The West (1 Viewer)

[Cool_Guy]

Hello.
I realize that this series is retired, but as a beginning K&C collector, this is the series that I am most interested in. I think the photos of the mounted Indians look particularly cool!
I am wondering what you can tell me about this series (figures 60mm height?), and the names of dealers that might have some of these guys left over in stock.
Thanks

 

[CannonFodder1971]

Welcome on board Cool_Guy,
In the UK Terence Newbury and Peter Dale have about 5 or 6 sets in the series but, as you know, prices in Europe are double that of the USA, and they'll cost £18 ($28) instead of $20 for unmounted figures. In the US I think Spirit of 76 have one or two left. They are not uncommon on eBay (I bought 5 unmounted sets for less than $70 just last week, despite my promise to myself to steer clear - see item 5972534032 via the feedback of horseofaman_onetrickpony). If you ask around you'll probably find that people can steer you to perhaps half of the 35 sets at issue price or close to same.

 

[Fullyautomatic]

Cool, I think if you follow Gary's advice and do a dealer search you should be able to find some.I know where some of the buffalo are and a few other pieces but I'm sure they are still floating around,especially loose ones on e-bay.I'm going to be out of action for the next week(moving,again) but after that I can find out from this guy on what he has left to sell.I wouldn't think that prices should have gone up on these sets but who knows.Maybe the white buffalo will fetch the same price as a white Tiger.Lol!
I've actually never seen the whole West series and Gary is the only person I know that has the whole collection.Thats my input...

 

[Cool_Guy]

Thanks, Cannon.
$14 a figure is a good deal! Custer with the 7 Reg flag looks especially cool.
So they all stand 60mm?
I've emailed about half of the dealers listed on the K&C website so far, but no luck. Everyone has been very nice, though.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Try Brunton's Barracks in Arizona and Kings X in San Antonio. If you want the White (sacred) and Brown Buffalos from the series, try Classic Toys in NYC. There is also the mounted chief with the American Flag in an ebay store, just search King & Country under "Toy Soldiers" (non-auction).

 

[gk5717]

Just as Fullyautomatic stated that is how I completed the set a little over a year ago. Email EVERY U.S. dealer, it,s the unlikely ones that have them.
I just did that with the dress marine set, I needed 2 figures to complete it and got an email back today from a dealer in California that he has the two I need.
The same with the early Rev. War figures, needed 6 and found them all.
Don,t think you,ll find a winter tiger this way, but last year I found 2 winter 88,s which me and Fullyautomatic snatched right up.
Also watch ebay as this set the figures don,t go for outlandish prices as the WW2 stuff.
Good luck, you will like the set.
Gary

 

[Cool_Guy]

Thank you everyone for your help.
With 34 releases to it's credit, I view The West series (a.k.a. Battle of Little Bighorn) as being a successful line of product from Andy.
However, with only 14 releases, I view The Civil War series as a failure (it seems like this series lost out to Britians and Conte). That said, do you think it's worth buying the General Burnside figure for potential investment? This guy looks very cool from the Treefrog photo, and might display well with The West figures.

 

[gk5717]

Again to see the Civil War set in person is much better than on line photos.
I would not buy the Burnside for investment, it seems the West and Civil war don,t appreciate as does the WW2.
I read a while back, somewhere, that K&C was considering doing another Custer set in 06, but as with all toy soldier companies never look that far in the future.
Gary

 

[jazzeum]

IMHO investment should not be a word uppermost in our minds when we buy something. This is for fun right

 

[Cool_Guy]

Yeah, but when you earn $50K a year, and you're spending $50 on a hand painted pewter figure as opposed to $5 automated painted plastic figure, I think investment potential is a reasonable consideration of purchase.

 

[jazzeum]

Yeah, but when you earn $50K a year, and you're spending $50 on a hand painted pewter figure as opposed to $5 automated painted plastic figure, I think investment potential is a reasonable consideration of purchase.

My point, which I didn't express well, is that if you're using a collectible as an investment vehicle it's probably not a good idea because they're not always a dependable investment. The heightened interest in K & C could vanish overnight and then you're left with a lot of collectibles you'll need to sell at a loss.

