Paragon’s future offering Civil War

Posted on September 15, 2014 by admin

 

Paragon is showing their future offering of Civil War Figures. The figures will have exchangeable swivel heads. These figures are planned for  2015. Here is a link to the pictures.

http://www.paragon-scenics.com/miniatures/Coming_Attractions.html

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35 Responses to Paragon’s future offering Civil War

  1. erwin says:
    September 15, 2014 at 9:04 AM

    Awesome sculpting, swivel and exchanbles heads is a plus on these type/ uniform figures. Price is high, but accepts as quality/mold is top of the line

    Reply
  2. Ed Borris says:
    September 15, 2014 at 12:17 PM

    Me, I like the poses, action is my bag.

    Reply
  3. Ed Connell says:
    September 15, 2014 at 1:22 PM

    I really liked their scouts they did the best. I got some of them, and they are very nice. their terrain is sweet also, except its in foam core, which is really so fragile, I can’t buy it. It would get ruined just getting it shipped to me. I like their fort , and the mountain fort they did, its top notch, but so expensive.

    Austin has some great buildings also, but again foam core. For that type of price, why aren’t these guys getting laser cut wood buildings done ? I understand on things like mountain pieces, but buildings need to be much more sturdy.

    There also are a number of companies that do some great buildings in 25-30mm scale, Tri city, 4ground, are but a couple. If you guys don’t know about them, you should check out their western buildings, they are sweet.

    They are pre painted, laser cut wood, yes you do have to assemble them, but from my research they aren’t difficult. To upscale them should be about the same price, maybe a little more than foam core is costing.

    I don’t know I guess I should give some of them a call, and talk to them about it. They even do detailed interiors, I really like 4ground’s wagons, I just wish they did them in 60mm scale also.

    Reply
  4. Bill Nevins says:
    September 15, 2014 at 2:54 PM

    Undersized heads, undersized weapons and silly poses.
    I’ll pass.

    Reply
  5. chris says:
    September 15, 2014 at 3:50 PM

    Critical thoughts, but not meant as overly negative criticism. What’s with these sculptures, TSSD, Conte, Paragon. Limbs, arms, legs – all the time overly baggy, makes the figures look so squat. Out of proportion. Paragon has an added problem with their propensity of having “under scale/narrow looking heads. If you were to take the “swollen” hands of a TSSD figure, and put them with a Paragon figures thin, narrow head, now that would be a sad looking fellow.

    Reply
  6. Ed Connell says:
    September 15, 2014 at 4:24 PM

    Some of the poses are funny looking, mainly because of their leg positions. I can’t notice their weapons being too small though, and their heads, look ok to me also. At least on the scout figures, their heads, and weapons are good, they are nice figures.

    Whenever I check out figures, I automatically look, to see how I could improve the figure.
    Most figures would be fine if they were articulated at the shoulders, wrists, and waist.

    Some need weapons added. If you model figures, you can drastically improve many figures by doing it yourself. Some are hopeless if they have goofy leg positions, unless you can sculpt. Undersized features aren’t good either, heads, hands, and proportions, of arms, legs, even the torso, are very noticeable, instantly.

    I also do not like undersized weapons. While it may even be an accurate representation, it really looks very bad on a figure, I would think most sculptors know this as well.

    I’ll give you a prime example, if anyone is familiar with the Linde figures, old Surehand/Buffalo Bill (I think thats how most people list him anyway, has a tiny little pistol). I will not ever buy that figure because of that one simple fact. It would have to come with a grouping of other figures I really wanted. I could even fix it, but I don’t like to do it, unless I have to. I shouldn’t have to fix it either. It might even have been a mold defect, that doesn’t matter either, they should have fixed the mold, otherwise its PPP, and QC.

    Some figures, you can’t fix. Do not undersize the weapons. If it looks like a pocket knife, instead of a bowie knife, put the bowie knife on that figure, and he will automatically look 10 times better. Of course this is my own opinion, and not everyone is going to agree with it.

    Perhaps the figure/s are too fragile coming out of the mold, or its something else I don’t
    know about.

    Perhaps these guys think because they are just toys, its ok. I was like this when I was a kid also. I bought bags of MPC cowboys, and Indians, I would look thru the bags before I bought them, and get the ones that had the least flash, and best weapons on them, I worked hard for my money, I want the best examples of a product I can get for it also.

