, it'll be yet another reason for Little Boss's girlfriends to look at me as if I've just beamed down from the mothership.

No wind up mate they are released on 3rd Sept.I have ordered them myself!!

Rob

 

[Harrytheheid]

No wind up mate they are released on 3rd Sept.I have ordered them myself!!

Rob

Rob,
I know its a stupid question, but where do I look for them on Amazon.com, or is it Amazon UK.....or what?

 

[Rob]

Rob,
I know its a stupid question, but where do I look for them on Amazon.com, or is it Amazon UK.....or what?

Amazon UK and type in 'Battle' comic or 'War' comic,or if you type in Commando cominc they may give you a lead from there.

Rob

 

[chalklands]

Harry,
They're still being published today seemingly by DC Thomson (Well Commando is anyway, 8 issues per month):

http://www.dcthomson.co.uk/subscriptions/default.asp?pageName=productDetails&productID=45

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6599139.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commando_comic


Even in our politically correct society!

I always remember reading loads in the summer holidays in the 70s as well as looking forward to Saturday mornings and arguing with my brother over who got to read 'Victor' or 'Warlord' first!

Achtung Minen!

 

[Rob]

Gott in Himmel!!!

 

[chalklands]

Achtung Minen! Or is it yoursen?

 

[Rob]

And from all the comics featuring the Japs 'Die Pig dog'!!!

 

[Peter Reuss]

I think the young people are out there (we see them on this forum), but perhaps they do not attend shows in the same numbers. Their generation is more internet savvy - so why spend a day driving and going to a show when yoiu can nightly sit at a computer and get that toy soldier fix?

I've said it many times (and I know other dealers will back me up) - every year we sell more soldiers than we did the year before. A lot more soldiers. The reason for our new Treefrog building is that we just need more space! K&C UK expanded as well. If the numbers say anything they say that this hobby is on the move.

 

[Robert E. Lee]

Anyway how are minors under sixteen supposed to get to places like Chicago and London?

 

[Robert E. Lee]

I'd love to go though

 

[Rob]

Anyway how are minors under sixteen supposed to get to places like Chicago and London?

And come to mention it some adults too!

Would love to go to Chicago,but hey we can watch it on K&C UK TV.

Rob

 

[eborris]

I don't think it will ever die.

Perhaps there will be less interest in Marx sets as us baby boomers buy the farm, but there will always be an interest in toy soldiers.

 

[jazzeum]

I think the young people are out there (we see them on this forum), but perhaps they do not attend shows in the same numbers. Their generation is more internet savvy - so why spend a day driving and going to a show when yoiu can nightly sit at a computer and get that toy soldier fix?

If that's what people see as the reason for going, then they are missing the point. A principal reason is to see people you don't throughout the year like Andy, Gordon, Shannon and Pete, Leadmen, Gary, Hans and so forth and meeting people you see here but have never met face to face. Another reason is in the hope of finding items you might not see on ebay or on dealers' web sites. So, if you think you can skip the show because heck I can buy it on line, that's not the point of going to a show like this.