Stad’s Various Minor Figures today we will look at some of the minor figures in my collection. While I am calling them minor they are figures that fill in the background ever get a leading role in your stories.
Stad’s Various Minor Figures Figures
The figure on the left I have listed in my mind as BMC, but I may be wrong. I thought he might Revolutionary War figure. Checking Google and Kent Sprecher’s site, I could see him. Whatever he can also be used in other ways such as a sergeant.
The Accurate American Militia in red is one of the pressings done by the John Stengel SR. Of all the figure sets to start out for a company the American Revolutionary War was a bad chose. This is because the Revolutionary War is not as popular as the American Civil War. The American Militia could be used as a Francis Marion, but more like using him as part of the auxiliaries
How many people get excited about having a figure blowing on a trumpet or horn. Yet these figures had an important part of sending commands to the troops. The above figure is a Jescan Roman blowing the trumpet. Somehow he fell behind one my stands which I use to hold my boxes of inventory. He is now going into my main collection.
This is a figure I have shown before many years ago. He was done by Joe Falce using a Marx figure. With the box under his arm he would be with a guard or bandit.
The lasso was an important part of the working cowboy’s life. Our example of this is from Hilco or Johillco. For our stories, we want figures of action. This figure would be either be in the left in the background or into the box.
Guilty as charged! It was ME that told them to do War of Independence.
When they were starting up they asked us to run a survey in PW as to what collectors wanted. AWI got most votes.
I’ve always been a big fan of both the American Civil War and War for Independence Accurate figures. When they came out in the early 90’s, they were my first set of Revolutionary War figures, besides the BMC Yorktown set, which I also enjoyed at the time.
I did eventually get the series II sets and the multitude of different colors. I use many of these figures in French Revolutionary and Napoleonic set ups as well. I always wished Accurate would have made a second series Union army set that was cool as their second series Confederates. As I found out many years later, there was a great degree of uniform color variation in the War for Independence, especially for the American militia regiments and even the Continental Army.
My favorite illustrated reference books on the topic: “An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Uniforms of the American War of Independence” and “Don Troiani’s Soldiers of the American Revolution.”
I guess the first time I saw Accurate’s figures was in the back of one of my history magazines – either “America’s Civil War” or “Military Heritage.” One of the brick and mortar Hobby Shops was advertising them. I had been back in Alabama about two years and away from the shop I used to go to when I was up at Bragg and so was out of touch with anything hobby related (we’re talking VERY late 80s or early 90s – I don’t remember). I was excited because the last I’d heard before coming home from NC was Airfix was closed (again) and ESCI had gone belly up so these were brand new figures after what seemed a long period of nothing.
And what beautiful figures they were! So, of course, I called the number in the magazine and ordered a box or two and found except for the color of the Union they matched my old Marx guys perfectly. Thus I was back in the hobby – by phone.
I discovered “recasts” were available – allowing me to not only get many of those old Marx figures I had missed out on when I was a kid, but also replace guys I’d lost and get more.
It wasn’t too long after that I found Paul’s number and started calling and pestering him for new releases, too. A very patient man. His lists were a high point of my checking my mail. As great a boon in some ways as the net has been due to sites like this where we can chew the fat about the hobby, there was something about those lists and talking on the phone.
Bottom line is, for me – those Accurate figures ACW and AWI – two of my favorite eras in collecting and my favorite in 1/32 – along with the Alamo – will always have a special place in my collection and heart; almost up there with Marx Blue and Gray.
That militiaman is a great figure – I’ve used him not only in my AWI armies, but really he can fit in about any conflict in the late 18th through early 19th Century. He’s in the ranks of my Texian army, too. Great share, Paul
The BMC ARW as far i see it is an artilleryman soldier or NCO holding what may be a fuse matchstick or the botefeux but too short if would be it .
It amaze me how well these figures sales still today even so were crude made and many have odd poses detail ,yet a great variety of poses per set with a good welcome to cover the gaps at very low price .
best