S is for Seen Elsewhere - Blue Box Brit's

This weather is draining, and we've taken on a bunch of new postcodes at work, so 90+ miles in a shift, and then home to a too warm/humid room, has reduced my desire to wrestle with word-smithery or image manipulation, but there are still two posts, one each, from Peter and Chris, to come, when I get round to them - it's supposed to be cooler next week!

 

It's funny, on the hottest May day ever recorded (until the next day!) I delivered to a smartish family, two polite kids, attractive couple, nice house, BMW in the drive, they had two office-type fans on stands going, and through the patio windows I could see a two bay gas-fired bar-b-que, I would imagine, they also have a patio heater, for when records aren't being broken, and aspirations to a bigger house and maybe a wee swimming pool . . . They just don't get it, we are literally at risk of going extinct within the lifetimes of people reading this, but let's get more fairy lights in December - Burn baby, burn!

 

Anyways, here's some stuff I put up on a Faceplant group I was on, a couple of years ago, or through '21-24? I can't remember now, probably one was shot and held for a while and the other two were dated 2024;

 

With help from Chris, in one of his more general donations, was a specific gift of the Blue Box mine-detector, as he knew from a previous conversation, or post, that I didn't have a good one! Thanks, Chris!

 

This is the 2021 shot, and as you can see, a distinct lack of operational mine-clearers! Also, the caption became dated when Chris sent me the following image, from his own collection . . . 

 

Which clearly shows two tranches of paint-job, with the probably later set having the brown of the weapons/webbing, replaced with the same black of the boots - to reduce unit-costs, I would imagine? And I think the last time I looked at them there was a third unpainted plastic colour, so a possible 30 to find!

D is for Donation - Peter - Military

So, to the 'meat and two veg' of a toy soldier Blog (really I like to think we are a ' toy soldier, model figure and novelty' Blog!), with the chaps (and occasionally, chapesses) in Khaki, and it's always a mix of rack-toy rusk and quality seed!

 

A trio of odd figures, with what looks to be a Cofalu/x 60mm-copy to the left, solid head, rather than the plug-in of the original, a kit figure GI, Monogram or Revell? and a chunky Matchbox clone.

 

Originally Ackerman in the UK, these have now been seen in various configurations, and associated with various brands, and as generics, in two sizes, we looked at them here;

 

https://smallscaleworld.blogspot.com/2019/08/f-is-for-follow-up-to-some-stuff-we.html

 

with a link in that post to an earlier one, but more variants have come in, including other paint-ways, so a further sort-out and more definitive post will happen one day! It's the figure set which also, sometimes, comes with those big B/O tanks.

 

Miller's grist, the grayer ones might be Boley or similar, the greens very generic, and the reds very modern, and probably only ID'able from shots of carded or bagged sets shelfied, or downloaded from evilBay/Amazon etc.

 

A common set of modern (age and depiction) sculpts, many variants exist, and they will be looked at in detail another day, we have had the odd poke at them, already!

 

MPC clones, several variations of these, both from domestic US makers, and Hong Kong pirates, I tend keep two of each marking/colour variation, and put the rest in the swaps pile, but finding the right accessories is the hard bit!

 

Again, lots of variety in these Matchbox clones, not all ID'd yet.

 

More modern stuff and some old HO/OO Airfix bits.

 

The five same-colour figures are Fishel's unique mouldings, possibly worked off, or contributing to, their own US Police/SWAT set, and I think the brighter green chap is theirs too, but both the prone figures are unmarked. He looks a bit Speznaz, Afghanistan

 

Three generations of Hong Kong/China piracy; with the 1950/60's Tim-Mee in front, a 1970/80's Airfix clone to the right, and a modern (1990-2000's) to the left. A Blue Box GI with bayonet fitted for Jap-bashing, and a very good version of the Britains Swoppet clones, usually poor quality with the mortar bomb looking more like a kitchen implement or sex-toy, here it's well moulded, and the figure has a more substantial base . . . new to collection, I think?

 

Airfix original (damaged) and Hong Kong clones, almost certainly one of two apparent versions from Rado Industries (Ri-Toys).

 

Three tatty and paint-stripped Lone Star paratroops, could be useful spares or a future painting project? That peculiar mix of WWII battle-dress and 1950's 'futuristic' EM-2 Bullpup rifle, with overdramatic officer!

 

These are nice, probably from a big-box Chinese-manufactured play-set, and similar to some parachute novelty figures around in the last few years,. They're big at around 60mm, the chap in the right is more Russian in styling. Slava Ukraine!

 

Marx. Hard polystyrene plastic, 45mm, not the first found, but same pose . . . So, must be a Swansea thing? Possibly an accessory for a vessel or vehicle set? And might be related to the yellow one here;

 

https://smallscaleworld.blogspot.com/2012/07/l-is-for-late-thanks-to-blogger.html

 

Mostly Shing Hing (S.H. marked), with a comparison shot of the modern sculpt above, and an older Airfix figure in the upper/first shot.

 

 

Two mixes of modern/current production from various sources, copies of copies, of copies, in the end they get so poor they look more like Fantasy skeletal figures (back row, yellowish) and within set, often reference more than one other donor set! But all valid, and one-of-each, eagerly sought - 'for the record'!

So many thanks to Peter for finding some of them, and he's already eMailed me, with news of more finds.

C is for Catalogue Cluster

Variously taken from the 1972, 3 and '75-79 catalogue scans the other day, they are sort of eye-candy, but mostly low-res, or not that clear, so to draw the curtain on the recent miniseries, and to get them off Picasa, here they are with a few notes, and in no particular order!

 

Larger playsets.

 

1st version Americans, with 2nd version in the boat, but they seem to have been given 1st version German helmets! I refer you to my previous comments on art-departments m'lud - muppets!

