How you decide what to collect? (1 Viewer)

[Aleš]

Are you more interested in collecting figures as an amount(as many numbers of them),or you are buy them just for display,to play with them,....?
How you decide it which figure will you bu yand which you will not buy?
Do you collect only one manufacturer (britains,john jenkins,K&C,...) or you mix them?
Do you collect only one era like CIW,WW2,WW1,crusaders,....or many other range?
Do you buy other figures you do not collect but you buy them because you like the sculpting or something or you do not buy them if you do not collect this range?
I was thinking to start collect figures with flags-what do you think about this?
Do you think this is stupid idea?
If i buy figures with flags than i can not make dioramas because there will be from diferent period an dfrom diferent manufacturer,....but it will be nice to look at them on the shelves because they will represent a country,an uniform,....i think one this figure in the uniform and with the flag can tell more than other mounted figures,or combat figures,dont you think that?
Anyon eelse collect figures with flags?

 

[lancer]

I have a hard time concentrating my collecting. I tend to buy what I really like (any period) and what I can afford. As a result, I have examples from (I think) 16 makers and about a dozen time periods. These include ancient, Crusades, English CW, Jacobite rising, FIW, Crimea, ACW, Zulu War, NWF, WW1, WW2, and even some modern (Iraq) in plastic. This is also a hobby I have been engaged in for almost 50 years (starting as a kid playing in the dirt). At one point i wanted to collect flag bearers. as you do, but I never got to it. I think it is a good idea to collect flags, because, as you noted, they are very representative and colorful. As for what I do with them, it is display only. They cost too much to play with (although I sometimes get the urge to put them on the carpet and go to battle). Thats it for me. -- lancer

 

[marco55]

So far I only collect FIW and Vikings But I may branch out to include ACW,colonial period (1880-1900)American indian wars and there's a kit coming out soon by Time Machine miniatures of a little Alamo vignette that I may get.They also have a Last Stand at Gandamark vignette.I think collecting flagbearers is a great idea.Napoleanic and ACW would be very colorful.
Mark

 

[Obee]

I started again collecting toy soldiers about 12 years ago, and then I colletced eveything I could! As cost was a factor i decided to paint my own, so went for metal castings and plastics.

Since my teens I have been facinated by the Napoleonic Era, so as I've progressed I've concentrated on them, and branched forward into the 1750's with 7 years War / French Indian War. Its the wondefully coloured unifomrs that drove me to that era, and the histroy of the time. I'm not a fan of much past 1890 when Khaki came into play... give me red, white and blue any time.

I collect and maker and mix them together, but some are larger scale so you have to be careful in thier placement on display.

I LOVE flags... so you have another comrade here...... I paint some onto metal foil, but if they are very intricate I will print them out on high quailty photo paper and then attache that to the pole. I have done lots of resaerch into the flags and have to have them just right. Good thing about the internet is the wonderful resources available of flags.

Here are a couple I have painted, Demi Brigade 1800 and Austerliz prize 1805

and Boridino 1812

By the way, another fiend of mine only collects Drummers/Buglers and Samurais ........... so we all have own own fanticies

regards,

John

 

[marco55]

Very nice John.
Mark

 

[1879fanatic]

I started again collecting toy soldiers about 12 years ago, and then I colletced eveything I could! As cost was a factor i decided to paint my own, so went for metal castings and plastics.

Since my teens I have been facinated by the Napoleonic Era, so as I've progressed I've concentrated on them, and branched forward into the 1750's with 7 years War / French Indian War. Its the wondefully coloured unifomrs that drove me to that era, and the histroy of the time. I'm not a fan of much past 1890 when Khaki came into play... give me red, white and blue any time.

I collect and maker and mix them together, but some are larger scale so you have to be careful in thier placement on display.

I LOVE flags... so you have another comrade here...... I paint some onto metal foil, but if they are very intricate I will print them out on high quailty photo paper and then attache that to the pole. I have done lots of resaerch into the flags and have to have them just right. Good thing about the internet is the wonderful resources available of flags.

