News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events; Saturday 7th March - Friday 13th March (unlucky for some!) 2020

No rant today . . . actually [thinks about it for a second] two rants;

One;

Where the fuck was the nice week they promised us on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday? Every weather report, over last weekend,  was the same; "A few showers clearing the South East on Tuesday and the rest of the week fine and sunny", so muggin's-here takes a few days off to do the garden (as he had forewarned his loyal readers) and IT HASN'T STOPPED RAINING! It's sunny now - of course - but it's show-dates Friday and I'll be stuck in the library, doing this!

A complete washout and I could have posted some Blog stuff, still; at least it's dragged the show reports out a bit! Speaking of dragging-out show reports, as soon as I took a few days off, so did he; as I had pointed out he does, only the other day . . . well, fancy that!

Two;

Corvid-19 is killing fewer victims - as a percentage of positive tester's - than normal, seasonal flu, yet the UN, the WHO, most governments and the entire media are hyping it up to be the end of the world? Which - if it does a better job of crashing the global economy than the half-hearted attempt at doing so the Bwankers had twelve years ago - it may well prove be, or at least; be the beginning of!

Apparently there's a shortage of empty shipping containers in the US (big, metal boxes), while the ocean-going bulk-ore carriers which usually cost tens-of-thousands-of-dollars-a-day to hire, are currently, frantically, looking for customers willing to hire them for only $2,000-a-day?

Sainsbury's and Waitrose ran out of loo-roll, tissues, wet-wipes and kitchen-roll on Wednesday and started running short of milk, today (Friday) the radio has reports of shortages of milk, bread, pasta, meat, rice, tinned-goods and the aforementioned paper-products . . . there are just over 100 cases of Corvid-19 in the whole Union! That's 2 cases per-county, or one case per-six-constituencies.

It's like people are getting ready for the apocalypse! Get mild flu symptoms, probably, sometime, in the next three or four months, maybe, and you're gonna' shit, blub and wipe surfaces for Britain! These are the people who are expected to save the planet from themselves in the next ten years?

They can't even save themselves from reacting to Tabloid shite! And . . . by piling into the supermarkets against their normal routines, they are only contributing to the possible spreading of the virus wider, quicker!

Capitalism isn't working . . . it's not working at the micro level; where, down my local, pot-holed high-street, an endless stream of 4x4's and crossover people-carrier/AFV's are swooshing an endless stream of climate-change puddle-water at pedestrians, it's not working at the macro level; where globally, the skies are going quiet for the third time in modern history, also the third time since the year 2000?

Lucky we've got toys to buy, huh? Calendar's picking up and there's lots on this weekend if the 'upstart crow' allows them to go ahead!

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Check all event dates/times before travelling - the idiot-virus could strike!

Toy Fairs

Saturday 7th March 2020

Herne Bay - SRP Toyfairs

The Kings Hall, The Beacon Hill, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 6BA

Web. - http://srptoyfairs1.co.uk/

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

(One of Gerry's bigger shows)

Nottingham - Townsend Toy & Train Fairs (Malcolm Townsend) - Nottingham Toy Fair

Bluecoat Academy, Nottingham, NG8 5GY

Web. - www.tttf.co.uk

Mob. - 07951 072 790

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission unknown, accompanied under-16's free

Light refreshments

Free Parking

Plymouth - Events Frontier - 'Devcon 20' Sci-fi and Comics Convention

Plymouth Guildhall, Guildhall Square, Plymouth, Devon, PL1 2AA

Web. - www.eventsfrontier.com

eMail - eventsfrontier@hotmail.com

Mob. - 07508 548 938

Hours unknown

Admission fee unknown

Worcester - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs

Perdiswell Leisure Centre, Bilford Road, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR3 8DX

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01270 652 773

Mob. - 07825 631 323

10:30 - 14:00hrs

Admission £2, free parking

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Sunday 8th March 2020

Doncaster - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'Doncaster Racecourse'

Doncaster Exhibition Centre, Leger Way, Doncaster, DN2 6BB
Web. - www.bpfairs.com
Tel. - 01604 846 688
Mob. - 07966 527 177

