Mike Tarantino's Toy Soldier Collection (2 Viewers)

[Buster]

Incredible collection Mike, absolutely awe inspiring in variety and wonderfully displayed. Thanks for sharing with us.

{bravo}}

B.

 

[ucla1967]

Hi Mike, I would just like to add my Wow! to the list, a very nice collection you have there. :salute::

Jeff

Thank you Jeff, I am glad you like it.

 

[ucla1967]

Beautiful collection Mike :salute::, I think you'll guess my favourites {bravo}}

Cheers

Martyn

Thank you Martyn. I was thinking of you when I was taking photos of my Trophy displays. More to come.

 

[ucla1967]

Incredible collection Mike, absolutely awe inspiring in variety and wonderfully displayed. Thanks for sharing with us.

{bravo}}

B.

Thank you Buster. I appreciate your comments.

 

[ucla1967]

You may have noticed by now that I do mix different manufacturers figures in my displays. I am rather a purist on this point since I do not think, for example, that Trophy looks good with Frontline or visa versa. Each manufacturer has its own style, appearance, and charm.

Frontline Figures glossy Egypt & Sudan square with Gordon Highlanders and Yorks & Lancs. Matte British & French Napoleonic cavalry.

 

[lancer]

Good morning, Mike. What an absolutely beautiful and HUGE collection. Sure highlights the color, variety, and pure pizazz of the glossy figures. I am also most impressed by the Frontline figures, both glossy and matte. They display extremely well. Makes me very sorry that I missed out on the Frontline glossies. Wonderful all around. -- Al

 

[GICOP]

Thank you Martyn. I was thinking of you when I was taking photos of my Trophy displays. More to come.

I'm looking forward to them Mike {bravo}}

I love the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and Highland Light Infantry you have already shown us :salute::

Cheers

Martyn

 

[jazzeum]

I like those Frontline Glossy. Unfortunately, I didn't start to get interested in them until they were no longer being made and had become too expensive on the secondary market. As a result I have only one figure I rank them along with Trophy: great stuff.

 

[glossman]

Hi Mike,

I have thoroughly enjoyed viewing your excellent collection, especially the Trophy and Frontline gloss sets/figures. You have a grand collection of figures, so neatly displayed in nice curio cabinets. As about half your collection is on display and the other half stored, you must have rooms full of boxes.

It looks like you have all the Charge of the Light Brigade sets made by Frontline, namely the 11th Hussars, 17th Lancers and 13th Light Dragoons. I am not sure if Frontline made the 4th Light Dragoons and 8th Hussars, but I believe Trophy did some sets of the other regiments of the COLB.

Thanks, Raymond

 

[4th Hussar]

Wow !
Your collection is just awesome, especially the Frontline glossy{sm4}

 

[ucla1967]

You may have noticed by now that I do mix different manufacturers figures in my displays. I am rather a purist on this point since I do not think, for example, that Trophy looks good with Frontline or visa versa. Each manufacturer has its own style, appearance, and charm.

Frontline Figures glossy Egypt & Sudan square with Gordon Highlanders and Yorks & Lancs. Matte British & French Napoleonic cavalry.

I meant to say that I do NOT mix different manufacturers figures in my displays. The excuse I am using for the error is that it was 5:10 AM and that I wasn't fully awake at that hour, the alternative would be the vagaries old age.

 

[ucla1967]

Good morning, Mike. What an absolutely beautiful and HUGE collection. Sure highlights the color, variety, and pure pizazz of the glossy figures. I am also most impressed by the Frontline figures, both glossy and matte. They display extremely well. Makes me very sorry that I missed out on the Frontline glossies. Wonderful all around. -- Al

Thank you Al. Glossies rule. You can't really beat them for the color and charm they project. I have been a big fan of Frontline Figures since the beginning. I have never understood why them don't have the same cachet as some of the other "cult-like" manufacturers. For one thing, they make their sets available for years before retiring them. They are also reasonably priced for their quality and level of detail; for example, the matte Napoleonics sold for $108 for a six figure set, which is only $18 a figure. A real bargin in today's world. The new Seven Years War sets of four are $98 or less than $25 a figure.

 

[ucla1967]

I'm looking forward to them Mike {bravo}}

I love the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and Highland Light Infantry you have already shown us :salute::

Cheers

Martyn

Not many others out there would have picked up on the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and the Highland Light Infantry as being part of the square. They were not very common compared to some of the other regiments available for sale. I have more Highland regiments in my collection, but not displayed.

 

[ucla1967]

I like those Frontline Glossy. Unfortunately, I didn't start to get interested in them until they were no longer being made and had become too expensive on the secondary market. As a result I have only one figure I rank them along with Trophy: great stuff.

Luckily, I was buying Frontline's glossies back when they were all they made at the time. I believe I may have related the story to you that Gerard Prime and his late partner, Howard Swales, asked me if I thought they should start producing matte figures. I told them not to do it, which shows you how much I know about this little hobby we are a part of. I had previously purchased almost their entire glossy, Charge of the Light Brigade line from them at the previous West Coaster, which I suppose made me a customer whose opinion they valued. In the middle of the series, they came out with matte French Zouaves which had a different look and size to them compared to the earlier glossies. Although I bought the Zouaves anyway, they didn't go well with their earlier figures.

 

[ucla1967]

Hi Mike,

I have thoroughly enjoyed viewing your excellent collection, especially the Trophy and Frontline gloss sets/figures. You have a grand collection of figures, so neatly displayed in nice curio cabinets. As about half your collection is on display and the other half stored, you must have rooms full of boxes.

It looks like you have all the Charge of the Light Brigade sets made by Frontline, namely the 11th Hussars, 17th Lancers and 13th Light Dragoons. I am not sure if Frontline made the 4th Light Dragoons and 8th Hussars, but I believe Trophy did some sets of the other regiments of the COLB.

Thanks, Raymond

Hi Raymond,

Thank you for your kind comments. Yes, I have many sets in various linen closets, my closet, the garage, and assundry cabinets. For example, although I have about 250 Hiriart sets, I only have about 30 on display. I don't have any of Frontline's WWI or Seven Years War sets on display, either. Luckily, we live in a 3,000 square foot house with a three car garage.

If you look closely at my Frontline Charge of the Light Brigade display, you will see all five regiments there. They produced eight different sets of three of the regiments and six sets of the other two. I have at least six from each regiment on display, but it is hard to see the difference between the 4th and 13th Light Dragoons. You are correct that Trophy also did them. I had Trophy's three set series called "At the Guns" at one time, but subsequently sold them.

 

[ucla1967]

Wow !
Your collection is just awesome, especially the Frontline glossy{sm4}

Thank you for your kind comments. I am pleasantly surprised at the number of collectors who have liked Frontline glossies.

 

[ucla1967]

Frontline Napoleonic cavalry continuing. Trophy's Zulu War Battle of Ulundi. Dragon Armor 1/72 scale AFV and mahogany 1/32 scale P-40 Warhawk.

 

[GICOP]

Spotted two more there Mike, 60th Rifles and 91st Highlanders {bravo}}

Cheers

Martyn

 

[ucla1967]

Spotted two more there Mike, 60th Rifles and 91st Highlanders {bravo}}

Cheers

Martyn

Martyn,

I especially like the 60th Rifles. Those are the only two sets I have. Did Trophy make any others?

 

[ucla1967]

More Dragon 1/72 scale AFVs with 1/32 scale mahogany P-51 Mustang. Solido 1/50 scale AFVs. Forces of Valor 1/32 scale AFVs with Frontline's Montgomery and Churchill in front of the Matilda tank and tank riders on the King Tiger.