Purchasing "job-Lots" (1 Viewer)

[johnnybach]

You may recall from a while-back, that I was repairing a batch of Timpo and Charbens WW2 guys, who had obtained a bit of damage during their combat time with previous owners.

Well, in between other projects, I have been doing bits and pieces to them - and have now completed a few of them. Here's a pic attached which shows at least a few of them -- back in action ( though a couple of them seem more interested in a hot cup of joe and a sandwich). More to come later

The three to the left are Timpo - and the GI at the rear of these three is a mortar loader, who has just dropped his bomb down the tube - though here he looks like he's telling the other two, who are grabbing a bite to eat - to get on with it - as they appear to have some incoming elsewhere. The two radio-telephone guys and the GI between them with rifle at the shoulder are from Charbens - whilst the GI on bazooka is from Timpo. All were found damaged originally, and have been repaired by Doc JB - and will soon be discharged back to their outfit.

I have so many of these now - I think that when my latest 16 figures have been completed - it might be time for another large pic of my total collection of these great older figures will be due. :salute:: jb

 

[johnnybach]

I have added in four newly completed figures to my previous pic. These four new GI's are in the prone position. The three in the foreground are lying firing - and are from Charbens, whilst the one crawling forward is from Timpo.

One of the most common breakages with such figures is that the thin parts can be prone to damage - and so it was with these figures. The rifle part from the hand onward had been broken off in all cases when found. To repair them, just find a suitable rifle end from a casting provider, ( my parts came from Dorset Model Soldiers), cut and file to fit - and then drill into the hand - and the newly cut rifle end - and pin them together with a piece of cut pin ( I use paper-clips, cut to fit), and glue them together.

Once repainted - you would never know they had ever been broken. jb

 

[johnnybach]

I have now completed all of my repaired Timpo/ Charbens GI's - for them to help me celebrate Xmas !

Here's a pic below - with the latest additions: they are - a wounded Charbens GI with an arm in a sling, two black Timpo GI's - standing firing and carrying rifle at shoulder - and another Timpo GI with rifle, standing at ease. Note that my standing GI's have a white guy stood next to them - to show the difference.

Have a good Xmas everyone - he's coming tonight - so be good and sleep tight. johnnybach:salute::

 

[Markster]

As my originally posted thread seems to have vanished - let's try again.

Below see my recent e-bay "Job-Lots" of varied mounted and/or horses. I like to bid on such lots - as they give the winner a varied number of (mostly) damaged figures, which can be repaired and/or restored - either back to how they were when new - or even converted to something different.

There's also the excitement of receiving and opening up the package - to see precisely, just what you have. The pictures and write up of the lot, are frequently imprecise - and once the items are "cleaned up" - they often reveal the true nature and origins of the various pieces.

Here's a pic of my latest 5 lots ( all from the same seller - who broke up the 28 figures into smaller lots - but I was successful in buying all 28).




I'm currently cleaning off the old paint and grunge - which often exposes manufacturer details - and then repairing any damage found. So instead of attempting identification right now - I'll try and identify each figure as it has been repaired ( and befor any painting has been undertaken). I've made a good start - so will post more pics later. jb

Nice Lot ! Lot of potential !

 

[johnnybach]

Nice Lot ! Lot of potential !

Yes - that was a good find - which was actually 5 lots from the same vendor. It's going back a while though - as Photobucket seem to have restored lots of old pics to the thread.

I have restored and/or converted many of them by now - so if you look back far enough in the thread, you may be able to ID some of them when fixed up.

Occasionally some are so far gone - they become "donor figures" ( i.e., some just provide parts for future restorations), but I think that many, if not most of these were in such good nick - though occasionally missing parts - that they were all eventually restored. Parts can be found quite easily from many UK parts suppliers - such as Dorset Model Soldiers. Some of the unmounted horses are still in my stash though, awaiting mostly cowboy riders to turn up.

All good fun though - and usually very reasonably priced when found for restoration. jb

 

[johnnybach]

Here are a couple of pics of a figure that I must have repainted a couple of years ago. He's a Pixieland-Kew Gardener figure which dates from the 1920's. As you can see, he is now pushing a lawnmower - which I recently found as a new spare part from Dorset Model Soldiers, and is a recast of the old Britains mower.

