Mike Tarantino's Toy Soldier Collection (2 Viewers)

[ucla1967]

A few weeks ago, I received the two back ordered sets of John Jenkins Prussian Grenadiers from Treefrog and thus was able to complete my Battle of Leuthen diorama. Sets LEUT-06 Grenadiers Advancing No. 4 and LEUT-07 Prussian Grenadiers Advancing No. 5, each with two figures, have been incorporated into the diorama. It now occupies the top shelf of the bookcase; all the figures have been tacky waxed down and the diorama base is velcroed to the back of the bookcase.

 

[ucla1967]

Prior to the ongoing reorganization of my toy soldier room displays, I did not have any Hiriart bands on display. I was wondering where I could put them, when I realized that my small Ikea glass cabinet had one shelf with just three Frontline Figures Napoleonic and Crimean War artillery sets on display. I moved them to my large Frontline Figures curio's bottom shelf on the raised tier/step at the rear thereby freeing up the Ikea shelf for the bands. I was able to display six Hiriart bands with almost 120 figures on that fairly small shelf (about 15 x 11 inches). Ideally, they would look better with fewer bands on display and more space between the figures within the bands, but I am happy with them the way they are.

Four of the bands are non-catalog sets made to compliment existing nine figure catalog sets. The Bahamas Police and the Wehrmacht Bands are the two catalog sets among them. Five bands are marching while the Luftwaffe Band is standing. Each band has 19 or 20 figures. These first three photos are general overviews of the display. In the following post will be close-ups with descriptions.

 

[ucla1967]

Correction: There are actually four band catalog sets not two. I forgot that the Red Devils and the Chilean Air Force bands are catalog sets.


Photo one: Hiriart catalog set 1195 ALTE KAMERADEN which has 20 figures including a jingling johnnie.

Photo Two: Hiriart catalog set 1216 THE BAHAMAS POLICE BAND with 19 figures. Next to it is a non-catalog band with 19 figures based on catalog set 1154 DEUTSCHES INFANTERIE 1914.

Photo three: Hiriart catalog set 1021 THE RED DEVILS BAND with 20 figures including the pony. Next to it is Hiriart catalog set 1132 FORZA AERIA BAND CHILE which also has 20 figures including a jingling johnnie. This band differs from the others in that it is composed of five bugles, five drums, and five flutes plus three other instruments rather than the usual assortment of brass and wind instruments.

Photo four: From the previous post, shows the non-catalog band based on catalog set 1047 LUFTWAFFE at the rear of the display. It is formed in one line across the entire width of the shelf.

 

[ucla1967]

The correct name for set 1132 is FUERZA AEREA DE CHILE.

 

[ucla1967]

As I continue with my interminable reorganization of my toy soldier room, I have been able to display hundreds of figures that were not previously on display by changing the way they are displayed. For example, in my original Hiriart curio, I have changed some shelves to display the sets in one row while I have left others displayed as before with each set in several rows with the officer, flag bearer, and bugler in separate rows in front of the row of men. But in both cases, I have added a 3-inch high step/tier at the rear of the shelf which has enabled me to display more figures than before.

Photo 1: A general view of the top two shelves of my Hiriart curio showing, on the top shelf, the World War I Combatants display with each set (with one exception) in a single row and, on the second shelf, the World War II German Military display with each set taking up several rows.

Photos 2, 3 & 4: Showing the steps/tiers that I made for the rear of the shelves. These steps are 30" long x 3" high x 2 1/2" wide and are made from 2 1/2 x 1/2 inch wood trim stock from Home Depot. I cut two pieces to use as end supports that are 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 inches and glue and nail them to the 30 x 2 1/2 x 1/2 inch display board. I have a glass shop cut mirrors for me that are 30 x 3 inches which I glue to the front of the step.

Photo 5: I tried something new on the WII German shelf by adding a 30 x 1 x 1 inch square wood dowel which I tacky waxed in front of the step to provide room for a few more sets.

 

[ucla1967]

My World War I Combatants Hiriart curio display shelf has sets of Americans, Australians, Austro-Hungarians, British, French, Germans, Italians, Scotts, and Turks. On the main shelf there are 16 sets with space left for two additional sets of Belgian and Greek Infantry that I have on order. On the rear step are four additional sets which take up more room than the regular sets below them. When all is said and done, there will be 24 sets with 182 figures on display.

