C is for Carded Combat Crew

More minters from Sandwon, or, at least near minters, nothing 60+years old is ever that 'mint', bags fog with a million invisible folds, cards fade or discolour from sunlight or bleaches in the paper itself, but these two have held up pretty well;

 

No brand and a blank back to the card, so no clue to producer/issuer, and 43p (maybe around 50¢ US, at the time?), if only such things were still 43p! It looks like it might be the same quality as the Rosebud one seen here before, but I couldn't manipulate it enough to see whether there was anything in the parachute cavity? But still a nice item to add to the collection

 

I think these might be by Hugonnet/Féral, but it is by no means certain, they come in several different generic header-cards, but always unmarked/unbranded, so they could be another operation?

 

A site crediting them to Hugonnet pointed out that they are Starlux copies with the heads turned, usually through around 90º, and you can see for yourselves, they have been given oblong bases.

S is for Shot on the Shelf!

A few shelfies which were a bit too big or pricey for Rack Toy Month, here; and I think they may have been shot over some time in three stores?

 

New 'Britains' farm sculpts from Tomy, shot at the Country Market store in the garden centre near Borden a while ago now, I don't remember the git=rl being in even the last tranche of real Britains, while the vet/farrier is a totally new sculpt.

 

While these are the latest iteration of mouldings over sixty or seventy years old!

But you wouldn't transport postpartum ewes, with both their lambs, AND a ram!

 

Just a bit of fun - sleepy-cat chopstick rests! Homesense, Farnborough.

Just the kind of thing which will be appearing in those charity shop bags of mixed scale/era/make figures, quite shortly I'd imagine! Jada Toys, I couldn't tell if it was a polymer figure or another of their die-casts with a matt finish? About 75mm? TK Maxx, and I'm tagging for Gaming and TV/Movie as a film is due in 2026!

O is for "Oojah-Cum-Pivvy"

Which is the word I've been searching for in past posts on this subject, as was also I searching for the name of the importer, who was the famous Shamus Wade, he went on to use the word/phrase for a range of lead figures made by/sold as Nostalgia Models, while the phrase itself has a very complicated etymology (in our family it's always been '[H]oojah-mah-flip'), well worth the crawl through the rabbit hole, and is currently the name of an alternative or 'indie' band.

One of the Oojah-Cum-Pivvy sets, as originally imported by Wade (while he was still in Ireland?), it was a part-set of these, my late Mother found in a charity-shop for me, which made the first post on the subject, and got me paying more attention to charity shops after a bit of a hiatus.

 

But this post has its own chequered history, as the images below are all from Brian Berke, and he sent them ages ago, around April '22, I found them in a folder at Christmas last year, and excitedly told him I'd found this folder with all sorts of stuff in and would move it up the queue, only for life to intervene - as it does - and they didn't get posted that Christmas or in the new year, and while there were quite patches, overall, last year was pretty prolific for publishing, they just never got the attention, so I had hoped to post them over this Christmas, and looked at them a few times, but in the end, it happened just now!

Brian spotted these in a little store in New York (I think, or Connecticut?), and as you can see it's an interesting collection of British imports (Britains and Hornby 'O' I think I can see), and domestic American production including a Comet Authenticast (? Grey overalls) and early Beton plastic, front-right. There's also a rather nice Indian-made chalkware, in the back-right corner.

Which was obviously from this lot, in a neighbouring compartment! And . . . we have a brand! Only the third I think for India, a shameful situation given it's a nation of over a billion, but it is mostly either this craft-stuff, or the more-commercial, imported Western/Hong Kong-China shite.

They appear to be made by Ramdass of Lucknow (I once lived in Lucknow Barracks in Tidworth!), are slightly larger than Wade's Oojah-Cum-Pivvy's and as mentioned, chalkware, rather than the terracotta of the musician sets. They each represent a given trade or function, which is written on the base in English and - probably - Hindi?
 

