Magazine and Book Question (1 Viewer)

[snowyowl]

I found that my ereader allows me subscribe to Toy Soldier and Model Figure magazine. Has anyone on here got any experience with the magazine? Is it worth while subscribing to? I collect Britains and like make my own accessories as much as I can. I was surprised to see that James Opie's book Collecting Toy Soldiers in the the 21st Centuary is also available on ereader. Is that a book that I should have in my small reference library?

 

[snowyowl]

No replies to this so I went ahead and subscribed to the mag. and bought the book. I like the mag. I haven't got into the book yet. The book was only about $8 so not much to loose if it's a dud.

 

[theBaron]

I've subscribed to TS&MF since issue 2 (I missed issue 1 and have been after it ever since). I find it worthwhile, because I like to have hard copy of some things. I concede, though, that it's nearly impossible today to get brand-new content from a magazine, given the availability of info on the Internet.

As far as books go, where to begin? It all depends on what you collect and what you're interested in. When I look at my library, it includes:

Richard O'Brien's "Collecting Toy Soldiers", all 4 editions
John Garratt's "World Encyclopedia of Model Soldiers" (very useful for info on classic makers and makers up to around 1980)
Garratt's "Model Soldiers-A Collector's Guide" and "Collecting Model Soldiers" (also useful for classic makers)
Bertel Brunn's "Toy Soldiers-Identification and Price Guide" (useful for the early "modern" period, late 80s-early 90s)
Joe Wallis' "Regiments of All Nations" and "Armies of the World", (classic Britains)
Opie's "The Great Book of Britains" (classic Britains)
Norman Joplin's "Britains New Toy Soldiers" (for new Britains production)
Kurtz/Ehrlich's "The Art of the Toy Soldier"
Dr. Hans Henning Roer's "Old German Toy Soldiers" (good general book on German toy soldiers from the 1880s to the end of WWII)
Peter Greenhill, "Heraldic Miniature Knights"
Jackson, "Toy Soldiers" (featuring the old Forbes collection, of which Jackson was curator. Overview of the history of toy soldiers)

I've also got some older and new books on producing finished figures, from sculpting to painting. Some are compilations of info that was printed in magazines like "Military Modeler", others were put out by various makers and collectors in the 50s and 60s.

So, it all depends on what you're looking for. I also subscribe to Old Toy Soldier and Toy Soldier Collector, again, because I like to have the hard copy in addition to getting info online.

Hope that helps, prosit!
Brad

 

[snowyowl]

Thanks, Brad. Great information as usual. I don't have much of a library of TS books yet although I hope to expand it this winter starting with O'Brien's guide . I started the new Opie book last night and so far I'm not impressed. The book is 242 pages and I have reached page 31 and only now am I finished with the Introduction, Forward etc. Most of what I've read has been about James Opie's personal collecting history. Hopefully the book will get more relevant to what I want as I get further into it. The illustrations are interesting but unfortunately too small to see decently on my ereader but perhaps they are better in the paper version.

 

[Mirof]

You can see a presentaion of some of those books with description on my site ( from my own collection )
http://www.mirofsoft.com/books-livres/
Best

 

[theBaron]

I wonder whether Opie's "Collecting Toy Soldiers in the 21st Century" is just an update to an older book he wrote back in the day, which was, I think, "Collecting Toy Soldiers". It's a slim volume, if I remember, in smaller format, similar to other hobby books from the Sixties. I think I have it in my library, I'll have to have a look at it.

Prost!
Brad

 

[snowyowl]

The book has improved somewhat as I have got into it but really seems to be more of a history of TS and of Opie's own collection. I've found that I can use my reader to zoom most of the pictures although not all, so that has helped.