Photo 1: Sets 1154 Deutsches Infanterie 1914 with pickelhaube helmets, 1154 SPECIAL Deutsches Infanterie with early war uniforms and stahlhelms, 1154 SPECIAL Deutsches Infanterie with late war uniforms and stahlhelms, non-catalog Deutsches Alpen Korps with skis, and 1337 Garde Jager Bataillon.

Photo 2: Sets 1144 Infanterie de Ligne Francaise 1916, 1058 WWI Seaforth Highlanders 1914, 1255 Austrian Rifles 1914, non-catalog British Infantry 1915, and 1262 Esercito Italiano Fanteria 1915.

Photo 3: Sets 1305 SPECIAL U.S. Marine Corps Color Party 1917, 1253 Turkish Infantry 1915, 1183 ANZACs at Gallipoli 1915, and 1179 SPECIAL Italian Alpini with skis. NB: The Marine Corps Color Party set is in three rows.

Photo 4: Sets 1183 ANZACs and 1179 Alpini as above.

Photo 5: Sets 1187 WWI Gordon Highlanders 1915 and 1156 SPECIAL Chasseurs Alpins Francaise with Adrian helmets and blue trousers.

 

[ucla1967]

The Hiriart World War I Combatants display's rear step has four sets....

Photo 1: Set 1328 Austro-Hungarian Dragoons 1914.

Photo 2: Set 1265 WWI Austrian Mountain Artillery.

Photo 3: Set 1263 WWI Chasseurs Alpins Francaise Artillerie de Montagne.

Photo 4: Set 1330 WWI Turkish Lancers 1914.

 

[Artillery_crazy]

Hi Mike and Al,
I hear you.....although I do not collect Hiriart, I have a few Steadfast and Bastion sets....I focus mainly on Stadden, and need to say nice glossy sets .....they are few and far apart.....{sm3}{sm3}
Cheers
A_C

Thanks Al, they are nice for those of us who collect traditional 54mm glossy toy soldiers. Unfortunately, we are a minority both here on the Forum and in the toy soldier collecting world, in general. Except for the sets I bring to the West Coaster, I haven't seen them there in years. I am always on the lookout for them, especially the higher number A series sets.

 

[Artillery_crazy]

Hi Mike,
I liked the way you store your loose sets in the plastic containers so as to preserve the intergrity of the sets! What type of foam sheet you use? How do you get the sets to fit into the foams?
Cheers
A_C

I am in the process of reorganizing my toy soldier room. What a mess! I am making room for about 50 Hiriart sets that I haven't had the room to display before. Unfortunately, I had to pack up my Blenheim Military Models collection to make room for them. I guess I will sell them; it is kind of sad, I've had them for more than 20 years. In another curio, I packed up one shelf of Frontline Figures American Civil War sets to make room for the Frontline Figures WWII Americans and Germans display I had in my bookcase . The bookcase shelf now has my new John Jenkins Battle of Leuthen diorama on display. Confusing, isn't it?

 

[ucla1967]

Hi Mike,
I liked the way you store your loose sets in the plastic containers so as to preserve the intergrity of the sets! What type of foam sheet you use? How do you get the sets to fit into the foams?
Cheers
A_C

I bought a 4 x 7 foot piece of high density convoluted foam rubber (also known as egg crate foam rubber) from a store that I found after a google search that sells foam rubber and fabric for reupholstering furniture. I cut it to fit in the plastic storage containers whose sides are usually tapered with the bottom being smaller than the top. I prefer clear plastic containers so that you can see what is inside to a certain extent. You can place each individual figure in the "valley" formed by the space in between the "peaks" which protects them from the weight of the next sheet above them.

Mike

 

[Artillery_crazy]

Thanks a lot Mike for the great detailed info!
Cheers
Luiz

I bought a 4 x 7 foot piece of high density convoluted foam rubber (also known as egg crate foam rubber) from a store that I found after a google search that sells foam rubber and fabric for reupholstering furniture. I cut it to fit in the plastic storage containers whose sides are usually tapered with the bottom being smaller than the top. I prefer clear plastic containers so that you can see what is inside to a certain extent. You can place each individual figure in the "valley" formed by the space in between the "peaks" which protects them from the weight of the next sheet above them.

Mike

 

[ucla1967]

Thanks a lot Mike for the great detailed info!
Cheers
Luiz

You are very welcome Luiz. I hope it helped.

