Does anyone collect Britain's figures other than Zulu's? (1 Viewer)

[thebritfarmer]

Good evening, I have just gotten home about 15 minutes ago from a vacation in Gettysburg, and I would just like to add I collect Britain's WWII, and now recently within 72 hrs. American Civil War Confederate Generals now! I would like to also add that all of Britain's products are top quality and in my opinion are the best toy soldiers on the market! Kudos to Ken and Dave for great sculpting and painting...

Vick

Don't forget Alan & Ted as well

 

[joesgis]

Hello Mr. Reb, I collect WW1 and WW2 Britians, along with several of the scenic pieces as well. Aside from a few sets (like the Hold until the Last round Dietz set part 2), my sets are all from the new era since W Britians was "reborn", shall we say. I have most of the WW2 US and German sets as well as both of the great vehicles they produced along w/ the sets, including their second version of the Steyr. I have a set of WW2 British that I think are quite nice as well. As for WW1, I have two sets of early war French, a set of marching Germans (that goes well with a Frontline mounted German w/ gas mask that is very creepy!), and two of the British sets that come with the little sandbag scenics. I also have some of the civil war stone wall scenics that I use with my WW2 figures. As we all know, Ken Osen is a stellar talent, and I love adding his work to my collection, whether it be figures or structural pieces. I'll be adding some of the new single WW2 figures to my collection soon too.

 

[HistoryfortheAges]

I've bought Britains figures for years! The figures have really improved tremendously in the last 3 years. I collect some ACW, some AWI, some Napoleonic (Hougoumont only) and all the matte Zulu Wars which are excellent! I also, have a huge collection of ACW swoppets/heralds/eyes right figures and a good number of their swoppet AWI figures from the mid-60's. They make an excellent diorama and bring back fond memories of my childhood... and one more thing, the clamshell packaging was a great move by Britains. It saves space, protects the figure adequately and allows for immediate visibility.

 

[Builtrite]

I was thinking the same as UKREB for a while. Seems like all you see updated is the Zulu War. Say what you will about why it's updated more frequently then other threads...When it comes down to it..The matte zulu collectors are being more vocal and having a blast creating dio's with the figures. Anyone on this forum can post on any series or manufacturer they like. It's up to the other guys in the forum to keep the tread going.

 

[OzDigger]

I think you are thinking of the Frontline version Matt.

Indeed I was, my mistake

 

[OzDigger]

Matt,
he two brothers Baron are kind of small 54 mm and "squat". I was after the aeroplane really
Mike

Thanks for the pic Mike I was actually thinking of the Frontline version that had Aussies with a crashed Fokker and a few collectors said the aircraft seemed smaller than 1/32 scale. I guess the ideal, from my point of view, would be to match the Britains aircraft with the Frontline Aussie figs. Now where did I put my wallet

 

[OzDigger]

I have several Britains 1/32 WWII Artillery sets that I bought several years back. These include: German 88 mm gun, and PaK Anti Tank Gun. The US Long Tom, 105 Howitzer and small Pack gun. They are ok sets but being relatively early releases they are not up to the standard of more recent sets by other makers.

Imo this perceived lower quality, the fact that Britains produced such high volumes of each set, and more recent competition resulted in many WWII collectors losing interest in the brand.

There is now so much competition in WWII based sets that I am now unlikely to buy any Britains WWII sets unless they made something I liked that no other company made. That said I have noticed the recent Zulu figures have terrific detail and I would buy them if I was interested in the AZW.

As for the perceived popularity of the AZW. I can only speak of my personal experience in Australia and the only Aussie based guy I know that collects AZW items is Brett from The Military Workshop. On the other hand I know literally hundreds of guys that collect WWII military models.

For the record this is just my opinion and not meant as baiting etc.

For the record, Brett doesn't have any Britains Zulu figures. However I know he is very interested in the AZW and we sometimes have 'discussions' on it's popularity compared to WWII

 

[UKReb]

I was thinking the same as UKREB for a while. Seems like all you see updated is the Zulu War. Say what you will about why it's updated more frequently then other threads...When it comes down to it..The matte zulu collectors are being more vocal and having a blast creating dio's with the figures. Anyone on this forum can post on any series or manufacturer they like. It's up to the other guys in the forum to keep the tread going.

Absolutely agree and I also am having a blast creating and posting ACW dios on the diodrama thread. However, that war/figures/era simply does not strike the same chord on the forum and definitely doesn't have the following that the AZW has on here. But I am almost singly trying to keep the stars and bars/stripes flying

I posted here on the Britain's category due to having a large collection of WB civil war figures and my genuine fondness for the company's whole output and just wondered if there was anyone else out there in cyberspace who collected any other of the company's fine product. And all of you have proved that there are. I also assure you I mean no offense to AZW collectors or indeed any other member in asking the question as I also consider the Britain's AZW range of soldiers to be some of the finest produced-but it's a fairly new product for Britain's and when you align that with the posts and hits it really is quite astonishing how they have dominated these threads as well as Frontline; Little Legion and Trophy. Five will get you ten Conte and Collectors Showcase will shortly indicate the same amount of interest when they release their new packages.

