I saw that Kent Sprecher had up on his web site Toy Soldier Headquarters an update and corrections to Geppert’s Figure Guide. It made me wonder if anyone still uses the guide.. When it first came out, you had to have it as it was the only source for identifying plastic soldiers in your collection Today you would use the internet to do the same thing. I have not used my copy of Geppert’s guide in years. It some how ended up in the basement. I see it when I am working on cleaning the basement.
One other thought on Geppert’s Guide, too many years ago I told Tim I had found out that the Civil War figures he had listed as Ideal were made by Andygard. I even had documentation. Tim’s response was everyone calls them Ideal so I am not going to change it. With that response I dropped my support of his guide.
I don’t buy guides, I especially didn’t like Geppert’s, I did look thru it, but it belonged to my friend that is now deceased. All it was were black silhouettes of figures, and I believe for $25 at that time was a rip off in my opinion. Delson’s photos he used to do while much better than Geppert’s guide were also way overpriced, I did buy a few unfortunately. However it was on brands I wasn’t sure on, and I wasn’t about to order mail order figures without seeing them first. I learned my lesson on that one the hard way.
Paul I have some info that might help with tracking stuff down via south of the border as well. A company called BASA in Lima Peru. Not sure if they are still in business or not, but according to an ebayer, they at least did the 6 inch cowboys by agreement with Marx in the 60’s, keep in mind I don’t know this person, and take this info with a grain of salt.
Also another company down south, called Oklahoma, I believe in Argentina has done copies of some stuff, that from another ebayer. No town or city name with that one though. Again this was on cowboy stuff, looked like copies of Airfix, and some downsized copies of the Marx 6 inch cowboys, also looked like poor quality.
I also have noticed a seller/company in Athens Greece selling downsized copies of the marx cowboys, and unpainted plastic versions of some of the Britain’s figures. He lists the figures as old, and hard to find, however, they appear to be more recent copies/recasts, because of the poor detail, and colors. No company name with that ebayer, but with your contact’s overseas, you may be able to get more info on these scraps of info.
Ed C
I have bought guides to enhance my knowledge. I am especially interested in books on Foreign figures.
Thank you for information on the foreign companies. Funny you would mention the Marx copies from Greece. I was cleaning and sorting things and discovered I still had a blister card with the figures. I hope to do a picture in the near future.
Basa Plasticos S.a.Is no longer in business now. They had the MPC Russian and Japanese recast in silver and gold color in stiff (not fragile plastic) in late 90’s and early 2000’s.I brought then here and sold many packs at toy soldier shows together with a roman set of 5 figures and 6 knights copies of French company made in fiesta color from 1997-2003. Out of production right now. Still some bags at local party/story store in LIMA and AREQUIPA. Peru.
Agree, it help in some way but the quality was very poor with small images and little description. Still back in that time was the best for those who were looking and doing research. It had few errors. I will say is ok nobody is perfect but if not recognize then….That won’t look good!!!
Erwin
I was told by a collector, that he had offered a computer program to improve the guide, but Tim had decline the offer.
Whatever happend to Geppert? Last I knew, he had shut down his toy business to work for CTS & then he disappeared from there.
Andy
We had this question a year or two ago. I had talked to Jim McGough of CTS and he said that Tim had decided to retire
I still look at Geppart’s Guide from time to time, but it is difficult to use because his supplements and add-ons never were integrated into the original — they were just added on to the end. The supplements to the original were really just as voluminous as the original, so you don’t have a guide that goes from A – Z. It jumps around too much. Geppart really should have accepted the use of a computer which would have created a much better, comprehensive, organized, integrated, single guide going alphabetically through all the plastic toy soldier products, with a nice sequential numbering system. If he had done that, it probably would have resulted in a uniform numbering system which likely would have been used throughout the hobby. Nevertheless, it is a lot better than nothing, which is what we had before Timothy Geppart cataloged almost everything. The information is widespread these days, but when Geppart’s Guide first appeared, it was a lot better than nothing, which is what we had.
Guides are indeed very helpful, but at that time, with the way prices were on this hobby, and the quality of the guide, I am very glad I never bought it.
I am interested in who, and what company has the molds to the 6 inch Marx cowboys downsized. Because I have noticed them in different colors, than the tan color I remember buying over a 1000 of. That goes for the Indians, and knights as well.
Many people just list them as Marx, and in some cases its hard to tell if they are the downsized version or the 6 inch version. Someone has either made copies of them, and downsized them themselves also. Because I have the 6 inch knights downsized to 3 inch, now the older version were regular 54mm, which I have them as well.
I have also noticed a seller in Hong Kong sometimes selling them. Then there is someone in Canada, that has them drop shipped from Argentina also.
I am wondering if they are all coming from the same company in Argentina, and if it is called Oklahoma. If they are just a wholesaler or the manufacturer.
Also on Kent’s site another little curious tidbit, he has some figures that are listed under Cherila, but he says they aren’t Cherila, and some of them are different colored 6 inch downsized copies of the cowboys, one in a nice blue, the rifleman figure, and the fanning pose in a very nice red color.
These are flat colors, not waxy, and the detail on the figures are very good. As a matter of fact on more recent figures I have seen on the rifle man pose, his rifle has a crimp in the middle of the barrel, which I have many figures of this pose, and they all have the same crimp, some or slightly less than others, which leads me to believe it is the mold that causes it, well the one on Kent’s site does not have that crimp.
