YOUR ultimate toy soldier collection (1 Viewer)

[HistoryfortheAges]

If you were able to create YOUR ultimate toy soldier collection, what would it look like? Which eras would it include? What manufacturers would it include that currently produce figures in that era? What style of figures would you collect in each of your collectible eras?

This is what mine would like like:

Napoleonics: First Legion matte, Tradition gloss (Had to cheat on this one as I like both matte and gloss figures and it's my favourite era by far!)

American Civil War: Britains/Conte/Collectors Showcase matte (All mix well together)

French & Indian War: John Jenkins matte

Zulu Wars: Britains matte

Ancients/Medieval: Aeroart/First Legion matte

Sudan: Britains matte

American West: ??? matte (Nothing yet available in the marketplace for me)

World War 2: K&C matte (Note: Interested in but, I don't collect WW2 because it would mean big trouble with so much available and directly cut into my preferred collecting eras)

 

[Alex]

every 10/10 figure produced by arsenyev studio

that's it !

Alex

 

[Louis Badolato]

Every hand made vehicle and aircraft, be it wood and metal or resin and metal (classic King & Country), Tinplate (Heco Tinplate Models), cast metal (Trophy, Bengurion, CJB Models, Tommy Atkins, Toy Army Workshop, Yeomanry Models), and the accompanying 54mm and 60mm figures addressing 20th Century Warfare (WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Iraq and Afghanistan) as well as late 19th Century warfare where modern technology was first used in warfare (like Steam Engines in the Boer War).

 

[johnnybach]

My ultimate Collection will include everything that I have collected to date - and everything that I have collected on the day I go to meet the great toymaker in the sky. Being a Magpie collector - and a painter of castings - I buy anything and everything that catches my eye and I like, regardless of time or uniform.

It would therefore, be impossible to state EXACTLY what my ultimate collection would look like - as I simply don't know where my Magpie eye will rove next!

As I paint my own (mostly), just an illustration of something is enough to set me off thinking, "Now how could I do that??"

As an example, I have recently seen pictures of the old Britains Set 131 - which was their largest ever boxed set, first made in 1906 - and contained 275 figures. Now THAT box has got me thinking that very same question. I do know some producers who might help me get rather close to the look of that particular set - so the germ of an idea is beginning to form in my head - once again.

Uh- oh, this could get a bit expensive - even in castings form................ would look fantastic though......................................johnnybach^&grin

 

[Mitch]

I have many HB AFV's so, in that respect I have the ultimate toy soldier collection IMO. While debates rage between other manufacturers I have yet to find anyone who has had a bad word about the armour this company made.
Mitch

 

[Napoleon1er]

Napoleonoc:
-Matt: Large Britains redoubt with 95h from Britains, Frontline, FL, ATS, Niena, and CS and foot artillery from Frontline, FL, ATS, JJ defending with French dragoons (K&C, ATS, Frontline) and foot artillery (FL, K&C, Frontline) attacking.
-Matt: Full Hougoumont diorama with Britains, Frontline, FL, ATS, Niena, St. Petersburg, K&C. This includes a full Coldstream Light company, 2 line companies, 2 companies of 71st, 2 companies of Nassau, 2 1st guards and 2 3rd guards. Attacking is a French light battalion and a line battalion.
-Matt: Diorama of the charge of the 4th lancers v. Black watch. using Britains, Niena, and K&C. Horse artillery are in the squares.
-Matt: 3rd lancers and line infantry v. royal dragoons, Scots greys, 92nd Highlanders (Britains, FL, K&C, ATS, Frontline- a huge line battalion, Niena)
-Matt: a huge French camp scene with K&C, Britains, Les Etains de Prince, and ATS. Also a battery of Guard artillery and some grenadiers marching.
-Matt: Spanish coastal fort, French dragoon occupied castle, British landing ships, some rockets, and geurillas and 95th. (Gunn, ATS, Frontline)
-Gloss: A Giant British parade in London with ATS and Britains
Gloss/Matt: Some indoor scenes with ATS and Les Etains de Prince
-Matt- Egypt K&C+ATS guys reasearching, whiles some ATS and Manes Marziano plan an attack on them
-Matt: La Haye Sante using foam scens, ATS, K&C, Frontline

Sudan:
-Matt: A British coastal base, defended by camel corps, RM, RN, rifles. AND THE Gun Boat (Britains, JJ, Armies in Plastic, Manes Marziano

Modern:
-Gloss: A parade with all of Britains modern coaches

Durbar:
-Matt: Britains parade lined with Britains, Foamscenes, JG buildings with the Britains parade stand in the center populated by K&C Sons of Empire.

WWI:
-Matt: A stretch of trench using Britains, K&C, ONWTC



-Sandor:salute::

 

[Arnhemjim]

Being both a traditionalist and a realist as well, I would opt for the actual collection of vintage W. Britains that were acquired by Ed Ruby. James Opie cites the collection as the most definitive of any Britains collection he has ever seen. I had the extreme good fortune of visiting Ed and his wife several years ago before he had divested the collection at auction. Among other unique and definitive pieces he had somehow acquired was the original working brass prototype of W. Britains Set 1522 4.5in Antiaircraft Gun. Enough said!
Arnhemjim
Arizona Territory

 

[VIRIATO]

Gloss: all the sets made by Imperial, especially Napoleonics.All the Tommy Atkins Jacobite rebellion.
Matte: all First Legion and Aeroart, Arsenyev, Kolobob Rome and Crusades sets. Britains Sudan (checking it out, stiff competion in...gloss, from Imperial but also from the extraordinary Soldiers of the World range and the very extensive-includes a Nile boat...-Little Legion range-should have them all really).
ACW: all Tedtoy, Shenandoah and William Hocker sets, in gloss, with an eye on the rising First Legion sets in matte.
WWI: all Britains Premier, most of the Fusilier, Trophy and Wilson Edward in gloss.
Napoleonics: first and above all Imperial Productions, then the matte kings, First Legion.
FIW: Britains Redcoats (all), John Firth painted Tradition and selected Tommy Atkins sets, all in gloss.
Cant' have it all though...{sm4}

Paulo

 

[kogu]

I consider myself very fortunate to have found my ultimate Toy Soldier collection.
It started in the August of 2008 when I responded to a service offer by fellow forum member "beating retreat".
John Firth showed some figures in his "Superior Gloss" style on his website and I got hooked on them immediately.
Since then, the figures I receive from him are now displayed in their own curio cabinet and they will stay there and be appreciated until I have to call it a day in this life.
I also have figures from various mfrs, both matte and gloss, but that is always a game of "come and go" for about 10 years now.
With a budget at a certain limit, something has to go before new stuff comes in.
Konrad

 

[Dragoon]

I'd try to keep it simple.

All the different Napoleonic sets made by IMPERIAL, AND a long wishlist of what they could and should make for that era.

All of John Jenkins 18th & 19th Century collections - But in a ''superior gloss'' finish.
Since they don't come that way, I end up doing it myself.

 

[VIRIATO]

I'd try to keep it simple.

All the different Napoleonic sets made by IMPERIAL, AND a long wishlist of what they could and should make for that era.

All of John Jenkins 18th & 19th Century collections - But in a ''superior gloss'' finish.
Since they don't come that way, I end up doing it myself.

And beautifully at that!

Regards,
Paulo