Here we see the marking, which is simple pen & ink, as per similar figures seen on the blog from both Brian and Adrian, I think. And they are probably decorated in powdered poster-paint, so you wouldn't want to be getting them damp, for two reasons - paint and material!

 

Three more.

The jeweller, before and after having his hand fixed!

Along with a scaler - they are a good 70/75mm, without the bases.

 

I've also had this in the folder for a while, it's an old auction shot (Bonhams maybe?), and shows what are 'composite' toy figures, also from India, being a mix of wood, wire, cloth and plaster or papier-mâché? I love the cushion ticking/fringe on the elephant's howdah!

F is for Follow-up - Deep Sea Divers

Mine wasn't Tresco, although looking through past posts on the Divers - Deep Tag, I do have one, however, by then I'd shot the ones I have here, and Brian had sent me a bunch of shots of his, so I raided the Divers & Submarines folder for a few carded sets off of that evilBay, and we have a quick post!

Two Tresco's from Brian Berke, old and new, with the Tobar one, still on the card, and which I know you could also find in Hawkin's Bazaar, as I saw it before I was collecting all scales, so at least 15-odd-years ago?

 

What seems to set them apart as two groups, whether copies or originals, Tresco versus Hong Kong, is that those from or after Tresco have a small 'pouch' like a binoculars case, on the chest, while the Hong Kong lifts have a longer, thinner case-like object you might find spare machine-gun-barrels in!

 

In the centre is what must be Tresco's last production, in bright yellow, while to either side are the ones with the tubelike piece of equipment marked-up to Imperial and Kingsway, a quick check-back to Brian's image, and you'll see all three are the same Tresco design, with the packet/parcel.

 

While all three of the ones I have here are the tube-design, which I'm calling Hong Kong, to which I added the giant 5" one we saw a while back, so you could see how giant he is! From the apparent age of the paler two, I suspect they may be earlier and the origin of the tube-design, changed from the parcel of the Tresco they were aping?

 

I should have shot that fish-tank one from Chris again too, but . . . next time! Divers are a bit of a favourite here, and we do return to them regularly! Brain also sent three individual shots, but as we've seen the subjects before, and they are in the above line-up, I put them in the folder to replace the three carded ones, against another of those re-visits!

 

There are some very interesting things in that folder, but I need to find more in context to Blog them with, and I have a feeling there's some on the old 'unknown' dongle? So we may return to divers sooner rather than later?

Q is for Question Time - Seasonal Subjects?

Right! So that's the Bird in, with a carrot and a parsnip and a red onion, it's had half-an-hour on 190° to soften everything, I've basted it, covered it and put it back for another half at 200°, then I'll get it out for a bit while I do the spuds, which I'll squeeze a white onion in with 'cos I ran out of room!

 

Tray prepped with pigs-in-blankets and some very posh stuffing balls because I nearly forgot them, and all they had were rather smart ones with rosemary and a cranberry crown wrapped in bacon! And I've added a beetroot to roast with them, while I sort the rest of the veg out! No leeks, I forgot leeks!

In the meantime, and assuming you've consumed the previous post in full (there's been two hits in half-an-hour - everyone who ate early is asleep in front of the fire!), here's a quick question mark . . . 

 

We may have seen these before in various posts, and at least one is probably from Chris Smith? Plastic on the left, Hong Kong, composition in the middle (with a wood-slice base) and an all-wood, erzgebirge on the right, but who, what, when, where and why?

 

The Hong Kong one (approximately 75mm) is holding a key, which here in the UK might make him a 21st birthday-cake decoration, but normally that's just a key, set in the icing, and he's more of a wizard or even a Santa'? The one in the middle is probably a Noah, but he looks a bit prophet-like as well, St Peter? And the lady on the right is probably Mrs. Noah, so it's the one on the left I'm really keen on more info' for? Any ideas, as you digest your Crimbo' feast?

S is for Seen Elswhere - The Italians are Coming!