 

[Cool_Guy]

Good point. If a person is thinking pure investment, then mutual funds are a better choice than K&C figures.

 

[gk5717]

Re: The West Hey Cool Guy

I found a dealer that has some West sets available, just got off the phone with him.
If interested email me at lkuepfert@aol.com
Gary

 

[Peter Reuss]

Thank you everyone for your help.
With 34 releases to it's credit, I view The West series (a.k.a. Battle of Little Bighorn) as being a successful line of product from Andy.
However, with only 14 releases, I view The Civil War series as a failure (it seems like this series lost out to Britians and Conte). That said, do you think it's worth buying the General Burnside figure for potential investment? This guy looks very cool from the Treefrog photo, and might display well with The West figures.

I don't know that I would call the K&C Civil War line a failure. If you actually see the figures, they are very well done. The problem is that they are in K&C's larger style, not many different figures were made, and they don't mix with other Civil War figures (i.e. Britains). I really think that if K&C expanded the Civil War line, they would be a serious rival to Britains (who seem to be the big player in the Civil War line now).

It seems that once the Civil War line was retired by K&C, most dealers gave up on it, leaving K&C with a large inventory (which kept it from being truly retired since they had them in stock). Perhaps now that K&C doesn't have any more in their warehouse, the prices might bump up a bit - though I would never expect them to do anything along the lines of WWII!

I do agree that you should buy what you like. If the price goes up, all the better!

 

[Louis Badolato]

Those 14 matt civil war figures were not Andy's first effort on the Civil War. Andy made glossy sets of Union Infantry advancing and firing, a Union comand set with officer, two standard bearers, a drummer and a bugler, Union Fire Zoaves (attacking with officer), Conferedete Infantry and command sets, Confederate Louisiana Tiger Zoaves, and a union and confederate field gun with crew. These early glossy civil war were very popular, and can still occasionally be found on ebay. As to the matt sets, in truth, they didn't compare well with what Frontline was doing, as Frontline dedicated itself to making multiple sets of matt civil war figures with tons of accessories like personality figures, confederates climbing a rail fence, various field guns, gun teams with linbers or caissons, and even a mobile black smith wagon. Andy knows well (and has discussed the issue with me on several occasions) that for a series to be successful, there has to be a dedicated effort to provide all the accessories that make the series worth displaying. Thats why Andy's WWII stuff is so successful, but his matt civil war was a flop. The Burnside Bridge and wall sections Andy produced for the civil war, however, make a nice addition to other periods of history, like his Napoleonics.

 

[Fullyautomatic]

Louis, is there any one West series set that is particularlly hard to get or find?What is the favourite or best one in your opinion?I don't see any pictures of the West series on Sager's site.Am I over looking it?
Cool_Guy did you buy your sets yet?Keep me posted because my source tells me he has approx 18 of the West sets.I'll get numbers possibly tomorrow.

 

[Louis Badolato]

The west series was a later release than the brochures I provided to Bill Sager for his website. I have the original brochures from this release, and if you have a color fax machine I will fax them to you. As far as the rarest figure, the earliest figures in the series were two indians scouting for the long knives, squatting next to their horses to listen to the ground (in the 1996 supplement flyer), and I think these are the rarest. The best figure in the series, in my opinion, is the indian shooting an arrow at a buffalo while hanging off the side of his horse, from the Buffalo hunt vignette.

 

[Fullyautomatic]

Thanks Louis.I don't have a color fax and black and white won't do it justice but I appreciate the offer.If you want to try my fax number is 828 696 4293.

 

[Louis Badolato]

I will give it a shot in black and white, but I don't know what you'll be able to see. I will send it in a little while (I have to go through my file and pull out the flyers).

 

[Fullyautomatic]

Thanks Louis.I can make out some of the stuff.I appreciate the effort.Cool Guy email me before you make a decision.I found 31 of the sets.Correct me if I'm wrong but these sets were around $40 for either soldier or Indian on horseback and $20 for foot soldiers or Indians.Unfortunately the two sets Louis mentioned are not available.
frase6b@excite.com