Saber

Hey bud- didn't realize you had posted a message to me. Glad you enjoyed the Sherman MBT Thread- a lot of good comments there- looks like you caught the jist of where I was going with it all. Lots of good comments all around. I'd love to see you in GBurg- or better yet- me make it to Texas!! First beer is on me- hope you don't mind Bud light!! Speaking of Roman flicks- I think that new one- The Eagle- is coming out soon. I am hoping First Legion takes a stab at the Romans next. They do great work as it is.
GARY OWEN!!
CC

What's up Chris,

It's been a while since I've taken the time to post much. Enjoyed your thread on the Sherman as a MBT. Reading through the thread it seems like one of big issues is some people are looking at it from a design standpoint and other from a doctrinal POV... as a ex CDAT and Gary Owen guy I tend to look at things from the how the *&*%$$@! did they use the %^#$$!*! thing. I can certainly see your point from a real world perspective. It's sheer numbers, adaptability, etc... made the sherm a real workhorse used, if not always suited for, a variety of armor missions.

At any rate great thread my friend. I hope you and the family are doing well. I'm just sitting around singing Gary Owen and waiting for my Figarti Train & Moser to arrive. If
I'm lucky it won't come the day they release the new Roman flick... gotta have my Legion fix!

Hope you have a great year and if I ever get back up Gettysburg way maybe I'll catch you at one of the shows.

Good to see you back my friend!!

Hey Ken- I am sold on the WS103 set- plan on obtaining it next year- unless KC does another 88 set, which I feel is unlikely.

Hey Ken!!

Thanks for the response. What a wonderful wife you must have!! 400 sq. ft is about what I have, I think. You should be able to put some nice gigantic dioramas in there. Any thoughts on the Gittens Napoleonic house set?? Those guys just had to have an epic battle at an immense farm huh??

I was just talking to a woman from our helpdesk who is from the Dallas area- $40- $80 to park at the new Texas Stadium!!!!!!GAAAHHH!!! That's pain my friend!! I am still considering that tracked 88 from KC. I have spent like a drunken sailor this year so it may not happen till early next year- who knows. I am kind of holding out to see if KC does another deployed 88.

Decided to sell my Bulge collection- not really too excited about where it is going. The figures look great but I find myself in the same dillemma I did 9-10 years ago when KC did twin offerings on their WS sets- not too keen about buying essentially the same set for two dioramas.

Gary Owen!!
CC

Hi Ken, my website is www.hadriansvilla.de where you can see under "Bilder" and "Bilder2" my FL-products. But imo my albums here in the forum are much better:D
Cheers Marcus

Dear Ken, good to hear from you. Hope to see you in not too far time. At the moment I am preparing my presentation on our biggest toy sodlier show in Germany: Kulmbach 7th to 9th of August. Well, it depends on my selling-success , if I will order my actual favorite item: the new FIGARTI winter 88. Another must have for me will be the new K&C winter 251 Sdkfz .
Business is as every time: too much work, not enough earnings . But it could be worser - so lets be content.
I am planing to go to the London Toy soldier show againg on December, how about your plans? Best regards Marcus

Hi Ken, anything new about your trip to Germany ? please have a lok at my two little new albums - wish you a nice weekend - Marcus

Hey Bud

That KC tracked 88 is really starting to grow on me. May find a way to snag one here soon.

Gary Owen!!
CC

Hi Ken, any news about your plans to visit Germany ? When your plan and time is clear, I can tell you for this time period the toy shows in Germany. Best wishes Marcus

Hi Ken, that sounds very good. I am living just 1 hour from Heidelberg and 2 hours from Munich and 15 minutes from Stuttgart, so you could easily reach my showroom. Concerning the new Indians, I believe they will NOT go very well with FIW, but I am not an expert for this time. Nevertheless I like very much the mounted wolf s head trw004 and will purchase one.
More interesting will be for me the upcoming releases in the next days, hope for some more WWII German Generals . Cheers Ken

hi Ken, how are you buddy? hope you and you're family are in good health, and spirits. things are quite bad economically here. as it stands, i have to pick and choose my toys more discreetly now. i am waiting, not in vain i hope, for the Figarti Auf J Panzer IV. i have a few Figarti sets, and am quite heartened, and once figarti gets a grip on their figure sculpture, they'll be a force to reckon with. I pass on the V2 command vehicle, but frank (fmethorst) gave an excellent review of the item.
i havent seen your dios for quite some time mate. any new ones?

Hi Ken, well the dio made a friend of mine, who is specialized in building dios. Concerning toy soldier shows in Germany, we have several, the two top shows are Kulmbach (near Bayreuth in Bavaria), which is only every two years on the weekend on or about 8th of August. This year I will surely be there behind my dealer-table. Would be great to meet there you and your family!
The other good show is Bad Nauheim near Frankfurt and is every year in October. I will also be in Bad Nauheim - best regards MARCUS

Aeroart, Kolobob (Tatyana Gapchenko) and painted Pegaso from Miniatures Berlin are my first experiences, only the last has arrived till now, extremely nice and at a reasonable price, these figures are really something else but also much pricier... I really don't see myself shelling out 400$ or plus for a mounted figure... On the other hand they don't take much room because I can't afford any large dioramas on these ones. They have to be individually appreciated.

