What was your collecting AHA ! moment ? (1 Viewer)

[Partner]

A lot of collectors played with toy soldiers as kids but as girls , school , etc took over the troops were abandoned and forgotten.

I was wondering how folks started collecting as adults (well older kids )


My AHA ! moment came when I offered a fellow Rotarian a drive home from a lunch meeting . On the way he mentioned his "little men ". I was immediately interested and he invited me in for a look.

I was literally stunned ! Lawyers' book cases full of toy soldiers were every where in the house . In his office , in the foyer ,in the upstairs hall , in the spare bedroom.

I had no idea that such things existed .

I immediately called my office and told my receptionist that I was not coming back to work that afternoon.

Ispent the next three hours staring at cabinet after cabinet of Britains , Mignon, Blenhein , etc

When I left I was presented with a Britians Beefeater which is still in my collection .

That was 25 years ago and I have enjoyed collecting on and off since then .

Anybody else have an AHA ! moment ?

Regards
Kirk

 

[BHogan]

Since I was three I liked playing with the Green army men out in the garden. In 2005 at my cousins graduation from RMC I walked into the RMC Kit Shop and noticed they had some RMC cadets in the traditional 54mm gloss style. I went home googled toy soldiers found King and Country and the rest is history!
Brendan

 

[Louis Badolato]

As a kid, there was a hobby shop in my town (Devlin's Hobbies) which had a huge showcase full of traditional glossy toy soldiers (I imagine they were Britains) which I coveted, but could not afford (a box of 6 soldiers cost $25, way more money than I had access to in the 1970's).

My "Aha!" moment came when I had just returned to New York after completing a Federal Clerkship in Texas in 1992. I passed a shop called "B. Shackman's Toys and Novelties" on the corner of 5th Avenue and 16th Street in Manhattan, which had Valentine's Day Cards on display in the window. I went in to grab a couple of Valentine's day cards when I saw a showcase full of the same magnificent glossy Britains toy soldiers I had coveted as a child. The first set I purchased (which is still in storage behind the knee walls in my display area) was Britains 15th Ludhiana Sikhs.

I second "Aha!" moment occurred a few months later, when I stumbled upon "Classic Toys" on Sullivan Street in Greenwich Village. Up to this point, I had amassed about 600 Britains Toy Soldiers, and joined the Britains Collectors Club, but had no idea that there were other manufacturers of traditional toy soldiers. As I approached the counter, I asked John and Gideon Rettich's former partner (whose name escapes me) if they had toy soldiers. He looked at me like I was an idiot, and pointed over my left shoulder. I turned around and saw Mecca: about 20 feet of 6 foot tall cabinets filled with every toy soldier manufacturer of the time (except King & Country): Trophy, Tradition, Imperial, Heco Tinplate Models, Tommy Atkins, Blenheim, Toy Army Workshop, Britains, Britains Premier/Charles Biggs, Timpo, Frontline, Aeroart St. Petersburg, Greenhill/Courtney/Bing, you name it. I started buying everything that struck my fancy, adding about 2,000 soldiers to my collection that year (mostly Trophy, Imperial, and Frontline).

My third "Aha!" moment came when in December, 1993 I was browsing through a Toy Soldier magazine at Classic Toys, and saw an add for a King & Country mounted Teddy Roosevelt and marching Rough Riders. I immediately had to have it. I called the dealer in Texas which had the U.S. exclusive, Kings X, and ordered the set. The lady who helped me asked if I would like her to include some K&C flyers in the package when she shipped the set. I said "sure." My wallet regrets that decision, but I certainly don't. The flyers showed not just toy soldiers, but wood tanks, aircraft and jeeps, glossy WWII and matt Vietnam figures, wood and papier mache buildings and even custom dioramas for sale. I was hooked. In the neighborhood of 5,000 K&C figures, 400 vehicles, 80 aircraft and 16 custom dioramas later, K&C makes up about 80% of my collection to this day.

 

[lancer]

No real 'AHA' moment, so to speak. Have always played with collected plastic soldiers which just morphed into metal soldiers as I got older. Have always had metal soldiers as my father gave me his old Britains (circa early 1930's) when I was a kid. Played with them, as well as my plastics. Would save allowance to buy a swoppet here and there or unpainted castings to paint up. Would go to toy soldier shows once I got my driver's license and add a set of metal or a single figure, depending on what I could afford. I have always had the 'bug' for TS. Sometimes it was real low-key, as when I was raising my family and I had other spending priorities, but the 'bug' has always been there. Now, it is a full-blown way of life.^&grin^&cool -- Al

 

[Mitch]

Again no real AHA!! moment just a natural evolution into different things which, has culminated in the metal soldiers that are on the market now. Grew up on stories from grandfather and uncles who were all in WWII and survived. Airfix soldiers passed down from my brother and dinky and corgi metal WWII AFV's were a plenty and, everything else from cavalry and indians to knightys took my fancy.

Started building Tamiya military kits then went into 1/350th scale warships 1/6th scale bikes and, then eased off as education etc took over. Always collected stuff and, stumbled by chance on a flyer from K&C when I was in London bought some from a big toy store and, the rest is history.

Suppose the real AHA!! moment for me was being brought up on the exploits of family in WWII getting all their stories pictures memorabilia medals etc
Mitch

 

[Czar]

My aha! moment was when I got a phone call as I was getting ready to graduate high school that was from a lady at my church who wanted to know if I wanted a job for a weekend to help her store with a show. I had no idea that toy soldiers existed, but I gladly said yes and was amazed when I finally visited Kings X and saw just how many soldiers and vehicles they had.

That show was the first Texas Toy Soldier Show (back in its old venue) and they liked having me at the store so much that they decided to keep me.

