Toy soldier show posted this on twitter. A massive 250,000 figure collection will go up for sale on April 28 at Wessex Auctions. From the photos I have seen there is a lot of plastic.
Here is the link.
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/hundreds-thousands-toy-soldiers-collected-1467846
If some one got hand all that x about the start price is a big gols mine.
To investment and sale it is.
But I think will go split in lots too.
Best
Most of it looks like fairly common stuff but it will be interesting to see it in more detail when the catalog goes up at the weekend. It’s well timed for dealers to stock up before the Plastic Warrior Show.
Off the links and videos around in various internet sources so far i can barely see close up of few hundred maximum figures of better known brands .
But if are indeed 250 000 figures there will be plenty huge space for much more and far than any common stuff in my opinion.
Now i notice too there is plenty planes ,armor ,vehicles ,tress ,castles ,bunkers else that may increase much more value.I hope they split it in lots or they may loose a lot as auctioneer .
An expert in specific toy soldier should get involved in this too to help value
my thoughts ….
The auctioneers estimate there will be 300 lots, I think a lot of it will be 1/72
Here is another look at the collection Lots of what I see are 54mm.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5633631/Military-toy-collection-250-000-figures-sold-10-000-owner-died.html
No only that but it shows a lot in plastic too.
I red too most figures are in 2″ or up with some taller in most lots.
Not much talking about HO or smaller scale either.
Will love see inventory but of course that x auctioneer only.
Interesting the person looks like was an italian and not that old too.
Best
If the auctioneer has given the correct information on the lots to Brian Carrick it is going big lots of figures. We will know more once the auction list is published.
I haven’t spoken to the auctioneer, my comment was based on this quote in the article “Most of the soldiers stand between one inch and two inches tall”
If the auctioneer estimates 200/300 lots will fetch £10k then roughly 1,000 figures per lot will need to make £350, that looks very reasonable but I don’t think many UK collectors will shell out that kind of money for stuff they’ve mostly already got. The planes and vehicles will be another matter, of course.
Very sad for the family but what great enjoyment Mr Mazzotta must have got from a lifetime of following his passion.
Thanks for the clarification on source of the 200 to 300 lots
Check out the pictures before some one complains about the Swastikas!!
did i see it wrong ;are the swastikas depicted in wrong direction on flags!!?.
WOW! I declare April 27 to be Carmelo Mazzotta DAY! An annual holiday to be celebrated by toy soldier enthusiasts around the world!
Yes i red about the 200/300 lots here and also about it will be a catalog of inventory ready x this weekend online to be see .
yet the 10.000 pounds seem to me very extremely low for this as if few bid too high or not that much will be huge bargain lot
It says here.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/948532/toy-soldiers-world-biggest-collection-auction
So far i see plenty massive of plastic 54mm to 65 mm least with alike scale armor ,trucks ,castles trees else in match scale,yet it is fraction show in photo of that amount of course.
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Words in “quotes” are Copy & Paste from Wikipedia:
“The swastika (as a character 卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious icon used in the Indian subcontinent, East Asia and Southeast Asia, where it has been and remains a sacred symbol of spiritual principles in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In the Western world, it was historically a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck, but in the 1930s, it became the main feature of Nazi symbolism as an emblem of Aryan race identity, and as a result, it has become stigmatized in the West by association with ideas of racism, hatred, and mass murder.”
It can face either left or right, but used as a the Nazi symbol. it should face right:
卐. They probably flipped the picture in the article, as I doubt the manufacturer got it wrong.
Andy. Yes I know that.tx
As Nazi banner are wrong depicted.I saw videos and are same too.So not photo flip I guess. D
They are from not specific maker either .looks custom made all around minus few in marching soldier correct depicted.
Best.
The D was a phone error. Lol
As you guys know it was the Nabisco cracker logo as well. Nabisco changed their logo to the Free French logo instead.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/1998/jan/20/swastika-will-finally-be-removed-turn-of-century/
For those interested, the catalogue is up now:
https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/wessex-auction-rooms/catalogue-id-srwess10166/search-filter?page=1&pageSize=240
and to save you trawling through all 1700+ lots the toy soldier collection is in lots 1176 to 1470, so nearly 300 lots just as they said.
There is an awful lot of Britains Deetail, mostly WW2 and Medieval also much Timpo but I didn’t see anything unusual or collectable, the smaller sized stuff is warhammer and not 1/72, for me the most interesting lots were the forts and accessories but I have no room for more of these.
Thanks Brian for the update. from a collector viewpoint I agree with you. On a dealer side I would pass on the Deetail unless very cheap. I am bundling what I get these days hope it sells. the Timpo that has some interest but there again I would not go crazy on it. I will look at it when I have a little more time.
I will imagine Britain and Timpo was his main way to expand his collection as been in UK and many were bough when prices were not that collectible but more in retail line.
That amount x so few seems cheap still x any dealer.but of course could go very high in auction.
As though no HO were included but gamers few.Maybe was in to that too.
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