Atlantic made a number of anicent figures. The figures were sold in the United States in boxes and in a flesh color. These Trojan figures are in yellow and the assumption would be they are reissues. They are not reissues, they are from blister cards that Atlantic did. As far as we know the blister cards were not sold in the United States, but were imported from Europe. I got a number of the blister cards years ago from my very good friend Peter Bergner. The Atlanitc 1/32 scale figures are getting hard to find as the molds have been destroyed.
By the way the Atlantic set you have on EBAY is actually missing 3 pcs. The rifle, other pack mule load and the aforementioned small bedroll. I would be happy to send you a mule pack if you wish as I think i have one in that color.
Hello Stad,
have you heard about this story about molds bought by Irak and destroyed during Iraki Freedom?
Geetings from France.
Hello Mathias
Yes I have heard the story about the Atlantic molds in Iraq as I am the source for the story. The story is interesting Atlantic went out of business and the molds were up for sale. A company in Iraq bought them and they were sitting on a ship in Italy and people tried to pry some of the molds out of the ship with no luck. Only a few 1/72 scale molds survive. The molds went to Iraq. I had two different people talked to the people in Iraq. The one person was in United States and the other United Kingdom. My american friend could not touch them because of the trade embargo. I had a German friend take students through that region before the war, I believe he went to Iraq. He is a toy soldier collector and brought back many interesting things but no Atlantic. The one story I heard unconfirmed was the company that had the molds could not run them because of shortages. The molds were destroyed in the second invasion. An American collector was part of that force and a big toy soldier collector, he did not find anything. I have been in the background on this story.
That’s too bad the ancients were some of the better figures done by Atlantic, some of the other sets are rather comical.
Ed B
I am sorry that molds were losted as there were some fun figures.
WOW PFPC issue 59 back in 1999 lists others as the source.
Looking at Eric John’s indea on PFPC I see that issue 59 has an article on Atlantic Western. The article was published in 1999. I had been working on the Atlantic matter since the late 1980’s. During the first Gulf War in 1991, the ship holding the Atlantic molds was stuck in port. People tried get the person to take the molds off the ship with no luck. I was in the background those years giving advice to various people on this matter. Very likely the person or persons who had done the article had talked me.
Thanks ……
Years ago, Bill Murphy had those Atlantic cards for sale. I know that I have Custer in yellow and the Indians in red along with several others in various colors. All neon like colors.
I also recall that Gene (last name unknown) from Staten Island had a huge amount of Atlantic stuff back in the 80’s or so. I remember buying those big suitcase type sets for 10 bucks each and the large boxed sets for 3 for 10 dollars. The HO stuff was like 12 boxes for 10 bucks. I saw Gene at last years Freeport Long Island show and he is still selling, but his Atlantic stuff is long gone.
Bill
Yes I bought from Gene and Bill too. ( I also beat Bill to some Atlantic as well.) Several years ago at the Plastic Warrior show one person had a bunch of Atlantic western. Even though they were all the same pose I took them as they were getting harder to find.
Aren’t the guys in the pic Greeks? I bought a bunch of both the Greeks and Trojans for my younger brothers when I was stationed in Germany. The Greeks had the crest and Trojans had more of a horse-tail like plume as I recall. I wish I’d have gotten some for myself now, but was able to snag some 1/72 scale Greek recasts a few years ago.
Wayne
Yes they are Greeks. I have put them up on Ebay for sale.
Thanks, just making sure my memory’s not TOTALLY shot. Spent many great hours with those little guys (in 1/72) scale re-enacting the Battle for Troy and the Battle of Thermopoly, using the Trojans and some Airfix Romans (and anything else I could reasonably get my hands on in those days) as the Persians and the vacuform battleground from the old Atlantic “La Grande Battaglia” set as the Hot Pass.
Thank you Stad,
In France, if you’re lucky, you can find some 1/32 on garage sells (but mostly 1/72).
The Atlantic boxes were sold in “tobacco/newspapers shop” (I know it sounds weird to you, US guys ;o)) among others 1/32, 1/72 Airfix or Matchbox stuff (model kit also).
In 2009, I’ve been based in Naples (Italy) during 6 monthes but never found one Atlantic in garage sales…
Hello Mathias
For you finding toys in a newspaper tobacco shop is not wierd. Many of the corner groceries that existed here before the 1980’s in the United States had toys as well. They woul have jobbers which would sell them toys for racks in the store. I remember one store having Ideal gangsters(sold under another name). Various toy companies would sell the excess or mistakes to these jobbers and repackage them. I found years ago in one store premiums for an American television show. The number of mom and pop grocery stores has decline and you find less and less at these stores.
I know of your frustration of not finding Atlantic in its own back yard. I ran into a similar one today my friend John at a local flea market. He found at that market three pieces from the Atlantic 1/32nd scale March on Rome. The 1/32nd scale set was never release here in the states only 1/72. The 1/32nd scale set did turn up in Canada.
Being from Chicago originally we had lots of neighbrhood “variety” stores and many of them stocked Lido, Timmee and Ideal figures. One store had wooden bins with glass seperaters which you could find loose Marx figures for a nickel, they also carried the Airfix 1/72 figures and Rocco vehicles. We also used to have local hobby shops that carried many of the 1/72nd figures and military models. Long gone though, bummer.
Ed,
I remember going to Kresge’s, Woolworth’s, and Ben Franklin stores when I was a kid and ogling the various toy soldiers they had in the bins. I even remember Marx toy soldiers in plastic bags. I used to buy cards with Lido GIs attached at the “confectionary” around the corner where I also bought comic books.
Sad that everything has become so generic these days.
The sadder part is many of those companies either went out of business or don’t make toy soldiers anymore. About all you find these days are Timmee Nam era guys and those horrible Chinese knock offs.
I too remember the Marx header bags, the only ones I ever got though were the Alamo Mexicans/Defenders and the 45mm Cowboys and Indians. Woolworths had shelves full of Marx Warrios of the World at like 39 cents each, they were great but really too fragile to play with.
Ed B
I agree it is sad what is available in figures. The last decent figures I found in retail store were some mounted knights in a dollar store. I remember the $1.00 bags of Marx figures. The only one I got was the Alamo..