Fax. - 01604 771 070
10:30-15:00hrs
Admission - Adults £4, Seniors £3.50p, Children £1, 'Early Bird' (from 8 a.m.) £10
Plenty of free parking

Great Bentley - R & G Toy Fairs

Village Hall, Plough Road, Great Bentley, Essex, CO7 8LD

Tel. - 01206 251 351 (Gary)

Tel. - 01255 473 509 (Richard)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission £2.00, under 16's free

Free parking, refreshments

Walsall Wood - Transtar Promotions (Geoff & Linda Price)

Oak Park Active Living Centre, Coppice Road, Walsall Wood, Walsall, West Midlands, WS9 9BH

Web. - www.transtarpromotions.com

Tel.- 01922 643 385 (Geoff or Linda)

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £1.80p, seniors £1.50p, child £1.00

Refreshments

Wimborn - David Rees

Queen Elizabeth's Leisure Centre (Sports Hall), Blandford Raod, Wimborne Minster, Dorset BH21 4DT

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01202 590 158

10:15 - 14:30hrs

Admission charge unknown

Free parking and refreshments

Worthing  - SRP Toyfairs

Charmandean Centre, Forest Road, Worthing, West Sussex, BN14 9HS

Web. - http://srptoyfairs1.co.uk/

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

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Tuesday 10th March 2020

Hook - Steven Clements Fairs - Hook Evening Fair

Hook Community Centre, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 9NN

Tel. - 01380 725 322

Mob. - 07958 101 891

eMail: clementfairs@aol.com

18:30 - 21:30hrs

Admission £1

Free parking

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Auctions

Saturday 7th March 2020

Lymington - Lymington Auctions - Toys & Collectors Models

Emsworth Road, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 9BL

Web. - lymingtonauctions.co.uk

eMail - admin@lymingtonauctions.co.uk

Tel. - 01590 679 487

Sale Starts 10:30hrs, Viewing from 08:30hrs

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Monday 9th March 2020

Ledsham - UK Toy & Model Auctions Ltd.

Craxton Wood Hotel, Parkgate Road, Ledsham, Near Chester, Cheshire, CH66 9PB (venue)

46 Wirrel Gardens, Bebington, Wirrel, Merseyside, Cheshire, CH63 3BH (offices)

Web. - www.uktoyauctions.com

Tel. - 01513 343 362 (Barry Stockton)

Tel. - 01270 652 773 (Tony Oaks)

Catalogues £3.50p from office address

Die-cast, trains and toy soldiers

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Wednesday 11th March 2020

[Runcorn] On-line Auction - British Toy Auctions

The Auction Centre, 9 Berkeley Court, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1TQ

Web. - www.britishtoyauctions.co.uk

eMail - enquiries@britishtoyauctions.co.uk

Tel. - 01928 579 032

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Other Events

Thursday 5th - Sunday 8th March 2020

Glasgow - Ayewrite - Creative Craft Show

Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow, Scotland

Web. - www.ayewrite.com

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Saturday 7th March - Sunday 2nd August

Hancock - Great North Museum - Other Worlds: The Art of Atomhawk

Great North Museum, Hancock, Barras Bridge, Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Web. - www.greatnorthmuseum.org.uk

Fantasy, platform-gaming & digital art and design

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Overseas Events

Tuesday February 25th - Saturday May 2nd

Clinton Township (USA) - Lorenzo Culture Center - Let’s Play! Toys, Games & Culture

The Lorenzo Cultural Center, Center Campus, Macomb Community College, 44575 Garfield Road, Clinton Township, 48038, Detroit, Michigan, USA

Web. - https://www.candgnews.com/news/toy-game-exhibit-comes-to-mcc-117111

Sun/Mon. - Closed

Tue's & Thur's-Sat's - 10:00-16:00hrs

Wed's - 10:00-20:00hrs

Sub-events

Thursday 12th March / 13:00hrs - Little Armies: A History of Toy Soldiers and Miniature Civilian Figures

Saturday  21st March / 11:00hrs - Yo-Yo Tricks (with the founders of Yoyotricks)

Saturday 4th April / 11:00hrs - Cube Day Macomb

Friday 17th April / 13:00hrs - Plastics and Progress: Baby Boom Toys

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Friday 6th March (today) & Saturday 7th March 2020

