Tag: in this issue

  • BRITAINS 1880 CATALOGUE

    John Franklin

    1I acquired a copy of Britains 1880 catalogue in a bundle of other toy soldier paper items from an auction, no chance of discussing with the seller if there was any background. I have taken the copied four pages as authentic, with a clear Senior Britains signature similar to that seen on various occasions elsewhere.… Read more

  • COLLECTORS AND THEIR COLLECTIONS – CHARLIE SINEL

    Rob Wilson

    Beginner’s luckCharles Sinel’s serious toy soldier collecting began with a slice of luck. He spotted an advert in a local auction for a wild west display set which piqued his interest. Could this be an example of an unknown Marx Playset, like the other ones he had played with as a young boy? He was… Read more

  • FEIX AND THE GERMAN CONNECTION, AN EXCHANGE OF VIEWS

    Will Beierwaltes and Norman Joplin and contributors from other collectors

    Norman Joplin was intrigued by Will Beierwaltes’ article on Feix in the Fall 2023 issue. He wrote in to the magazine, pointing out that on page 56 of the Feix article, the Japanese Officer has his sword in the same position as the Russian officer in the picture he had found in the O’Brien Archive.… Read more

  • U.S. METAL TOY MFG CO.TIN-LITHOGRAPHED WESTERN WAGONS

    Will Beierwaltes

    Along with my treasured Marx Fort Apacheand Mineral City western playsets, I hadtwo marvelous accessory pieces thatcomplemented all the cowboys andIndians that filled my imagination andmy time. Although I didn’t know it then,these were the western stagecoach andthe Conestoga covered wagon producedby the U.S. Metal TOY MFG Company of149-57-33rd St. in Brooklyn, New York(see Figure… Read more

  • NAVAL LANDING PARTY GUN TEAM:WAS IT MADE BY REKA OR NOT?

    Richard Forrester and Norman Joplin

    According to our latest research, an early British naval landing party set with gun, initially identified by L.W. Richards1 as having been manufactured by the REKA Company, may not now be a REKA set. The figures in this set are rarely seen in the market, and most examples have paint obscuring any markings on the… Read more

  • AUCTION REVIEW – THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE JOHN RUDDLE

    Rob Wilson

    The passing of John Ruddle was reported in the previous issue. In December 2023, C & T Auctions in Broadstairs, Kent were proud to auction his extensive collection. John’s name and face will be familiar to many of our readers. He was one of the pioneer authors on the subject of Britains figures. His Collectors’… Read more

  • BRITAINS SET 19—THE WEST INDIA REGIMENT

    Bill Anderson

    Regimental Historical Background Founded in 1795, the West India Regiment were infantry units of the British Army, recruited from and stationed in the related British colonies, from 1795 until disbandment in 1927. In the 18th century, as the Empire grew, more soldiers were needed to garrison these new territories. The need was increased by the… Read more

  • WILLIAM FEIX TOY SOLDIERS: BRINGING THE EUROPEAN TRADITION TO AMERICAN-MADE TOY SOLDIERS

    William Beierwaltes and John Stew

    The toy soldier company named after its founder “William Feix” was one of the very first metal toy soldier manufacturers in the United States. Before progressing on to the history and production of this early American master, we should point out that most of the seminal research into William Feix has been done by the… Read more

  • ITALIAN SPACE TOY FIGURINES

    Luigi Toiati

    ‘Italian space figures are some of the most imaginative of the 1950s … most desirable and highly sought after for collectors’ – S. Mark Young, OTS Sci-fi movies and comics (and sporadically TV series) were very intriguing arguments in Italy to us children, relieved by the Marshall Plan, seduced by the American myth of the… Read more

  • ANOTHER AMERICAN DIMESTORE MYSTERY

    Stan Alekna

    I recently acquired the item pictured below because I knew that it was an unusual, seldom seen Dimestore figure, about which very little was known. I had no idea that gathering information about the piece would be so difficult. I have taken the liberty of assigning Bgx to the figure as the “O’Brien” reference number.… Read more