Here are a couple I have painted, Demi Brigade 1800 and Austerliz prize 1805

and Boridino 1812

By the way, another fiend of mine only collects Drummers/Buglers and Samurais ........... so we all have own own fanticies

regards,

John

John,
Excellent job on your men! Always love to see guys posting their masterpieces and admiring the skill and workmanship!
Mike

 

[Spitfrnd]

Are you more interested in collecting figures as an amount(as many numbers of them),or you are buy them just for display,to play with them,....?
How you decide it which figure will you bu yand which you will not buy?
Do you collect only one manufacturer (britains,john jenkins,K&C,...) or you mix them?
Do you collect only one era like CIW,WW2,WW1,crusaders,....or many other range?
Do you buy other figures you do not collect but you buy them because you like the sculpting or something or you do not buy them if you do not collect this range?
I was thinking to start collect figures with flags-what do you think about this?
Do you think this is stupid idea?
If i buy figures with flags than i can not make dioramas because there will be from diferent period an dfrom diferent manufacturer,....but it will be nice to look at them on the shelves because they will represent a country,an uniform,....i think one this figure in the uniform and with the flag can tell more than other mounted figures,or combat figures,dont you think that?
Anyon eelse collect figures with flags?

Wow mate, that is a fair number of questions so early in the morning.
I buy figures which I intend to display together for a few periods. Budget and space constraint the number of periods but I am currently content with Napoleonic, Roman, Spartan, Medieval, AZW and WWII Fighter Aircraft. If they fit together, I buy whatever I like but I have found that this is more often the exception than the rule. If you like flags then by all means you should feel free to collect them, they are just another figure to me but the point of any collection is to acquire what you like.

 

[Aleš]

well the point of this topic was to see how or what other people collect.
I think if i collect only one manufacturer or only one period it is easy because i just buy the catalog and buy all they are offering.But if i collect flags or something else i think it is more interesting because i must look and search for this type of figure.But the bad thing is that it can not be played with them or put a diorama with them,or combat,...it is just for display.But i do not think a lot of us play with them anyway haha,so it is not such a big of a problem.Even sometimes i see there is a nice sets too.
Well i know i can buy what ever i wannt to buy that it is make me interesting,but i am looking for ideas because i am new in this.
So that is why i am interested to see what other collect,if they have any special ideas like this man someone say in this topic that his friend collect drummers and burglars.I think it is interesting!
So does any one else collect something like this?
And what is the word burglar mean(my english is not so good so i do not understand this word).Is this part of a band like a drummer is or he is something else?
Because isnt burglar mean someone who enter other people houses

 

[Cardigan600]

Yo Troopers, sounds like collecting the Ensigns or Standard Bearers is a great idea, and would make a really interesting collection. The thing about carring the Standard there was only one in the Regiment usually the Ensign, everyone carried weapons etc but only one Standard. Also there seems plenty of scope out there to put a really good collection together, Obee has put some nice examples up. I always think the Ensign with the Standard looks rather special on display, its very eye catching. Jeff has just done some nice Crimean Standards, he also has another on the go. All in all would probably make a stunning display if you had a hundred or so. Its like Drum Horses only one per Regiment.

Ales, OK your English is not that good, but at least you can speak two languages, most of us can only speak one so dont knock yourself for that. A Bugler is like a Trumpet you blow it to sound an order like a charge or retreat. Its a Burglar that robs your house. So lets see some more of the Ensigns & Standards guys, I have about 8 in the albums I think.
Bernard.

 

[Aleš]

thank you for the kind words Cardigans.
Ok,now i know what bugler is,and i must say it must be an interesting collection if anyone collect them and the drummers also because i didnt see much of them so it must be put a lot of effort to colect them.
But what is ensign?
I think standards is a flag,right?
So the ensign is a little flag,or this piece of fabric on the spears or something?

 

[wadepat]

thank you for the kind words Cardigans.
Ok,now i know what bugler is,and i must say it must be an interesting collection if anyone collect them and the drummers also because i didnt see much of them so it must be put a lot of effort to colect them.
But what is ensign?
I think standards is a flag,right?
So the ensign is a little flag,or this piece of fabric on the spears or something?

Hi Ales,

While I do not specifically collect drummers and buglers, I have a few of them in my collection. I thought you might enjoy seeing the Kettle Drummer in my Marlborough Set #D19, 17th Bengal Lancers. These figures are one of the sets in their Delhi Durbar line. I hope you enjoy viewing the drummer!