    Reply
  7. erwin says:
    September 15, 2014 at 5:21 PM

    Nobody is perfect!! We too have defect most of the time, fisical and moral!!.So I guess the perfect 100% figure will never be done for some!!Still nice addition/poses for the never ending civil war fans!!

    Reply
  8. Ed Connell says:
    September 15, 2014 at 6:02 PM

    The Paragon figures look ok to me also Erwin, at least the civil war ones listed do. The hats are slightly oversized on the floppy hats, but I can live with that. I’ve only bought a single bag of their scouts, I can’t remember if I got any of the other apaches, or not. The blue boy’s hats are a little oversized, their heads are ok though, at least from what I can tell.

    I got the Custer figure from TSSD, his pistols are too small, and his hat is too big, he is still acceptable, he could have been much better. I also got the painted Crazy Horse figure, and also one unpainted one of him, that is a nice figure. Crazy Horse is one of my favorite characters in history.

    The Pinkerton guy with shotgun Austin did, his head is too thin. Perhaps its from the mold, I don’t know. Also the one aiming, and pointing the pistol to the side, his head is also too thin. Perhaps its the resin, Mr. Austin may want to check into it. Also The cigar figure, (looks like you know who) his pistols have partly missing trigger guards on both pistols.

    I don’t know where he is getting the figures done, but QC should definitely be better.

    Reply
  9. Mark says:
    September 15, 2014 at 6:46 PM

    I agree with Chris, sometimes in the same set of figures there will be nice looking well proportioned and then there will be figures that look cartoonish in proportion , sometimes made by the same people I don’t know if some of it might be attributed to sculpting deadlines ?

    Reply
  10. erwin says:
    September 15, 2014 at 6:53 PM

    I agree, I think they are cast/test. No finish yet. But after seen forces of valor rare arm bends with oversize head and small helmets plus others companies 2d molds in resent productions that are not accurate, I cannot complain at all!!..Once again. Most of all take then for granted and forgot that these companies are struggling to bring this to us as few if any millionaire invests in this hobby. If I have millions I would/could created figures that walk for you with control remote made of silicone outside material with swap body plastic parts inside and a microchip, so you won’ even noticed the mold. But I guess this is what we have. Few brave out there shot out what they can as close and best they could. I applaud every single factory from EB in Russia to the few Chinese that had brought us in last 10-15 years so many figures we never dream to see since the last years of 70 s till early 90s. (The dormant period) When then CTS and AIP broke the ice.

    Reply
  11. Ed Connell says:
    September 15, 2014 at 7:32 PM

    While I also applaud these people’s efforts, and am glad they are producing new figures, quality is still a concern with me. These figures are no longer inexpensive toys.

    I don’t want to buy junk. I am picky, maybe even overly so, but everything is so expensive today, I have to be. I can’t believe what some of this stuff costs, also there must be huge mark ups somewhere down the line as well.

    I remember getting a 100 decent figures for $1 as late as the late 70’s. The only reason recasts cost so much in the 80’s is because of greed. Now everyone knows they can get money for these figures, and the molds are still out there on most of them anyway. I am sorry $25 for 50 plastic figures, is even today laughable. Recast wagons for $25+ dollars is absurd.

    Fortunately for me, I have more than enough figures, and don’t have to buy anymore.
    If I don’t like something I am not just going to give someone my money for junk, or things I think are way overpriced to begin with. Its like foam core buildings. There really isn’t a good enough reason for me to buy them at what people are asking for them.

    So, I won’t buy them, and if I buy something, and get bad examples from that person, I don’t forget it. I did not buy the Austin figures directly from the source, I bought from a dealer, well guess what, that wasn’t the only think I got from that dealer that I didn’t like.

    So I won’t be buying anything else from them. It was ebay, not anyone I know of here.
    So they not only hurt themselves, but Mr. Austin’s future business with me.

    People that are producing stuff need to be aware of this. The figures were bagged, and maybe the dealer sent those to get rid of them, I don’t know, I still like the figures, but I will definitely not buy from that dealer again.

