A Return to Glossier Days (1 Viewer)

[SGT Rock]

I'd like to open up a topic of conversation. Lately on the forum, I've been seeing members post pics of old glossy K&C soldiers. Personally, I find them quite amazing, and with a certain charm and innocence not completely found in their more realistic looking counterparts composed in a matte finish. Now, I am familiar with K&C's history, and I know how the shift to a matte finish differentiated them in the market place and took them to their new leadership position. But in their history with a matte finish, you can see a quite remarkable progression of craftsmanship and detail, which I'm sure is partly due to advances in technology and the need to keep pace with competition. So, imagine if K&C applied their ever maturing skillsets while taking a step back in time to create a new line of glossy toy soldiers. I think the result would be something quite remarkable. I'm certainly not talking about taking all lines back to glossy (especially not WWII), but creating a new one, one in which the historical time period and subject matter may more aptly lend itself to glossy. Let me know what you think.

 

[lancer]

I would be thrilled to see KC do NWF, and generally, British Victorian military, in gloss. The early figures were fantastic looking. -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

I concur but Andy has indicated he doesn't want to do that.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I have begged Andy to return to glossy production, or even to address the glossy subject matter K&C originally produced (Northwest Frontier, Zulu War and Sudan) in matt, but no luck so far.

 

[lancer]

Do you suppose Andy sees glossy as a step backwards for his company or perhaps a siphoning off of resources for matte production? Maybe he just doesn't like glossy anymore. -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

I think he just sees it as one stage that his company went through as it evolved. I don't think he dislikes them as Andy is interested in all things toy soldiers; it's just something he doesn't want to make, except in the SOHK line.

 

[damian]

I hope I don't get into any trouble here, but I think K and C have missed out on the British Colonial period wars. They were bubbling under for a long time with no-one really paying them much attention, however of late they seem to have developed a life of their own. Sudan and Zulu are now being produced by many different manufacturers. Maybe K and C will expand their SOE range a bit more.

 

[aujj65]

I hope I don't get into any trouble here, but I think K and C have missed out on the British Colonial period wars. They were bubbling under for a long time with no-one really paying them much attention, however of late they seem to have developed a life of their own. Sudan and Zulu are now being produced by many different manufacturers. Maybe K and C will expand their SOE range a bit more.

Damian, I'm sure your not alone on this one. I really wish K&C would do the Sudan, perhaps a few figures in the British Empire range?

Jeff

 

[Iron Brigade]

I'd like to open up a topic of conversation. Lately on the forum, I've been seeing members post pics of old glossy K&C soldiers. Personally, I find them quite amazing, and with a certain charm and innocence not completely found in their more realistic looking counterparts composed in a matte finish. Now, I am familiar with K&C's history, and I know how the shift to a matte finish differentiated them in the market place and took them to their new leadership position. But in their history with a matte finish, you can see a quite remarkable progression of craftsmanship and detail, which I'm sure is partly due to advances in technology and the need to keep pace with competition. So, imagine if K&C applied their ever maturing skillsets while taking a step back in time to create a new line of glossy toy soldiers. I think the result would be something quite remarkable. I'm certainly not talking about taking all lines back to glossy (especially not WWII), but creating a new one, one in which the historical time period and subject matter may more aptly lend itself to glossy. Let me know what you think.

Dear "SGT Rock":

I have sold off all of my 1990's K&C gloss military sets some 3 to 5 years ago. However, my largest (29" x 84") display is of K&C's Streets of Old Hong Kong and nearly all the well over 120 figures are in gloss. I am happy to have matte finishes (except for boots, etc being painted in gloss to represent shined leather, etc) for my assorted military displays or dioramas.

However, there is nothing wrong with liking gloss better than matte. Obviously K&C has made really super realistic figures since circa 2003. So since 2003 K&C figures are certainly not toy like. However, please note that if you perfer gloss paint jobs it is easy to "convert" a matte figure to gloss by simply spraying the figure(s) with a gloss spray can that you can buy at a paint or hardware store. Many years ago soon after starting my toy soldier collecting in late 1991 I purchased some unpainted castings from a Jack Scruby in California. I painted some W. Britains reproductions of British 1880's Sudan War figures with matte paint and then later sprayed them with the gloss spray can & BAM, they became gloss figures. I have been told by a realible source that some toy soldier makers do the samething.

Hope this info is of help to you.

"Iron Brigade" 4/30/2010

 

[Gideon]

About a year ago or so I came across a few lots on eBay where a collector had applied a gloss finish to some WWII sets.

