A Box of Commies

My weekend trip to Melbourne trash and treasures turned up a $30 dollars box of assorted mysterious toy soldiers. A substantial portion seem to have been made behind the Iron Curtain. Up till now I could boast about three or four figures of such origins so this was the start of a new collection.

The figures of communist troops vary in size from around 40cm upwards and are mostly flat or semi flat. There were a mixture of plastic and metal with the latter having almost completely lost their paint but with enough there to use as a guide to re-paint them.. I don't know if they were sold ready painted or if they were sold unpainted.

Flat figures have a long European history. They can look very action filled. As a child I had and still have some flat plastic cowboys and Indians that were very good at evading marbles if these were rolled or thrown at their edges but they went down like nine pins if attacked from the side. I always think a flat figure is somehow unfinished or just a step up from a paper cut-out. Nether-the-less these are starting to grow on me.

Also in the plastic box were three semi flat spring loaded cannons in blue or green. two of them could still fire and did so for a room length. The colours of the cannons matched the colours of some of the smaller plastic figures that were in action poses of dark blue and dark green. Both these 'sides' carried red flags. I think the manufacturer wanted to enhance playability with two distinct sides but couldn't bring himself to include an alternative 'capitalist' flag.

I liked the light blue figures in soft  peaked caps.

       

                                larger metal figures in front

                                         The two soldiers at attention have stars on their helmets.

                                      This is a nice cavalry figure but the horse lacks his tail.

                                          This large metal African woman has a cooking pot she is either trying to drench a sailor with or using it to capture him with. Her hideousness is unparalleled in my collection. (The sailor was already part of my collection).

 Here are some assorted flats, including Russian sailors, soldiers and a Prussian bandsman. and rounder 18th century soldiers - the latter being Prince August?

                                          Some of the larger Russians some of which are round figures.

                                            Cowboy lone Star  Medallion figure? Home casting of Airfix.

                                            a bunch of very uncollectable copies of Airfix and Matchbox.

                                      Mostly incomplete britains Detail figures. it is a shame that the Britains 8th army land rover figure has a broken brengun.

                  A nice tank, unfortunately missing some wheels and the tracks and also smaller than 1/32.

The home-cast copy of a Britains sailor was also in this lot and I have put it here for size comparison.