Odds Ends Part Four Miscellanous Figures we will be looking at various figures. They are from around the world.
Odds Ends Part Four Miscellanous Figures American Figures
I always wonder what Andy Gardinia the owner of Andygard would have done in figures. His untimely death killed an interesting company. I love his cowboys and Indians. The best one is cowboy fanning the pistol.
Here is an unknown construction figure. Do you know who made him?
Plasticraft did six different 90mm pirates. The quality of the figures leaves a lot to be desired. The best is the pegleg pirate captain.
Kent Sprecher has given permission to show the full set he has on his site Toy Soldier Headquarters.
Werner made copies of the Timmee cowboys and Indians . Each set had six different poses. The figures in the above photo were the only ones Werner did not copy.
Odds Ends Part Four Miscellanous Figures Foreign
The Matchbox U.S. Army officer in a trench coat is my favorite of the Matchbox figures. I liked pose and would have used both in battles and as investigator.
Another Merten figure in my collection a Mexican bandit. Sadly one of his pistols is damaged.
Timpo swoppet Arab throwing rock is one figure that has a limited use. He is fine for throwing a rock from a height but flat ground I don’t think so.
Another swoppet from Italy, I forgot who made it.
Here is Dulcop camp Indians. As you can see there are three different poses. The Indian woman stomping to make food is out of scale.
Odds Ends Part Four Miscellanous Figures Britains Hospital
One of the items I was able to find at the Plastic Warrior Show was loose sets of Britains Hospital. In the United States it is near impossible to find them loose.
In his book “Suspended Animation An Unauthorised History of Herald & Britains Plastic Figures’, Peter Cole noted that the sets were out for only a few years. (1983 to 1986). The figures canbe used in other settings. The nurse, doctor and male patients could be used in a WWII army hospital.
I agree Andygard most figures are super well done.
But their scale made then off w rest makers.
Too sad they did not venture more in other scale x.
I always though indian was a girl not adult in Dulcop set.
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You may be well right. It is odd for Dulcop as the same on their other figures.
The Timpo Arab with the rock you could take away the rock and have him as a prisoner with his hands up or you could take away the rock and put a rifle in his hands. So that it looks like he is throwing it at someone as it has ran out of bullets.
I gave a couple of the Hospital sets to my niece when they first came out – she’s in her 40’s now & I have no idea if she would still have them!
The Andy Gard cowboys and Indians remain some my favorite Western figures from my childhood. I always thought they went well with my Marx Western 54mm figures except for the colors. But considering their beauty I could overcome my toy soldier OCD and forgive them. I just wish he’d made more poses… and that I had been able to get more bags when I was a kid.
I think the Indian swoppet with the pink pants is actually a Jean Hoefler figure from Germany, rather than Italy.
I always liked the Andy Gard figure who was cocking his lever action rifle. He WAS an Andy Gard figure, right?
Yes, he was in the same set as the guy with the pistol.
Mark T is correct the figure swappet is made in germany Jean Hoefler,they did rare grey color hair as well with standar black hair ,the figure should have mark bellow base as base is original as well.
They original poses are 6 indian and 6 ciowboys sold in window cases,blister and i believe in fort too.I had send catalog picture to admin for reference .
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Talking about Matchbox ,matchbox US infantry is a late period war set easily can be used as paratroopers for market garden, ardens as well as they have same uniform.
I forgot some mentioned before some late paratroopers not done as they use the later WW2 same infantry uniforms monus pockets pants that were eventually introduced in infantry too.
The set was nice done minus the odd machine gun pose always made by Matchbox in almost 2D pose .
I’m wonder if more poses could had been done ,i don’t know if the HO matchbox sets have more poses.
I also don’t know if ever a Matchbox 1/32 scale japanese set prototype as ever done or not .
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Matchbox did one Russian infantry figure in 1/76 for their T-34 tank model. I always wished they had done full sets of Russians in 1/76 and 1/32. Here’s a picture of the figure from Plastic Soldier Review: http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Features/Matchbox63_40.jpg
I also like the Matchbox 1970s era British figures that were part of the Battle Kings metal vehicle range of the mid-70s. They could have been great to use as “Wild Geese” type mercenaries.
http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Features/Matchbox63_09.jpg
Thank Mark.
Interesting sets ,too bad not done in HO.i noticed the repeating poses from other sets being use in modern british .The guy with radi is same as US infantry pose ,ther with rifle is same as british airfix paras …Airfix artist work x Matchbox too i think !
I think MATCHBOX as well ESCI come too late to produce 1/32 sets and stop cold too soon as the era toy soldiers army end too quickly in late 70s early 80s .sad.
Matchbox made i think as well Airfix some bunkers casemate plastic position pieces in the 1/32 x limited playset .but i could be wrong confused as i know Airfix did a playset with armored cars and one of the destroyed house plus a small bunker/casemate not sold separated.
