Mike Tarantino's Toy Soldier Collection (2 Viewers)

[ucla1967]

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

Hi Zach,

I remember when you got them at an OTSA auction and have subsequently seen them on display in your collection. Very impressive display, artfully done, as usual. Thanks, I was glad to find them.

Years ago, I had purchased directly from Frontline at the West Coaster and Chicago Shows larger groupings of their 1914 Parade Dress U.S Marines and Black Watch Highlanders which included the bands and color parties and came in big box sets with 21 or 22 figures designated as PDBS1 and PDBS12, respectively. To flesh out each display, one needed to also buy their officer and NCO, two man sets, and one or more of their basic six men marching sets.

Mike

 

[ucla1967]

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

Thanks Al. They were designated as an unknown maker by the eBay seller, but I instantly recognized what they were. You're right about them being hard to find these days, but good luck in your quest. Twenty years ago, you could buy a box of six men marching or the four man color parties for $78.


Mike

 

[lancer]

Great gets, Michael. Always had a soft spot for Frontline glossies although the only ones I still own are a grouping of the 11th Hussars. Love the Russians. -- Al

 

[ucla1967]

Great gets, Michael. Always had a soft spot for Frontline glossies although the only ones I still own are a grouping of the 11th Hussars. Love the Russians. -- Al

Thanks Al. I wish I had bought more of them when they were readily available and relatively inexpensive. Oh well, that's life in the toy soldier collecting hobby (or obsession rather than a hobby according to my wife, Jean). You and Zach seem to really like the Russians, but I am fond of the Austro-Hungarians, not only from Frontline, but also from Bastion Models, Trophy of Wales, and Doppel Adler Soldaten. Unfortunately, the last three named manufactures are no longer in business making it difficult to find their products anymore. Fortunately, I have been able to acquire at least a half dozen Austro-Hungarian sets from Hiriart who is still going strong.

Mike

 

[ucla1967]

The fifth grouping that I picked up last week was two unboxed sets, with 12 figures, of Tradition's set N2C FOOT ARTILLERY OF THE IMPERIAL GUARD each of which has six gunners.

 

[ucla1967]

The sixth and last grouping from eBay last week included 10 unboxed figures from two Tradition sets: Set no. 2 THE BUFFS (EAST KENT REGIMENT), 1890 which has an officer and five men and set no. 26 COLOURS AND ESCORT, THE BUFFS (EAST KENT REGIMENT), 1890 which should have had two flag bearers and three color sergeants, but was missing one flag bearer. In 1997, the list price on these sets was $74.00 each.

 

[ucla1967]

In the past several months, I have added 11 World War II mahogany warbirds to the 10 others I have had for years. The latest one, which I bought last week from Hayneedle, is a U.S. Navy Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat fighter in 1/32nd scale with a wing span of 16 inches and a length of 12 1/4 inches. The United States produced 12,275 of these naval fighters which replaced the less capable F4F Wildcats. The Hellcat destroyed 5,156 enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat which represented 75 percent of all Navy aerial kills during the war. Although it was not as maneuverable as the Japanese Zero, it was a very rugged design which could absorb a lot of battle damage, unlike the Zero. It achieved an amazing 19 to 1 kill ratio over its Japanese opponents.

 

[ucla1967]

Some close-ups.

 

[ucla1967]

In the process of reorganizing my collection and cleaning all the shelves and figures, I have removed the figures from the top shelf of one of my large curios where I have part of my Imperial Productions of New Zealand collection displayed. I have temporarily set them up in set numerical order as shown in the attached photo to establish spacing for the sets on the three-tier steps. Once the figures have been dusted and cleaned, I will tacky wax them in place. During the last, close by earthquake two years ago, virtually every Imperial figure was knocked down. I am fairly confident that the tacky wax will prevent that from happening again. The first 17 Imperial sets are displayed plus six single figure mounted sets. There are 111 figures in the photo.

 

[ucla1967]

Here are close-ups of the first five Imperial Productions sets:

Set No. 1. GIRL'S KHAKI BRIGADE (WELLINGTON AMAZONS) 1901.

Set No. 2. WAIKATO MILITIA, 1864.

Set No. 3. THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND INFANTRY REGIMENT, 1982

Set No. 4. DUNEDIN HIGHLAND RIFLE VOLUNTEERS, 1900.

Set No. 5. MAORI CONTINGENT, 1914.

The early Imperial set boxes, prior to Imperial Production's expansion beyond the New Zealand market, came with unique photo backdrops for each New Zealand unit. After expanding sales world wide, they changed the backdrop to a standard, non-photo design that they have used on all their sets since then. This makes the early sets with the photo backdrops particularly desirable to collect given their relative rarity. Set No. 2 WAIKATO MILITIA, 1864 is the rarest of these early sets. I have the production numbers for these early sets somewhere, if I can find them, I will post it here.

