Mike Tarantino's Toy Soldier Collection (4 Viewers)

[ucla1967]

I haven't posted any new additions to my collection here for more than two months, but it isn't because I haven't added any new sets. On the contrary, I have in fact gone on a King & Country acquisition blitz going from not having any K&C Armored Fighting Vehicle sets to now having about 50 and counting. In the past, I had hesitated in starting to collect this line because I knew that it would be "Katie bar the door" if I started. The truth of the matter is that K&C has an amazing line of AFVs whose breadth and depth isn't matched by any other manufacturer---it isn't even close.

I have acquired these sets from a variety of sources including other collectors, on eBay, from dealers, and at auction. Here are some photos of the first group of K&C acquisitions.

 

[ucla1967]

These are photos of my second group of K&C acquisitions which also includes World War I armored vehicles from John Jenkins.

 

[ucla1967]

Second group of acquisitions continuing.

 

[ucla1967]

The second group of acquisitions also included my first purchases of sets made by FIRST LEGION. These are Legio X Equestris Caesarian Roman Legionaries.

 

[joesgis]

WOW Mike, that's quite a haul, congrats! From 0 to 50 K & C vehicles never happened so fast. Enjoy all those new treasures!

Joe

 

[Alexander the Great]

Great purchases and so good to be able to see a collector that can enjoy the hobby with no budget restrictions!!!

 

[ucla1967]

WOW Mike, that's quite a haul, congrats! From 0 to 50 K & C vehicles never happened so fast. Enjoy all those new treasures!

Joe

Thanks Joe. I don't know if 0 to 50 has or hasn't happened so fast before or not, but I am having a great time playing catch up.

Mike

 

[ucla1967]

Great purchases and so good to be able to see a collector that can enjoy the hobby with no budget restrictions!!!

Thank you. Although the stock market has been very good to me through the first half of this year, I do have budget constraints (mainly, my wife, Jean) and my having to pay, up front, a year's tuition for my 11-year-old granddaughter, Chloe, who I love dearly, to attend a private school in Orange County.

 

[ucla1967]

The second group of acquisitions also included K&C's FW series 1914 French Infantry, IF series Italian Askari, and miscellaneous single figures from the Battle of Tarawa. Also, some John Jenkins single figures from Gallipoli and World War I.

 

[ucla1967]

I also acquired a John Jenkins booster set of Portuguese infantry from the Peninsular Campaign with the ruined Spanish House backdrop and three World War I Knights of the skies airplanes with the British hanger.

 

[ucla1967]

Here is the third group of K&C World War II AFV acquisitions with a lone World War I British Mark IV Heavy Tank taking up the rear. There is also a John Jenkins Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf. A with crewman in the group.

 

[DMNamiot]

Love the WWI tank! Very cool to see your collection develop

Dave

 

[Alexander the Great]

Mike,

Apologies if an inappropriate question but what is the plan for your collection, is your son that you mentioned at the start of this thread (186 pages ago) interested in toy soldiers?
Or your granddaughter perhaps!

 

[lancer]

I also acquired a John Jenkins booster set of Portuguese infantry from the Peninsular Campaign with the ruined Spanish House backdrop and three World War I Knights of the skies airplanes with the British hanger.

Mike, congrats on getting the JJD aircraft, especially the Mannock SE-5 which is rather hard to find. John's SE-5 is a favorite of mine and is particularly well done. -- Al

 

[ucla1967]

Mike,

Apologies if an inappropriate question but what is the plan for your collection, is your son that you mentioned at the start of this thread (186 pages ago) interested in toy soldiers?
Or your granddaughter perhaps!

No apologies needed; it is a valid question. Unfortunately, neither of them has the slightest interest in toy soldiers. I am also a little bit in denial since I have a self image of myself as being 35-years-old when in fact I am more than twice that age. But in any case, I intend to enjoy them for as long as I can, irrespective of my age. My wife has said, only half jokingly, that she hopes she goes before I do because she doesn't want to deal with my collection. I told her that what ever she does "Don't throw the collection away!"

I probably will arrange for Ray Haradin at Old Toy Soldier Auctions to sell it when the time comes. In the near future, I plan to talk with Bob Phillips and/or Scott Morlan, both of whom work with Ray, to see how to proceed. As you might know, Ed Ruby passed away last month at the age of 94. Even though he sold off his massive Britains collection years ago, he still has a fairly large collection that he left behind. Neither of his two surviving sons or grandchildren have any interest in it. Ed's sister has asked Bob W. to inventory what's left for her. Bob has asked me to help because we complement each other in that our knowledge of various manufacturers differs so greatly. I am kind of looking forward to it in a way.

 

[ucla1967]

This is the fourth group of acquisitions

 

[ucla1967]

Mike, congrats on getting the JJD aircraft, especially the Mannock SE-5 which is rather hard to find. John's SE-5 is a favorite of mine and is particularly well done. -- Al

Thanks Al. It is a great looking model. I suspect that you may have also liked the K&C 1914 French Infantry wearing our favorite red and blue uniforms that I posted earlier. I find them hard to resist.

 

[ucla1967]

This is the fifth group of acquisitions with seven K&C AFVs, all of which I got on eBay as Buy-It-Now listings from a Canadian seller. I picked up one more set from him yesterday: WS219 PzKpfw. IV H.

 

[ucla1967]

No apologies needed; it is a valid question. Unfortunately, neither of them has the slightest interest in toy soldiers. I am also a little bit in denial since I have a self image of myself as being 35-years-old when in fact I am more than twice that age. But in any case, I intend to enjoy them for as long as I can, irrespective of my age. My wife has said, only half jokingly, that she hopes she goes before I do because she doesn't want to deal with my collection. I told her that what ever she does "Don't throw the collection away!"

I probably will arrange for Ray Haradin at Old Toy Soldier Auctions to sell it when the time comes. In the near future, I plan to talk with Bob Phillips and/or Scott Morlan, both of whom work with Ray, to see how to proceed. As you might know, Ed Ruby passed away last month at the age of 94. Even though he sold off his massive Britains collection years ago, he still has a fairly large collection that he left behind. Neither of his two surviving sons or grandchildren have any interest in it. Ed's sister has asked Bob W. to inventory what's left for her. Bob has asked me to help because we complement each other in that our knowledge of various manufacturers differs so greatly. I am kind of looking forward to it in a way.

It was actually Ed's daughter, not his sister.

 

[ucla1967]

This is my sixth group of acquisitions. You probably didn't notice, but somehow I wound up acquiring two sets of DD224, the U.S M3A3 Stuart Tank.