Regards,
Paulo

Hi Ken,how are you?
The FIW sets are really nice, I now have some more, will have to update the album.
My plans for this year are continuing with Britains FIW, Imperial Productions naps (waiting for an Imperial order to come) and I am probing the waters with connoisseur figures (waiting for some Romans to arrive and eyeing some Crusaders), very few and far between, good when you have little room... I also chose to sell some of the K&C Naps I had. Right now I am also dreaming of WWI dioramas with K&C figures, or should it be Britains Hougoumont? Choices will have to be made though, even in the long term...
Have you pursued the Tradition 90mm route? They have a nice 54mm model range, especially Naps have a very thorough range, but some of the figures look weird...
The K&C Lancers look tremendous but I am waiting on some Imperial Productions Dutch Lancers, so that is it.
I guess at the end of the day I have a hard time focusing, I just like it all.

Best regards,
Paulo

Hi Ken, glad to hear from you. Hope you and your family esp. your father go well ? the last time my main business as a barrister was very hard and exhausting because my most important employee made a lot of mistakes and even took money away. So in the last months and weeks I had much more fun with our common interest: our soldiers ! I enjoyed the London Show, which was really great - so much to see, so nice people and so beautiful dios and unfortunately not enough money. since some weeks I am also a dealer for First Legion - and I must say, that I like very much these figures, even for my own collection. I also purchased more troopers for my winterbattle: the nebelwerfer set from PATRIOT, the two sets of winter German soldiers from FIGARTI and of course the BBG figures and vehicles from K & C. In London I also purchased from John Jenkins designs one of the Woodland indian canues, I like them very much - did you look at my new album "french indian war"? Cheers Marcus

Hi Ken, great to hear good news from your family. My new business rans very well. I found some new customers in Austria and Bavaria, so they do not wait for PRUSSIANS, but for Bavarians and Austrians. For me, ALL new Napis will go well ! Concerning my own collection, I am afraid of spending to much money in London. I have to remember : christmas time is coming and maybe my wife and children also would like to get some gifts... So I have to limit my own wishes even if this will be very hard in London. Best regards from Germany Marcus

Hi Ken, how about you and your family ? Hope all is okay ? Did you have time to purchase some new soldiers ? I am very enthusiastic for the woodland indians of JohnJenkinsDesign. Even better than the K&C indians ! I am looking forward to meet some felow colectors in London at the Toy show. Best regards Marcus

Hi Ken,
That's all right. I have stopped collecting armour, I collected it together with 1/72 warbirds, but now I am focusing on toy soldiers. I have a number of Shermans and Tigers, and I believe Dragon 1/72 provide great quality, reasonable pricing and save a lot of room. I enjoy armour from all WWII nationalities, especially Germans, Americans/Brits like you but also the Russian tanks. Not a fan of WWII French tanks though, they looked like they belonged in WW1, till the French got their Shermans at payback time...Tiger, King Tiger, Panther, all Shermans, especially the Firefly, the Churchill and the T-34's come to mind, also some tank shooters like the Jagdpanther, the Soviet SU's. But like I said, this «branch» is now taking a long rest...

Regards,
Paulo

Hi Ken,
For single Napoleonics I've been slowly collecting these: http://www.artig.lv/. I can tell you they are excellent and Tradition also sells them. Speaking of Tradition, your message prompted me to check their 90mm range: it looks fabulous. I especially liked the Prussian Army Range. Also took a look at their 54mm model range, but quality and detail don't look that good, some heads and eyes look out of proportion, but it depends on the figures. How do you rate their 54mm model range? First Legion also seems to have some good Napoleonic figures. I guess individual figures for some regiments that you just want represented might be an excellent idea:).About cavalry, I also think the Lancers are the most spectacular, from the Indian Army ones to Napoleonics to WWI or Crimea. Those lances with small flags... I must say that I've had a bad experience with 2 Del Prado figures I bought some 2 years ago: the painting was really substandard, especially when compared with K&C, the Figures were Napoleonic, a Russian Cuirassier and a British 13th Light Dragoon. Yes, I caught Britains thread, oh boy, patience and more patience.
Are you also an armour fan? I have a small collection of WW2 tanks, from 1/72 Dragon to 1/50 Corgi and 1/35 Minichamps. Love all of them but the most spectacular to me are my Minichamps winter camo Jagdpanther, Normandy Tiger and Berlin Panther.
Ah, last but no least, have been taking a look at flats, I love the 18th century uniforms...What a toy soldier...mess:D
Regards,
Paulo