 

[ucla1967]

Here are close-ups of Imperial Productions sets number six through ten:

Set No. 6. AUCKLAND RIFLE VOLUNTEERS, 1871

Set No. 7 SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SCOTTISH INFANTRY, 1903

Set No. 8. EKETAHUNA MOUNTED RIFLES, 1907

Set No.9. 3RD BATTALION VICTORIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE, 1899

Set No. 10a SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SCOTTISH PIPES AND DRUMS, 1903


Set number 7, the South Australian Scottish is one of the first Imperial sets I purchased and it has always been a favorite of mine. Of course, since it is not a New Zealand unit, it does not have a box photo backdrop nor do sets number 9 10a, and 10b.

 

[ucla1967]

Here are close-ups of five more Imperial Productions sets in numeric order:

Set No. 10b SOUTH AUSTRALIAN SCOTTISH PIPES AND DRUMS, 1903

Set No. 11 CAPTAIN GILBERT MAIR AND THE NO. 1 ARAWA FLYING COLUMN

Set No. 12a THE BLACK WATCH "AT THE READY," 1895

Set No. 12b THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS "AT THE READY," 1895

Set No. 12c THE SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS "AT THE READY," 1895


Some comments on these sets: The two 10a and 10b sets of the South Australian Scottish Pipes and Drums in my photographs are not technically correct since I was putting them on the display tiers for spacing purposes only. Set 10a should be comprised of a Drum Major, 3 Pipers, Base Drummer, and Snare Drummer. Set 10b is comprised of 3 Pipers and 3 Snare Drummers. Interestingly, set No. 11 was skipped in the Imperial line for several years. Early on, I had always wondered what it was and never could find one since it had never been made. It was retroactively added maybe about the time when Imperial had completed its Zulu and Sudan ranges at set No. 60. This set also did not have the unit's date on the end box label unlike the other sets. It also differed in that it was not produced with a historic photo backdrop box like the other early New Zealand units were. The three No. 12 Scottish Highlander sets utilized the castings from set No. 4, the Dunedin Highland Volunteers.

 

[ucla1967]

Here are the photos that I forgot to attach to the previous post.

 

[ucla1967]

Here are three more Imperial Productions sets of Scottish Highlanders charging, all using the same castings and representing the same regiments as in the previous post where they were at the ready:

Set No. 13a THE BLACK WATCH CHARGING, 1895

Set No. 13b THE GORDON HIGHLANDERS CHARGING, 1895

Set No. 13c THE SEAFORTH HIGHLANDERS CHARGING, 1895

 

[ucla1967]

I don't know if you noticed this or not, but it appears to me that three different painters painted the three sets in the previous post. Compare the eyebrows, eyes, and moustaches which, which to my mind's eye, are all different. I prefer the first set, the Black Watch, to the other two.

 

[jazzeum]

Beautiful sets Mike. I like the first one as well because of the eyes.

 

[ucla1967]

This is a close-up of Imperial Productions set No. 14 THE 65TH REGIMENT OF FOOT, 1860 which was produced in 1983. This set is unusual because it was modeled exclusively for the 120th Anniversary of the Kirkcaldie & Sains department store in Wellington. It also had, unlike any other set, a larger silver foil label that was four inches wide of which three inches was on the top of the box's lid and one inch was folded over to cover the box lid's end. I'll photograph the lid so you can see what I mean and also the box's inside photo backdrop.

 

[Al Fisher]

Imperial certainly made some terrific figures. I've most of the Town and Around series but none of the figures you've been showing. There's something special about their painting that most other makers just haven't achieved.

Bosun Al

 

[ucla1967]

Imperial certainly made some terrific figures. I've most of the Town and Around series but none of the figures you've been showing. There's something special about their painting that most other makers just haven't achieved.

Bosun Al

Al,

They certainly did. Imperial and Trophy were sort of the gold standard for glossy painted 54mm toy soldiers back in the day before the arrival of matte painted 60mm from King & County and others. I didn't collect the Town and Around civilian figures although they are charming.

Mike

 

[ucla1967]

Here is the set No. 14 The 65TH REGIMENT OF FOOT's box photos with the special foil label and photo backdrop. Although the 65th (Yorkshire North Riding) Regiment was English, Imperial made this set with a photo backdrop. It is the only non-New Zealand unit that I am aware of where they did this. When the 65th Regiment returned to the United Kingdom, it was amalgamated with the 84th Regiment to form the York and Lancaster Regiment. Sadly, the York and Lancaster Regiment was disbanded as part of the so-called 1969 Army Reforms.