How do you buy your toy soldiers? (2 Viewers)

[hotel3alpha]

I really, really am lucky as I have Kings X right here in San Antonio and as a matter of fact I went and picked up...oh I don't know...six bags of new Soldiers last week with another few bags in waiting. Plus, the Texas Toy Soldier Show is here every year and I get a double dose of fun in one weekend. It is truly Toy Soldier heaven.

This year I have received 4 phone calls from people selling collections; I purchased one collection and will purchase a second (with the same folks) in a few weeks from Dallas and purchased another in Cali. The other two were not in my range of collecting, but 2 out of 4 ain't bad and it was really rare K&C stuff, so I was happy.

Last but not least...ebay...only if it is a fair deal though. Some of the secondary market items I collect are listed at insane prices and sadly I bought a set that I did not read the fine print where it said "no box" and paid waaaaay to much for that set. My bust though for getting too excited and hitting "pay now" on ebay before vetting the completeness of the item. From here on out, if I am going to pay a premium for a "must have" piece it better be in the ORIGINAL box and have that "new car smell" too. If not, I will find it another way.

John from Texas...in the living room smoking a vape and drinking ice cold Texas Sweet Tea.

 

[Artillery_crazy]

Yeap, same here....I know the feeling...I can only actually touch the set once it comes in with the mail.....{sm2}^&cool
The closest toy soldier shop is a nine hour international airline flight, plus a couple of hours car drive down a highway either in Dallas or Miami......^&grin^&grin^&grin^&grin
Cheers
Artillery_Crazy

Everything is online for me, no toy soldiers shops around at all.

 

[Go for Broke]

John, got any KC Vietnam in those collections? I would be interested.

 

[bromhead]

Mostly online but fortunate enough to visit Kings X ,,a few hours away

 

[ROUGH RIDER]

We are bone dry in my area so about 75% is online. We do go to the Columbia SC show every year and have been to the Chicago one. Whenever we go out of town my wife always looks for shops in the areas that we're visiting.

 

[Larry Allen]

Back from the Valley Forge show and just starting to catch up here.

I am in a somewhat unique situation as I attend major Toy Soldier shows with George at Minutemen TS. That way I get to see, touch and examine all most all of the items before I purchase.

Once I decide to buy a figure or vehicle or plane, it is 90% via the Internet or Email. I just email George what I want and it arrives at my house in a few days. Couldn't be easier.

However, once in a while I get lucky at a show and pick up some treasures. This weekend it was some John Jenkins 1812 Marching Marines, 1812 Marines at the Ready and the 1812 Marine Officer .... from a fellow collector who just happen to take a table at the show.

--- LaRRy

 

[uksubs]

Everything is online for me, no toy soldiers shops around at all.

Same as and everything come cheap from USA or EU as UK prices are more expensive !?

 

[Horus]

Yep another online buyer, I'm buying more from outside UK now, not just on price as exchange rate isn't so good, but for pieces that I just don't see offered here by UK sellers.
Steve

 

[Vicknor]

Luckiest fella on here. I live 90 seconds from KnC's shop here in Hong Kong and pass (most often go in) on my way to the office everyday.

A huge benefit, but also helps out KnC's bottom line to a much greater degree than the missus would like

 

[Artillery_crazy]

Luckiest fella on here. I live 90 seconds from KnC's shop here in Hong Kong and pass (most often go in) on my way to the office everyday.

A huge benefit, but also helps out KnC's bottom line to a much greater degree than the missus would like

Lucky guy,
And as a benefit, you meet the bosses.......
Cheers
A-C

 

[Vicknor]

Lucky guy,
And as a benefit, you meet the bosses.......
Cheers
A-C

Went to the shop 'do' two Fridays back and it was very well done. I even won a prize!

 

[Peiper007]

my purchases are a complete mixture,
Ebay,
On-line, mainly from TSRare in Italy, good prices and delivery.
UK Shows - I go to the London shows, but am buying less and less at the shows, at the London shows there seems to be less to buy and the show has been quite a disappointment for the last 3 shows, the June 2016 show has been the first in years I am thinking about not attending........
I am luck as i go to London most weeks for work and go to the Guards shop and live about an hours drive from Magpies in Evesham, which is for me the best toy soldier shop in the country, largest choice and a good mix of manufacturers, well worth a visit if you are travelling along the M5 and it is a nice town to visit.