I almost can't write for excitement, someone made my day earlier this evening, in fact he made my fucking year, it's like Christmas just came early, so a quick post on a few bits I've already posted elsewhere. Mostly Fontanini, but a bit of Garibaldi, all from the Roman Boot!

 

The Knights; We've actually looked at a pair of the larger ones and their Hong Kong blow-moulded clones before here at Small Scale World (which nobody follows - except everybody), but this bunch is, I think (I could put 'we believe' and then you'd really think I know what I'm talking about, huh?) a complete set of eight poses in the 75/80mm line with the same plug-in bases and silver wash over matt black.

Couple of close-ups showing the standard base and . . . errr. . . that's about it! They do all have date-captions, but I didn't think to write them down, so - another day! Lazy research, that'll be the problem!

Then, also from Fontanini we have Brain Blessed and his daughter, singing the Siegmund & Sieglinde duet, from Die Walküre at Bayreuth a few years ago! God knows, the fevered mind of Simonetti as he tried to finish a Commission while hallucinating with a particularly severe bout of gastroenteritis?

But Peter Evans, roving reporter for Plastic Warrior, reports either seeing or buying them from Hastings in the past, so they were a real thing! Aren't they charming? My piss-taking aside, Fontanini did a set of the Italian Commedia dell'arte, so a little theatricalise on their Normans (or Anglo-Saxons; it's not clear!) is to be excused, if not actually expected! I Really need to find the rest of this set!

The two Vikings are in the same size as the Knights, but with integrated bases, so you can see our Sieglinde (well, if she's not a 'she', he's a very pretty boy; no reading stories to kiddies in Florida, in that getup, mate!) is around 100mm in comparison.

Finally, a quintet of Garibaldini from Nardi, another Italian maker. I think they may be supposed to have red kepis, which, if they are, are obviously missing - I may have some spare Kinder ones I can force-on with a bit of horse-gum!

 

The same sculpts were used for Confederate and Union types and RCMP (as these, but no neckerchiefs and wearing lemon-squeezer hats), and possibly US Cavalry? These are a near 54mm. There were larger sizes of these as well, and compared to some of the dancing loons which came from that stable, these are quite reasonable figures.

F is for Follow-up - A Splash of Paint

A pair of rather colourful Astronauts now. This could equally be a 'T is for Two' post, but we have looked at one in detail, and covered the other in passing, in a roundabout sort of way!

 

So, first, the eraser Macro Nauts we looked at here, I have now found a painted one, which makes sense as they were made of that silicon rubber which makes crap erasers, just smudges the pencil and eventually splits down the weak-points, so, selling them as painted playthings would be an obvious step! I don't have anything on maker/brand or set yet, but I'll be looking!

While this guy is interesting because when we looked at the Kinder version, someone, elsewhere (of course), made a comment to the effect he 'thought' they were Azrak Hamway (AHI), but they weren't, although they are clearly copies, here's an AHI original, and he's about 75/80mm to the Kinder's 35/40mm!

N is for Not Phidal, Oh, No, no, no, no, no, or Not?

By which I mean I would happily put a small wager on these having come from the same factory and/or design team who work with or supply Phidal, but they are not sold as Phidal, but rather as total generics in blank packaging - some warehouse somewhere is shifting them to anyone who wants them, and there are several sellers on evilBay, and Amazon I think.

This is not to say they mightn't be clearance from Phidal, there were a lot of early sets about which I know little, as the style, painting and bases are all very reminiscent of some of the Phidal output we've seen here before, but they are unmarked and direct copies (pose wise) of a Disney Stores 'exclusive' set (which are marked), which suggests unlicensed knock-offs? A third near-identical set exists, with metallic painted figures.

How they arrive, six heat-sealed pockets in a rolling double-sheet which is then cut and stuffed in another vacuum-packed bag, causing the warped bases on what are otherwise quite substantial figurines; and a hideous carbon footprint, and they are a little larger than typical Phidals at around 65/75 mil.