It was an interesting grouping as they seemed pretty odd and quirky all shined up.

It's hard to take a figure like what Andy produces now, apply a gloss finish and have it look good.

The older glossy figures from K&C and Frontline have a unique charm to them because of the more primitive sculpting with rounded details rather than the more "chiseled" details we see today.

Andy would have to be very careful with the figures design to accomplish a good looking range. There are other companies out their doing it so it would be a real challenge.

That said, if it could be done, it could be a wonderful thing.

 

[SGT Rock]

Dear "SGT Rock":

I have sold off all of my 1990's K&C gloss military sets some 3 to 5 years ago. However, my largest (29" x 84") display is of K&C's Streets of Old Hong Kong and nearly all the well over 120 figures are in gloss. I am happy to have matte finishes (except for boots, etc being painted in gloss to represent shined leather, etc) for my assorted military displays or dioramas.

However, there is nothing wrong with liking gloss better than matte. Obviously K&C has made really super realistic figures since circa 2003. So since 2003 K&C figures are certainly not toy like. However, please note that if you perfer gloss paint jobs it is easy to "convert" a matte figure to gloss by simply spraying the figure(s) with a gloss spray can that you can buy at a paint or hardware store. Many years ago soon after starting my toy soldier collecting in late 1991 I purchased some unpainted castings from a Jack Scruby in California. I painted some W. Britains reproductions of British 1880's Sudan War figures with matte paint and then later sprayed them with the gloss spray can & BAM, they became gloss figures. I have been told by a realible source that some toy soldier makers do the samething.

Hope this info is of help to you.

"Iron Brigade" 4/30/2010

Thanks Iron Brigade. This is very helpful. I'll try the glossy spray paint and see what kind of affect I'm able to achieve with it. I wouldn't want to try it on my WWII figures though, as I like them with a matte finish. And as you mentioned, they are often combined with glossy paint to create the look of shined leather. I've also seen K&C use glossy paint in women's hair lately, as in the soldiers departing for war vignettes for the WWI line. You can't fully appreciate how well the result is in the pictures on K&C's website, but in person, that kind of detail and mixing of both matte and glossy paint is really outstanding. My original posting wasn't necessarily intended to indicate a preference for glossy toy soldiers, only that I really like them and I wish that K&C would turn their superior craftsmanship to the task of creating some new ones. That said, and though I didn't realize this until Gideon mentioned it in his posting, it's not just about the paint. It's also about the detail in the sculpting. Glossy toy soldiers tend to have more rounded, softer details that mixes well with the glossy paint and makes them look more toy like. While I know some on the forum hate to think of our shared hobby as toy soldiers, preferring instead the military miniatures classification, I personally like to think of them as toys, which adds to the personal escape that I think we all seek through collecting them. Further, I think it would be nice to have a set that had that more innocent, toy like quality. Thanks again for your reply though. As I said, I'll give the glossy spray paint a try and see what kind of affect I'm able to achieve.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I have to say that I disagree with Iron Brigade about the quality of sculpting. Over the years, I have seen many, many extremely well sculpted figures which look fantastic in glossy finish, including some late production K&C glossy, like the 1996 "Les Mis", "Last Stand of the Seaforths", and "Palio Races" figures. Even some of the 1994-1995 K&C Glossy Napoleonics, like the French 7th Hussar and Highland Officer figures, were sculpted very well, even by todays high standards.

 

[Iron Brigade]

I have to say that I disagree with Iron Brigade about the quality of sculpting. Over the years, I have seen many, many extremely well sculpted figures which look fantastic in glossy finish, including some late production K&C glossy, like the 1996 "Les Mis", "Last Stand of the Seaforths", and "Palio Races" figures. Even some of the 1994-1995 K&C Glossy Napoleonics, like the French 7th Hussar and Highland Officer figures, were sculpted very well, even by todays high standards.

