Toy Soldier Stuff in Europe (1 Viewer)

A

Al Fisher

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Barbara and I will be taking a Danube cruise in a couple of weeks. I'm hoping that some of you can direct me to toy soldier stores, museums, et cetera, in Budapest, Vienna, Krems, Passau, Regensberg, Nuremberg, and Prague. Not that I'll have time to visit them given Barbara's agenda, but who knows? Many thanks for whatever sites you suggest.

Bosun Al
 
Sounds like a great trip!

If you have time in any of these places you can have some luck if you stop by any flea markets I have found many interesting items at these markets from militaria to toy soldiers ranging in scale from 20mm flats to 100mm composition soldiers from the 20s and 30s.

In Vienna in the main square close to the cathedral there was a store called Joseph Kober’s and they had Demi rounds of various scales on sale I picked up a very lovely set for Oktoberfest with beer drinkers dancers and musicians. Google search should give you a current address.

I will look and see if I have anything for Regensberg etc but actual shops are pretty scare

Dave
 
There is a shop in Regensburg that carries Andrea kits but I don’t know if they are all fantasy kits or gaming things like war hammer. I know that there are dealers listed on the king and country site so you should check them and see if there are any dealers where you will be. Berlin has a great shop but it not on your list so I don’t know if you will have time for a trip there.

Dave
 
Al,

Vienna has 3 shops that I visited in 2014,

Atelier Harlequin
Bindergasse 6/1
1090 Wien
http://www.atelierharlequin.at/ (an old website, but has info)
They have loads of flats and also rounds and makers like K&C and John Jenkins

BOHM
? Schulerstraße (but very close to St Stephens, Mozart House, and right outside Hotel Domizil)
Maybe closed, but details of opening time are on the door, no website)
A gem of a shop, really small and old, reast to rummage around in the draws to find old retired figured, many priced pre-Euro !!!

In the next street is
Joseph Kober
Wollzeile 16, 1010 Wien, Austria

Also if you had loads of time, a full day at the
Museum of Military History or Heeresgeschichtliches Museum .. :)
Arsenal 1, 1030 Wien, Austria
https://www.hgm.at/en.html

All these places are easily found and the 2nd & 3rd are right in the centre of the city.

The other cities I have vested are Budapest, Prague and Nuremburg, but sadly didn't find shops selling figures, just the occasional one in an antique shop BUT they both have great toy museums with loads of old figures.

Prague - in the Prague Castle http://www.prague.net/toy-museum

Nuremburg - https://museums.nuernberg.de/toy-museum/

Budapest - at the castle there is a great Military Museum - http://budacastlebudapest.com/military-museum/

Enjoy ….

John
 
That last post about BudaPest reminded me that there is a small shop at the castle where the guy sells soldiers that are from Hungary’s military past like hussars and others. I will try and find the address I had but his shop was up at the Citadel.

Dave
 
Obee said:
Al,

Vienna has 3 shops that I visited in 2014,

Atelier Harlequin
Bindergasse 6/1
1090 Wien
http://www.atelierharlequin.at/ (an old website, but has info)
They have loads of flats and also rounds and makers like K&C and John Jenkins

BOHM
? Schulerstraße (but very close to St Stephens, Mozart House, and right outside Hotel Domizil)
Maybe closed, but details of opening time are on the door, no website)
A gem of a shop, really small and old, reast to rummage around in the draws to find old retired figured, many priced pre-Euro !!!

In the next street is
Joseph Kober
Wollzeile 16, 1010 Wien, Austria

Also if you had loads of time, a full day at the
Museum of Military History or Heeresgeschichtliches Museum .. :)
Arsenal 1, 1030 Wien, Austria
https://www.hgm.at/en.html

All these places are easily found and the 2nd & 3rd are right in the centre of the city.

The other cities I have vested are Budapest, Prague and Nuremburg, but sadly didn't find shops selling figures, just the occasional one in an antique shop BUT they both have great toy museums with loads of old figures.

Prague - in the Prague Castle http://www.prague.net/toy-museum

Nuremburg - https://museums.nuernberg.de/toy-museum/

Budapest - at the castle there is a great Military Museum - http://budacastlebudapest.com/military-museum/

Enjoy ….

John
Click to expand...

Dear Al,

I will endorse all John's recommendations, with a couple of minor corrections:

Firstly, and sadly, KOBER is no more!!!

Secondly: "Zinnfiguren Boehm" is at Nummer 7 Schulerstrasse. [BO(with an umlaut)HM]

If you are walking from the back of St Spephan's there is an interesting "Toy" shop on the same side of the street (north) just before you get to Boehm's.

The HGM at the Arsenal is good vale, inexpensive admission charge, stay as long as you like, inexpensive cafe, good shop (no figures) great stuff to see from the "Turkish Wars" onward. How about the "Graf und Stift" Limo in which Franz Ferdinand was assassinated?

