Toy Soldiers ? (1 Viewer)

[Firebat]

You all know where Battle Scene Productions stands as far as realism etc. We like to think we had a part to play, in moving the Hobby in that direction. Our roots are in 1/35th scale Military Model building. All of the Manufacturers have responded, and the detail level continues to improve.

Question: Has the hobby finally evolved to the point where it is not appropriate to call them TOY SOLDIERS any more. Has a new GENRE been created. Should they be called something like Museum Quality Military Replicas ?

Do these Figarti products look like Toys ?

 

[binder001]

No offense but I think that it was a general "push" by collectors in general that has raised the desire for more realistic models, not just one supplier. It has been, and continues to be, more evolution that revolution. It often seems that a new manufacturer or supplier will raise the level of detail, or do better research, and that pushes other manufacturers to improve their lines. I still see some lines that obviously used a 1/35th scale model for their "inspiration" on a vehicle model, but didn't bother to do their homework and fix the gross flaws in the original kit. These flaws were carried straight over to the collectible item.

I agree fully that "toy" is really not the correct term for what we collect. At $175-$250 for a miniature tank lately, I don't see too many people letting the kids push them through the sandbox. I think the terms like "military miniatures" or "collectible miniatures" are much more appropriate, but as the roots of this hobby are in "toy soldiers" I am afraid that we are stuck with that term forever.

Gary B.

 

[thebritfarmer]

Personally for me they will always be toy soldiers. To each his own though, call them what you will, it's all good at the end of the day.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Personally for me they will always be toy soldiers. To each his own though, call them what you will, it's all good at the end of the day.

I'm with you!

 

[wwiibuff]

Just depends on what each individual's own definition of "toy" is maybe? What's the old saying about boys and the price of their toys?

 

[gi546]

like binder said, we don't let kids mess around with figarti and stuff because they are not actually toy soldiers.
when i think of toy soldiers i think of bags of plastic soldiers sold at big chain stores.
when i think of the brands we have on the forum i think of highly detailed, expensive military models.
i like to call the toy soldiers on my shelf small scale military models or as i explain to people who don't know about my hobby: highly detailed model soldiers designed for collectors in stead of little kids.

 

[Nooooo9]

I call them all toy soldiers but I don't let anyone play with the metal ones or any of the plastic ones I painted. Most plastic makers put two of each pose in a box. I usually paint one and the extra goes in a paper grocery bag. I give them to my nephew and he sets them up in the backyard and shoots rubber bands at them and tosses tennis balls as artillery. I only display my "good ones" meaning the soldiers I paid a lot for or spent a lot of time painting. There have been great advances in the hobby as far as the detail of the models but the main reason we don't play rough with them is we don't want to break off a bayonet or chip the paint.

 

[thebritfarmer]

Let me interject......what would you call these then?

 

[Wraith]

Let me interject......what would you call these then?

Scott,

I'd call them the 1st Life Guards.
I mean, c'mon man, the clues right there in the photo.

 

[thebritfarmer]

Scott,

I'd call them the 1st Life Guards.
I mean, c'mon man, the clues right there in the photo.

There is one in every crowd. HAHA

 

[Firebat]

Let me interject......what would you call these then?

TOY SOLDIERS !!!!

When we finish our Military Miniature Museum, we will have newer relatively less valuable items in realistic displays.

A true Collector has mostly valuable older pieces, which for the most part are less detailed, and probably glossy.

I think some of us like both, but some are true collectors and others are true scale modelers.

When we produce our line of figures they will be termed Scale Military Replicas. And they will look like this. Or else we will not carry out our plans.

 

[sammy719]

Well, my wife will always call them toy soldiers no matter what we call them!!!...Sammy

 

[marco55]

Firebat,
You are producing your own?What scale will they be and what historical period?I presume WWII.
Mark

 

[lancer]

Toy soldiers. Now and forever. Call them whatever you want, they are toy soldiers. Just because we adults collect them, spend a fortune on them, and don't play with them, doesn't mean they are not still toys. They are our recovered childhood. Maybe we now want to assign a more adult reason for having them but that's just an attempt to justify the cost, to ourselves. And remember, he who dies with the most toys, wins. -- Al

 

[tdubel]

I'm with you!

Me Three with you guys. They will always be toy soldiers to me. I love the "noveau" realism, but c'mon, nothing beats an old glossy Trophy, Toy Army, Britains, K&C, Tommy Atkins, Marlborough, Star, Bleinheim, Kingcast, Dorset (Wessex), etc etc etc. That is the beauty of the hobby, a nice glossy piece of lead that is oh so charming!

TD

 

[HistoryfortheAges]

Yes, I enjoy both glossy and matte painting styles. Diversification is nice! It really brings out the best of any collection and generates discussion from people who are not familiar with any of this stuff...

BTW, I prefer the terms "Model Soldiers" or "Military Models" with most people who may not understand this hobby, but I have no qualms about using the term "Toy Soldiers" in the presence of collectors or those in the business...

 

[Firebat]

Firebat,
You are producing your own?What scale will they be and what historical period?I presume WWII.
Mark

WWII.......We are up in the air as to the other details...We have an incredible world class sculptor.....But they have to be right......Scale Military Replicas....If they have a hint of Toy Soldier in them .....We will not go through with the plan...

As far as the discussion at hand...when I was 7 years old I was building 1/35th scale plastic models...Never had or liked the bag of rubber guys...That is why the scale model aspect is nostalgic to me.....Never had Toy Soldiers...I guess I am wierd....Alex

 

[trooper]

Back in the day the differences were simple. Toy soldiers were hollow, gloss, with a somewhat basic paint job, model soldiers were solid and much more detailed both in sculpture and in finish. When the ban on lead ousted toy soldiers from the toy shops model manufacturers tried to take up the slack by producing similar type figures for the collectors. As many of them used their existing range, just changing the finish from matt to gloss, it soon became evident that there was more detail which was painted. And so the "advanced" toy soldier evolved. Since then each new generation of figures has improved until we are now at the stage that was once occupied by the model soldier. This is reflected in the price where certain makers charge more for a single figure of a so called toy than some commercialy produced models. There is now little difference between the types and it doesn't really matter what terminology is used to describe them, this particular argument has, and will, go on for years. Who cares as long as you are happy and enjoy the hobby?

 

[Firebat]

Back in the day the differences were simple. Toy soldiers were hollow, gloss, with a somewhat basic paint job, model soldiers were solid and much more detailed both in sculpture and in finish. When the ban on lead ousted toy soldiers from the toy shops model manufacturers tried to take up the slack by producing similar type figures for the collectors. As many of them used their existing range, just changing the finish from matt to gloss, it soon became evident that there was more detail which was painted. And so the "advanced" toy soldier evolved. Since then each new generation of figures has improved until we are now at the stage that was once occupied by the model soldier. This is reflected in the price where certain makers charge more for a single figure of a so called toy than some commercialy produced models. There is now little difference between the types and it doesn't really matter what terminology is used to describe them, this particular argument has, and will, go on for years. Who cares as long as you are happy and enjoy the hobby?

I think that pretty much says it all !!!!

 

[marco55]

Alex,
If your range is as real looking as your dioramas you really going to have something.For myself I never cared for the glossies as I use to see ads for them in magazines I use to buy.It wasn't until the coming of the matte that I started collecting.But like I said before there's room for all.I have never seen glossies except in pictures so perhaps if I ever see a setup in person I'll have a different opinion of them.
Mark