Dear Louis:
Thank you for your reply back relative to my notations for "SGT Rock" on his thoughts about K&C going back to producing more glossy figures again. Ah, I had some sets of K&C's mid 1990's Seaforth Highlanders. I sold them in about mid 2005 via an eBay consignment seller in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The eBay seller for me did not disclose the name of the person who bought them, but did disclose the person came from New York City. Perhaps it was you? Gosh, the glossy 1990's sets I had from K&C were certainly neat looking. The early 1990's K&C Grenadier Guards with camels were splendid and I got a big price for them from a collector in Florida in September 2005 when I was selling on my own on eBay. What I meant in particular by a lot more "realistic" looking K&C figures by K&C starting in 2003 was the scupting of the figures faces. I remember after I sold off my glossy K&C LAH sets in 2007 to "upgrade" to thier new matte sets of 2003 and since then I was nearly chilled by the look of Hitler's face on the new LAH set of him as it looked so realistic. While I like the post 2003 K&C productions better than the older ones it does not mean that the older ones are not worthy of being collected!
Gary / "Iron Brigade" 5/1/2010

 

[Iron Brigade]

Thanks Iron Brigade. This is very helpful. I'll try the glossy spray paint and see what kind of affect I'm able to achieve with it. I wouldn't want to try it on my WWII figures though, as I like them with a matte finish. And as you mentioned, they are often combined with glossy paint to create the look of shined leather. I've also seen K&C use glossy paint in women's hair lately, as in the soldiers departing for war vignettes for the WWI line. You can't fully appreciate how well the result is in the pictures on K&C's website, but in person, that kind of detail and mixing of both matte and glossy paint is really outstanding. My original posting wasn't necessarily intended to indicate a preference for glossy toy soldiers, only that I really like them and I wish that K&C would turn their superior craftsmanship to the task of creating some new ones. That said, and though I didn't realize this until Gideon mentioned it in his posting, it's not just about the paint. It's also about the detail in the sculpting. Glossy toy soldiers tend to have more rounded, softer details that mixes well with the glossy paint and makes them look more toy like. While I know some on the forum hate to think of our shared hobby as toy soldiers, preferring instead the military miniatures classification, I personally like to think of them as toys, which adds to the personal escape that I think we all seek through collecting them. Further, I think it would be nice to have a set that had that more innocent, toy like quality. Thanks again for your reply though. As I said, I'll give the glossy spray paint a try and see what kind of affect I'm able to achieve.

Dear "SGT Rock":
Thanks you for your very nice reply back to my comments that I gave to you recently relative to your new Tread on K&C having more glossy figures in the future. I have via my eBay sales of older 1990's K&C sets made note of the fact that some collectors like the more "toy like" K&C figures from their pre 2003 era of productuon even if they are painted in matte. Yes, the faces of the figures for example of K&C's 1999 Iwo Jima series had much less detail Vs the faces of K&C figures of today. I had an eBay buyer who was also an off eBay buyer of mine from the UK indicate his preference for the 1999 K&C Iwo Jima figures Vs the more recent ones made by K&C. I would think that it might indeed work out great spraying gloss on these older pre 2003 K&C sets if you prefer the gloss finish.
Best regards,
Gary / "Iron Brigade" 5/1/2010

 

[nmrocks]

I've always thought gloss would be an excellent angle for a dealer limited specialty figure such as the Crimean sets done by K&C UK

 

[Louis Badolato]

Dear Louis:
Thank you for your reply back relative to my notations for "SGT Rock" on his thoughts about K&C going back to producing more glossy figures again. Ah, I had some sets of K&C's mid 1990's Seaforth Highlanders. I sold them in about mid 2005 via an eBay consignment seller in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The eBay seller for me did not disclose the name of the person who bought them, but did disclose the person came from New York City. Perhaps it was you? Gosh, the glossy 1990's sets I had from K&C were certainly neat looking. The early 1990's K&C Grenadier Guards with camels were splendid and I got a big price for them from a collector in Florida in September 2005 when I was selling on my own on eBay. What I meant in particular by a lot more "realistic" looking K&C figures by K&C starting in 2003 was the scupting of the figures faces. I remember after I sold off my glossy K&C LAH sets in 2007 to "upgrade" to thier new matte sets of 2003 and since then I was nearly chilled by the look of Hitler's face on the new LAH set of him as it looked so realistic. While I like the post 2003 K&C productions better than the older ones it does not mean that the older ones are not worthy of being collected!
Gary / "Iron Brigade" 5/1/2010

It was probably either me or my good friend Larry Lo. Either way, they found a good home, and are well taken care of, Gary.

 

[Iron Brigade]

It was probably either me or my good friend Larry Lo. Either way, they found a good home, and are well taken care of, Gary.

Dear Louis:

Thanks for your reply back. Yes, it could have also been your friend Lawrence Lo who I know lives in the heart of New York City as I sold him the last of my #3 Trophy Sudan War British Highlander sets in first part of 2007 via eBay. I have also viewed both of your photos of your displays or dioramas at The Forum and thought both of you had great collections!!

Best regards, Gary / "Iron Brigade" 5/2/2010