 

[theBaron]

I didn't have a revelation moment, either. Rather, I came to toy soldiers after playing with army men, and building models, as a kid. Just before I graduated from high school and gave up building models for beer and girls, I experimented with casting with homemade molds. A couple years later, I found German homecast figures and molds at flea markets, and that got me into collecting them. Now I've come full circle, after picking up casting again, and eventually, scale modeling.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Larry Allen]

Great topic

My AHA "moment in time" came at the end of a disappointment period. I was a big collector of WWI and WWII memorabilia. I love history and enjoyed the story of every piece I had. (Mostly daggers, Iron Crosses and combat medals).

Well the hobby was becoming too expensive to enjoy (I means$ 100’s to$ 1000’s) for single pieces. And the fear or damage or thief was a constant thorn in the butt. To top it off the forgery market was in big production so you had to be real careful not to get burned. My wife was also concerned that I would kill myself as I had daggers and swords all over my room.

Long story short – I sold them all in a very short time frame. It was about 12 years ago.

However, the next weekend I accompanied a friend to a local auction house where they were having an estate sale. I didn’t want to go but I was a bit down so I said ya'. He collected toy banks and other mechanical toys. Well one case had 2500 or so toy soldiers. I can’t remember all the makers. BUT … I came home with a box full of Marx Warriors of the World and Britains AWI sets; maybe about 25 or so.:tongue:

It satisfied my love of history, the cost was fantastic, and the fears of forgery were not need. From that day on, I was hooked.

PS: I tried to “sneak” in my new treasures. But …my two dogs (man’s best friend ya’ right) barked and barked since they thought I was hiding a treat behind my back. My wife came out to see what the commotion was and saw my new hobby. She shook her head and said, “Well thank goodness you won’t stab yourself.”

Larry

 

[Jack]

As a kid, there was a hobby shop in my town (Devlin's Hobbies) which had a huge showcase full of traditional glossy toy soldiers (I imagine they were Britains) which I coveted, but could not afford (a box of 6 soldiers cost $25, way more money than I had access to in the 1970's).

My "Aha!" moment came when I had just returned to New York after completing a Federal Clerkship in Texas in 1992. I passed a shop called "B. Shackman's Toys and Novelties" on the corner of 5th Avenue and 16th Street in Manhattan, which had Valentine's Day Cards on display in the window. I went in to grab a couple of Valentine's day cards when I saw a showcase full of the same magnificent glossy Britains toy soldiers I had coveted as a child. The first set I purchased (which is still in storage behind the knee walls in my display area) was Britains 15th Ludhiana Sikhs.

I second "Aha!" moment occurred a few months later, when I stumbled upon "Classic Toys" on Sullivan Street in Greenwich Village. Up to this point, I had amassed about 600 Britains Toy Soldiers, and joined the Britains Collectors Club, but had no idea that there were other manufacturers of traditional toy soldiers. As I approached the counter, I asked John and Gideon Rettich's former partner (whose name escapes me) if they had toy soldiers. He looked at me like I was an idiot, and pointed over my left shoulder. I turned around and saw Mecca: about 20 feet of 6 foot tall cabinets filled with every toy soldier manufacturer of the time (except King & Country): Trophy, Tradition, Imperial, Heco Tinplate Models, Tommy Atkins, Blenheim, Toy Army Workshop, Britains, Britains Premier/Charles Biggs, Timpo, Frontline, Aeroart St. Petersburg, Greenhill/Courtney/Bing, you name it. I started buying everything that struck my fancy, adding about 2,000 soldiers to my collection that year (mostly Trophy, Imperial, and Frontline).

My third "Aha!" moment came when in December, 1993 I was browsing through a Toy Soldier magazine at Classic Toys, and saw an add for a King & Country mounted Teddy Roosevelt and marching Rough Riders. I immediately had to have it. I called the dealer in Texas which had the U.S. exclusive, Kings X, and ordered the set. The lady who helped me asked if I would like her to include some K&C flyers in the package when she shipped the set. I said "sure." My wallet regrets that decision, but I certainly don't. The flyers showed not just toy soldiers, but wood tanks, aircraft and jeeps, glossy WWII and matt Vietnam figures, wood and papier mache buildings and even custom dioramas for sale. I was hooked. In the neighborhood of 5,000 K&C figures, 400 vehicles, 80 aircraft and 16 custom dioramas later, K&C makes up about 80% of my collection to this day.

You bought a couple of Valentine Cards - how does that work?{sm4}

I really enjoyed the detail in your experience - how seemingly unimportant things like stumbling onto a shop by chance ends up having such an influence.

Jack

 

[waynepoo]

You bought a couple of Valentine Cards - how does that work?{sm4}

I really enjoyed the detail in your experience - how seemingly unimportant things like stumbling onto a shop by chance ends up having such an influence.

Jack

Or being subtly lead around cabinets full of very nice King and Country figures by a 'Ye old toy shop' proprietor ....AHA.....{sm3}:wink2:
Wayne.

 

[Louis Badolato]

You bought a couple of Valentine Cards - how does that work?{sm4}

I really enjoyed the detail in your experience - how seemingly unimportant things like stumbling onto a shop by chance ends up having such an influence.

Jack

One for my first wife, one for my second {sm4}. . . just kidding! They were both for the same woman.:smile2:

 

[larso]

Plastic toy soldiers played a wonderful part of my childhood. I had noted the ads for toy soldiers from CTS in Military History mags and when I was teaching myself to use the internet, they were some of the first things I began looking up. I think when I found the other Timpo swappet Vikings was my 'Aha' moment. So I got those on Ebay and many others from CTS, Conte, TSSD and others. As for getting into metals, I think it was the John Jenkins Culloden Highlanders that drew me into the more expensive side of things. Or at least I was so close, that the Conte NWF sealed the move....