Toy Soldier Definition (1 Viewer)

A

Al Fisher

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After over 65 yrs of collecting toy soldiers, I've seen a lot of firms and techniques come and go. For me, the gloss painted, 54mm figures of limited detail similar to those mass produced by Britains typify toy soldiers. Accordingly, military miniatures are the one-of-a-kind figures with extroadinary details and exquisitely painted with matte paints (often oils). But what of those figures that fall between these two extremes such as those produced by K&C and Figarti . . . matte paint, good detail, and with at least modest production? For lack of a better name, I call these 'model soldiers'.

What do you think?

Al

Al
 
Call them what you will Al, you have earned the right with 65 years of collecting.:)
 
Yo Trooper Al, only been collecting 6 months but I have to agree with your comments. There is a vast difference between say Britains Toy Soldiers & K&C Model Soldiers, but as they say "what ever lights your candle" I am a Toy Soldier collector.
Mount Up.
Bernard.
 
Even when I was war gaming (many, many years ago) and now collecting 54mm metal figures I have always referred to them as Military Miniatures when trying to explain to the great unwashed! IMO toys are something which children play with :D. No disrespect intended to ‘Toy Soldier Collectors’ everywhere.

Jeff
 
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Now this is the sort of futile-but-fun task to my liking !:D

It seems to me that there is a basic problem with the conflicting prespective or method of catagorizing.

Some terms come from function, like Toy Soldiers, but there are also Toy Soldiers never made to play with. Others come from collector palance, often haphazardly, like Dime Store Soldiers. Still others come from attempts to call by modified exsisting terms, such as Military Miniatures. Other terms are used in so many ways as to be rather unspecific, like Model Soldiers. Brand names too sometimes become a name of a whole type, as Swoppets did. Our position in the historical progression has effects too. Our children and children's children looking back call them Too Small, or Stupid, or in compound terms they use, like Miniature Action Figures, perhaps in time, Proto-Action Figures. All fit at times and do not fit at times, but I utterly hate the term Connoisseur Figures and I hope I mis-spelled it.

But as a starting point I think modifier terms like Metal, Composition and Plastic are safe and unambiguous.

So what do we call the different types of little sculptures of people who generally write 'fighting' as their primary occupation on applications and such ?
 
While I don't think there is a fine line you can draw in the sand, I have a tendency to lump plastic figures into the toy soldier range, while for the most part I lump metal into the military miniatures range. Does this mean Conte, TSSD , Barzso or others can't be military miniatures? Heck no, but if you have to have that line in the sand, that's as good a place to draw it as any.
 
Military miniatures, model soldiers are the terms I use to describe my hobby to the uninitiated... but, they will always be toy soldiers to me in my little world...
 
HistoryfortheAges said:
Military miniatures, model soldiers are the terms I use to describe my hobby to the uninitiated... but, they will always be toy soldiers to me in my little world...
Click to expand...

I just call them all toy soldiers.. but some seem to be more for display as for playing with.. Having said that, I don't really play with my plastic toy soldiers other than to set them up in a diorama or on a shelf and take photos of them. When I tell the "uninitiated" about my hobby I say I collect toy soldiers..

Jim
 
I use the vernacular toy soldiers although strictly speaking in my case most of my collection is zoo, farm, circus, HM the Queen. They really aren't soldiers. I just lump them all under one catagory.

I usually have my purchases shipped to my work. When a new parcel arrives everyone clammers round my desk to see what new toys (as my co-workers call them) I have received.
 
I collect matte with realistic poses and I call them military miniatures.I think the glossy traditional type are toy soldiers.
Mark
 
This is a question that goes back at least to the 40s, with the first meetings of the British Model Soldier Society.

It's going to depend on your audience. Among ourselves, we'll make distinctions based on finish, quality, detail. To people outside the hobby, it's probably always going to be "toy soldiers".

I collect beer steins, and with that hobby, the same sort of question exists. To the unitiated, "beer stein" is sufficient. But as a collector and one who speaks German, I know that there isn't really such a thing as a "beer stein" ("Stein" is an English shortening of the German "Steinzeugkrug", "stoneware jug"), and even then, most people expect a stein to have a lid, as opposed to a mug, then there's the Seidel, the Becher, Glas, Humpen, etc, etc.

People's eyes glaze over. So I just say, "I collect toy soldiers", and if they ask for more, I'll explain a little more.

Now it's time for a good stein of beer....
 
There is actually a pretty significant consensus going on here so far.

Toy Soldiers - is the most prevelent name and usually covers the plastics and early metals that were intended as playthings. It also include newer ones made in the same style.

Military Miniatures - are mostly metal, usually more finely detailed and are intended for display primarily. The word miniatures brings to mind small statuettes you find in antique stores.

Two other types to consider are the larger 6 and 12 inch action figures and the many 1:72 scale and similiar small figures

The first I guess are just called Action-Figures

The smaller (15,20,25mm) ones I think of as Wargame Figures
 
I also, like the term "Historical figurines" because essentially, a good part of this hobby is representative of actual historical personalities as well as the common soldier which can be representative of anyone who served in the military, the "not-so-forgotten soldier" as you will.
 
maloyalo said:
There is actually a pretty significant consensus going on here so far.

Toy Soldiers - is the most prevelent name and usually covers the plastics and early metals that were intended as playthings. It also include newer ones made in the same style.

Military Miniatures - are mostly metal, usually more finely detailed and are intended for display primarily. The word miniatures brings to mind small statuettes you find in antique stores.

Two other types to consider are the larger 6 and 12 inch action figures and the many 1:72 scale and similiar small figures

The first I guess are just called Action-Figures

The smaller (15,20,25mm) ones I think of as Wargame Figures
Click to expand...

Hey Maloyalo.....
I have to say that your Toy Soldiers/Military Miniatures comes closest to my definitions too.

Cheers
H
 
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