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Matchbox did a nice set of “NATO” paratroopers – really “Contemporary” (can’t say “modern” about them any more) – nice set. I used to use them with my ESCI “Modern” US, NATO, and Warsaw Pact figures. The Airfix “Modern” US Infantry and Soviet Infantry were really too small to go well with them.
The matchbox American figure could be used as military police. Wished they had made the other 1/72 scale figures in 1/32 scale like the Japanese and the Australians.
There were more poses in the Matchbox scale 1/76 scale set. There were seventeen figure poses in the smaller scale and a simple two-piece mortar as well.
You are correct that the uniforms of the US paratroopers were similar in the late war to “straight leg” infantry except in one detail – the boots. After Normandy even glider troops were issued parachutists’ Jump Boots.
As one “glider rider” recalled, he was turning in his old uniforms at a supply point prior to being re-issued new duds before returning to England after the Normandy campaign. He was surprised when the supply clerk handed him a parachutist’s jump suit and jump boots. He told the guy there had been a mistake.
The clerk stated, “No mistake, you earned them.”
FYI: since the inception of the Airborne Division concept in the US Army, MG Ridgway had been trying to get his glider troops hazard pay similar to “Jump” Pay. After Normandy his request was approved.
Thank Wayne.
So all sets in matchbox HO usually had more poses as Airfix!?
Interesting information.
Too bad even the Matchbox sets have in general more poses than Airfix most sets in the big scale range they never continue with other armies.I guess they arrive too late (70-80s0 for the toy soldier era fury as action figures were making the rows of shelf at stores.
Yes i notice the boots ,i guess not a big factor .I also red some paras kept some old style as well at operation market garden too.There plenty US infantry ww2 set late period uniforms figures sets made .TSSD winter sets can be use as ardennes offensive as paras(82,101 and 504) or infantrymen indistinctive too .
Manurba brand two scale sets are great for it too in my opinion.
Merten soldiers are a bit rare but can be use and are very common.
Dulcop,JH,SAFARILTD too.
There many more for fall 44 till end war that serve the double purpose as most paras and or airborne were used as infantry roll with exception of operation varsity that involve only the new 17 airborne division from US side ,never used before in combat air operation.
Erwin, the Airfix “HO/OO” scale figure sets usually had a good number of various poses – including several “special” poses such as casualties – often there would be two – one getting hit and another dead lying on the ground, as well as some great wounded poses. There sometimes would be a medical team, with medic and litter bearers – the WWI British Infantry had a nice little vignette of a medic/corpsman leaning over a wounded soldier rendering first aid. And your 20th Century sets would include at least some sort of heavy weapon like heavy MG, or light AT gun or mortar.
Considering the average box of Airfix HO/OO scale figures contained at least 48 figures it was pretty nice. The “specialty” poses didn’t take up so many figures you had too many of them while at the same time added a bit of variety and even realism to your sets.
It was in the 1/32 scale figure set I think Airfix might have fallen short. Most of the Airfix 1/32 scale figure sets had a basic seven or eight poses (there were exceptions, such as US paratroopers, Ghurkas, Imperial Guard…) – but they were to me beautifully executed figures for the time and I think still hold their own considering they’re at least fifty years old.
I bought about every Matchbox 1/32 set that came out – they went well with their Airfix counterparts and I always used them together.
Thank you Wayne,never see any HO on hand or else.
Too bad Airfix reduce so much their 1/32 line .
yes only in WW2 the US paras,germans paras,mountain set ,support british set and gurkhas had from 11 to 15 poses approx.
Rest minus WW2 germans infantry have 7 poses.Russian,Gi’s ,japanese ,australian ,british ,italian,AK,8th commandos and modern army sets.
Matchbox minus machine gun poses are great nice sets and very well done .Yet many airfix and mactbox share alike poses literally same pose but with minor differences .The Matchbox thickness in figures were better in my personal flavor.
Original vintage early production color took me years get new full sets as i never like the bad gloss plastic of later production or under Revel reissues in Matchbox
Both makers were my main early WW2 true figures and still one of my favorites along with DULCOP and Atlantic .
Then others brands.
Marx marines and japanese are the best x me in marx WW2 sets,rest are on and off or poor actIon sets and poor true ww2 gear uniformed figures .They barely have any ammunition on then and weapons are odd in many .
Yet Marx did better depiction of japanese type LMG and LSMG weapons than Britain or Airfix.
Marx alco cover the French that barely none other did with exception of french makers .
We can go for long here posting i guess.
at the end HO airfix and matchbox would had been great to be fully or partially made in to 1/32.
But i guess it did not happen.
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The construction worker was made by Lido. One of six poses made in the mold usually found in gray. A second mold made some signs usually in orange. I think it is the 1965 (After Bala bought Lido in 1964) Spiegel Christmas catalog has a picture of the figures with some toy cars and the impressive Lido pontoon bridge usually sold in military sets.
I picture the figures and signs on my Lido page.
The construction worker would be good as a Seabee. It is a shame know one has made a Seabee set.