As usual, at ACOTS swap-meets, I bought more figures than I sold or swapped. I don't mind and actually prefer beaten up (but not fragile) figures that I can repair for wargames or just ones I like the look of. I don't have any qualms about repainting and converting old broken hollow-cast figures and they will not always be restored to their former appearance but to something else.
I bought a great number of figures from Steve and a bag full from Larry's $1 bargain boxes. Damo was nice enough to gift me a small box of leads including an interesting mix of civilian and military figures.
BELOW: Star Wars figures
Blue French figure in Adrian helmet. I never saw this figure before, but it will make a good engineer of artillery figure.
This strange steam punk looking craft I bought/swapped from Brian.
Hat Napoleonic Brunswickers
Saluting hollow-cast British figure and slid home-cast WW2
A better picture of the saluting figure and a variety of headless figures. I like getting ones like this as I have plenty of spare heads and arms.
Some of the figures are semi-flat home-cast ones.
Smaller scale hollow Indian which will be repainted and added to my small collection of such figures.
Semi-flat animals that I'll repaint in semi-gloss or gloss
These hollow-cast Indians will get repaints.
Another pic of semi-flat animals and civilians with a nice little tree. The lovely dog is a fully round figure.
Solid, apparently home-cast, Boers
Britains RAF probably re-painted, skillfully, in original style. I especially like the officer with pipe and coat on arm. I already have a civilian version.
I picked up these Britains Detail Napoleonic cavalry for a reasonable price. I'll add them to my existing figures, but I don't have enough yet to make full units. I might use them as bodyguards or staff to my fantasy country generals.
I like the solid Timpo ACW cavalry. These are cheaper version copies. The hats have low crowns that also make me think of 'zorro' hats so they could be painted as Mexicans.
The Roman is a chess piece, but I like the pose with head leaning to one side. I aim to cut off the cumbersome base and add a longer sword.
As a child I had the Hong Kong copy but not the original Cherilea strongman but now I have the original.
Timpo Action pack Napoleonic cavalry and a BMC George Washington. I aim to make a unit of 'George Washingtons'.
The green figure is a Hat Napoleonic dragoon. I don't know the brand of the ACW cavalry.
Copy of Cherilea Little John
Unknown, chunky, coffin
Cheapo crossbowmen to add to my existing units
Another pic of Star Wars figures. I like the blue alien.
Nice variety of civilians
Two plastic WW2 figures that look like plastic versions of metal figures
Cherilea WW1 Indians in good shape except for the paintjobs that I'll strip with pine wash, The pirate is Hing Fat.
Hat Brunswickers: Like other Napoleonics, they will become part of my fantasy armies
Timpo Arabs that will be turned into Abyssinians/Lionians. There is also an interesting Indian and an incomplete metal Queen Elizabeth.
Italeri Saracens that will be added to existing units
Italerie Mongols to be added to existing units
The figures survived over 1000 kilometers two days hitchhike, between Adelaide and Melbourne, in my backpack, as I decided, for reasons of my own, to not wait the extra days for my return flight. That included three very good rides and also several hours walking and standing, in 30C heat, on the side of the road and camping out at Bordertown in a motor clubhouse open veranda. As my backpack was primarily devoted to toy soldiers, I lacked sleeping bag or mattress and so used scavenged cardboard to sleep on and to cover myself! It was too cold, at night, to sleep. But at least the backpack was not very heavy as most of the figures were plastic.
It was a long time since I hitch-hiked that far, but it showed that at 65 I am still in relatively good nick! I reckon a lot of other blokes my age, trying to do that, would have a heart attack. My daily swimming regime and healthy eating helps.
My benefactors included a boilermaker who drove me to Bordertown, a couple of Afghanis who drove me to Horsham and a New Zealander house painter who lived in Melbourne and was visiting his girlfriend in Adelaide. Sam once was homeless for two years in Queensland where he lived under a tree. We had some very interesting conversations. He picked me up at Horsham's outskirts and dropped me off in Melbourne at my intermediate destination before I got a train the next day to Gippsland.
Those Star Wars figures reminds me of the 54mm 'Star Wars Command'-line from Hasbro. I think their base had another shape though.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to read how your'e going to use you new minis.
Q, that really is quite an adventure. In Britain, most of us are turned off having to travel over 30 minutes to a convention, lol. What a wonderful haul of figures too. (Are you willing to disclose how much you spent at the convention? You are tempting me to acquire some more toy soldiers, but I'm working on some wood/card gunboats for my 54s again.)
ReplyDeleteMichael G. Butterfield
I did not keep good track of expenditure. Fortunately, my travel expenditure was close to zero as I had travel credits and points from American Express I used on my flight tickets. I also got some travel credits back when I did not use the return ticket. My train and bus travel was free on my Seniors Card.
ReplyDeleteI sold about $40 worth of figures and also swapped some. I might have spent around $300 on toy soldiers. I tend to buy with a focus on what I can convert, repair and paint for wargames rather than individually expensive showcase figures that will just sit on a shelf. I also like to add to existing units and series.
Well Q, have purchased a bag of old plastic figures, they will hopefully arrive in a few days. It's your fault! Very mixed, very broken, but useful for conversions. I will upload photos when they arrive. It included six W. Britains white fences, which made the £9 particularly worthwhile. But the figures are not on a par with your recent gains, hence the low price. Regards.
DeleteMichael
Yes, I am always being blamed for something! I wear it like a badge!
DeleteOld plastic figures can be problematical. Some plastics wear better than others. One of the ironic things is that HK copies of English figures have been less prone to brittleness than the originals. Britains Detail also are close to indestructible as they are made made of tougher plastic.
If figures are brittle, then coating them with PVA or Modge Podge helps to keep them intact. I wargame with most figures and I had a couple of old Timpo Action Pack that had to have legs or arms glued back. I added extra support such as green Stuff grass, cloak or rocks.
Old Hollowcast have survived seventy years or so and, when repaired might well survive another hundred years or more. The thing with damaged figures is I am not going to have any hesitation about using and transforming them, making them look even better than original finish.
Anyone driving from Melbourne to Adelaide will be looking at the best part of the day, maybe 12 hours. I find sitting that long hard on my back and also tedious. I don't normally hitch that far, though and that was a little strenuous with a backpack and waiting long periods between lifts. That was a last minute and impulsive decision.
ReplyDelete