Guard Corps (1 Viewer)

[nap10]

I was wondering if Guard Corps is still in production. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[nysoldiers]

No they are not......stopped producing many years ago but maybe someone bought the molds.
Seen on Ebay from time to time.

 

[theBaron]

I was wondering if Guard Corps is still in production. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

No they are not......stopped producing many years ago but maybe someone bought the molds.
Seen on Ebay from time to time.

Actually, they are still in production, but as noted, not under Alan Silk and Ed Lober, who both passed away, Ed first, and Alan around 10 years ago.

They had contracted with a company in Hong Kong to do their casting and painting. That company today is Fair Clover Land, whose website is at http://www.faircloverland.com/index.php.

When Alan passed, I remember that there was talk about continuing the Guard Corps brand itself, but I think eventually his daughter sold the rights to Fair Clover Land (actually, their predecessor company). They still produce part of the Kaiser's Birthday Parade-the reviewing officers, not any of the grenadiers, colors or musicians. And they also produce the Union cavalry series (I think it's the entire series) of dismounted figures. Their prices are just a little more than the original prices per figure, about $30 for the figures in the Kaiser's Birthday Parade series, and around $25 apiece for the Union cavalry.

Alan and Ed also issued the cavalry figures as Confederates; Fair Clover Land does not. Also, I seem to recall that Alan and Ed issued the Union cavalry as 7th Cavalry, but I can't find a reference to that now in my catalogs. And another series from Guard Corps' catalog that FCL does not produce is a Wehrmacht parade series in greatcoats. Basically, the figures used some of the same castings as the Alexander grenadiers, because the greatcoat's cut was the same, as was the equipment. They just used heads with the Stahlhelm and appropriate flags.

I have not seen the newer figures in person, but judging from the photos on their website, it looks like it would be pretty easy to tell them apart. The original figures were painted in a simple gloss style. Their faces were simply rendered, with black dots for the figures' eyes, under a simple eyebrow. The current figures are painted more in the Chinese style, like K&C figures. They're in a matte finish, with some shadows painted on. Eyes are rendered with whites, an eyelash line and a black dot for the pupil.

Fair Clover Land does sell on eBay, seller name "faircloverland". The prices I see there now are a little more than the prices shown at their website.

A search on "guard corps" should be sufficient to return any current original sets.

Hope that helps, prost!
Brad

 

[nysoldiers]

Good info.
I have all their original sets and think I met the two gentlemen at a show many years ago. Weren't they from Brooklyn, NY or nearby?

 

[nap10]

Thanks for the detailed info.

 

[thanasis67]

Sorry guys, this Faircloverland sells King and Country figures or makes copies? Does the original K & C knows that?
If I am wrong I apology, otherwise I am just saying that there is no chance to buy from someone who steels other people's work.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Good info.
I have all their original sets and think I met the two gentlemen at a show many years ago. Weren't they from Brooklyn, NY or nearby?

I met them once at Classic Toys, many moons ago, where I bought all of their Union and Confederate dismounted cavalry figures, and one of the "romantic reunion figures of a confederate officer returning to his sweetheart (I gave that one to my wife, along with some Imperial Town and Around figures, which are the only figures on display on the ground floor, in one of her curio cabinets). I still have them boxed up in storage.

 

[tdubel]

Sorry guys, this Faircloverland sells King and Country figures or makes copies? Does the original K & C knows that?
If I am wrong I apology, otherwise I am just saying that there is no chance to buy from someone who steels other people's work.

I am confused, on their website, they sell their own figures which they bought from Guard Corps and they sell Thomas Gunn? Not sure where the copy and K&C are coming from? Maybe I missed something, but they seem legit to me. On ebay, they are selling figures clearly labeled as K&C, I don't think they are copies.
TD

 

[theBaron]

Despite the fact that this is a Chinese company, I believe the Thomas Gunn figures may be with permission. FCL may have done or still do the casting for Gunn and other makers. Currently they also sell die-cast toys. I remember from earlier versions of their website, going back to around 2000, that they were a tool-and-die company, that had branched into casting. They may have cast for other brands, too, over the years.

As for Alan and Ed, they had previously produced the Cavalier line (with Brooklyn address). They had commissioned various sculptors to produce masters for them. They also acquired the Vallance line of figures. They used to appear at the MFCA show; that's where I met them, when I started out. I don't remember if they also attended Bill Lango's East Coast Show (Hackensack), but I wouldn't be surprised if they did.

Louis, I have the Union version of that piece:



The looks of the officer have always made me think that this depicts Custer kissing his Libby good-bye.

I'm reminded now, too, of another ID for the original figures: They're incised on the underside of the base with "GC" and the copyright symbol with the year the figure was cast. All of mine have "1992". I don't know how the current castings are marked.

Prost!
Brad