Jackson (USA) - Antique​ & Flea Market

Jackson County Fairgrounds (Keeley Park), New American 1 Event Center, 200 West Ganson Street, Jackson, MI 49201, Michigan, USA

Web. - https://midmichigansupershows.com/antique-flea-market-show

10:00-17:00hrs

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Saturday 7th March 2020

Deitikon (Switzerland) - Dominique Durussel - General Toy & Train Fair

Stadhalle Deitikon, Switzerland

Tel. - ++0793 283 200

Fletcher (USA) - Asheville Doll and Toy Show

WNC Agricultural Center, 761 Boylston Hwy, Fletcher, NC 28732, North Carolina, USA

Web. - https://www.wncagcenter.org/events/2020/asheville-doll-show

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Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th March 2020

Reims (France) - Patrick Estrade - Die-cast & Toy Vehicle Fair

Parc des Expositions, Reims 51, France

Tel. - ++0681 696 010

Salon de Provence (France) - P. Ottonelli - General Toy & Train Fair

Esapace C. Trenet, Salon de Preveance 84, France

Tel. - ++0490 531 379

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Sunday 8th March 2020

Amay (Belgium) - C.A.J.A. - 54th International Swapmeet (General & Toy Soldier Fair)

Ancien Gymnase, 1 Rue de l'Hôpital, Amay 4540, Belgium

Web. - www.caja.be

eMail - cajacollections@gmail.com

Tel. I - ++085 315 009

Tel. II - ++0497 040 558

09:00-13:00hrs

Bad Cannstatt (Germany) - Dr. Rolf Theurer - Doll, Soldier & General Toy Fair

Kursal, Ban Cannstatt, Germany (venue)

Wiesbadenerstrasse 74, D-70372, Stuttgart, Germany (promoter)

Web. - www.theurers-spielzeugmaerkte.de

Tel. - ++07 115 590 044

Fax. - ++07 115 590 054

11:00-15:30hrs (local time)

Bonn (Germany) - Jurgan Hörner - General Toy & Train Fair

Stadhalle, Bad Godesberg, Bonn, Germany

Tel. - ++022 747 060 703

Dublin (RoI) - Brian Collins Enterprises - 'Collectables Toy Fair'

Collinstown Suite, The Carlton Hotel, Dublin Airport, Old Airport Road, Cloghran, County Dublin, Republic of Ireland (Eire)

Web. - www.briancollinsenterprises.ie

Tel. - 00353  879 827 712

[Findable on Facebook - Brian Collins]

Admission "Small charge"?

Faitiat (France) - Amateurs de Jouets Anciens - General & Toy Soldier Fair

Espace Georges Brassens, Faytiat 87, France

Tel. - ++0555 002 386

Kirchellen (Germany) - Brauhaus am Ring - International Toy- and Dollshow

[Formally: Wittringen Toyshow]

Kirchellen, Ring-80 - 46244 Kirchellen, Germany

Web. - www.toyshow.de

eMail - kantakt@brauhaus-am-ring.de

Tel. - ++492 045 959 000

11:00-15:00hrs

Neuville-en-Ferrain (France) - Kiwanistn - General Toy Fair

Espace Rocheville, Neuville-en-Ferrain, France

Tel. - ++0781 801 201

Olten (Switzerland) - Oltnerboerse - Toy Fair

Stadttheater/Konzertsaal, Olten, SO, Switzerland

Tel. - ++0627 914 289

Soultz (France) - Nef des Jouets - Doll & Bear Show

M.A.B., Soultz 68, France

Tel. - ++0389 743 092

Wheaton (USA) - TrainShow.Com - Train Show

DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton, IL 60187, Illinois, USA

Web. - http://greatmidwesttrainshow.com/

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Monday 9th March 2020

Brummen (Netherlands) - E. Bouwman - On-Line Auction (General Toys)

Veilinghuis Bouwman & Bouwman, Saturnusweg 6a, 6971 GX Brummen, Holland

Web. - www.veilinghuisbouwman.com

eMail - info@veilinghuisbouwman.com

Tel. - ++0575 560 393

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If you are an event promoter/show curator/auctioneer and you want your toy, model, collectable, military, historical or popular-/youth-culture type sale/exhibition/event listed here -    FOR FREE    - or linked to; please eMail me -

maverickatlarge[at]hotmail[dot]com

- stating the date/s of the event, address of event, contact details, opening/viewing times, admission pricing and any other relevant facts/details or features - parking, travel notes, disability access, availability of refreshments, event subject matter &etc. And a link; if the event or your organisation has a web-page.

