Mike Tarantino's Toy Soldier Collection (7 Viewers)

[johnnybach]

Well - they tick all the boxes for me Mike - so I've ticked most of yours! Thanks for showing them - no wonder we get on so well! johnnybach

 

[glossman]

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.

Hi Mike,

You are absolutely right. I should have had a much closer look at your Charge of the Light Brigade figures by Frontline. This is the first time I have seen photographs of all the 5 regiments by Frontline together in one display. It is quite a challenge identifying the 5 regiments that participated in the charge, but here is my attempt.

(1) The 17th Lancers are the easiest to identify by virtue of the troopers' with lances.

(2) The 11th Hussars wear scarlet red trousers. The 8th Hussars look very similar in terms of headgear, but have dark blue trousers.

(3) The 13th Light Dragoons have yellow stripes on their headgear and uniform. The 4th Light Dragoons again have similar headgear, but are distinguished by gold stripes on their headgear and uniform.

I think "Uniforms of the Light Brigade" by John and Boris Mollo is a good reference, but I have yet to get a copy. If I have made any errors in identifying, please do not hesitate to indicate so.

Thanks, Raymond

 

[GICOP]

Martyn,

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

Hi Mike

I have an old catalogue that officially lists EQ30/Z - M.A.S.H. SET as being available as 60th along with EQ44/Z - GATLING GUN SET, but knowing Len he would have painted any set as 60th.....I have the sets to prove that:wink2:

Cheers

Martyn

 

[ucla1967]

Well - they tick all the boxes for me Mike - so I've ticked most of yours! Thanks for showing them - no wonder we get on so well! johnnybach

Thanks JB for ticking off the boxes. It is my pleasure to share my collection with you and others here on the Forum. I am glad you like it.

 

[jazzeum]

Mike,

This may strange sound coming from a person who got his start in the hobby in World War II but the WW II items you have pale in comparison to the Trophy, Frontline, Imperial and so forth.

I remember you had some K & C planes, two of which you sold (one to me :smile2. Did you have any others or was that it.

Love your collection. Hope to see it in person one of these days.

Brad

 

[ucla1967]

Hi Mike,

You are absolutely right. I should have had a much closer look at your Charge of the Light Brigade figures by Frontline. This is the first time I have seen photographs of all the 5 regiments by Frontline together in one display. It is quite a challenge identifying the 5 regiments that participated in the charge, but here is my attempt.

(1) The 17th Lancers are the easiest to identify by virtue of the troopers' with lances.

(2) The 11th Hussars wear scarlet red trousers. The 8th Hussars look very similar in terms of headgear, but have dark blue trousers.

(3) The 13th Light Dragoons have yellow stripes on their headgear and uniform. The 4th Light Dragoons again have similar headgear, but are distinguished by gold stripes on their headgear and uniform.

I think "Uniforms of the Light Brigade" by John and Boris Mollo is a good reference, but I have yet to get a copy. If I have made any errors in identifying, please do not hesitate to indicate so.

Thanks, Raymond

Hi Raymond,

Your right on regarding the uniforms. My favorites are the 17th Lancers and the 11th Hussars. I don't know if you found the Lord Cardigan and Captain Nolan personality figures in the display or not, but they are there, too.

I wonder if any other Forum members have, or know of anyone who has, the Charge of the Light Brigade with all five regiments and the Russian guns. Bill Connolly's The Toy Soldier Exchange in Pasadena (long closed) had on a consignment sale, the Charge of the Light Brigade by All the Queen's Men. I didn't buy it because the selling collector had thrown away the boxes, but it was quite extensive, as I recall.

 

[ucla1967]

Hi Mike

I have an old catalogue that officially lists EQ30/Z - M.A.S.H. SET as being available as 60th along with EQ44/Z - GATLING GUN SET, but knowing Len he would have painted any set as 60th.....I have the sets to prove that:wink2:

Cheers

Martyn

Thanks for the information, Martyn. I know that I really hadn't seen any others before. Actually, I can't remember what the set numbers are for the two sets I have on display.

 

[ucla1967]

Mike,

This may strange sound coming from a person who got his start in the hobby in World War II but the WW II items you have pale in comparison to the Trophy, Frontline, Imperial and so forth.

I remember you had some K & C planes, two of which you sold (one to me :smile2. Did you have any others or was that it.

Love your collection. Hope to see it in person one of these days.

Brad

Hi Brad,

Although I love WWII too, I would have to agree with you that the others in my collection do pale in comparison. However, I must give Andy Nielson a lot of credit for the direction he has taken the hobby. His WWII output is remarkable in its breadth and depth. However, I just have a few K&C Battle of the Bulge sets. My collection lends itself to being displayed on glass shelves while the dynamic WWII figures produced by K&C, Collectors Showcase, First Legion, Thomas Gunn, and others almost demand that they be displayed in dioramas which take up a lot of room.

