Recent Imperial auctions? (1 Viewer)

H'lo,Curious couple of listings on eBay today,I'd be interested to hear what certainties or impressions you Gentlemen may offer #320289506622 Highland Pipes and Drums,4 Figures Party,Boer War,54mm.They do look very like Imperial (I picked up several indistinctly listed loose figs a couple years back from the Black Watch B.W.P.B.).My eyes are not the best, but the paint may be a bit off aside from the obvious-Pipers appear to be wearing Black Watch Tartan :eek:.o.
 
Yes, that is a toughy, Oldboy. From the single, low res picture, I have to say that the sculpts look similar to the Imperial Production figures from sets 25a or 25b.

That said, and as you point out, the painting is all wrong. The kilts on my sets have red backgrounds with white on blue stripes. Further, the loose figures on ebay seem to have less detail on their socks as well. My sets have quite distinct light blue stripes on red socks.

Either someone has repainted these after purchase to make the pipers match the drummers or, perhaps, they came from Greytown in that state. Mr. Cowe has told me about the existence of one or two sets of the Heritage Series that received unauthorized repaints as a different regiment. That event occurred in-house at Imperial.

However, this repaint job (if that is what it is) does not comport with the traditional appearance of Black Watch pipers at the turn of the Century, so I kind of doubt that they would have sprung from Imperial looking like that.

Sooo, my analysis of these is as follows;

Sculpts look to be Imperial and the drummer figure seems identical (with maybe a little too little head below the helmet) to those from Imperial sets 25a/25b. The pipers have repainted kilts and pipe bags and possibly socks.

My only doubts spring not from the paintjob but rather the lack of apparent detail in the helmets. The picture makes that hard to check, but the Imperial helmets have a "ridge" around the brim that does not seem to be visible in the ebay photo.

D.
 
Thank you, Drum ,I've moved my suspicions to "confirmed":D.I failed to mention the other lot from this Seller of 2 Privates & a Colour Bearer(whose base is er curiously damaged ).I'd add that this Seller names no Maker and is "...unsure whether this figure has been repainted repaired..." -which disclaimer doesn't accompany the greater number of his listings(primarily vintage W.Britains). I don't own any of these others -,but the paint looks a bit gloppy and the figures seem stout to me-regrettably cash flow and preoccupation with the prolific Turners of Gosport have kept me basically a fan rather than much of a collector of Imperial.I am bidding on one of the current slew of eBay auctions (well over 30 presently) however and may prove doughty enough to win it.o.
 
Hmmm at risk for appearing to talk to myself:rolleyes:,oldboy here with the blab on tonight's closings -the real shocker Tripoli Marines going for $177.50 ! what a difference a week can make.Im not planning on listing ALL the Imperial finals-indeed,I thought many of them lukewarm. Most impressive were iNdlondlo & uMbonambi Zulus at $202.50 each."Doughty" is likely not quite the descriptive apt,enough to say that there's joy in oldboyville tonight over a hard won set 13a Charging Black Watch @ $153.50 :D,o.
 
Oldboy said:
Hmmm at risk for appearing to talk to myself:rolleyes:,oldboy here with the blab on tonight's closings -the real shocker Tripoli Marines going for $177.50 ! what a difference a week can make.Im not planning on listing ALL the Imperial finals-indeed,I thought many of them lukewarm. Most impressive were iNdlondlo & uMbonambi Zulus at $202.50 each."Doughty" is likely not quite the descriptive apt,enough to say that there's joy in oldboyville tonight over a hard won set 13a Charging Black Watch @ $153.50 :D,o.
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Congrats on the win , I think thats one of the joys of auctions sometimes
you get a couple of guys going head to head and the price takes off and
other times it just sits.
I had an early shot at the officers and men but it finished in the middle of the day here when I had no access to a computer so I didnt realy rate myself a
chance.
 
I managed to blow the only auction that I was intending to win... namely set no.4 with the pictorial backing card. I was watching it up to 45 minutes to go when my wife called me to the television for something and I forgot all about it for about 50 minutes.

:rolleyes:

The set went below the amount I would have spent. Well, one thing is true of anyone who has been ebaying for a long while... we all have patience. I will wait until the next one floats down the stream I guess.

As my Mom said... "You were not meant to have that one."

She is so philosophical!

:)

Congrats to you, Oldboy.

I am looking forward to the next batch...