And please mention any flyer-art or poster-/leaflet-scans but send by separate eMail, in case they go to the 'junk' folder, from where they can be recovered and marked safe, but only if I know they're there!

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Links

Interesting and thought-provoking - https://onezero.medium.com/the-future-of-archeology-is-plastic-80fc689161de

Times' on Premiums - https://www.timesleader.com/features/757754/remember-when-little-extras-came-with-soap-and-cereal

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H is for How They Come In

These six were a mix of 20p and 50p each (along with the next chap) and consist of three poured-resin woodland wildlife, two Kinder Gnomes and a little tiger who resembles Tigger, but isn't credited to Disney, I think it may be an older HK thing which goes with the black cats, brown bears, pink pigs and green frogs of similar make-up?

ELC; I've had a few of these fantasy medievals go through, one or two staying, one or two going to 'recyce', usually due to chewing-damage!

I seem to recall shelfying these NPW place-markers last winter/spring (2018/19) at some hideous cost from John Lewis/Waitrose which no sane person would pay, but they turned-up in a charity shop for 99p!

Pretty Boys! But they are clearly loyal to each other and can be used in a circus, so bit of a bargain really! And if they weren't on tip-toe, they'd be an almost perfect 54mm, near-naked and easily posed with hot pins/glue, so they might be useful to figure modellers, as manikins, too?

I can't work out if these are poured PE-resin or poured slip-ware, they are solid, and beautifully tactile, but it's not clear under the fine finish what the base-material is, neither is it  clear whether that finish is a matt paint or a matt glaze, and I'm not going to try scrapping them to find out!

I also forgot to note the makers stamp (which would help with material/construction clues) before I put them away (I've been doing lots of sorting; instead of gardening/Blogging), but we'll look at them again when I do Polar Bears at some point!

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This Week I Are Bin Mostly Sortin' . . .

Ready-made aeroplanes!

And Helicopters!

Actually I've had a huge sort-out of the civilian figure stuff, army-men, ancient/medieval, Ceremonial/historical, scenics and other stuff as I went along, I just happened to remember to shoot the 'planes! Mercifully; also a lack of 'cat-action', because some of this stuff is as brittle as hell!

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Other Stuff

This was an odd one, the shell's clearly a shell, 'shell' is used for the punning tabloid headline, yet they keep referring to it as a 'bomb'

It's also clearly empty, so it seems to be fuckwittery all round, from the fencers, the army and the newspaper . . . I'd have taken it home and cleaned it up with a rust treatment! 155mm or tank's sabot-less AT-round (that cinched waist)? Where the rust's chipped-off it has a strange granular texture which could be tungsten or some special alloy?

I think it's relatively modern, not WWII and somebody (in the Armoured Corp)'s probably lucky it didn't hit the house!

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News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Show Dates; Saturday 15th - Friday 21st February 2020

It's not that I've responded to my brain-dead, thoughtless, grey critics and halted the 'Friday Rant', it's just that one really doesn't know where to start . . .

Both Boris and Trump just get worse; Boris's reshuffle yesterday only proved that they still have no Brwreakshit plan and are just as riven within the party as they ever were. Which is doubly ironic as the right-wing press has highlighted the many shades of squabling on the Left for years while ignoring the multi-facetted Tories, who have - since 1979 - been slowly killing the 'great' in Britain even as they claim to be the party to revere it!

While Trump won a 'trial' where he was able to withhold both evidence and witnesses, while a senior judge from the Supreme Court sort of shrugged his shoulders and intimated it was "Nuffing to do wiv' me guv!" and half the senate ignored their oaths, intimating that their bible bashing is about as devote as equally tub-thumping paedophilic-priests'.

