Mike Tarantino's Toy Soldier Collection (6 Viewers)

[ucla1967]

Although I don't have a photo of my actual set, here is a stock photo of Hiriart set No. 1998 CACCIATORI D'AFRICA, ADDIS ABABA, 1936. Their name translates to "African hunters" and was the name of an Italian Infantry Division that fought in East Africa and later in North Africa. I have also ordered this set as special commission Blackshirts with a Legion banner bearer. A special commission 19-figure band is also available.

 

[jager7080]

Mike,

Excellent ! Looks really impressive...would love to see a better picture of that book case , I spotted tanks !! Thanks for sharing , love your collection...

Joe

 

[ucla1967]

Mike,

Excellent ! Looks really impressive...would love to see a better picture of that book case , I spotted tanks !! Thanks for sharing , love your collection...

Joe

Thank you Joe, I am glad you like it.

Here is a somewhat better view of the bookcase contents. I have 1/32nd scale Forces of Valor, 1/50th scale Solido, and 1/72nd scale Dragon Armor tanks in my collection. The WWII Warbirds are 1/32nd scale Philippine mahogany. The three Frontline WWII Germans in the first two photos don't go there; I was dusting the shelf above and forgot to put them back.

Mike

 

[ucla1967]

Forces of Valor AFVs with Frontline WWII figures.

 

[jager7080]

Forces of Valor AFVs with Frontline WWII figures.

Mike ,

Awesome ! Also really like your wooden aircraft...Love , the Me262...
Thanks for sharing the extra pic's...:salute::

Joe

 

[ucla1967]

Mike ,

Awesome ! Also really like your wooden aircraft...Love , the Me262...
Thanks for sharing the extra pic's...:salute::

Joe

You are welcome Joe. I bought most of the Philippine mahogany warbirds from Don Taylor, who I recently learned has passed away. He was a career U.S. Navy pilot and a fine gentleman. He had a table at the West Coaster selling these warbirds for many years until he suffered a stroke and couldn't continue to be a vendor. Rest-In-Peace Don.

Mike

 

[ucla1967]

Continuing with my Hiriart Italian sets, is a non-catalog version of set No. 1997 FANTERIA ESERCITO ITALIANO, 1039 which has been repainted as desert Bersaglieri in khaki uniforms. This is a stock photo; mine are still tied into their box.

 

[ucla1967]

This is Hiriart catalog set No. 1997 FANTERIA ESERCITO ITALIANO, 1939. Again, this is a stock photo not my actual set.

 

[ucla1967]

These are Forces of Valor 1/32 scale AFVs (American M4 Sherman and German Sturmgeschutz III) displayed in the bookcase with Frontline's World War II matte finished figures.

 

[ucla1967]

Continuing with Italian themed toy soldiers, this is a stock photo of Hiriart set No. 1207 ANSALDO CARROARMATO ITALIA. My version of the set has the tank crewman wearing the leather Italian tankers helmet, not the steel helmet in the photo. This is a two-man CV33 Italian tankett which was made by Ansaldo based on a British Carden-Lloyd design. CV is short for Carro Veloce which means fast armored vehicle. I am not aware of any other toy soldier manufacturer who has offered a CV33 in its line, so this is an unusual AFV. Hiriart has also made a desert version of this set.

 

[jager7080]

Continuing with Italian themed toy soldiers, this is a stock photo of Hiriart set No. 1207 ANSALDO CARROARMATO ITALIA. My version of the set has the tank crewman wearing the leather Italian tankers helmet, not the steel helmet in the photo. This is a two-man CV33 Italian tankett which was made by Ansaldo based on a British Carden-Lloyd design. CV is short for Carro Veloce which means fast armored vehicle. I am not aware of any other toy soldier manufacturer who has offered a CV33 in its line, so this is an unusual AFV. Hiriart has also made a desert version of this set.

Mike ,

Very nice...I have never seen anyone offer a CV 33 , a unique AFV for your collection...

Joe

 

[ucla1967]

This is a stock photo of Hiriart's desert version of set No. 1207 ANSALSO CARROARMATO ITALIA. I sold the desert version of this set at the last West Coaster Show since I have reordered it, but with the figures wearing the uniforms from set No. 1198 CACCIATORI D'AFRICA 1936 as shown in post number 821.

 

[ucla1967]

More Italian troops from Hiriart: this is a stock photo of set No. 1206 ITALIA FARA DA SE with a Mussolini personality figure. These are Fascisti Jiovanotti or Young Fascists. I am not sure what the set name means, but it could be something like "They do it themselves."

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi Mike,

The Italian sets are certainly fun! I really enjoy seeing the CV33 as well in glossy. The mix of war birds and and different scaled tanks is also an interesting approach. I have been trying to figure out how to collect tanks and put them on display for my own collection. While i would prefer a larger scale i am seriously leaning toward an approach like yours. Thanks for posting the photos of them. I also think the planes are fun but not for me.

Dave

 

[ucla1967]

Hi Mike,

The Italian sets are certainly fun! I really enjoy seeing the CV33 as well in glossy. The mix of war birds and and different scaled tanks is also an interesting approach. I have been trying to figure out how to collect tanks and put them on display for my own collection. While i would prefer a larger scale i am seriously leaning toward an approach like yours. Thanks for posting the photos of them. I also think the planes are fun but not for me.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Hiriart probably has more Italian sets---late 19th century, World War I, and World War II---than any other manufacturer that I am aware of, including pre-war WBritians. I believe that I have 18 or 19 sets in my collection so far, with three more on order.

I am displaying the mix of tanks and warbirds out of necessity. The 1/32nd scale warbirds are so large that I could only display two per shelf, so I mixed them in with the three different scale tanks, which I display by scale on different shelves. If I had more display room, I wouldn't mix them together like that. Although I love what Andy and others have done in the 1/30 scale AFVs, they are too large and expensive for me, so I don't collect them.

Mike

 

[ucla1967]

This is Hiriart set No. 1258 DIVISIONE PARACADUTTI FOLGORE or the "Thunderbolt" Parachute Infantry Division. This was one of the best Italian Divisions in World War II which was virtually destroyed at the Battle of El Alamein fighting against Montgomery's Eighth Army. Again, this is a stock photo; my set is still tied into its box.

 

[ucla1967]

These are photos of Hiriart set No. 1292 CAMELLATO SAHARIANO which I have in my collection. There are two other similar sets, Nos. 1293 and 1294 for the Cyrenaica and Tripolitania colonies (current day Libya) in 1928 that I don 't have.

 

[ucla1967]

Hiriart has a separate Spanish Civil War catalog comprising 40 sets. Five of those sets are Italian and four are not found in their regular catalog (set No. 1207 ANSALDO CARROARMATO is in both as set No. ES-32 CARROS LIGEROS). I have two of the four unique sets in my collection and have a third set on order. This is a stock photo of Hiriart set No. ES-14 GRUPO BANDERA DE FLECHAS VERDES or the Italian Green Arrows who fought in the Spanish Civil War with the Nationalists.

 

[ucla1967]

This is a stock photo of another Hiriart Italian Spanish Civil War set that I have in my collection: set No. ES-24 CAMISAS NEGRAS DE LA DIVISION XXIII DE MARZO or the XXIII of March Black Shirt Division. This division also fought later in North Africa against the British Eighth Army.

 

[ucla1967]

I have this Hiriart Spanish Civil War set on order: ES-40 AVIACION LEGIONARIA ITALIANA. I believe that the six smaller flags are from various Italian squadrons.