 

[LTC PaulN]

Interesting question...

I buy primarily through dealers over the internet... Minutemen TS, Treefrog, King's X, K&C directly. Probably in the neighborhood of 85% this way.
The next 10% is ebay. ...And that's after confirming that nobody else still has the piece I'm hunting still on stock.
4% comes from shows... San Antonio, Chicago, London are the ones I've hit.
The last percent are direct trades/sales with guys in the classified section of the board.

 

[Johnboy]

my purchases are a complete mixture,
Ebay,
On-line, mainly from TSRare in Italy, good prices and delivery.
UK Shows - I go to the London shows, but am buying less and less at the shows, at the London shows there seems to be less to buy and the show has been quite a disappointment for the last 3 shows, the June 2016 show has been the first in years I am thinking about not attending........
I am luck as i go to London most weeks for work and go to the Guards shop and live about an hours drive from Magpies in Evesham, which is for me the best toy soldier shop in the country, largest choice and a good mix of manufacturers, well worth a visit if you are travelling along the M5 and it is a nice town to visit.

Hi,
I go along with Peiper007 on this. Both of these shops are amazing. I will be visiting both in July while on "staycation". Neil from Magpie's also offers a first class Mail order service, many items being "postfree". I hope both places continue to do well as we now have too few "bricks and mortar" establishments here in the UK. In my opinion ,this is the premier way to purchase TS.

 

[Pauck]

I buy everything in the internet because in Munich we don't have a shop that sell TS from K&C, TGM, JJD or TCS.
In Germany I guess is not really a land of TS collector, more cars and trains. I was several years at the Nuremberg Toy Fair because I mainly collecting airplanes but the exhibitor for airplanes was only a few and was shrinking every year and TS I didn't find.
And in Germany we have tha Hakenkreuz "problem" because it is forbidden in Germany. That is the reason why for example some produce of airplane has no HK on the airplane or small sticker on it that you have to pell off.
Mainly Evilbay (G,F,I,UK,US) because I'm a new collector and looking for older stuff.
Internet shops that I use are TSrare in Italy, and figurine et collection K&C in France, both with good service and prices. Some buys at Hadriansvilla, Germany (mainly new JJD stuff), actionfiguren-shop in Netherland

 

[johnnybach]

I don't think I'm typical of the usual TS purchaser - but............as you asked.

I buy either unpainted castings - or used TS in areas that I like - to re-paint, repair or convert. These can be anything that I fancy - BUT, have to be reasonably priced.

I do visit a bricks and mortar shop about twice per year - and keep in contact by e-mail - with a running list of what I will collect at my next visit. These are always either castings - or secondary market figures to fix up for myself. (Dorset Soldiers - about a two-hour drive from me - when in the UK).

I also buy via the Internet and/or e-bay - items as above. I buy flats too - which is a more specialist area - usually direct from the supplier by e-mail and use Paypal to purchase wherever possible. ( usually from Germany - and we are still in the EU - so no import taxes).

If I could no longer paint, repair/convert etc., for my hobby - in all honesty - I simply wouldn't be in the hobby at all. I quite simply couldn't possibly justify the expenditure of buying ready-painted figures at the prices asked by most manufacturers/dealers, nowadays - to my family.

Sorry about that Malcolm - but that's the way I see it - for me. jb

Looks like the EU option for purchase of Flats will be getting more expensive - due to GB voters actions!

Our exit will mean that purchases will be subject to import taxes once again, ( why do they persist in calling it "duty" - it's a tax!!) - and doubtless we will continue with the farcical situation of long delays in orders arriving (held up in "customs"), being summoned to the GPO to collect our packages that we have pre-paid to be delivered - and then charged an extortionate sum for the dubious privilege of going to collect our packages by the company who have been paid to deliver them!

No thanks - add Flats to the list of goods I won't be buying from Europe any more - once we are OUT. jb