54 mm. plastic wonders

[Son of a gun-ner]

Don't talk to me about matchstick firing artillery,

I wasn't, I was talking to Eric. . . .


But while you're here, the lead soldiers you are talking about are a bit before my time. However, it wasn't that long ago that war gaming figure suppliers started producing lead free white metal soldiers, maybe at the turn of this century. Before, they used to have an age of 14 plus on the packaging while they still contained some lead. I must admit, I was surprised they contained lead for so long.
I do wonder with our present electronic gadget times whether modern day children miss out on some good fun like we had, or will they have equally fond memories. Although, most children have so much these days, will they have fond memories of an odd few toys that particularly stood out?

[silversurfer1947]

Britain's soldiers are still available, though the company has been American owned since 1993. I used to have a range of soldiers, back some 60 plus years ago. The lead ones mostly had their heads on matchsticks, but I also had a guards band and a large number of kilted Scotsmen made of what I think was an aliminium alloy. Sadly, these I have no more. They disappeared, courtesy of my parents, before I was old enough to appreciate their value. For nostalgia's sake, many years ago I bought a limited edition set of the Honourable Artillery Company, which I still have. They were made in England, and must be 30 years old at least, I think.

I have to say, the quality of the current figures vastly exceeds my figures, but they are painted in the old style.

Edit: They produce 2 ranges 54mm gloss painted, which resemble the old toy style, and 58mm matt painted which are more realistic.

[jarndice]

Don't talk to me about matchstick firing artillery,

I wasn't, I was talking to Eric. . . .



You may well have been talking to Eric but your terrible aim directed your spring powered Matchstick my way

[Herr Dr. Professor]

The Britains brand is now owned by Tomy.

Decades ago, my father told me that as a youngster in the late '20s or early '30s, he had a machine for casting toy soldiers (what he called "pot metal," possibly a zinc alloy). Egad, I wish I had that goodie! As a munchkin, I had plastic toy soldiers of the late '50s and early '60s. I fondly recall playing with them under a clump of three birch trees in my parent's front yard. I remember, too, that one of my soldiers was "killed," so I buried him under the trees. The next day, I couldn't find him. My father quickly explained "They move at night." (Even very young, I learned not to believe everything my father said.)

Many plastic soldiers I had are now being reproduced and new ones come along, too. One such company is, Victory Buy and the brand BMC, for which I forgot the URL above: https://victorybuy.com/. The company also bought out "Toy Soldiers of San Diego," TSSD, excellent plastic figures that caught my attention (and no few $$US ) about five years ago. The TSSD figures were also available painted, but I thought I might paint them myself. Somehow, however, they appealed nostalgically unpainted, and then they started reproducing "pop" (+$$US ) overnight. I live alone now, so some evenings I bring up a bag of toy soldiers, set up the coffee pot timer, and spend breakfast inspecting the troops. Ah, retirement is great!