Research shows that my PK figure was originally pushing a Roller. There is a similar PK figure who pushes a Lawnmower - but he wears a floppy hat.

So...........wrong PK figure pushing a Britains mower. However, it's a start - and he doesn't look half bad when both parts are put back together - eh? jb

 

[bromhead]

Here are a couple of pics of a figure that I must have repainted a couple of years ago. He's a Pixieland-Kew Gardener figure which dates from the 1920's. As you can see, he is now pushing a lawnmower - which I recently found as a new spare part from Dorset Model Soldiers, and is a recast of the old Britains mower.

Research shows that my PK figure was originally pushing a Roller. There is a similar PK figure who pushes a Lawnmower - but he wears a floppy hat.

So...........wrong PK figure pushing a Britains mower. However, it's a start - and he doesn't look half bad when both parts are put back together - eh? jb

View attachment 242603View attachment 242604

Charming figure well done,,

 

[theBaron]

Now you need to add a figure of his good lady wife bringing him a bottle of porter to refresh himself after a warm afternoon's mowing

Prost!
Brad

 

[johnnybach]

Now you need to add a figure of his good lady wife bringing him a bottle of porter to refresh himself after a warm afternoon's mowing

Prost!
Brad

I do have a "Farmer's Wife" figure Brad - which I dug out - but she has the bottle of ale hidden in her basket under her arm. And, in view of all of the rest of the gang who seem to be watching just what's going on - she has decided to keep it there for now. Poor old Dai' he must be dying for a sip or two!

Note that all of these figures are old British hollowcasts, of various manufacture, that have been rescued, repaired, sometimes modified and repainted in some way. Great fun to do - and get some lovely old figures - with some, often approaching 100 years old. jb

 

[theBaron]

I have a couple examples of the farmer's wife in the middle of your photo, too. I think she had an umbrella in her right hand, in some versions. I picked them up, because I think she can double as a good Bauernfrau, too. I've got some French and Alsatian peasant ladies in the stash, too. I have gotten around to painting any of them yet; they're awaiting a time when I get around to those displays.

I've also just picked up a pair of priest figures, solid-cast copies of Britains or Johilco figures, I believe. I haven't yet gone back through my references to match them up with anything. I think they were part of a wedding group-the priest is holding a Bible or prayer book in his left hand, and that is cast integrally with his torso. His right hand is raised in blessing. And he wears an alb and a stole. The paint job was pretty bad, but a bath in SuperClean revealed some nicely sculpted detail-typical, as we have seen, of old Britains and some other hollowcast makers, nice detail often obscured by thick enamels. At least one of them will join my Alpine collection as Pater Benno. Those, I may paint next, because they were a cool find.

I am behind on taking pictures of my latest finished figures, too.

Prost!
Brad

 

[johnnybach]

I think I know the set and figure that you mention Brad - and it was by Johillco. Is this the one?

( not mine - unfortunately - still looking for these )

.

I have a Britains version of a Man of the Cloth - whom I like to think of as a Welsh Baptist Minister. Found without an arm holding the Good Book, originally - I obtained a new arm from Dorset Model Soldiers - and after a few licks of paint - he was good as new once again. I call him Gwynn - which can also mean "Fair or Holy" in old Welsh. jb

 

[theBaron]

I think I know the set and figure that you mention Brad - and it was by Johillco. Is this the one?

( not mine - unfortunately - still looking for these )

View attachment 242965

Yep, that's the one! I had a look in O'Brien in the meantime, and found Johilco's own designation for him, The Village Parson.

Reading that chapter reminded me of an American dealer, Ken Wittenrich, who was trading back in the 90s as West Falls Toy Soldiers, out of West Falls, NY. He sold solid castings of Johilco figures, using original molds. I wonder if mine come from his hand. In any case, the casting has relatively crisp detail.

Looking at that chapter also makes me realize that a lot of the toy soldiers I say on eBay at any given time are Johilco figures.

Prost!
Brad

 

[johnnybach]

Yep, that's the one! I had a look in O'Brien in the meantime, and found Johilco's own designation for him, The Village Parson.

