An American, Marine, toy soldier collector, and a Romanov (1 Viewer)

[ROAN]

Hello folks!

Came across an article about a 2002 Bertoia auction(here) which featured over 500 lots of toy soldiers. Most of these were boxed Britains-including some really spectacular, rare sets like #131(“a mind-blowing 275 pieces”)and the seldom seen #2081-the largest post war set with over 200 pieces.

This collection belonged to Dmitri Ilyinsky which I’m guessing caught the collecting bug from his father, Paul Ilyinski, who died in 2004. Paul Ilyinski, born in London, besides being an avid toy soldier and train collector, was a former mayor of Palm Beach, Fl. and a colonel in the Marine Corps reserves having initially enlisted in the U.S.M.C. right out of high school in ’46 and later served in Korea.

Paul Ilyinksi was infected by toysoldieritus by his father who undoubtedly loved toy soldiers too because one Christmas morn Ilyinksi woke to find “the entire floor around the Christmas tree covered with toy soldiers”(lucky kid!) Ilyinski later housed his soldier and train collection in a wing of his house in Palm Beach.

Ilyinksi was described in an obituary as being both a small and large d democrat and prouder of being an American and a Marine than being a mayor or a Romanov. The great-grandson of tsar Alexander II, and the grand-nephew of Nicholas II(who banned Ilyinski’s father from Russia for being involved in Rasputin’s assassination) Ilyinksi, according to historian Robert Massie, probably had the most legitimate claim, among all the Romanovs, to the tsar’s title. When reminded of this, Ilyinksi told Massie that: “ I am an American and I already have an office to which I was elected. I am the mayor."

 

[Peter Reuss]

Hello folks!

Came across an article about a 2002 Bertoia auction(here) which featured over 500 lots of toy soldiers. Most of these were boxed Britains-including some really spectacular, rare sets like #131(“a mind-blowing 275 pieces”)and the seldom seen #2081-the largest post war set with over 200 pieces.

$35,000 for a set of Britains! Whoa!

 

[ROAN]

$35,000 for a set of Britains! Whoa!

That is a bit steep and one should always remember to calculate in the price the “couch factor”, i.e., how many nights you have to spend on the couch for making a particularly pricey acquisition. Rumor has it that the poor guy that shelled out the $35,200 is still sleeping there-almost five years later!

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Guys,

Great story! I was especially interested to see that he had a Snow Whites Cottage in his collection. Very very rare indeed! Kind of funny to see that mixed in with all of those amazing sets. I certainly would have loved to be there watching but not bidding since the couch factor would probably be the death of me...

Thanks ROAN for posting. By the way do you have any favorites from the ROAN Series?

All the best

Dave

 

[Rob]

35k!.I can imagine my darling wifes face trying to explain that one!.

Rob

 

[ROAN]

Hi Guys,

Thanks ROAN for posting. By the way do you have any favorites from the ROAN Series?

All the best

Dave

I posted on another thread that Britains Mammoth Circus is high on my list but as far as ROAN sets it would have to be set 2020-Portuguese Native Inf.-to me worth quite a lot of couch nights!

 

[Shiloh]

If I bought something like that, it wouldn't be couch time it would be a dirt nap. Make it look like an accident so she could get the life insurance. I really don't like all those CSI shows she's watching, makes me a little nervous

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi ROAN,

I saw the comment on the Circus set its not an area I am too in tune with. The whole clown thing just never was my bag. But I do believe we have a fellow on the site here that is a big collector of the Britain Circus line, Pat mentioned it to me in a conversation but I can't remember who it was maybe he'll pop in an be able to answer this question later. As for the Portugese Infantry set I have never seen one in anything other than Photos so it would be fun to see a picture of it in someones collection. I tend to favor the old mounted sets and have seen some Russians and some of the Indian Army sets of old and would love to get my hands on some of those also I believe they made some Argentine Cavalry or maybe it was another country but those sort of sets are appealling simply because its an area not generally covered. Look forward to chatting more later

All the best

Dave

 

[kilted vampire]

Hello folks!

Came across an article about a 2002 Bertoia auction(here) which featured over 500 lots of toy soldiers. Most of these were boxed Britains-including some really spectacular, rare sets like #131(“a mind-blowing 275 pieces”)and the seldom seen #2081-the largest post war set with over 200 pieces.

This collection belonged to Dmitri Ilyinsky which I’m guessing caught the collecting bug from his father, Paul Ilyinski, who died in 2004. Paul Ilyinski, born in London, besides being an avid toy soldier and train collector, was a former mayor of Palm Beach, Fl. and a colonel in the Marine Corps reserves having initially enlisted in the U.S.M.C. right out of high school in ’46 and later served in Korea.



Paul Ilyinksi was infected by toysoldieritus by his father who undoubtedly loved toy soldiers too because one Christmas morn Ilyinksi woke to find “the entire floor around the Christmas tree covered with toy soldiers”(lucky kid!) Ilyinski later housed his soldier and train collection in a wing of his house in Palm Beach.

Ilyinksi was described in an obituary as being both a small and large d democrat and prouder of being an American and a Marine than being a mayor or a Romanov. The great-grandson of tsar Alexander II, and the grand-nephew of Nicholas II(who banned Ilyinski’s father from Russia for being involved in Rasputin’s assassination) Ilyinksi, according to historian Robert Massie, probably had the most legitimate claim, among all the Romanovs, to the tsar’s title. When reminded of this, Ilyinksi told Massie that: “ I am an American and I already have an office to which I was elected. I am the mayor."

Part of his train collection was featured in an article in Classic Toy Trains.

 

[ROAN]

Hi ROAN,

I saw the comment on the Circus set its not an area I am too in tune with. The whole clown thing just never was my bag. But I do believe we have a fellow on the site here that is a big collector of the Britain Circus line, Pat mentioned it to me in a conversation but I can't remember who it was maybe he'll pop in an be able to answer this question later. As for the Portugese Infantry set I have never seen one in anything other than Photos so it would be fun to see a picture of it in someones collection. I tend to favor the old mounted sets and have seen some Russians and some of the Indian Army sets of old and would love to get my hands on some of those also I believe they made some Argentine Cavalry or maybe it was another country but those sort of sets are appealling simply because its an area not generally covered. Look forward to chatting more later

All the best

Dave

Dave,

Yes, hope to touch bases sometime with the Britains Circus collector on this forum. One reason am interested in set 2020 is because Britains King’s African Rifles(#225) is one of my all time favorite sets-it was one of the first I obtained as an adult collector. The Danish Military Historical Society (here) has a page on Britains KAR which includes a few photos of set and figures from #2020 also.

Geoff