D
 
Zounds! Another Heirloom set on the block(HS 2 Drum ?)-looking Minty :cool:#220273992374,Starting at $590.00 ("...one of many sets of IMPERIAL being offered from a large private collection.").Hopefully few will note the michtoy listings for loose Imperial "Napoleonics"(3rd Empire apparently).3 bidders (rascals):eek::rolleyes::D already for the 10 loose A.&S.H. Thin Red Line firing.Sadly those Lancers look a touch battle-worn. Note that the winner of two of those eye-poppers,also won a batch of yesterday's mat.girl (Sorry can't even think her whole name..it sets off an endless reel of '80s disco )listings including # 40 17th Lancers Off.@ $53.51,# 36 1st Dragoon Guards Off. @ $57.99,the aforeposted Zulus #s 29 & 31,# 35 1st Dragoon Guards @ $100.01,# 43 24th S.W.B. @ $99.00 and (snatched roughly away from a kindly-if creepy wee elderly lad )#28c Seaforth Off. @ $74.50 .I've rifled his feedback (AW c'mon we ALL do it !) and he appears to be a gentleman of good taste.Thank you Vandilay ( a good bout is SO much more fun than the tepid & I hope the next round will synch better for you) Thank you,Drum ( As a cranky bachelor,I seldom miss a finish but then there IS that cranky aspect,cause or effect ? can't be certain)Best,ob
 
I,ve fired the opening salvo on the Heirloom set , But I have a suspicion
bidding may leave me for dead ,but we will see .
I might have to let a couple of my doubles go to launch a serious bid , but
letting stuff go can be a bit like pulling teeth at times :eek:.
 
Yes, the results of ebay really are unpredictable. So many people must do their first and last researching and purchasing there.

I have tossed an email to the winner of set 4 (an Aussie!) to see if I can work a trade with him before that set with it's lovely pictorial backing card sets sail for the South Pacific. He responded already with some interest, but he only collects New Zealand figures, so my extras stash may not suffice.

Ah... hope springs eternal. It is fun to still have a few things to hunt down...

For me, the Carrier Deck crew from the O&M series and this backing card from set #4 may be the only Imperial-related collectibles that I am seeking.

Let's hope Mr. Cowe is soon back on his feet and sculpting once again.

D
 
Well,appears to be serving brilliantly:eek: I think refining your approach a bit in order to achieve similar results may prove crucial.Step #1 Discard Box .Step #2 List figures mixing 2 Imperial & 1 somewhat similar other,for example 2 Imperial Zulus & 1 from Blenheim & Voila ! Rake in the dough :D Believe it was Gideon in the eBay forum who said it was "one weird marketplace".ob
 
vandilay said:
I guess some people just dont like to be beaten in an auction :eek:
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I must admit, I've had the auction adrenalin flowing at times, and overbid on something, just because I wanted to win it. That is definitely a factor in auctions.
 
theBaron said:
I must admit, I've had the auction adrenalin flowing at times, and overbid on something, just because I wanted to win it. That is definitely a factor in auctions.
Click to expand...

I,d have to admit i,ve been guilty of it on more than one occasion ,
especialy when I first starting using ebay etc [ the funny thing is on the
few occasions i,ve been to auctions in person I,ve been completely the
opposite and let stuff go for prices I would have been happy to pay :confused:]
 
I noticed after bidding on the latest heirloom set to go through ebay it
appears to be one of the unauthorized repaints that came out of
imperial as Gordons instead of the correct cameron Highlanders ,
I didnt notice this until Near the end of the auction and as I dont have
the original yet I let it go .[I guess it may be rarer as it is, but it just didnt
overly appeal to me as a different regiment]
 
Wow!

I guess I am going to have to start paying more attention to the HS sets that come up.

Good eye, Rob. (after the fact though it was:rolleyes:)

I would have paid more.
Almost certainly.

:cool:

D
 
Drum , I cant say it was my keen eye to be honest ,
I came home early to catch the end of the Auction
figuring I,d be out bid and scrolled to the bottom of the
listing where the seller had posted the additional info
[then I took the time to have a closer look at the kilts:eek:].

I should have had a decent crack with the benefit of hindsight
but at the time it put me off as i,d thought I may finnaly get the
secound Camerons set .

Keep an eye out as The listing states thier are more to be sold from
this collection so maybe the other HS Gordons are part it.

cheers Rob
 
Discussing this with my Mom, she is of the opinion that, since David Cowe did not approve of these being made/sold then they ought not be included in our collection. She refers to these as his "unauthorized sets" and considers it sort of an affront to the man.

Similarly, she is only partially approving of including the Officers and Men series as these she considers "disavowed". I have managed to convince her that, as the O&M's were actually made/painted by the Cowe family itself that they must be included.

I am of a different opinion, of course. These were Gordon HS sets were sculpted by Mr. C and painted in his shop, even if (apparently) not by himself or his family or with his foreknowledge. As far as I know, they were not stolen and the funds that were generated were collected by the shop.

In some ways, these are the rarest of them all. I am sorry to have missed them, but it is cool to have confirmation of just what these look like.

Back to the hunt!

D
 
I think both the Gordon sets and possibly the officers and men series ties
in with the Regal Guys while still in Imperial,s employ.

As you say the officers and men was a legitimate series but
I kind of agree with your mum about the HS sets if they came with a correct box etc they would have more appeal for me.
But still a rare bird none the less
 
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