Someone mentioned on here that AZW collectors just keep adding to Joe's original posts while other threads just whither on the vine-Exactly the point I am trying to make and with over 60,000 hits indicates to me that members are really interested in the AZW whether they collect the figures or not.

Oz is spot on when he states we all cannot collect everything we would like to. He is also correct that WWII collecting of figures and AV's is huge and without any doubt has and most probably will continue to hold the number 1 position for the majority of collectors -but for a little Colonial war the AZW appears to be holding it's own nicely amongst the heavy armour at least here on TF.

Dave mentioned also that awhile back the forum hosted some great discussions on the whole of the Britain's range-that must have been before my time as a member. However, that particular piece of information is really I suppose the whole ethos of my original post of why doesn't that happen on here now especially as Richard and Ken have added quite substantially to all of the Britain's range since then.

Regardless, thanks again guys for all your posts as personally I have enjoyed reading everyone of them and have found them to be all very informative adding to my knowledge of the forum membership that I didn't have before I started this thread.

Reb

 

[marksable]

Count me among those glad you asked the question, UKReb. I'm someone who collects K&C, Figarti and WB (AWI, WWI and Zulus). Seeing the same thread at the top of the W.Britains forum every day makes me less likely to check it versus others.

Although I enjoy the three ranges I've mentioned, there is something special about the Zulu range that I can't define. It may be the hospital diorama and the fact that each new release seems to augment it. It may be that it's had/seems like it will have more releases that the other ranges (AWI, WWI) than I collect in 2009.

I'm know that if Britains announced new AWI or WWI pieces that excited me as much as their Zulu pieces I'd post about it.

I'd love, for instance, if WB did a piece for WWI - trenchworks? - along the lines of the AZW Rorke's Drift hospital and the AWI Yorktown Redoubt.

 

[OzDigger]

Absolutely agree and I also am having a blast creating and posting ACW dios on the diodrama thread. However, that war/figures/era simply does not strike the same chord on the forum and definitely doesn't have the following that the AZW has on here. But I am almost singly trying to keep the stars and bars/stripes flying

I posted here on the Britain's category due to having a large collection of WB civil war figures and my genuine fondness for the company's whole output and just wondered if there was anyone else out there in cyberspace who collected any other of the company's fine product. And all of you have proved that there are. I also assure you I mean no offense to AZW collectors or indeed any other member in asking the question as I also consider the Britain's AZW range of soldiers to be some of the finest produced-but it's a fairly new product for Britain's and when you align that with the posts and hits it really is quite astonishing how they have dominated these threads as well as Frontline; Little Legion and Trophy. Five will get you ten Conte and Collectors Showcase will shortly indicate the same amount of interest when they release their new packages.

Someone mentioned on here that AZW collectors just keep adding to Joe's original posts while other threads just whither on the vine-Exactly the point I am trying to make and with over 60,000 hits indicates to me that members are really interested in the AZW whether they collect the figures or not.

Oz is spot on when he states we all cannot collect everything we would like to. He is also correct that WWII collecting of figures and AV's is huge and without any doubt has and most probably will continue to hold the number 1 position for the majority of collectors -but for a little Colonial war the AZW appears to be holding it's own nicely amongst the heavy armour at least here on TF.

Dave mentioned also that awhile back the forum hosted some great discussions on the whole of the Britain's range-that must have been before my time as a member. However, that particular piece of information is really I suppose the whole ethos of my original post of why doesn't that happen on here now especially as Richard and Ken have added quite substantially to all of the Britain's range since then.

Regardless, thanks again guys for all your posts as personally I have enjoyed reading everyone of them and have found them to be all very informative adding to my knowledge of the forum membership that I didn't have before I started this thread.

Reb

Yes Reb, the AZW figures certainly has developed a popularity out of all proportion to the length of the actual war. I am a fan of the ZULU movies etc but I have always had a bit of an issue with the Firearms Vs Spears situation so I prefer the hand to hand poses and dios myself. That said, it of course doesn't worry me at all how many comments and or photos are posted on the subject as some members have a real passion for the AZW.

 

[aujj65]

Nope!

Jeff

I also consider the Britain's AZW range of soldiers to be some of the finest produced

Exactly the point I am trying to make and with over 60,000 hits indicates to me that members are really interested in the AZW whether they collect the figures or not.

But for a little Colonial war the AZW appears to be holding it's own nicely amongst the heavy armour at least here on TF.

Reb

Bob,

I feel that I should elaborate on my first attempt at answering your question. I have always been interested in the Colonial period and way back in my war gaming days had large Zulu War and Sudan War armies in 25mm.

Up until a few weeks ago I was a K&C only collector but I have gradually “been worked on” and now have two sets of Britains AZW figures, both limited editions, and another three sets are on the way to me soon.

Now if only Britains would produce a Sudan war range!

Jeff

 

[The Lt.]