Mike

 

[ucla1967]

I have completed the reorganization of my Hiriart Italian Military display curio shelf. Hiriart has 22 Italian Military sets in its catalog covering the period from the late 19th century to World War II. In addition, there are four other Italian sets in the separate Spanish Civil War catalog which are unique to it. They are sets ES-14 Bandera de Flechas Verdes (the Green Arrows), ES-24 Camisas Negras XXIII de Marzo (the Black Shirt 23rd of March Division), ES-31 Bersaglieri Motorizados (motorcycles), and ES-40 Aviacion Legionaria Italiana.

Photo 1: An overall view of the Italian Military shelf with the sets now displayed in one row rather than several rows as before. I now have 17 sets with 131 figures displayed.

Photo 2: Sets 1197 SPECIAL WWII Bersaglieri, desert, 1179 WWI Alpini Mountain Infantry, 1291 Italian Ascari III Battaglione Eritreo, 1197 SPECIAL WWII Bersaglieri, and 1206 Italia Fara Da Se with a Mussolini personality figure.

Photo 3: Sets 1290 Ascari Sotto il Tricolore 1898, 1197 WWII Esercito Italiano Fanteria 1939, and 1198 Cacciatori D'Africa, Addis Ababa, 1936.

Photo 4: Sets 1088 Academia Militare di Modena and 1258 Divisione Folgore Paracadutiste.

Photo 5: Set 1193 Bersaglieri Light Infantry 1900. This is the only set that is displayed in more than one row; I ordered it with three extra men including two extra trumpeters.

 

[ucla1967]

Continuing on the main shelf...

Photo 1: Sets 1230 Cavalleria Coloniale 1891, 1227 Dragoni Italiano 1891, and 1228 Lancieri Italiano 1891.


On the three inch raised step at the back of the shelf...

Photo 2: Set 1247 Artiglieria A Cavallo Le Voloire, 1891. This is the first Hiriart artillery gun team that I have been able to display.

Photo 3: Set 1247 SPECIAL Artiglieria A Cavallo Le Voloire Escorts.

Photo 4: Set 1207 Ansaldo CV33 Tankette.

 

[Go for Broke]

That is one impressive display!

 

[ucla1967]

That is one impressive display!

Thank you, I am glad you like it. I know that I do.

 

[ucla1967]

Last week on eBay, I won six different auctions that had Frontline Figures or Tradition unboxed sets totaling 61 figures. There were four Frontline groupings from their glossy "1914 PARADE DRESS" series which was available about 20 years ago. In three of the four, they included a six man marching set plus a standard party set with four figures. The fourth just had eight men marching, but no color party

The first 1914 Parade Dress grouping is set PD2 Austrian Hoch und Deutschmeister Regiment with six men marching and set PDS2 Standard Party with four figures. I actually already have three other PD2 marching sets and the PDS2 color party set, so I will be able to display 24 men marching behind a four man color party. I am going to sell the extra unboxed Austrian color party.

The second 1914 Parade Dress grouping is set PD6 Russian Preobrashenski Regiment with six men marching and set PDS6 Standard Party with four figures. I already have a boxed color party set, so I will also be selling the extra unboxed Russian color party.

I was concerned after winning these sets that they didn't have their original boxes and foam rubber cutouts. I spoke to the seller asking if he would put soda straws over the rifles to help protect them, but he had already packed each grouping, in advance, without soda straws with each figure wrapped in bubble wrap. Well, as I knew would happen, about 20 of the figures arrived with bent rifles and paint chipped off at the bends. Fortunately, I had a can of Humbrol HF6 chocolate brown paint which was a perfect match to the original paint on the rifles and I was able to touch them all up.

 

[ucla1967]

The third Frontline Figures 1914 Parade Dress grouping is set PD5 German Grossherzolglich-Mecklenburg Regiment with six men marching and set PDS5 Standard Party with four figures. This time, I did not already have this color party.

The fourth 1914 Parade Dress grouping was eight men marching from set PD4 French Foreign Legion, but it did not include a color party. However, I already had set PDS4 Standard Party which I had bought directly from Frontline, as was the case with the other two color parties, at the West Coaster a few years ago. The rifles on these figures were the most damaged of the lot including one figure whose rifle was broken almost in two and it is held together by a thread.

You may have noticed how similar the glossy Frontline Figure sculpts and painting is to the early King & Country glossies.

 

[zblang]

I love the Frontline Russians -I have them as well. Congrats on the purchase

 

[Al Fisher]

Good hunting! I have most of the Frontline Parade series and must admit that they're some my favorites. Want to get a few more AH other ranks, but they're hard to find.

Bosun Al