When I say "unmarked" I mean they don't even have a '©Disney', which is a pretty good sign of some Chinese (they don't have 'China' either!) ner'do'wellness! But they are nice for what they are and will go OK (not necessarily perfectly, but 'OK') with the larger Marx and other more modern figures by Bully, Kaiodo, Schleich etc.

Those unmarked bases, just for completeness! As hinted at above, the packaging will likely leave one or two requiring some hot-water reshaping. And you may have noticed; the Cheshire Cat's a peculiar colour . . . that's never going to make a Bagpuss!

W is for ♪♫♪ . . . We're the Gnomes From America, Woo'ooo-hoo!

. . . We're the Gnomes from America woo'ooo-hoo, we're the Gnomes that any'body can buy . . . dah, dah, dah da'da-darh . . . dah, dah, dah da'da-darh - whoo-hoo! ♫♫♪

As you may have guessed, these were also in Picasa, courtesy of Brian Berke and waiting for 'Ger'nome' day; no, it won't become a 'thing' here . . . merely occasional! In-stores now, that side of the pond; I'll be looking out for them in Poundland, it's the most likely destination here . . . and I don't doubt Peter E will be on the look-out too!

I think that Fairy Garden is the brand-mark, Forest Figurine the over-brand, but with the Greenbriar/DTSC partnership of respectively; US/Canadian importers, claiming for them, they are both probably phantom-brands?

And, throwing back to my point about the naming of the gnomes in the first post; these are being called 'Fairy' even though Disney's Snow White would recognise them as Dwarves, and I think they are classic Gnomes.

Also there are marked differences in size and painting between the see-saw pair and the three stepping-stone menders (I assume that's their occupation from the Fairy Crossing title), but they look like gardeners! So they seem to have been sourced by the two importers from more than one maker (or - at the very least -  two catalogue lines?).

Many thanks to Brian.

B is for Broken Blind Bags

They're broken because you can see the contents!

In the news all the weekend just gone, as there was a major competition in the US (New York?) with millions in prizes - I shelfied these in the Works, where the full range (including the 'really rare's) all seem to be on clearance, I don't know what they cost first time round, but they weren't cheap enough for me to 'invest'!

Five-packs, I think I've seen two different ones, but in different stores! Figures are about 75/80mm, I'm not farty enough to get the tape-measure out in a discount store . . . although as I don't carry a tape-measure that would be hard to do, even if I was farty-enough!

Two-packs are more affordable, yet more expensive at £2.50 per figure against the two-quid of the five-packs. I know nothing about Fortnight, but have seen various references of it in the media to know it's one of the big games (online?) at the moment, and presumably these are the better-known thirty-six or favourite download characters/'skins'? 

The single 'blind-bags' which aren't, are the most expensive way to purchase them, but the easiest way to fill-gaps, clearly the marketing model is for you to purchase the five-lots, then the pairs, then finish off with the singles, but - if you are tempted - I'd look for the 'rarest' first wherever they are (one is in a twin-pack), as they will be in smaller quantities, then grab the commoner ones later!

The whole set; the image embiggens to reasonably large - but a bit blurry - if you click on it! Epic-PMI/Kids Works-Sinco Creations, that's how it is these-days, with this stuff; licenses within licenses!

A word of warning though, if you are tempted, but are also an ethical buyer, these may be made in china and licenced to various intermediates, but ultimate profit channels-back to an Israeli firm.

F is for Follow-up - Polish Production

I mentioned the other day that a lot of stuff gets credited to PZG which probably never saw the inside of their workshops and this post is in some way to explain that point, while clearing the smaller samples from my Polish WWII/Soviet-era tubs, most of these are described as PZG somewhere on the Internet.

Stating with a scaler/sizer, we have the Airfix Cold War troops at either end of the top row, struggling to be 54mm at about 52-mil! Inside-one on the right is the full-on 54mm WWII Russian from the same maker, with two of the PZG's from the previous post - the rest are to be looked at below and vary from around 55 to 75mm, bases having a lot to say in the final height though, with 56mm as a starting point.

