What was your Toy Soldier Journey by Manufacturer? (1 Viewer)

[nysoldiers]

A long journey!!!!

As a kid in the 50's I started with the dimestore WWII and cowboys and Indians, "green army men", Britains lead figures and on special occasions my dad bought me Hausser/Elastolin composition figures.
In the late 50's early 60's Marx playsets (my favorites were the Prince Valiant Castle, Robin Hood, Fort Apache, The Alamo and Blue and Grey) Timpo, and Britians swoppets (War of the Roses were my favorites). Then came more Britains lead figures, Airfix rubber figures and my first attempts at painting with Imrie Risley AWI and ACW. I also built Monogram models.
No collecting during my college years and then back into modeling with Tamiya. In the early 70's I bought about 300 unpainted Elastolin Landsknechts and Turks then painted them over a few years.
Late 70's I dabbled in several UK painted metal lines but in the early eighties a company called Trophy of Wales brought me back full throttle to collecting toy soldiers. Started with glossy K&C's in the early eighties as well but really got hooked with their matt figures and vehicles.
The 90's and early into 2000 was dominated by Trophy, Little Legion, Somerset, ATS, Mulberry, East of India, K&C,
Tommy Atkins, Tedtoy, Minimen, LeMan's, SOW, Brigade, Frontline, Conte and Quartermaster.
In the mid and later 2000 to present period JJD, Figarti, TCS, Britains matt style, K&C and TG are my favorites.

I have probably left out dozens of smaller makers as I just buy what catches my eye at shows and online.
In terms of volume of figures and vehicles I would rank as follows:
Trophy
SOW
K&C
ATS
Britains
JJD
Tedtoy
Mulberry
Tommy Atkins

Unfortunately my children are not too interested in the hobby but there is hope for my 17 month old grandson who seems fascinated when he visits my home!

 

[Rob]

Your right there Rob loved the Battle and Warlord comic

They were good comics mate. ^&cool

Rob

 

[Deitz]

My journey began with Marx Playsets Revoultionary War, Civil War, World War II and the Alamo. My brothers and I would get one Marx set every Christmas. I also had Timpo Swoppets. Sadly, my parents gave the Marx sets to the kids next door when they moved, but kept the Timpo Swoppets.

When I started collecting again this was the order of my new collecting habits:

1. Timpo Swoppets (No Longer buy them)
2. Little Legion
3. King Country
4. Trophy
5. Britains

I also pick up sets from Figarti, John Jenkins, Collectors Showcase and other manufacturers every now and then, when I see one I like.

Brian

 

[Harper (aka Spitfrnd)]

Revell, Monogram, Tamiya plastic kit aircraft, ships and vehicles
Corgi, Hobbymaster, Franklin, Dragon, Century Wings Diecast aircraft
BBI, Tempo, plastic figures
Conte plastic and metal figures
K&C metal figures
Britains metal figures
First Legion metal figures

 

[Warrior]

Another great thread.

It's funny to see how many of us started with Marx, Airfix, Timpo, then took a "break" for awhile to pursue "other interests"........:wink2:, but then came back to the hobby.

For me, it was Marx, Britains and Timpo Swoppets in the 60's and 70's, then Airfix ho/oo figures along with Matchbox figures, plus model kit building to go with the figures.

Then I took a 12 year break and started up again with ho/oo plastic from Atlantic, Esci, Revell, etc, etc, as well as a lot of model kit building.

A short time after that, I discovered metal 20mm figures, Napoleonics, WWII and ACW, I stopped collecting the plastics and the rest is history.

Even though my interest now is strictly 20mm, I still have all of my old Britains swoppets and detail figures as well as my Timpo figures, also have all six of Marx playsets (Battleground/Sons of Liberty/Fort Apache/Knights and vikings castle/Alamo/Blue and Grey); thought about selling them at one point when they were hot in the aftermarket, but thought better of it, they mean more to me from a sentimental standpoint that any amount of money I'd get for them.