Actually, I did have four of the original K&C warbirds at one time. I sold three of them, including the ME-109 to you, but did not sell the K&C Spitfire because it had a wing which had separated from the fusilage.

As I have said in the past, you have an open invitation to see it anytime you are in the area.

 

[GICOP]

Thanks for the information, Martyn. I know that I really hadn't seen any others before. Actually, I can't remember what the set numbers are for the two sets I have on display.

Hi Mike

Here are some set numbers for you, they represent single figures not sets of 6 figures

The 60th Rifles are Z.8/V – Standing firing and FSO.18/V – Advancing

and

The 91st Highlanders are Z.29 – Standing at the ready and Z.30 – Kneeling at the ready

Cheers

Martyn

 

[ucla1967]

Hi Mike

Here are some set numbers for you, they represent single figures not sets of 6 figures

The 60th Rifles are Z.8/V – Standing firing and FSO.18/V – Advancing

and

The 91st Highlanders are Z.29 – Standing at the ready and Z.30 – Kneeling at the ready

Cheers

Martyn

Hi Martyn,

Thank you for the information; I knew that if anyone had this information, it would be you. I had bought the 60th Rifles and 91st Highlanders withouth boxes at auction and/or on eBay and therefore wasn't aware that they had been sold originally as single figures.

Best regards,

 

[ucla1967]

More 1/32 scale mahogany warbirds: Japanese Zero, German ME-262 Swallow, P-40 Flying Tigers Warhawk, F4U Corsair, Locheed P-38 Ligtning, and Naval Mosquito.

 

[ucla1967]

The first photo is part of my 30mm SAE (South African Engineers) collection from the 1950s. I was buying six figure sets in green open faced boxes for 50 cents at a toy store in Walla Walla (don't you just love that name?), Washington. Some of the figures in the case are later purchases, but the WWII Australians, WWII Germans, the French Moroccans, and the American Revolutionary War sets were all bought in about 1954. There is another case just like this one which fell off the wall and smashed many of the figures inside. This happened a couple of years ago, but I have not had the heart to look at them fearing what I would find, since I had bought many of them so long ago in my childhood.


Imperial Productions Heirloom set No. 1 Cameron Highlanders and various sets of Boer War Black Watch. The later were the first Imperial sets I bought---ironically at a gun show. That started me on my quest to collect Imperial. I also have, but not displayed, the rare Heirloom sets Nos. 1 & 2, which were painted as Gordon Highlanders. I believe only ten sets of each were ever made.

A couple of close-ups from my Fronline Napoleonic Waterloo display.

Conte's Romans in an IKEA display case.

 

[glossman]

Hi Raymond,

Your right on regarding the uniforms. My favorites are the 17th Lancers and the 11th Hussars. I don't know if you found the Lord Cardigan and Captain Nolan personality figures in the display or not, but they are there, too.

I wonder if any other Forum members have, or know of anyone who has, the Charge of the Light Brigade with all five regiments and the Russian guns. Bill Connolly's The Toy Soldier Exchange in Pasadena (long closed) had on a consignment sale, the Charge of the Light Brigade by All the Queen's Men. I didn't buy it because the selling collector had thrown away the boxes, but it was quite extensive, as I recall.

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the confirmation on the uniforms of the 5 Light Brigade regiments. I believe Captain Nolan is to the right of Lord Cardigan in the second photograph. Captain Nolan was A.D.C. to one of the British Generals and his regiment was the 15th Hussars with a distinctive head-dress, somewhat different from that of the 11th and 8th Hussars.

Cheers, Raymond

 

[GICOP]

Imperial Productions Heirloom set No. 1 Cameron Highlanders and various sets of Boer War Black Watch. The later were the first Imperial sets I bought---ironically at a gun show. That started me on my quest to collect Imperial. I also have, but not displayed, the rare Heirloom sets Nos. 1 & 2, which were painted as Gordon Highlanders. I believe only ten sets of each were ever made.

Lovely sets Mike {bravo}}{bravo}}{bravo}}

Cheers

Martyn

 

[ucla1967]

Conte's The First at Manassas ACW vignette. Edmund's Traditional Toy Soldiers ACW. Tradition Elephant baterry, mountain artillery, and Italian Bersaglieri. Frontline WWII Germans and U.S. 29th Infantry Division with Forces of Valor sturmgeschutz and Sherman.

 

[ucla1967]

Some of my earlier photos were a little out of focus. Here are some redos.

 

[ucla1967]

Frontline Napoleonics---other European Nations.

 

[ucla1967]

Martin Ritche WWI U.S. 165th Infantry Regt and WWII U.S. 3rd Infantry Division. Alymer American Revolutionary War.

 

[ucla1967]

Frontline French & Indian War, medieval, special forces, and artillery.

 

[ucla1967]

Frontline glossy 1914 parade U.S. Marines and Black Watch Highlanders.