Enjoy!!

Oberstinhaber
 
DMNamiot said:
When did Kober go away?
Click to expand...

As best I recall, first half of 2015.

It was all very sudden.

There was some talk of a possible re-opening, but I don't think it occurred.

We need a full report from our "Central European Correspondent".......................

Happy Collecting,

Oberstinhaber.
 
DMNamiot said:
When did Kober go away?
Click to expand...

I just realised it was 4 years ago when I was in Vienna …. how time flies ????

That's when I visited Josef Kober … here is a pic of the figures in the window

kober.jpg

and here is the outside of BOHM and a pic inside:

bohm.jpg

bohm2.jpg

John
 
More pics …

nur1.jpg
An example from the Toy Museum in Nuremburg

and some from Prague Toy Museum
prag1.jpg
pag3.jpg
parg2.jpg


John
 
thanasis67 said:
Hi guys!
Regarding Wien check this:

https://www.zinnfigurenoffizin-kovar.info


Hi Guys,

Sorry to be the bearer of more sad news: Peter Kovar passed away last year, he had been very ill since late 2015. His widow, Brigette, is valiantly carrying on the business.

And, in case some of you are wondering, KOVAR has nothing to do with KOBER, and vice versa.

Anyone really interested in Kober figures should read Robert Lonsing's book on Wollner figures for the full story on this quite amazing small Viennese firm which bought pleasure to so many.

Al,

If you really want a treat of "Toy Soldiers", Take the train from Vienna (Sudbahnhof) to Wiener Neustadt, and then a cab to Katzelsdorf (ask the cabbie to detour past the Maria Theresian Militar Akadamie)
The Zinnfiguren Museum in Katzelsdorf is run by some of the guys from "1683" (the Toy Soldier Club in Vienna) it is located in an old SS Cavalry Stables, it is very well laid out, airy and bright, and has a great collection. Modest admission charge as I remember. Nice little shop (with some figures for sale) and a cafe.

This is an "all day" trip.

Enjoy!

Oberstinhaber
Click to expand...
 
Oberstinhaber said:
If you really want a treat of "Toy Soldiers", Take the train from Vienna (Sudbahnhof) to Wiener Neustadt, and then a cab to Katzelsdorf (ask the cabbie to detour past the Maria Theresian Militar Akadamie)
The Zinnfiguren Museum in Katzelsdorf is run by some of the guys from "1683" (the Toy Soldier Club in Vienna) it is located in an old SS Cavalry Stables, it is very well laid out, airy and bright, and has a great collection. Modest admission charge as I remember. Nice little shop (with some figures for sale) and a cafe.

This is an "all day" trip.

Enjoy!

Oberstinhaber
Click to expand...

Oh, forgot about this one …

a local collector friend here in Perth visited the museum a couple of years back and was most impressed.
he was made most welcome by the staff there, and they even drove him back to the railway station in the afternoon, so he didn't need to go via local bus.

This is the website: http://www.zinnfigurenwelt-katzelsdorf.at/zinn-main.php

John
 
This is a figure that my friend bought for me, as a casting from he Zinnfiguren Museum in Katzelsdorf.

eugen.jpg
Prince Eugen of Savoy 1704

I'm not sure what else they had, but I'd expect that there were flats as well, much like other toy soldier museums that I visited last year in Germany in Leipzig and Kulmbach.

John
 
Obee said:
This is a figure that my friend bought for me, as a casting from he Zinnfiguren Museum in Katzelsdorf.

View attachment 236952
Prince Eugen of Savoy 1704

I'm not sure what else they had, but I'd expect that there were flats as well, much like other toy soldier museums that I visited last year in Germany in Leipzig and Kulmbach.

John
Click to expand...

Hi John,

Franz, the Director of the Museum presented me with exactly the same figure, when I was there last. But I haven't painted mine yet (thanks for the inspiration!)

Yes, mostly flats in the shop.

It is a lovely day trip, for the scenery alone.

Happy Collecting!

Oberstinhaber
 
I was in Prague maybe 15 years ago and they sold some toy soldiers in the stalls around the Prague castle. Fairly primitive painting but they make a nice souvenir. A couple of shops also had a few. I picked up an interesting Golem figure in Prague near the Jewish cemetery.
 
Thanks to all those who graciously commented on my request for info on toy soldier shops in Central Europe. Will see what I can see . . .



Bosun Al
 
Al Fisher said:
Thanks to all those who graciously commented on my request for info on toy soldier shops in Central Europe. Will see what I can see . . .

Bosun Al
Click to expand...

Looking forward to your 'travel report' and please post some pictures too :)

Glad to help,

John
 
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