My offering is a trip in the way back machine. The days before websites and data phones. Not super excited to date myself, yet here goes. Growing up in the northern midwest of the US in a small town we didn't have much contact with the gaming world. Either through comic books or games I obtained information of these little men and ladies for offer. Yet how to order them. I can remember you had to send a self-addressed stamped envelope to companies to obtain a catalogue.
Well, I can't even remember the company (must have been Heritage) other than it did come weeks later with black and white photos of "some" of the figures for offer. Well having devoured LOTR's and the Hobbit, these were what I sought. I can't even remember what I ordered other than I spent months of my paper route income on these fine figures. Painting never did come of it as girls, sports, and education seemed to take over.
Recently cleaning my hobby dungeon, I discovered a sandwich bag of figures. Obviously, lead and this prize was in the bottom mixed in with a number of reaper miniatures.
I present a Custom Cast figure for the planet of Arda. Tolkienesque
Research at www.miniatures-workshop.com lists the figure as a "Rangers of Ithil The Elite Light Infantry of the Forces of Order". The stamp on the base is Custom Cast 1975 (gulp). He is true 25mm as in the old days. He probably fought a few "Chainmail" battles unpainted. Now he can take his place in the cabinet.
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Hi Bruce - wow, this is quite the find! Well done! Even with modern communications at my disposal, I remain totally ignorant of the prior ranges of LOTR figures, so dominated is my mind by the big motion pictures and subsequent figures releases from GW. Very cool submission for Arda!
GregB