Reading that chapter reminded me of an American dealer, Ken Wittenrich, who was trading back in the 90s as West Falls Toy Soldiers, out of West Falls, NY. He sold solid castings of Johilco figures, using original molds. I wonder if mine come from his hand. In any case, the casting has relatively crisp detail.

Looking at that chapter also makes me realize that a lot of the toy soldiers I say on eBay at any given time are Johilco figures.

Prost!
Brad

Well Brad, considering that they were in the Toy Soldier business for virtually as long as Britains was - it's hardly surprising that of the millions produced between 1898 and the early 1960's, there are plenty still about - and also (for me), there are plenty in need of a little TLC.

Nice to know someone is still knocking out a few castings over there too. I hope to be getting a few JoHillco Pirates castings in the post soon too Brad - just for a bit of fun. jb

 

[Ivanhoe]

I have a Britains version of a Man of the Cloth - whom I like to think of as a Welsh Baptist Minister. Found without an arm holding the Good Book, originally - I obtained a new arm from Dorset Model Soldiers - and after a few licks of paint - he was good as new once again. I call him Gwynn - which can also mean "Fair or Holy" in old Welsh. jb

View attachment 242966

jb;

"Gwynn"...Always learn something from reading and viewing your posts !

Thank you.

 

[theBaron]

Well Brad, considering that they were in the Toy Soldier business for virtually as long as Britains was - it's hardly surprising that of the millions produced between 1898 and the early 1960's, there are plenty still about...

Yes, O'Brien writes about John Hill & Co, that they were comparable to the American dimestore producer Manoil, in that their figures might not have been as elegant as other makers, but they were dynamic, with more individuality to each figure. I think that's an apt observation about them.

I look forward to seeing those pirates!

Prost!
Brad

 

[johnnybach]

Well Brad - the original boxed set looked something like this;

Found a pic online - with no info - so thanks to whoever posted these.:salute::



I'll be getting some recasts of some of these figures - and a few others that have been made to look very similar, from my friend Andrew at replicametalsoldiers. They should be in the post about now - so keep eyes open for some painting of them, hopefully soon. jb

 

[johnnybach]

You may recall a while back, that I repaired/restored three Britains "Officers of the General Staff" - which I purchased from e-bay sources. You may also remember that I was missing the "General" from that set (201) - and was still looking for him to complete the set.

Well..........I was discussing this with my good friend and owner of Replica Model Soldiers latterly, Andrew Stevenson - who mentioned that he may be able to help me out - as he thought that he had a mould for that figure.

And............in due course, He found it, cast me one up - and sent it to me "as a gift".

What a nice guy - thanks Andrew.

So..............here he is - along with the other three members of the set. Of course, it isn't really the set - as one is a new casting and can easily be told apart because he is heaavier than the real hollowcasts - but raises the interesting idea that UNTIL the real thing comes along, maybe a casting version might help fill out some empty spaces in the cabinet????

 

[DMNamiot]

Very nice! Like the details a lot

Dave

 

[johnnybach]

Very nice! Like the details a lot

Dave

Thanks Dave ( and other "likers"), I did take a few liberties ( when did I never?), with added details such as his cross chest belt and pouch in gold which isn't really on any original I've seen - and I love sox on horses of course.

But - if I fix 'em up and repaint 'em and they are mine - I do 'em how I like 'em!

Glad you approve too - we think along similar lines, methinks my friend. :salute:: jb

 

[Ivanhoe]

You may recall a while back, that I repaired/restored three Britains "Officers of the General Staff" - which I purchased from e-bay sources. You may also remember that I was missing the "General" from that set (201) - and was still looking for him to complete the set.

Well..........I was discussing this with my good friend and owner of Replica Model Soldiers latterly, Andrew Stevenson - who mentioned that he may be able to help me out - as he thought that he had a mould for that figure.

And............in due course, He found it, cast me one up - and sent it to me "as a gift".

What a nice guy - thanks Andrew.

So..............here he is - along with the other three members of the set. Of course, it isn't really the set - as one is a new casting and can easily be told apart because he is heaavier than the real hollowcasts - but raises the interesting idea that UNTIL the real thing comes along, maybe a casting version might help fill out some empty spaces in the cabinet????

Great work jb !

The 'set' is beautiful.

Nice when you can get 'help' like that.

Your horse painting still amazes me.

Thank you for posting.