    Reply
  12. Bill Nevins says:
    September 15, 2014 at 9:38 PM

    Erwin said “we never dream to see since the last years of 70 s till early 90s. (The dormant period) When then CTS and AIP broke the ice.

    What???
    The late Eighties and early 90’s were when Accurate exploded. Hobby Bunker or Excalibur was churning out all kinds of great Marx repo’s. Foreign plastic was finding it’s way here through Company B and ATS, And a small company named Barzso Playsets came into being. Airifix was still producing figures and so was Matchbox.

    CTS and AIP were much later on.

    Reply
    • admin says:
      September 16, 2014 at 1:15 PM

      Bill
      Go into my old lists and see when I started to sell them, I know I saw the first when I was over for PW show in 1988. At the time there was a pose that Accurate took out of the Colonials. I believe it was biting the cartridge. I am surprise what I remembered.
      It was Hobby Bunker that got the reissues from Mexico, not Excalibur I have to get time to write that story.

      Reply
  13. ERWIN says:
    September 15, 2014 at 10:14 PM

    I say after the early 90s CTS and AIP come with all (brand new production (never before seen figures/MOLDS).
    Marx rep are no new but recast/reissues of old items, so is airfix bought by Humbrol later doing what was done in late 60 and early 70’S.ATS from PA then bring Reams and Jecsan recast/remold from the original production of the 60’s in Spain. No new figures(recast).Plus few new ATS 4 American revolutions pose andFFL done/sold in the 90’s not 80’s
    Accurate first set appears in the 90’s not 80’s.Matchbox were recast in late 80’ and early 90’s ,then produced by rebel in a very bad quality plastic from original molds too.ESCI first 1.32/1.35 sets appear in 1988/1989(These are the only new coming to US before 90’s ) as not recast or redone from others before AIP line and CTS Mexican/Indians, else start showing on in the 90’s.Once again I was referring to new ideas not recast(NEW FIGURES).I call it dormant period as no one has come with brand new design figures in large lines of production before 1990 with very few/minor release like ESCI.Even Britain release only sets of knights late in the 80 and early 90 and nothing else new. From 1991 after AIP and CTS start working some European Co like Accurate start appearing at same time with a call to Arms. And Accurate actually went off after few sets done and let everybody expecting. I was not referring to some good retailrs/seller that did bring back some not seen figures in years from the past in recast/reissues mold. That is fine but not what I was referring Sir. Do not take it to the heart so fast. Thank you!!!

    Reply
  14. Don Perkins says:
    September 15, 2014 at 11:05 PM

    Erwin, I enjoy your comments, and appreciate the perspective you bring on the toy soldier hobby. I perceive that English may be a second language for you. Are you from Germany, perhaps?

    Reply
  15. ERWIN says:
    September 15, 2014 at 11:27 PM

    Mr. Perkins Your correct in you observation and is obvious .English is not my first language. Neither will take offensive any critics as I know my weakness. But I’m not German born but a descendant born abroad. You can call me a barbarian if like! (Any ways I do not look like CONAN) but some time express like..LOL!!

    Reply
  16. Bill Nevins says:
    September 16, 2014 at 1:56 AM

    Erwin, you may be entitled to a second language, but not to you own facts.

    From Jamie Deslon’s History of Toy Soldier Collecting:

    “This renewed interest led to the establishment of new companies such as Accurate, which began producing new plastic figures for this relatively small hobbyist market in 1988. ”

    The first issue of PCPC contains an ad for Accurate figures . DATE? June 1989.

    Reply
    • chris says:
      September 16, 2014 at 2:21 AM

      WOW! What a burn, 1989! Not 1990! I guess you showed him!

      Reply
    • erwin says:
      September 16, 2014 at 11:15 AM

      Oh MY God I felt defeated!!!!; what a shame!!.LOL!!. 1988 versus 1990. That is a huge difference, I probably don’t remember if I ever grow any new gray hair in so many years!!!Ok I see that you spend a lot of time researching for one small detail to not let go the fact I was referring to new companies with all full line brand new brought back after 1990 not before!! But more funny that the same post from where you copy/extract the reduced sentence and attach /paste(above) follow with the what I got bellow posted complete from same company history that J Delson wrote (and is not a Bible either by the way)..No to mention that (Stone Castle Imports company) from Kentucky and TS from NY company did not bring those first accurate set to the US till late 1989/early 1990 as typical European products showing always late in America.

