Rookie needs ID help please (1 Viewer)

[vitaly91]

Hello,

I am a rookie collector and, as such, I am looking for some help and pointers.
In my other thread here it was suggested to me to post photos of figures I have so far in order to ID them. As any rookie, I jumped right into collecting and just bought some figures here and there without keeping a good track of what I am buying. If it looked cool, I bought it.

Attached to this post are 3 photos of what I have. I would really appreciate your help in identifying what they are so I can properly catalog them and keep track going forward.

Please let me know if you have any questions or need me to do something in order to help with identification.

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[theBaron]

Hi, Vitaly, it's good to see that you were able to get some photos posted.

I can't speak to the Roman legionaries in your first photo; they're by one of the newer makers. But these:

View attachment 211909

are from Blue Box, in the PRC. They were sold in sets of four, consisting of a figure of Julius Caesar, the signifer, and two legionaries, one standing at the ready and the other throwing the pilum, as shown in your photo. If you wanted to make a display of a legion or a smaller unit, you wound up with a lot of Caesars and standard-bearers standing around But I recall seeing a group of around a hundred of the legionaries on a table at our MFCA show many years ago.

Blue Box produced a number of figure sets, covering different periods of history. Besides the Roman set, there were sets from the Napoleonic Wars, our Civil War and World War II.

The Napoleonic sets comprised a set of British infantry, with a figure of the Duke of Wellington and three line infantrymen in the Belgic shako; and a set of French infantry with Napoleon and three grenadiers of the Old Guard.

The Civil War sets were a set of Union infantry, with General Grant and three Yanks, and a set of Confederate infantry, with a figure of General Lee and three Rebs.

There were three WWII sets as I recall, an American set, a British set and a German set. Each set had 3 GIs, Tommies or Ländser, and then a figure of Montgomery, Rommel, and I think Eisenhower for the Americans, though I'm fuzzy on that, thinking that it might have been Patton. No, I think it was Eisenhower.

For each era except the Roman, there were also special sets issued, combining two of the sets in one presentation box that opened like a book, combining sets of adversaries. That was a box with Wellington and Napoleon, Grant and Lee, and Rommel and Montgomery. I do not recall seeing a box set with the Americans and Germans.

These figures are a good example of what's often referred to as the Chinese style of painting. It's also shown by old King-White/Reeves figures, early King & Country and Frontline, both early and even Frontline's later output. The first thing we notice is the way the faces are painted-simply, but attractively, a step up from the classic toy soldier look of dots for the eyes and a pink dot on each cheek. The rest of the paint job is also simple, but nicely executed. I've never found out if this is the case, but I've often wondered whether these figures were cast by the successors to King-White. Certainly there is a unity of style.

Anyway, that's a nice little collection you've assembled there.

Blue Box also sold vehicles, in the same style as those sold at the same time by Forces of Valor, 21st Century Toys, and Ultimate Warrior.

Hope that helps!
Prosit!
Brad

 

[blaster]

Fascinating! I remember some 30mm hard plastic figures by BlueBox (I think) being marketed for a short period about 20 years back. These were Romans and Gauls with some catapults. I couldn't find any pics of these oldies but came across some larger BBI 1/16 scale 90mm figures singly boxed. I also came across a boxed set of these 4 figures marketed as Elite Command.

Rgds Victor

 

[theBaron]

...I also came across a boxed set of these 4 figures marketed as Elite Command.

View attachment 211932

Yep, that's the set and series I mean. The small print should show Blue Box; I certain that's where I saw the connection. I have couple of those, and the Confederate set.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Mirof]

http://www.bbicollectible.com/

the part Elite : http://www.blueboxtoys.com/our_brands/elite-force/

But all what you show seems obsolete I have some