How did you get into collecting? (1 Viewer)

Kurt

Kurt

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I'm curious how most people get into collecting toy soldiers. Is there any marketing? I would never have discovered the hobby had I not stumbled upon a small toy soldier dealer in an obscure low-traffic shopping village.
 
I had a great desire to:

rob myself of all my riches

enrich a british expat living in Hong Kong

join a interent forum which occupies too much of my time

communicate worldwide with people who, like me, also wanted to destroy their bank accounts and know a code system of AK, WS, LAH, DD, BBA and BBG...

finally continue my childhood by playing with toys.

I think thats about it. :rolleyes:
 
Capitolron said:
I had a great desire to:

rob myself of all my riches

enrich a british expat living in Hong Kong

join a interent forum which occupies too much of my time

communicate worldwide with people who, like me, also wanted to destroy their bank accounts and know a code system of AK, WS, LAH, DD, BBA and BBG...

finally continue my childhood by playing with toys.

I think thats about it. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

That about sums it up :)
 
I bought a Toy Soldier and Model Collector magazine at the shop at the bottom of the road:D:eek:!!!!!!!! I saw King and Country's Krupp Truck and Flak Gun on the back of it and thought 'COOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!':D:eek::D
 
Kurt said:
I'm curious how most people get into collecting toy soldiers. Is there any marketing? I would never have discovered the hobby had I not stumbled upon a small toy soldier dealer in an obscure low-traffic shopping village.
Click to expand...

Let me guess? Toy troops at Old World Village?
Ray
 
Starting out playing with my green army men as a boy. It brought great joy in my youth. Grew up , got married , got a good job , had a couple kids, starting playing with Toy Soldiers again. I must admit, I am having more fun now than as a 8 year old. It just costs alot more.:eek:
 
Showman said:
Starting out playing with my green army men as a boy. It brought great joy in my youth. Grew up , got married , got a good job , had a couple kids, starting playing with Toy Soldiers again. I must admit, I am having more fun now than as a 8 year old. It just costs alot more.:eek:
Click to expand...

That is what credit cards are for. DOH! I was thinking out loud again, wasn't I ?
 
My uncle gave me several sets of Britains when I was a kid and I've been hooked ever since.
 
As early as I can remember, I was fascinated with the military. In fact, I don't have any childhood memories prior to having my army men. Like all of us, I started off with the green plastic kind. My parents at Christmas would usually buy me one big set. I remember having this huge Iwo Jima playset as a child. It had to be almost 3 feet tall. By the time I quit buying plastic toy soldiers as a teenager, I must have had close to 1,000 figures or so. Besides the green plastic ones, I remember my parents buying me, I must have been around 6 or 7 years old, the Britains Deetail series. The first were the American Civil War. I had tons of them. Eventually I also got the knights. Of all of these figures I had as a child, I have none of them today. They must have got thrown out when I went in the military at 18 years old. I noticed a lot of my stuff was missing when I came home on leave! :confused:

I guess it was about 4 years ago, that one day I decided I was going to buy some Britains Deetail figures for all of my nephews to play with when they came over to visit. It was at that time that on this website I believe, I spotted King & Country figurines. I was really impressed. I bought a few French Napoleonic soldiers. That was a costly mistake because I have been buying them ever since!
 
Motive - like most of us at our age grew up with airfix and incessant war movies.

Opportunity - saw them 'live' in the 1990's but no spare dosh! When had some spare dosh bought some.

Forensic evidence - light bank account etc..... Smile on face.:D

He did it! (sorry been watching CSI - not sure if I'm a 'Vic' though:confused: )
 
I was living over in Germany when I was 7-9 years old (1979-82), when my dad was stationed in Nuremburg. What a great exposure I had to world history then!!! Plus, my grandfather was a WW2 vet (among Korea and Nam x2). We would walk around in various German/ Dutch/ Italian towns during our time there and you would see various toy soldier shops selling Airfix, Britains, etc. I would buy some Britains Deetail figures as I could afford them- most I still have. I did get Beachhead Assault and Guns of Navarrone playsets for my birthdays there too....

Came back to the States and got hooked on GI Joe as the new 4" figure line was coming about then.

Fast forward to Spring 2000- walking about in a sleepy town in Stroudsburg Pa while working at a client, I come across a toy soldier shop and the rest they say is history!!!

The one thing I have noticed, and I am sure several people will agree with me, is that this hobby is primarily a European hobby and train collecting is an American hobby. I remember seeing toy soldier shops when I lived in Europe like we see Toy train shops here. I dunno, maybe I'm off here.

Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. Right now though, the fun thing is I feel like I have come full circle!!
 
How did I get into collecting, well it was one of those rare moments of clarity in my life. They don’t happen very often but when they do, man it is nice to live in the world of reality. :rolleyes: :)
 
I appreciate the sheer volume of eras and more importantly color! That is why I like the durbar collections . How can I forget

Napoleonic


 
It’s a conspiracy.:eek: Ron goes to Bolivia and out comes the Vampire and Napoleon. Will it never end.:( :( :( :p
 
When I was a kid i had a great Airfix, Timpo and Britains Deetail collection (which thankfully i kept).

Then when Forces of Valor released their first wave of vehicles I got involved again.

Then when I saw K&C's Afrika Korps range I got waaaaay too involved.
 
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