      Here is for you and all will like to read the interesting writing bt JD.

      In the mid-1970s, cottage industry companies like Tradition, Blenheim, Nostalgia, John Tunstill’s “Soldiers Soldiers” and Marlborough reintroduced metal soldiers, now made of pewter, antimony and tin, to the market. These “New” toy soldiers were better sculpted and better painted than their ancestors. As production was very limited, the price was much higher per figure, rising from a bare 50 cents to several dollars each. Plastic production, meanwhile, had contracted to a bare handful of manufacturers, Britains being the most productive during this period.
      By the early 1980s the metal soldier market was still miniscule. A newly resurgent Britains began to produce metal figures in a new alloy as early as 1973, but the production didn’t hit its stride for a decade or more. Plastic production was dropping off in the early ‘80s, falling further into oblivion to the point where many collectors could only obtain figures at tag sales, swap meets and through a couple of devoted dealers who published monthly lists of items they had picked up through aggressive scrounging. When The Toy Soldier Company first went into business in 1984, no other dealers we knew of offered an order form, renewable stock from current manufacturers or illustrated catalogs!
      By the late ‘80s, the world of plastic toy soldiers had come back to life. The baby boomer collectors of the 1960s had grown up and were now looking to rebuild the collections they remembered so fondly. Interest in old plastic figures, like Marx and Timpo, grew so great that their old molds were dusted off and run again in limited numbers as (((‘recasts.’ )))European manufacturers, such as Preiser, Reamsa,Jecsan,Oliver ,Starlux, Dulcop, Charbens, Cherilea and Jean Hoefler were reintroduced to the American market. Their popularity led to the later reintroduction of (reissues) from Matchbox, Airfix, and many other manufacturers.
      This renewed interest led to the establishment of new companies such as Accurate, which began producing new plastic figures for this relatively small hobbyist market in 1988 .The market, was still primarily adult males, but fathers were introducing their children to the hobby. Still, the toy soldier collecting community was spread out, and isolated to those who happened to know of collector societies and swap meets. Many adults maintained and cherished their toy soldier collections believing that few if any others felt the same about these figures.
      .
      (((By the 1990s, the “New” Toy Soldier was superseded in popularity among some collectors by an even more detailed style called ‘photo-realistic.’))) These figures, typically priced around $20.00 each, were produced by makers such as Britain and Conte in mainland China. They were not only modeled to look like real people, but their paint jobs were as detailed as figures which only a year or two previously would have sold for 4 times the price.
      (((In the plastic arena, the 1990s saw a huge revival in the toy soldier collecting community. Some call this renaissance the “Second Golden Age” )))of plastics (the first being the glory days of the 1950s). Since then, over 30 new manufacturers in the U.S., England, Germany, France and Italy have joined the field, offering many hundreds of entirely new sets of figures covering every historical era from the Stone Age through the Space Age. Led by such ground breakers as Play Along, Conte, Barzso and Italeri the list of current producers continues to grow every year, and includes Toy Soldiers of San Diego, Paragon Scenics, Forces of Valor, Classic Toy Soldiers, Armies in Plastic, A Call to Arms, Imex, BMC and many others.
      About entitle to a second language. Thank you ,I appreciate that as I also could speak/manage pretty much two more as well and felt proud of it ;any ways not like to boast it.
      Last; could you please let go and move on please…time is beautiful to spend some much hours researching for so little!!.Thank you!!..
      Best regards..