Also there are other figures I have never seen before in the group as well, the guy with the bag, and pistol, possibly a Britain copy, but very nicely done figures, I wish I would have seen them before someone bought them, and I was going to email Kent about it, to see what he remembered about those figures as well, but never got around to it.
Anyway there’s more food for thought for you guys.
I bought that guide and the update for $40 back in ’94. That was about standard price in any place I knew to look, which was not many them. I had just gotten into the hobby. It’s in my book case. I have pulled it out as a quick reference from time to time, but usually I go to Kent’s site if I’m upstairs, near my computer.
Well I only dealt with one person, until I ran into my deceased friend that had the guide. As a matter of fact thats how I found out about Paul, my friend told me he was about the best dealer out there, and that he could be trusted.
I saw Geppert’s advertisements for it as well (PFPC), however, because I was able to view the guide first, I passed on it.
That was late 80’s early 90’s I believe. By then I had numerous sellers that advertised, from Tom Terry’s magazine, that I backordered every copy I could get, I didn’t need Tim’s guide really. I bought from lots of different dealers, and I would ask them questions if I had any. Also very lucky for me, I have a pretty good memory most the time. So after going thru Geppert’s guide once, I found most the figures, I was really looking for that, that guide could even help with.
Which actually were very few. I even thought about ordering some figures from him at one time, but I thought he was way overpriced on them as well. He had a bag of Timmee Robin Hood figures, that were in the bag, listed at $100. I thought it was too high.
Yes I know they can be tough to find, especially today. I should have bought them, but I thought somewhere in the world someone has these molds, (I talked to the President of Timmee, and he said they went to Mexico, or South America, so someone does have them) and may produce them again. Plus I was married, and my wife would have had a literal cow if I would have spent a $100 bucks on toy figures, I would have had to made deals with her also lol.
Anyway I don’t have anything against Mr. Geppert, because I never did business with him. I think his guide was overpriced, and If I would have ordered it without ever seeing it first, I would have been upset.
Ed C
The molds very likely went to a company in Mexico. This company had a number of the Timmee molds which I found in 1980’s, They are out of business.
I can understand your concern of upsetting your wife on buying an expansive item. When we were first married, I bought a set of box Jescan Indians at Hackensack. Laurie got shocked at the price which was $50.00. I told her I had a good day selling items at Hackensack and this was a treat for me. She knows that I am very sensible on what I buy and she enjoys the figures.
Yes Paul, I used to talk to you for hours on the phone, when I first found out about you, it was always late, because I worked a lot of hours, I worked 3 jobs, for about 6+months.
I worked from 7am-11pm with the same company, just different positions, even after that I worked late hours, then I also worked with one of my bosses, on another job installing sprinkler systems on the weekends.
Bless your heart you didn’t even know me, but would answer all my questions, you weren’t short with your answers either, it was like I knew you my whole life. I even asked you about the Timmee knights once, and remember you telling me they were in Mexico, or SA also. It was so long ago.
I had a friend that went down there for missionary work, and gave him 100 dollars to buy as many of the Timmee figures he could find, and he found the knights, I got a whole brown paper grocery bag full of Cowboys, Indians, Stage coaches, and the Knights, Horses also, with weapons, no Robin Hood figures though. I got the whole bag for a $100. That was early 90’s.
My friend that did this is the one that had the Tibidabo castle when we were growing up,
and I split everything with him, plus I had bought some of the Boonesboro Pioneers from you, the real nice buckskin ones, I gave him a whole set of them on top of all the figures we split.
Anyway, I have never forgotten your kindness on our conversations, you never rushed me off the phone, and you were always polite to me, thank you.
Ed C
I enjoyed talking to people on the phone, now I use email as you can write any time. I got tired of the phone after working nine years in a call center. Also with the blog I can answer someone’s questions and share it with other collectors.
The Timmee knights were made in Mexico along with the pioneers and covered wagon. Two different companies had the molds, one is out business the other one I have no idea.
If I bought figures back then, or anything to do with figures back then, I had to actually make deals with my wife, that is no joke. And if you think I am a tough negotiator, you never met my wife.
As a matter of fact her picture is in Webster’s Dictionary by that very word, A snowball would stand a better chance of surviving hell then getting anything over her. She was tough as nails, and twice as sharp literally. She was from Philly, and was from German descent, she was beautiful, and I mean drop dead gorgeous.
If we went out to eat, or even out to public places, guys would brazenly come up to her drooling all over the place, it was kind of embarrassing really.
Anyway Geppert brings back a lot of memories for me. Because of the Timmee Robin Hood figures, see I had some when I was growing up, and I could write a literal book over the adventures I had with those figures, I even learned some of lives hard lessons with those figures, but the story is long, and I won’t bore you guys with it.
I am not much of one for emailing, I was on the phone a lot also Paul. I would sometimes answer my home phone with the company name I worked for.
Hello…
Is there anyone out there who would be kind enough to post the Geppert MX#s for the 6-45mm cavemen from the Prehistoric Times #3392 playset? Lost my guide years ago, and have no way to reference the figures, now.
Thanks so much for your help.
I think you may see all poses here ,unless is something else what you looking for.
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/toysoldierhq/Marxdino.html