Would you be a collector today if .... (1 Viewer)

[desk11desk12]

Would you be a collector today if the toy soldier offering were still “glossy” painted with fixed poses or “on parade” poses?

If so, would you be spending the same amount of money you do today on action ‘matt finish” posed figures?


I won't be collector but I'm sure glad the market shifted a few years ago for me. I'm having a great time.

Carlos

 

[jazzeum]

In full agreement with you Carlos. If it weren't for K & C, I wouldn't be in this hobby.

 

[Joey]

Glossy figures got me into collecting. First, it was all about tradition. But I didn't spend that much money, because 1) I didn't have enough D ) and 2) I didn't consider toy soldiers as my number 1 hobby. But when I discovered K&C, things started changing. One soldier became a bunch, a bunch became a reasonable collection. K&C is what you can call an addiction...

If it weren't for K&C, I would be spending my money on something useless . So, THANK YOU, Andy! ( hope you're doing something useful with my funds... )

 

[ucla1967]

Would you be a collector today if the toy soldier offering were still “glossy” painted with fixed poses or “on parade” poses?

If so, would you be spending the same amount of money you do today on action ‘matt finish” posed figures?


I won't be collector but I'm sure glad the market shifted a few years ago for me. I'm having a great time.

Carlos

Asolutely! I happen to to like both and believe that there is a place for both glossy and matte figures in one's collection subject to budget and space constraints. Each type offers something different. I love the matte figures and their realistic poses for dioramas, especially for WW II, but I also have a strong interest in history and, therefore, love the glossy figures which enable me to have units and nationalities represented that the matte military miniatures don't offer.

 

[Leadmen]

I like gloss and matte figures. Before K&C, most figures were glossy when I started collecting. They do have a tradition and appeal in the cases- bands- cavalry and foot by Britains- yes K&C and most other makers. I still get gloss and matte. Yes I like armor and matte figures. If K&C gave up making miniatures I would still get figures whether in matte or gloss.I like for instance the Britain club is doing gloss figures of British soldier history. Dioramas are neat but in 1/30 scale they can become large very quickly.I would not give up collecting if K&C stoped producing. John

 

[Alexdakar]

I they were still glossy then I would still stick to my 1/35 scale modelling.

 

[boot51]

I'm certainly no historian on the subject of toy soldiers, but it looks like gloss is it's roots, but for me personally.... matte is where it's at. If I hadn't stumbled on K&C, I don't think I'd have any where near the interest I do now.
I second Joey's motion "Thanks Andy", well done and keep them coming!

Fred

 

[ucla1967]

Some of the glossy WW II sets I have recently bought include: the Free French 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Legion, the German Prinz Eugene S.S. Mountain Division, the Italian 23rd of March Black Shirt Division, Finnish Infantry, the Italian Folgore Division Parachute Infantry, and German Kreigsmarine, to name a few. I would love to get, at some point, 1939 Polish Infantry, and Germany's Eastern Front Allies---Hungarians, Rumanians, and Slovaks. Historically, WW II had so much more to offer than the usual suspects: Americans, Germans, and British. Expand your horizons! You may even like it.

 

[wadepat]

Carlos,

My answer to your question is a definite Yes. While I really enjoy the matte figures, I do not believe that matte figures are the be all and end all of toy soldiering. I presently collect both matte figures and glossy figures and I find each type exciting in different ways. For me to collect only one type of figures is to close too many doors on the expansive joys of collecting toy soldiers.

And,...if matte figures and action poses were not available to me, I would still spend as much on the glossy ones as I do on the total of what I currently purchase (matte + glossy).

Warm regards,

Pat

 

[jrsteel]

If they stop making glossy traditional figures I'd drop out of the hobby. I do have some Britains American Rev and Napoleonic figures. Unless you're displaying them in a large diorama, they don't look as good displayed as massed marching glossy figures. I'm more into the paegentry of the old
uniforms and the history of toy soldiers than figures that try to be realistic. Glossy figures just have a special something. Old gloss figures still bring in big bucks.

 

[Alexdakar]

I only have three sets of glossy sets. Two of them are K&C WS01 and WS04 but I have a glossy set from Nickolson toys soldiers WS-1. Does anybody own Nickolson sets?