Meanwhile the now-dubbed Corvid-19 seems to be only killing Chinese (which must have those on the Right warming to it), and while it looks to have been over-hyped, has now killed many more than SARS and MURS put together and we have no idea what it's doing or going to do in Africa? Still, even if it gets out it'll only kill around 2% of the population (140-million), which is a lot of bodies to dispose in a year or two, but it isn't enough to save the planet!

More interesting is the likely economic harm, especially to both Trump and Boris's plans, which were/are reliant on some sort of status-quo, not a shutdown-meltdown in global travel and logistics!

As always; toys will sustain us with feelings that all's-well . . .

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Toy Fairs

Saturday 15th February 2020

Beconsfield - Toy & Train Fairs (Peter Levinson)

Beconsfield School, Wattleton Road, Buckinghamshire, HP9 1SJ

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01282 051 518 (Peter or Diane)

10:30 - 14:30hrs

Admission charge unknown

Oxford - Richard Atkins Fairs - Toy and Train Collectors Fair

Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1AB

Web - www.toytraincollectorsfairs.com

Tel. - 01869 347 489

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission unknown

Refreshments

Free Parking

Reigate - SRP Toyfairs

Rigate Collage, Rushworth Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 0QF

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

09:45 - 13:15hrs

Admission charge unknown

New Venue - New Show

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Sunday 16th February 2020

Buxton - Barry Potter / BP Fairs

The Octagon Hall, Pavillion gardens, St. Johns Road, Buxton, Derbyshire, SK17 6XN

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

Fax. - 01604 771 070

10:30-15:00hrs

Admission £3.50 (early-bird £6, from 08:00hrs), OAP's £3, Children £1

Ditton - SRP Toyfairs

Ditton Community Centre, Kiln Barn Road, Ditton, Kent, ME20 6AH

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Exeter - Bulldog Fairs - 'Westpoint'

Westpoint Arena, Clyst St. Mary, Exeter, EX5 1DJ

Web. - www.bulldogfairs.com

eMail - bulldogfairs@aol.com

Tel. - 01373 452 857

Mob. - 07917 125 641

10:30 - 14:30hrs

Admission £4, each under-16 free with adult, 'Early Bird' £10 from 08:30hrs

St. Ives - J&J Fairs (J&J Webb)

'One Leisure' St. Ives, Burgess Hall Events & Conference Centre, Westwood Road, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, PE27 6WU

Web. - www.j-jwebbtoyfairs.com

eMail - jandjfairs@virginmedia.com

Tel. - 01522 880 383

10:00 - 14:30hrs

Admission - Adult £3.00p, seniors £2.50, 1st child £2.00p

Where the cats and the sacks and the wives came from, not Cornwall!

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Auctions

Tuesday 18th February 2020

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (1st day of a four day auction)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

Sales commence at 10:30hrs

Specialist die-cast sale

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Wednesday 19th February 2020

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (2nd day of a four day auction)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

Sales commence at 10:30hrs

Specialist die-cast sale

Washington (W. Sussex) - Tooveys

Spring Gardens (Garden Centre), A24 Lay-by, Washington, West Sussex, RH20 3BS

Web. - www.tooveys.com

eMail - auctions@tooveys.com

Tel. - 01903 891 995

Catalogue online

General toy sale

Specialist die-cast sale

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Thursday 20th February 2020

Sheffield - Shefield Auction Gallery

Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB

Web. - www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com

eMail - jmorgan@sheffieldauctiongallery.com

Tel. - 0114 281 6161

14:00 - Finish

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (3rd day of a four day auction)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

Sales commence at 10:30hrs

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Friday 21st February 2020

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (last day of a four day auction)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ

Web. - www.vectis.co.uk

eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk

Tel. - 01642 750 616

Sales commence at 10:30hrs

Toy & model railways & trains

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Other Events

It's half term this week so there's a whole lot of interactive stuff for kids going on, things related to our subjects (which you should be brainwashing the next-generation of collectors into at an early age!) include;

Beeston Castle - Crafts at the Castle - english-heritage.org.uk

Chesters Roman Fort - How to be a Roman Soldier - english-heritage.org.uk

Cutty Sark - Meet the crew, take the wheel, family trails - rmg.co.uk/cuttysark

Hampton Court Palace - Kids stuff - hrp.org.uk

Horniman Museum & Gardens - Permian Monsters - Life Before the Dinosaurs - horniman.co.uk

Jodrell Bank - Space Crafts - jodrellbank.net

RAF Museum - Interactive exhibition (7 years and over) - rafmuseum.org.uk/whatson

Tower of London - [Junior] Knight's School - hrp.org.uk

York - Jorvik Viking Festival - jorvikvikingfestival.co.uk

Most run from this Saturday (15th February) 'till at least Sunday the 23rd of February, but check websites for full details. And there will be loads of other things going on, check the local press, or what's left of it!

