octavedoctor
Private
- Joined
- Dec 6, 2009
- Messages
- 41
I simply adore the old Wm. Britains illustrated boxes and would cite Mr. Fred Whisstock as a quiet hero of mine. It would be nice to see a photograph of him one day. Having my collection housed in the correct boxes is important to me (I know it's not with all collectors) and I pick them up when I can if the soldiers don't come in a box.
Usually it's all within my chosen Britains collecting realm of pre-war full dress British line infantry, dragoons and lancers (I don't get on with Guards or Hussars that much), although I have on occasion been led astray into other Britains areas by a particularly attractive Whisstock box coming my way. Then the need to fill it with the appropriate contents arises, a need I don't seem to be able to ignore. I'm sitting here right now with a mildly bashed set No. 195, British Infantry (Active Service Equipment with Shrapnel proof helmets) box lid in front of me now, thinking, well I have a couple of those chaps, now to find another matching six! And I don't normally do Khaki!
As with most collectors who are interested in boxes I carry out the odd careful bit of restoration. Nothing that compromises the originality of a box, although I am working up to some full scale reconstruction jobs on a couple of boxes that came basically in kit form.
All of which preamble leads me to my request for any help and information from our ranks:-
In the past I have brought some of those red and deep red Britains size replica or reproduction boxes from dealers and would like to know who makes them, if anybody knows, as I need more, quite a lot more, and can't really afford to buy them from a third party.
Secondly, getting increasing esoteric, does anyone know of any supplier of the type of 'strawboard' (I believe it's called) that Britains used to make their boxes, or has this material gone the way of the Dodo. I'm just wondering how close I can get to originals making my own replicas.
The of course there's the red paper to cover the card, the types of various inserts...etc...
I'm sure this is a path that must have been trodden many times before and I just wondered if there is any knowledge out there to draw on of the possibility of achieving all this?
Is there a (polite) word for fixating on cardboard and paper?
Usually it's all within my chosen Britains collecting realm of pre-war full dress British line infantry, dragoons and lancers (I don't get on with Guards or Hussars that much), although I have on occasion been led astray into other Britains areas by a particularly attractive Whisstock box coming my way. Then the need to fill it with the appropriate contents arises, a need I don't seem to be able to ignore. I'm sitting here right now with a mildly bashed set No. 195, British Infantry (Active Service Equipment with Shrapnel proof helmets) box lid in front of me now, thinking, well I have a couple of those chaps, now to find another matching six! And I don't normally do Khaki!
As with most collectors who are interested in boxes I carry out the odd careful bit of restoration. Nothing that compromises the originality of a box, although I am working up to some full scale reconstruction jobs on a couple of boxes that came basically in kit form.
All of which preamble leads me to my request for any help and information from our ranks:-
In the past I have brought some of those red and deep red Britains size replica or reproduction boxes from dealers and would like to know who makes them, if anybody knows, as I need more, quite a lot more, and can't really afford to buy them from a third party.
Secondly, getting increasing esoteric, does anyone know of any supplier of the type of 'strawboard' (I believe it's called) that Britains used to make their boxes, or has this material gone the way of the Dodo. I'm just wondering how close I can get to originals making my own replicas.
The of course there's the red paper to cover the card, the types of various inserts...etc...
I'm sure this is a path that must have been trodden many times before and I just wondered if there is any knowledge out there to draw on of the possibility of achieving all this?
Is there a (polite) word for fixating on cardboard and paper?