 

[ucla1967]

I only have three sets of glossy sets. Two of them are K&C WS01 and WS04 but I have a glossy set from Nickolson toys soldiers WS-1. Does anybody own Nickolson sets?

I have 14 sets of Nickolson Indian Army which is his main area of production. You don't see his figures too often on eBay or at the two shows I attend. He does have a web site that I have run across before.

 

[sceic2]

While I admire glossy types, I was not drawn to the hobby until I found K&C the DD and WS series in acrylic matte finish. I looked at the K&C home page while doing a yahoo search for toy soldiers, after seeing some Britains on www.diecastdirect.com and thought they looked interesting.

At the time I had sold my HO scale setup and started on construction die cast. My HO set up was pretty large. I had about 40 locomotives and well over 350 rolling stock. I was using a basement room in my old house that was 30 x 20 and I filled it with track and dioramas of a rail yard in the 1970's specializing in BN. When I moved to my new house, I just did not have the room for such a large layout and since it was in boxes, I sold it to a fellow who has put it to good use.

Something about the more realistic appearance of acrylic matte finish compared to the glossy finish. Plus, the more detailed faces and uniforms with more attention to detail just seems to make my little heart go pitter patter where the glossy just don't seem to do it for me. I got my first set of K&C directly from the Hong Kong site and haven’t looked back. I am very, very pleased with this hobby and unlike some of my purchases I have no regrets. I hope that my enjoyment is infectious and that my son and my grandchildren will someday find the hobby as I have. I intend to leave them a lot of soldiers in my will. Michael

 

[ucla1967]

Carlos,

My answer to your question is a definite Yes. While I really enjoy the matte figures, I do not believe that matte figures are the be all and end all of toy soldiering. I presently collect both matte figures and glossy figures and I find each type exciting in different ways. For me to collect only one type of figures is to close too many doors on the expansive joys of collecting toy soldiers.

And,...if matte figures and action poses were not available to me, I would still spend as much on the glossy ones as I do on the total of what I currently purchase (matte + glossy).

Warm regards,

Pat

Couldn't have said it better, Pat.

 

[vandilay]

yes defenitly,I like both matte finish and glossy.I prefer the glossy figures for anything pre WW2 and matte for WW2 onwards.
although if a good range of matte WW1 figures comes out i may have to shift the goal posts a little.[charles biggs premier are some of my favourites for WW1]

regards Rob

 

[Louis Badolato]

I'm with UCLA1967. I love both the traditional glossy figures and the more realistic matt figures. They each have their place. The colorful uniforms and exotic locals of the Victorian Era look right glossy. The more gritty, graphic wars of the 20th Century call for a realistic matt finish. As Andy put it on one of the earlier incarnations of his ever changing website "World War II was just not a glossy war".

 

[Digger]

No glossy here. Matte + realism is what got me interested in these 54mm figures. If I hadn't dicovered Britain's, I'd be a little richer but I wouldn't have a collection either. Thanks Wm Britain.

 

[maddadicus]

I collect Edmunds Toy Soldiers ( ACW-Glossy ), Mulberry Miniatures( Napoleonics-Flats ), King and Country ( WW2-Flats ), Ron Walls Figures ( Custer, 7th ,Indians-Glossy )I think that answers the question, glossy early, flats lately...Maddadicus

 

[Fubar]

I like and can appreciate the glossy troops, I have seen some superb displays. Just not an aspect of the military miniatures I would put my hobby $$$ into but can understand why they are appealing to many people.I did buy 5 x 8 figure sets of Tradition 1815 Waterloo British line when I first started collecting a few years ago.Makes a wonderful square , but they are stashed away in their boxes.
FUBAR

 

[Chuck Harris]

I collect Edmunds Toy Soldiers ( ACW-Glossy ), Mulberry Miniatures( Napoleonics-Flats ), King and Country ( WW2-Flats ), Ron Walls Figures ( Custer, 7th ,Indians-Glossy )I think that answers the question, glossy early, flats lately...Maddadicus

Maddadicus

Is Mulberry Miniatures still in business? I was in their small plant in Southern England in 2001 they endured a flood and move to Wales and dropped out of site. They gave me 12 very nice 1:32 Black Watch figures. I have tried to locate them. No luck.