Warmest personal regards,

Pat

 

[wadepat]

Hi Ales,

Below you should find a few photos of one of the buglers in my collection. He is a Polish Winged Hussar. He is an interesting piece and I hope you enjoy viewing him.

Warmest personal regards,

Pat

 

[Aleš]

Thank you wadepat for sharing your photos with us.Nice bugler,very nice,i watch this horse and bugler for 5 minutes because i think it will move or play on this trumpet that is how realistic look.Who made this burgler? First Legion?
And the drummer is also nice,i didnt see nothing like that until now.
Thank you.

 

[VIRIATO]

Well, like others here I find it hard to focus. So I now have matte and gloss figures from many different brands (from traditional glossy to K&C or Britains Matte). If it looks good I am tempted, irrespective of the time period or the brand!
I guess sometimes good figures get me into a time period (like FIW with Britains glossy classics, they are lovely and colorful). I believe it happened the other way around with WWI: I am interested in this period so I started to get the appropriate figures.
So right now I have Romans (Connoisseur), FIW, Napoleonics, ACW, Crimean War, Delhi Durbar, Colonial British, WWI,WWII, crazy stuff really... But I would say my main interests now are Napoleonics and WWI (this till this crazy head spins another way. I try small dioramas with matte figures and simple shelf display with gloss figures.

Ales, enjoy your collecting, life needs spice (not just this one though...).


Regards,
Paulo

 

[Aleš]

Viriato,yes i agree that life need all kinds of fun and enterteiment in all diferent wiews and we need to be open to new things,and be surrounded with interesting things not just toy soldiers off course but everything else too.
About the toy soldiers i was always wandering why no body made toy soldiers from the Portugal history.I read a lot about Portugal history and their brave seaman like Diaz,Magelan,Vasco Da Gama,Pedro Alvarez Cabral,....and their vojage to discover new lands,teritories,....i think it will be interested to see that kind of toy soldiers from that period.

 

[uksubs]

I'm buying Dragon 1/35 Armour with Oryon soldiers + FOV armour witch I find great value for money
I've got three big diorama to play with as well
I do have K&C Market Garden range but fill it lack new British Paras

 

[Njja]

Very interesting topic, which such variety available today how does one decide what to collect? Many years ago I begain to collect Lionel Trains, an item I had as a boy. Some collectors tried to obtain one of everything. Some focused on Pre-War or Post-War. I chose condition. Everytime I made a train buy I would select the items that were brand new, never played with. On rare occasion they were rare items, most often they were common items. I built a nice collection of items that looked just like they had been purchased yesterday.

Today with military miniatures, condition is still my main focus. Often I will buy several of an item to select the one that is perfect, then sell the others. I learned to do this with my train collection, often buying several sets to put together one perfect set. My main focus today with King & Country is completing the Vietnam & Arnhem Series. Even though they are both nearly complete I still continue to buy pieces to compair them with pieces I have to choose which one joins the collection.

There are as many different types of collectors as item to be collected, you just have to find what appeals to you the most.

 

[VIRIATO]

Viriato,yes i agree that life need all kinds of fun and enterteiment in all diferent wiews and we need to be open to new things,and be surrounded with interesting things not just toy soldiers off course but everything else too.
About the toy soldiers i was always wandering why no body made toy soldiers from the Portugal history.I read a lot about Portugal history and their brave seaman like Diaz,Magelan,Vasco Da Gama,Pedro Alvarez Cabral,....and their vojage to discover new lands,teritories,....i think it will be interested to see that kind of toy soldiers from that period.

There was a Portuguese firm called Viriatus (no relation with me at all) which used to sell quality castings of Portuguese historical figures. You can still find a few in UK or German modelling sites, but I believe the firm is now closed. Our market is small, so I guess that has to do with Portuguese themes not being done.

Regards,
Paulo

 

[kilted vampire]

I look for two things when collecting, historical interest and color!. Napoleonics came first. Then the Durbar periods. Also ACW. Then all hades broke loose and we were off to the races. It boils down to what appeals to me since I am the one that pays for them. Sometimes I see something that someone shares here and then God save me I like it!