Britains Deetail (1 Viewer)

[Eazy]

I was just going on about my collection in the K&C forum which was probably not the best place! Anyone here interested in discussing the original Deetail figures from the 70's? I basically have them all (thanks to my folks buying them for me way back then). I'm really only missing some of the mounted ones from the Wild West series,Waterloo and the Knights and Turks.
I even have those stargards and aliens and their wacky vehicles. You have to love the Green UFO!

I'd also enjoy chatting about Airfix and Matchbox figures. Anyone know any good forums for this?

 

[CannonFodder1971]

I was just going on about my collection in the K&C forum which was probably not the best place! Anyone here interested in discussing the original Deetail figures from the 70's? I basically have them all (thanks to my folks buying them for me way back then). I'm really only missing some of the mounted ones from the Wild West series,Waterloo and the Knights and Turks.
I even have those stargards and aliens and their wacky vehicles. You have to love the Green UFO!

I'd also enjoy chatting about Airfix and Matchbox figures. Anyone know any good forums for this?

Certainly the original Deetail were excellent, playable and collectable, I only wish that K&C had something similar for the kids of today. You mention Airfix and Matchbox, well my childhood experience of Airfix was that of observing a sad decline: from quality, highly detailed hard plastic to thier descent into a cheap flash-edged warped-weaponed (and unpaintable) mess was a sad experience. However, the Matchbox figures were just excellent. Sometimes I wonder if I'll buy a box of Afrika Korps just to look at, not even to paint. (I also liked their 1/72nd scale model tanks and aircraft, multi-toned plastics which threw all sorts of confusing shades up under the Airfix, Heller Humbrol paint unless you'd put an undercoat. They were sometimes closer to 1/75th rather than 1/72nd, and the Airfix often looked better at that scale. Still though, Matchbox on 1/32nd scale were unmatchable. Apart from Britains Deetail. And Timpo moulded plastic figures. And ...... The list could go on).

Cheap poor quality plastics wiped them out, as did pac-man and the advent of the PC age. Would be interesting to see how the new Britains plastics do in terms of reviving the hobby.

Let me know if you find any websites on our side of the pond.

 

[Eazy]

Which Airfix sets did you feel the quality had declined? I think the Italian infantry were among the final sets and as i recall they were made from a different plastic with softer weapons. I still think they are a nice set though.
Best Airfix set for me has to be the German paras.
As for Matchbox their 1/32 figures were great especially their later releases 8th Army, Afrika Korps and Commandoes. Afrika Korps really is a top set and well worth displaying even today.
Its a pity Matchbox didn't release their Anzacs and Japanese infantry in 1/32 scale. The japanese figures were amazing and a real highpoint in my collection.

You mention Timpo as well. I have quite a few of their 2nd edition Germans still on display with my FOV armour! I especially like the stretcher bearers. The Timpo British are ok but inferior to the German figures. Also have a soft spot for the Timpo Apaches but unfortunately i only have one left.

God i could go on and on.

I havent seen the reissues of Britains deetail apart from pictures on the internet. They look well painted but its the originals i like best. The deetail japanese are a good set but my faves are the North Afrika sets. The AK Kubelwagen and BMW combination are fine pieces by any companies standard.

 

[VIRIATO]

I guess it's a small world out there. I also like Britains Deetail and got my first Britains Deetail figures when I was a child: WWII germans and japanese, indians and cowboys, french foreign legion and arabs, knights, British Guards. Still got them. I believe they were better than today's reissues, some of them looking smaller and more fragile ( kind of «thinner» ) than the originals. There seem to be some difference between Toyway's reissues and the other ones, can somebody clarify this for me? The best reissues I've seen and fortunately own some come from DSG Argentina: various paintings of Afrika Korps, 8th British Army, Australians, etc... check it out, good stuff in my opinion.
I also had Airfix, Timpo, and others as a child, but most didn't get through the test of time, especially Timpo, the plastic seems to have become fragile and breakable, kind of rotten.

Best regards,
Paulo