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From Thursday 13th February (yesterday) until Sunday 17th May 2020

Edinburgh - Royal Botanic Gardens - Think Plastic: Materials & Making

Royal Botanic Gardens, Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, Scotland

Web. - rbge.org.uk

Art & Science of plastics, recycling and sustainability

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Sunday 16th February 2020

Basildon - Discover Dolls - Doll Show

Holiday Inn Basildon

Web. - https://www.thedollshow.co.uk

Tel. - 07725 562416

Porthcawl - MGM Fairs - Dolls, Bears and Miniatures

Grand Pavilion, The Esplanade, Porthcawl, Wales, (it's not a marine mammal Mr. President), CF36 3YW (venue)

Linnet Lodge, The Village, Wembworthy, Devon, EX18 7RX (promoter)

Website - www.mgmfairs.co.uk

Email - enquiries@mgmfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 07818 462448  

10:30-15:00hrs

Admission - adults/seniors: £2.50, children: 50p

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Overseas Events

Saturday 15th February 2020

Kissimmee (USA) - Regal Railways - Toy & Model Railroad Show

Colombian Club of Osceola County, 2000 Neptune Road, Kissimmee, FL 34474, Florida, USA

501 East Bay Drive, Apt. 1503, Largo, FL 33770, Florida, USA (promoter)

Web. - http://regalrailways.com/regal-railways-upcoming-toy-and-collectible-shows-sale/

Tel. - ++17 272 441 341

09:00-14:00hrs

Admission, $5.00 children under 12 free, 'early-bird' $7.00 (reserve between 08:00-09:00hrs)

Vendors and exhibition model train layouts, antiques and crafts

Lunch Available

Sunday 16th February 2020

Woodstock (Canada) - Collectors Shows - Ontario Toy Show

Web. - http://www.collectorshows.ca/Shows/TOY_2020-02-16.php

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Missed

The Model Engineer Exhibition which was apparently held at Alexandra Palace, London 18/19th January . . . nobody told me, so I didn't know, so I couldn't tell you! Lovely stuff on display though; I'll try to remember to look out for it for next year.

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Message

If you are an event promoter/show curator/auctioneer and you want your toy, model, collectable, military, historical or popular-/youth-culture type sale/exhibition/event listed here -  FOR FREE  - or linked to; please eMail me -

maverickatlarge[at]hotmail[dot]com

- stating the date/s of the event, address of event, contact details, opening/viewing times, admission pricing and any other relevant facts/details or features - parking, travel notes, disability access, availability of refreshments, event subject matter &etc. And a link; if the event or your organisation has a web-page.

And please mention any flyer-art or poster-/leaflet-scans but send by separate eMail, in case they go to the 'junk' folder, from where they can be recovered and marked safe, but only if I know they're there!

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Stadswatch

Let me see if I understand this right . . . last year I announced the show dates (on a Friday, in a show dates post) only for TJF to be 'reminded' by a third-party a few days later? Correct? Yeah, correct. This year I announced the show dates (on a Friday, in a show dates post) only for TJF to be 'reminded' by a third-party two days later? Correct? Yeah, correct.

Last year I got my overview out in (and after waiting for-) a Friday 'News, Views . . . ' before TJF, despite then being accused by Stadinger of 'dragging it out' (while my father died). Correct? Yeah! Correct! This year, after waiting for a suitable Friday 'News, Views . . . ' I got the overview out two-and-a-half weeks before the JF! ALL correct!

AND; after his grandiose announcement of forthcoming full coverage of all three Western shows (for the second year running), and his pompous justification of his criticism of me . . . what did we get - in a less than 'timely manner'? For the second year running . . . well "a damp squib" doesn't do it justice!

