NZGary
Command Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2015
- Messages
- 2,059
Friday dawned brilliantly bright in this most southerly isle of Tasmania. Home working had degenerated to a later start after a hard week and so I sipped tea with my wife in bed until a knock on the front door of our waterside apartment in Hobart. A parcel and oh joy it was full of toy soldiers. Not just any old toy soldiers but K&C no less. The daily grind of work prevented opening the little treasures until later on Friday evening. It was a joy as each one was so carefully unwrapped and unboxed.
I was suddenly filled with regret and remorse. I had so little K&C in my toy soldier collection - and yet their figures were so good. I had started collecting the 'little guys' in January 2002. I know this because I remember lying in a hotel room bed in Bristol (UK) with a heavy cold having been on site working all day. To ill to go down to the hotel restaurant or out with colleagues for dinner I ordered room service. I dozed watching TV until an advert for a magazine part work came on the TV. It included a Napoleonic British marine figure. I had to have it a rushed out to buy it the next day. I was hooked. A new passion burned bright in my soul.
Over the next month I visited my local model shop where I lived in Plymouth and spied William Britains North Gate Waterloo diorama and American Civil War figures. These were snapped up and I pursued my new hobby relentlessly purchasing much of those early noughties WB offerings. I had never heard of K&C at the time but deviated into collecting Conte Collectables imported direct from Vegas. Vikings, Romans, ACW, AWI and stunning Viking longboat and Roman galley graced my toy soldier shelves.
Then in around 2004 I discovered K&C through their UK franchise. At that point in my collecting I was very much an ACW nut and collected the K&C Antietam range - I got all the sets and Burnside's bridge. They were different from my other toy soldiers - more chunky but I was told the figures could tell a story and they made a nice display. Then things took off for me a little more with K&C as a year later the Crusader and Saracen range was launched. I got the first sets of figures and the new more slimer sculpting appealed as did the vibrancy of the painting. I also got the JG Miniatures ancient city walls to go with the figures and this certainly had the wow factor.
But still I sought out other manufactures while remaining loyal to my first love WB. K&C remained a sideshow in my collection.
I was suddenly filled with regret and remorse. I had so little K&C in my toy soldier collection - and yet their figures were so good. I had started collecting the 'little guys' in January 2002. I know this because I remember lying in a hotel room bed in Bristol (UK) with a heavy cold having been on site working all day. To ill to go down to the hotel restaurant or out with colleagues for dinner I ordered room service. I dozed watching TV until an advert for a magazine part work came on the TV. It included a Napoleonic British marine figure. I had to have it a rushed out to buy it the next day. I was hooked. A new passion burned bright in my soul.
Over the next month I visited my local model shop where I lived in Plymouth and spied William Britains North Gate Waterloo diorama and American Civil War figures. These were snapped up and I pursued my new hobby relentlessly purchasing much of those early noughties WB offerings. I had never heard of K&C at the time but deviated into collecting Conte Collectables imported direct from Vegas. Vikings, Romans, ACW, AWI and stunning Viking longboat and Roman galley graced my toy soldier shelves.
Then in around 2004 I discovered K&C through their UK franchise. At that point in my collecting I was very much an ACW nut and collected the K&C Antietam range - I got all the sets and Burnside's bridge. They were different from my other toy soldiers - more chunky but I was told the figures could tell a story and they made a nice display. Then things took off for me a little more with K&C as a year later the Crusader and Saracen range was launched. I got the first sets of figures and the new more slimer sculpting appealed as did the vibrancy of the painting. I also got the JG Miniatures ancient city walls to go with the figures and this certainly had the wow factor.
But still I sought out other manufactures while remaining loyal to my first love WB. K&C remained a sideshow in my collection.