60-mil with base, but actually the smallest at around 55mm foot-to-crown, these are PZG, and I suppose (like 'assume' Erwin, but a different word, just for a change!) they may be an earlier incarnation by dint of a slight finesse over the chunky based ones, and the fact that they seem to turn-up less often?

Bearing in mind what Gisby said in the comments section of the previous PZG post, these appear to be copied from the Airfix HO/OO (1:76th) scale set! Which also dates them to no earlier than 1964; probably a year or two later.

Base mark, I've dealt with the PZG in the past; Polski Zwiazek Gluchych (Union of the Deaf or 'Polish Association for Deaf People'), the ZSP is an abbreviation for - in Polish - Zwiazek Syndykalistów Polski (Polish Syndicalist Association), which seems to be a second tier of bureaucracy, some collective/state function? I think it's a bit like our putting a 'Royal National' in front of Institute [of the] Blind to get RNIB, or RNLI for the Lifeboat Institution?

The largest are these 75mm prone figures, and the odd thing is no standing or based figures to go with them? Except, I think I may have the standing figures in the still missing box of Eastern Bloc flats, along with another BRDM-type like the ones we've seen here previously, which means they are probably Centrum not PZG?

Plastic Colours also match those Centrum AFV's, along with the flattish nature of the prone poses, the actual 'flat' nature of the upright troops and the AFV's and the fact that their material is cleaner (or 'purer') than the insipid, striated, flaky re-grind and recycled off-cuts PZG tended to use.

Now, these are interesting, I think they may also be Centrum, due to their semi-flat nature, size and the mould-release pin marks, but I don't know for sure. The second-largest at 65mm and carrying the same yellow paint on their bases PZG are known for?

What they depict is equally interesting, it's hard to tell from the sculpted-blob whether it's a soviet style paratrooper badge, Polish paratroopers (most likely) or a UN peacekeepers globe and wreath, if paratroopers it might mean they are Russian production, but the Poles did partake in several UN missions before the 'wall' came down and continue to, so it would be nice to think that's what is depicted here?

[At time of posting - Google suggests they are polish paratroopers Iin UN berets, WITH the polish cap-badge, which is just perfect!]

The Bases; the two central, evenly spaced release pins are similar to those on the Centrum AFV set, but under collectivisation, different toy firms would have been getting tools from the same machine-tool firms!

This chap is very interesting, and the only one I've found of the type, if you didn't know better or if the base was a glue-on, you'd be forgiven for thinking 'Bloody hell, un-documented, rare as rocking-horse shit, Malleble Mouldings khaki infantry figure?'

Sadly the base IS attached as part of the moulding, and the paint points East! But where in the East? . . . your guess is as good as mine . . . but someone knows?

With the leggings/puttees and helmet I'm thinking Czechoslovakia, Hungary or Rumania . . . Bulgaria . . . maybe; one of the lesser Soviet satellite-states anyway, but big-enough to have their own toy-production, over-and-above Russian imports? People use the Airfix Italians as Rumanian troops, from the puttees; so Rumania seems likeliest?

Two orphans, probably both PZG, the radio operator is in blue plastic under the paint, but has a late (?), solid, thick PZG type base, while the harder plastic, cruder-sculpted bazooka-man is less obvious - being baseless - and looks familiar, but I can't place him . . . cut-n-shut of the US Infantry bazooka and kneeling firing 2nd version Para' from Airfix?

Base comparisons of some of the above figures.

Three more which turned-up elsewhere; must have been from the November show in Birmingham 2011, and went straight into storage in the wrong 'zone'! All PZG, but one's a 60+mm against the two standard 54mm's.

The larger guy's base in  a third or fouth variant of PZG's and the second hollowed-out type, with a clever PZG-ZSP with the zed used twice! The 1 - 2 will be a production code or batch number or something equally insignificant, I doubt it's a '1-of-2'!