Plastic Figure Showcase News, we first take a look at collection of plastic figures for sale on Ebay. Next, we share a link from Mike Pendergast’s report on the Midwestern Toy soldier Show.
Plastic Figure Showcase News Figure Collection
Ebay recently had a collection of plastic figures for sale. The collection was being offered for $20,000.00. The lot contained at least 50 playsets, several boxes of Pyro Vehicles, and Marx Warriors of the World figures in the boxes. Also the lot has more than 70 boxes of loose figures and accessories. It is no longer available. Wonder if it sold.
Midwestern Toy Soldier Show
Mike Pendergast has placed up on his web site warhorse miniatures a report on the Midwest Toy Soldier Show.
This is part one covering the room trading. mike found some interesting items including Barzso items he had been looking for. Mike met Dave and Kim Cook who now own the TSSD figures. As soon as Mike post his second part we will post it here.
Figures from the Collection
Going through the collection I can still find surprises. I knew I had the painted Nelson Rockefeller. Imagine surprise to my surprise to find I also had an unpainted version. I do not know where he came from.
From what I saw in the Ebay collection I figured retail would be $15-20K. So buying it all maybe $8-12K. The last picture was of a wall of box flats holding loose stuff. he sent me two pictures and there was lots of REL (PLASCO) stuff.
I would have to see all the items to my guess of worth. I was not impressed with it.
Thanks Paul. I added the second part late last night. The show was really fun. I heard they had a record crowd. I plan to attend next year. It was really fun and exhausting at the same time. The best part is meeting people. The room trading is nice as you can take your time to look around and go through boxes with out the feeling of being rushed like at the shows. I was able to find a few things that have been on my wishlist too. Which made the trip worth while to me.
Take Care for now, Mike.
I like that Cromoplasto Mountie. Look at the Winchester rifle. You don’t see accurate weapons like that on too many older figures.
Yes and actually there other Italian makers doing these rifles and others better as well.Dulcop one of then were weapons were very well done
The Cromplasto Mounties were done in keppi as well in a large set poses 16 total i think .No first italian brand doing then in same headgear than can be used more in many older conflict.
Interesting many other Italian brands cover canadian mountie sets in action poses.ISAS,NARDI,DULCOP and Spinard brands such REAMSA and PH while only very few Germans and American companies did in not much action poses.
best
There several books of Italian toy soldiers/figures makers companies. Most have excellent high-quality photos
Among then
Two of them “Soldatini Italiana”, two volumes books cover in simple way main Italian brands.
While the books were very limited and published in English edition as well, I had found out by obtaining both and comparing the Italian paragraph next to English editor translation then are not well translated even omitting entire sentences in many pages and I do not know why these errors had not been reviewed before edition .
Contrary to Spaniard brand books much better translated. These books unfortunately miss data by reading then in English.
The PDF file I obtain with help of several Italian collectors let me do a better translation of most
The same issue happens with two Atlantic company books as well.
Adding to that there two Xiloplasto/CROMPLASTO catalogs made I as well got hand on and have plenty photos illustration.
Out of them I got better picture in these Italian brands.
The company was active making plastic-rubber -pvc material figures from 1950s till 1983 and only few other such ISAS,Lucas,rovello Porro(A.P) did use the rubber-latex material for toy figures in this period then changing to PVC and soft plastic gradually.
CO-MA,CANE , ATLANTIC, DULCOP, NARDI,TORGANO,ITALO CREMONA,APS and FONATINI did not use rubber-latex in their figures
Data as extracted from several books resume.
Funded in 1906 by Valention Landi producing plaster(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaster) material décor/figures, statues else .Then in it produced plaster mix-resin/composition figures/soldiers alike elastolin /Merten and during 1920/30 in to 1937 when it change to use rare mix plaster material That is name XILOPLASTO was used in this time with intermix of some mark as VL or Landi
Around 1939, they were marked “VL celloplaston” and then very quickly replaced by XILOPLASTO as iconic clarification they use not same as Elastolin/merten Lineol composition material.
After the war, Valentino is helped by his son Aldo Mariani, and in the late 1940s, specializes in subjects such as the western and the civil war.
At the end of the 50’s, a new material is introduced: plastic (More liked Bakelite rigid fragile material) used by many other Italian makers of the time as well. For this period many figures were made with unique bases pieces with the shape of Italy. These are the harder to find figures from this company.
In 1959 Xiloplasto starts manufacturing Rubber-latex material figures (cowboys, Indians, Unionists, Confederates, Canadians, soldiers, knights, romans …)
During the 60s and 70s the brand becomes CROMOPLASTO and bases changed a lot in many shapes.
The company was active doing rubber Latex -pvc material figures from till 1983 and only few other such ISAS did use the rubber-latex material for toy figures in this period then changing to PVC and soft plastic gradually.
The use of LATEX-RUBBER was a choice taken in most Italian makers of the era as the previews Bakelite used was too fragile and broke easy reducing sales often and forcing the makers such LANDI,ISAS to use rubber till the PVC-PLASTICS materials were more available for mass production in Italy post WW2 economy that happen very slow well in to late 60s early 70s when Atlantic ,Dulcop,Nardi and CANE enter the marked as main competitors .
Hope this help.