Napoleonics collectors; how did you get started/what attracted you to the period? (1 Viewer)

[Johnboy]

Mine is held together with sticky tape and the edges of the pages or brown, from thumbing through while working on figures!

Martin

Hi,
Yes me too! My copy is in poor shape (had it since my teens) it is a wonderful visual book, but the text is a bit dodgy as the French could do no wrong and were obviously going to win the battle until about the last page when they...er..em..didn't!
Like most Treefroggers, I cut my teeth on Airfix plastics/herald/and timpo. Years later, on a visit to London I found Tradition in Shepherd's market, there were 3 shops, 1 was militaria and the other 2 were toy soldiers/models. In those days (early 70's) they provided a hand made 54mm service. You said what you wanted and they made it It came unpainted but primed. You could have them painted, but that was a bit rich for my blood (at that time)This is how I amassed my Napoleonic armies over the years. I managed to eventually get them all painted, but as my eyesight became a bit worse I then began collecting matt painted Britain's etc. I have found this to be a rewarding hobby over the years.

 

[MapleLeaf]

The colorful french uniforms and diversity of it
Also help that on my mother's side there from Normandi
Napoleonic period is very popular period with toy soldiers

 

[blaster]

That's awesome; I bought it from Squadron mail order out of Texas, USA when I was 12. Back in those days, when you ordered from them, you filled out the return label in your own handwriting. When the postman rang the doorbell to my childhood home and I opened it, I recognized my handwriting on the Squadron label on the box and knew instantly what it was (and as anyone who's seen my handwriting will tell you, it's a miracle that box found it's way to me)..............

I was over the moon as I thumbed through the book; the plates in the middle depicting the Waterloo panorama put me over the edge, just spectacular.

Still have the original copy, it's in my top five favorite volumes on the Napoleonic War.....................

I bought my Funcken books from a Russian cooperative bookstore which was setup in Singapore to promote Russian books, souvenirs and literature. Among all the dreary heavy books and tomes on Marxism, Lenin, Tolstoy, General Zhukov, etc were two copies of the Funcken books!!!

 

[bromhead]

all the usual reasons plus the inspiration of the Russians,,

 

[Norman508a]

It was the terrific Airfix box artwork that really attracted me. Then my dad bought me two copies of the Funckens' Uniforms of the Napoleonic Wars and I was hooked. Rgds Victor

Just like Blaster it was the art work on the box's, i remember standing at the toyshop trying to decide which one i wanted and it was always the art that helped with the decision. {sm4}

On a side note remember when toy shops were owned by people, not corporations.

 

[Oberstinhaber]

Hi Brett,

Are you referring to the beautiful postcards by "Wolfgang Tritt"?

Happy Collecting,

Oberstinhaber

 

[Fitzgibbon]

I got started on Napoleonics through wargaming. While on a country posting and casting around for something to occupy my spare time, I contacted a local club who were gaming Napoleonics without a French player or a French army (most strange to see Brits fighting Brits) so I agreed to fill the gap. I got immersed in the history and colourful uniforms and took to painting in batches to build my army from Hinchliffe 25 mm figures. I have the Funcken books and a lot of colour plate references. The books and the paints make up more than half of the warmer's expenditure. Having previously been a modeller of airplanes and AFV's, I also hunted for kits in larger scale. My first was the 1/12 Airfix Imperial Guardsman. I have a modest collection of hand (my hand) painted large scale figures, but my wargaming experience pulls me to the massed colour of the Napoleonic battlefield and I tend to collect 60mm figures like a Wargamer. I needed to have a square and I needed a column, and I really adored the new sets Andy did of the Guard's final act at Waterloo. If there was to be cavalry charging, then there needed to be a lot of cavalry to be a believable threat.
I have enjoyed immensely the involvement with the Brisbane Collectors group and the construction of large scale dioramas, particularly the set we did for the Waterloo Bicentenary. The next I would like to do is an earlier battle such as Austerlitz or Aspern/Essling. I think the role of the Danube in the second of these lends itself to some unique dioramas. As at my start point, there are still some gaps in the figure availability. This game is not over... {sm4}

 

[kilted vampire]

I ran into the Halls 14 years ago before they had their first shop. I bought a Piper from the K&C Napoleonic line. One thing led to another as they say. Toy Soldiers are like potato chips (crisps to you lot on the other side of the pond) you can't stop at one.:salute::

 

[The Military Workshop]

Hi Brett,

Are you referring to the beautiful postcards by "Wolfgang Tritt"?

Happy Collecting,

Oberstinhaber

Bob,
Yes that is the artist. I just Google imaged him and there they are in all their glory. Had the 144 postcards plus calenders but got lost in all our country and house moves.

 

[Jack]

Airfix 1/32nd scale Imperial Guard as a gift from my parents when I was 11 or so. When I started collecting I went straight for K&C's Imperial Guard. My brother got the Black Watch but he never caught the bug. In our eyes it was as though the Napoleonic Wars were fought only between the Scots and the French!