Thanks Bob for creating this thread and as you'll note I've waited 24 hours before commenting on it. The thread speaks for itself as well as all of the other threads appearing on the forum which have featured the Zulu War. by the way for those of you who are not familar with the site www.rorkesdriftvc.com the thread telling the story of toy soldiers of the Zulu War has currently been viewd ove 62,000 and I'm sure you'll note it's not a toy soldier forum but the subject turned out to be very popular. By the way when logging on to the thread this AM it had 574 views which once again goes to show how the subject of the Zulu War draws attentiong. Once again Bob thank you and I'm sure the comments will continue to flow. In the mean time back to my playground to post another photo......The Lt.

 

[mestell]

One of the reasons why I post so often on the WB Zulu thread is the comraderie that it generates. It is alot of fun, and also a learning vehicle, to have an on-going dialog (both on and off line) with the collectors of this range. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I also collect the WB Napoleonic Hougoumont figures. I personally feel that these are some of the best "Nappy" figures on the market when considering the historical accuracy of the uniforms and the "combat" appearance of the figures. And the supporting scenic sets are absolutely top shelf. In the past several months I have posted 11 threads on the Hougoumont range and my collection. They all pretty much "withered and died on the vine" so to speak. I just thought that perhaps this range was not as popular with the rest of the forum members, and without the on-going dialog on the subject I stopped posting. If I get a chance this weekend I will share some pics of my Napoleonics.
Mike

 

[Mardasson]

Hi Reb,
I've started collecting toy soldiers with Britains some years ago with ceremonial figures;
Since then I've added more ranges and makers (all figures except 13 K&C I bought few weeks ago are gloss).
Britains are still a large part of my collection and include:
- bands, bands, bands and ...bands
- ceremonial figures
- Durbar and Indian army
- Crimea
- Zulu
-....
Latest Britains acquisition was the Pipes and Drums of the Cameron Highlanders and I will continue to buy similar sets in the future.
Michel

 

[thebritfarmer]

I was thinking about why I became hooked on AZW just a few short months ago. The LT is the reason !!!! His dios showed that is is easy for anyone to take these figures add a quick printed backdrop and a couple of crates and get a very nice looking pic. Had he have done the same with the Napoleonic Wars or the Civil War, I am sure I would have chosen one of those.

Bob has to have the most fantastic dioramas on the forum without a shadow of a doubt and I enjoy reading each and every post on them. There is no way I could achieve the same type of photos as he has and I wouldn't dream of posting my meager attempts in his threads if I had ACW figures.

 

[aujj65]

I was thinking about why I became hooked on AZW just a few short months ago. The LT is the reason !!!! His dios showed that is is easy for anyone to take these figures add a quick printed backdrop and a couple of crates and get a very nice looking pic. Had he have done the same with the Napoleonic Wars or the Civil War, I am sure I would have chosen one of those.

Bob has to have the most fantastic dioramas on the forum without a shadow of a doubt and I enjoy reading each and every post on them. There is no way I could achieve the same type of photos as he has and I wouldn't dream of posting my meager attempts in his threads if I had ACW figures.

Yes, he has a lot to answer for! - Thankfully

Jeff

 

[UKReb]

I was thinking about why I became hooked on AZW just a few short months ago. The LT is the reason !!!! His dios showed that is is easy for anyone to take these figures add a quick printed backdrop and a couple of crates and get a very nice looking pic. Had he have done the same with the Napoleonic Wars or the Civil War, I am sure I would have chosen one of those.

Bob has to have the most fantastic dioramas on the forum without a shadow of a doubt and I enjoy reading each and every post on them. There is no way I could achieve the same type of photos as he has and I wouldn't dream of posting my meager attempts in his threads if I had ACW figures.

Scott

I too- like Jeff- believe you have uncovered the Rosetta stone to interpret the huge popularity of these figures here on the forum. You are perfectly right to blame Joe

However, it is also the particular quality of the Britains AZW figures and associated diorama pieces that I believe has triggered a whole new surge (including yourself) in collecting this era. As my local Modelzone manager stated he could have sold his hospital set show-piece a dozen times over and he couldn't stock up on them quick enough indicating that plenty of other collectors are struck with the same malaise as you and others are on here.

Bob

 

[marco55]

I think scenics are a big part of collecting now.If you can get some nice scenics to go with a range I think it helps a range.As for the AZW I think it helps that it was a small war as you don't have the massive armies of the Napoleanic,ACW and WWII.Also the desperate battles of Iswandlwana and Rorke's Drift I'm sure helps perk interest.
Mark

 

[1879fanatic]

Yes Reb, the AZW figures certainly has developed a popularity out of all proportion to the length of the actual war. I am a fan of the ZULU movies etc but I have always had a bit of an issue with the Firearms Vs Spears situation so I prefer the hand to hand poses and dios myself. That said, it of course doesn't worry me at all how many comments and or photos are posted on the subject as some members have a real passion for the AZW.

Sounds like you should place the AZW on your ignore list, Matt
Mike

 

[The Lt.]

I'm more than happy to take the blame seeing all the pleasure the Zulu War Figures are bring to their new owners but all of the credit goes to Richard Walker and the crew at WBritains for creating them....The Lt.