 

Ist version in the box, 2nd version outside the box! Americans again. It's not clear what the Bren-carrier crew have on their heads, but I think it is British helmets.

 

This shot was reversed in the 1976 catalogue, obvious from the red beret!

 

Window boxes.

 

Big beast, post-war British Chieftain Tank it was also issued in German grey, along with this one in a big-box play set, it's expensive when you find it, and rarely complete!

 

More art-department shenanigans here, some of the bases are wrong!

 

A bit silly, the Centurion turret is underscale and won't go through tunnels!

 

More art-department shenanigans here, some of the bases are wrong!

Have I already said that?

 

I think this is a mock-up too, the kneeling guy doesn't look right in the card-art, or in the blister?

 

That's it, I could have done a few more, but the effort of cropping them all was a faff!

 

 =============================================

 

Later the same day - 

 

I've added the Timpo paratroopers to the Parachute toy page, which you can find here;

 

https://smallscaleworld.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_14.html

E is for Eye Candy - British Vickers MG

Seen elsewhere, a year or two ago now, there's a whole bunch of these for box-ticking, so they can be February's theme! If the Timpo figures were 'pocket-money' toys, these accessory vignettes were high-day and Holliday treats, usually requiring a little financial input, from an adult!!

 

Getting across the weight of the thing, quite well, the 2nd version Timpo British Infantry with their section-support weapon, technically a medium machine-gun (.303, same as the rifleman's round) or infantry machine-gun, it was redesignated a heavy machine-gun in WWI when the Owen came in as a light machine-gun (also technically - or by today's standards - a medium machine-gun), becoming a medium machine-gun, officially, for WWII, although it remained bloody heavy!

 

***      **    *    **      *** 

 

Many years ago, maybe 1969, or 1970, I fired one, and nearly broke my jaw! Dad, who had little regard for regulations, and was Commandant of the Infantry Battle School at Brecon, thought it would be a good idea to wake the garrison with machine-gun fire on the 50m pistol range at the back of the camp, so had a Vickers set-up, and my Brother and I got to fire a few rounds each!

 

I can remember it was a cold, foggy morning; that clinging, Black Mountain mist, thickened with coal-smoke from the chimneys of the town, and still quite dark, and as I fired the thing I coughed and nearly caught my face on the shuddering body.

 

The SNCO who was with us, managed to get across his concerns about the whole performance, while doing whatever Dad told him, but Dad thought it was all highly amusing . . . It was an unconventional childhood, especially in those Wales days!

 

Strangely - fifteen-or-so years later, also at Brecon, while looking for something mundane like shovels or sandbags, we found (me and a couple of mates), in the POW Div's storeroom, a US .50cal, heavy machine-gun (in anodised silver?! A presentation, or demonstration piece?), just leaning against the wall, it didn't seem to have a cradle or tripod, and we just moved it out of the way, but that was a two-man lift, for two fit young men.

C is for Closer Inspection - "Staff Parade, You 'Orrible Man!"

Normally I do a pretty good job of demilitarising December or Christmas, as best I can, but this year I don't seem to have made much effort in that direction whatsoever, with the TAG, Tente and this afternoon's Highlander, among others, and here's another, but at least it's ceremonial!

 

I also usually try to answer comments with some alacrity, although the odd one escapes, but the 'Unknown' commenter from the 19th November might be feeling a little chagrined that I have not answered his comment, which was suggesting that the - probably - egg-timer guard from Chris's parcel, was Eyes Right, not the Deetail I'd suggested.

 

And the reason I didn't answer was because, while I thought I'd called correctly, equally, his comment seems so sure, I questioned the attribution, and wanted to check the piece, and make sure, rather than argue the toss! And it seems we both have a point, but he (the commenter)'s more right than me, however we are also both wrong!

 

I'd called Detail for three reasons, it looked vinyl, and when I squeezed the legs (off camera last time), it was confirmed to be soft, PVC vinyl; it was standing at ease/easy, which I didn't remember ever being an Eyes Right pose; and he has an SLR, which I didn't think the Eyes Right had, but actually they did, it was the Marines and Middlesex (and Glosters!) etc, who had the Lee Enfields, 'at the slope', the Guards did have SLR's 'shouldered'.

 

If you bent an Eyes Right figure's legs like that now, they would snap like carrots! And the hole for the mounting-spigot is moulded into the figure, not drilled. Also, the figure is very, very sticky!

 

Having dealt with the SLR I have to concede the arm spigots and the head, both bear more than a passing resemblance to the Eyes Right figures, which leave the pose, this is a Deetail pose, the Eyes Right were marching, at attention or at Royal Salute, weren't they? Note the sun-fading on the outward-facing jacket.

 

Welp, Vectis says "No"! There are two figures in this set at an easy 'At Ease', I think they are unique to the set, but stand to be corrected, however, it would seem the figure/pose is from the Eyes Right stable, but equally, it's a complete piracy, from Hong Kong, neither Deetail, nor Eyes Right.

 

A very good one I might add, and taking the best of Eyes Right (the sculpt) and Deetail (indestructible material), but, nevertheless, a copy, and from that mid-seventies period, when Hong Kong's PVC output tended to weep sticky-shit, after, often, quite a short time!

 

And this isn't really a Question Time post, we'll probably never know any more about such an ephemeral figure, possibly supplied in bulk to a chalkware manufacturer, who may have been over here?

 

I think the friction plug for the figure may have been duplicated to hold the egg-timer on to the side, and I guess, the hunt is on for a better one, which may have a label on the base, and give us more to go on?

 

So, that's my answer to your question, Unknown! And thanks again to Chris for the questionable imposter!