A damp squib has form, can be held aloft, and dried or re-lit from another match, what we got was the remains of a dropped-blancmange, after it has been scrapped out of a door-matt, no more than a dirty, wet stain. Pertaining to only the one show, it contained a few catalogue images and not much else!

Currently I'm on my way to 20+ Toy fair tags with many more to come and - as I think you will agree - from what you've seen; it could all have waited! That Papo guardsman, for instance; was announced last year, I never got round to doing the Papo posts (for reasons we all now are familiar with) so I have 80-something-odd, year-old images (including the guardsman) still to use, or add to this year's (only took 13), and the guardsman's only just appeared in the catalogue? And wasn't on show on the day - either year, so . . . NO urgency!

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Corrections & Clarifications

Meanwhile I also pointed out three weeks ago that he was copying me or reacting to what's happening here at Small Scale World more than ever, and his response has been three weeks of intermittent posts, most of which seem to refer to recent activities here!

I also suggested he '...had nothing' and most of his output this month has been not shitestuff, but otherpeoplesstuff! You can't keep denying you're a dealer not a collector and then fail to produce more of your own stuff.

1986, 2001, 2006 and current ranges + feebleBay scrappings

In the cause of which derivative, reactionary, dust-sitting there have been three very questionable attributions of stated Chinese-produced stuff. The Tak Shing from Dittmann was the most likely to be accurate, but it's a name like Smith. there are dozens of Tak Shing's in both Hong Kong and China of which several work/ed in toys, one trading as Millifield International Ltd., another as Wellegant Development Ltd, yet, with no empirical evidence given for the attribution, we don't know which Tak Shing he's referring to, thus it wasn't terribly helpful.

The second attribution was so vague (Dildobreath I think? or was it Sell? I wasn't paying much attention) and equally lacking in sources as to be useless and they've both made-stuff-up in the past, while TJF's own post on Hing Fat contained material which had never seen the inside (or outside; in passing) of a Hing Fat factory, and he knows it . . . but - like the other two - it didn't contain any empirical evidence for the attribution anyway!

They are making it up as they go along, so my criticism in the autumn which caused TJF such anguish stands; they are now damaging the hobby . . . and one of them is a University Professor?

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Toy News

Hasbro

Totally contrary to what you might have read on Shitestuff recently, Hasbro have published their figures for the Christmas quarter and they are good, profits were up on the back of Star Wars merchandise and Elsa-dolls, while revenue was kept healthier by spending less on Advertising, which is an interesting, counter-intuitive development - advertise less; make more!

Coincidently; one of the outcomes of the Corvid-19 outbreak has been a questioning of the future-use of conferences and trade shows!

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Dinky

A Dinky truck (pre-war Pickford's) is due for auction on the 5th March at Charterhouse Auctions (no, me neither, I'll try to find it all in time) and is expected to fetch £2,000, after being purchased for four-quid! Dated to between 1934 and 1936, and having white-rubber tyres in pretty good nick, it was found in a charity shop!

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Mattel

The toy-giant is launching a set of construction blocks made from 'renewably sourced' and 'sustainable' plastic, interesting monikers as they mean it's neither recycled, nor - necessarily - recyclable? It isn't bio-degradable either? They will be branded under the recent Mega Bloks purchase. They are 'bio' and will be in the Sainsbury's/Argos group's stores, first in Europe. Definitely one to watch?

Further to the previous Barbie stories (recent SSW's passim), Ken-doll is getting red-hair.

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Lego

Always in the news, this time it was a puff-piece in the Metro showing-off an International Space Station model with 864 pieces which actually looked very good. How stable it is I don't know but I'm guessing much use is made of Lego-technical nylon rods to stiffen everything? It's the best-part of £70, mind!

Far more interesting is the number of votes for a Starbug model from Red Dwarf on the Lego Ideas website, it needs 10,000-votes to be considered and has 3,000 already with 600-days of voting still to go.

Lego have also lost one of its executives, Jean-Jacques Van Oosten (previously Lego's Chief Digital Director) has left to return to his former employer's B&Q (Kingfisher) - he clearly has more faith in Brwreakshit than I do!

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Hornby

Joining Hasbro in poo-poo'ing Stadinger's pronouncements of gloom (twice in the last month), the Margate-based group of companies including Airifx have posted better than expected returns for the Christmas quarter, with higher sales and profit margins! They also announced that their chief-investor is extending their credit limit.

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Numismatics

Dinosaur 50p pieces are to be issued to celebrate British paleontology, they will not be put into general circulation  but will be available to collectors from the usual outlets and anodised coloured ones are also on offer - Iguanodon, Hylaeosaurus (kind of spiky kerthunkersaur) and a megalosaurus are the stars.

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Hawkins Bazaar

Had stated their stores would stay open while the wind-up was processed and they looked for a buyer, but I can confirm that local shops have all been closed (and empty) for over two weeks now.

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Model Village

Wimborne Model Town & Gardens a 1:10 scale model village you will not be surprised to learn can be found in Wimborne Minster, Dorset, has had a make-over for the summer, with a gang of volunteers turning out on the 28th January to replace doors and windows, mend roofs and spires, spring-clean and paint, if you're passing this summer it might be a worthwhile detour and a nice break in a long journey, can't be far off the dreaded A30 'caravan-park'

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H is for How They Come In

A busy week on the 'H is for . . . ' front, with all sorts purloined from various charitable emporiums in Fleet during the course of the week, but with a wet Saturday it was a longer buying-week, and I suspect I've been missing out on stuff on Saturday's when I tend to avoid the town?

He's from the standard 6" range, but I couldn't resist a new-colour R2D2, even if he's probably got a different number-title? He has two fold-out tools at the front for connecting with Death Stars and opening-garbage compactors or mending reading-glasses, and a hook-grapple-rope which comes out of his back, brilliant!

Poured-resins from The Works, the mermaid is different to the one we've seen previously I think, while the sloth is a different colour to one I already had which may not have been on the Blog yet? The others are all-new and are being cleared at £0.50p.

Two bags of 'ings, some Moshlings, some I don't know, the right hand lot are like the Disney ones which came in a year or so ago, the left hand bag is a mix of actual Moshlings, sucker-based things I still haven't got a name for despite the fact they've been coming-in for some time now and late Gogo Crazy-bones with the strange triangular plate on the bottom? there's tons of this stuff out there and I will do a few over-views one day: Zings, 'kins, 'lings and 'mings etc . . .

A third bag had some Phidal stuff (older I think; around 54mm), four standard mid-line Gogo's and two other small collectables!

The dinosaur seems to be a solid leg variation of the hollow-ones we looked at the other day, while the Gau (?) is a CHINA-marked variation of the old Blue Box model, usually in gray, the Blue Box MADE IN remains, with the china over-printed where the Hong Kong used to be, so probably still Tai Sang, for a rack-toy contract.

The kerthunkersaurus has a pointed tail?

I found this on the floor in the main shopping-precinct and thought it was a fancy-fairy caterpillar to begin with, then I realised it's a fancy-fairy unicorn! Very soft, almost-foamy, silicone-rubber.

Three AFV's at 20p each, the truck is brand-new, the tank may have a bit of age, but is China-marked while the semi-deform, pull-back motor Elephant/Ferdinand SPG seems to be a variation of an old Chun Shing toy (image to the right dated 1986 - that's empirical evidence PSTSM!), the running gear is the same, the barrel might be (both the plastic components) but the superstructure (die-cast) is different/has been changed.

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Other Stuff

Interstellar

I recently watched this movie and can't understand why it's not better known, I know it deals with complex theories and philosophical consepts so you have to follow every word, but it's a fantastic movie, like 2001 A Space Odyssey, but for the dying-planet generation, everyone should watch it.

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Posting

I've got nothing ready for Sunday and/so Monday will be a late PM post, with probably a rushed 'News, Views . . . ' on the forthcoming Vectis four-day'er, which I've not received from them yet.

If these storms pass and we get some nice weather, I'll have a few days off to sort the garden out, so be ready for radio-silence at some point in the next few weeks!

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This Week I Are Been Mostly Sorting . . .

. . . China-marked vinyl smallimals! And that's the second box in three-weeks Girly-girl hasn't jumped in and this one was small enough to force the corners, so she may be sickening for something . . . or lulling me into a false sense of security?

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