      Reply
  17. Dan Murphy says:
    September 16, 2014 at 8:06 AM

    As a contribution to this interesting discussion about new plastic production and its cost, I’d like to bring to your attention some items I recently found at Target. In the aisle with the new Star Wars figure, Target carries a line of military toys called Elite Force. I was pleasantly surprised to find a bucket of toy soldiers produced by Blue Box for $9.99. The soldiers are a bit over 50mm, equipped as modern style soldiers with body armor etc., and nicely detailed. I lack the expertise to say just how accurate a representation they might be of current American or European troops. The plastic is good quality. Some of the poses are clearly modeled on the Toysmith/ToysRUs Bucket Timmee clones that shifted the bodies around a bit. You can have fun figuring out the antecedents of the rest. The bucket contains 120 pieces including 50 green and 50 tan troops, two roughly 1/72 Abrams tanks, a roughly 1/72 jet and helicopter, two sandbag emplacements, three interlocking bits of wall, two flags, six barbed wire fences, and a sticker sheet for the flags. Given the cheap quality stuff available at Dollar Tree, and the pervasive poor quality Imperial Timmee clones found many other places – this was a refreshing find. If these figures were 54 mm, I would have been ecstatic. At an endcap display in the aisle abutting the toys with $3 and $5 toys,
    I found two interesting tubes of figures – Battle Warriors: Monsters vs Military and Ninjas vs Robots produced by Blip LLC. For $5 you get 96 figures at about 40mm in size. The figures are a little cartoony at times, but definitely interesting and usable if you like that scale. The soldiers are a bright green, the monsters purple, and the ninjas and robots a mix of red and blue. My favorite figure is a monster figure that is a clear ripoff of the movies’ Alien – probably very useful for 28-32mm wargamers. Altogether a nice trove of plastic from a retailer that has been spotty at best in offering plastic soldiers.

    Reply
  18. erwin says:
    September 16, 2014 at 12:32 PM

    Thank Dan, I truly appreciate your help/effort. I got the idea and images fine, will check when come back. Looks like I got a target shopping in plan now…

    Reply
  19. Ed Connell says:
    September 16, 2014 at 12:50 PM

    Very nice finds, and Erwin, I wish I could speak 4 languages. Also very reasonably priced.

    Reply
  20. erwin says:
    September 16, 2014 at 1:59 PM

    The link below is for a seller on eBay who had both sets mentioned by Dan in this forum which he found at Target.Once again thank you for the update Dan!!.Space figures are always interesting; these match somehow with Timme as you showed in pics too
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/SOLDIERS-vs-MONSTERS-36-figures-1-75-tall-green-purple-/131287729244?pt=Toy_Soldiers&hash=item1e915bc45c
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/NINJA-vs-ROBOTS-35-figures-1-75-tall-red-blue-/151402201777?pt=Toy_Soldiers&hash=item23404642b1
    item number 151402201777

    Reply
  21. Bill Nevins says:
    September 16, 2014 at 2:35 PM

    Erwin, Accuracy may not be important to you. That’s fine. But there are many who would rather “get it right” than just guess or spread wrong information.
    To each his own.

    Reply
  22. Don Perkins says:
    September 16, 2014 at 2:48 PM

    Erwin, just one more question about your nationality, if you don’t mind. The only reason I guessed German is that Germany has such a rich history of toy soldiers (Heyde, Elastolin, Lineol, Jean Hoeffler), that I thought Germany was a logical guess. Plus, if you had grown up in Germany, I wondered where, since I lived 4 years in Kassel (central Germany), and 3 years in Munich (southern Germany), when I was growing up and my father was stationed there in the U.S. Army. As it is, if I understand your answer correctly, you are of German heritage, but not actually born in Germany.

    May I ask where you were actually born, and then raised? I ask this out of simple curiosity, as I have either lived or traveled worldwide, and find the subject interesting.

    And permit me to add that I find it quite admirable when a person can speak and write in more than one language, since (except for a few words or phrases) I am limited to one — English.

    Reply
  23. Mike Kutnick says:
    September 16, 2014 at 2:53 PM

    Those are also sold at Toy’ R’ Us. Elite Forces also has a neat ” Fantasy” set with warriors, archers, evil queen, “orcs” and a female sword swinging barbarian [ Red Sonja maybe?] and some neat accessories. Figures are about 50 mm. They also have a “Pirates” set with knock off Fencible pirates, skeleton attackers, cannons and accessories. Pirates are about 45-mm- skeletons a bit larger at 50mm but $9.99 for 100 pieces of figures and accessories, what’s to complain about. [ I do have these two sets at home and will try to post pictures].

    Reply
    • erwin says:
      September 16, 2014 at 5:32 PM

      Mike: Are the same figures /set mentioned by Dan and in the links also at Toys’ R US’ now!!?.As I went around two/Three weeks ago and seen/bought those you mentioned that also Paul bought before us and show in this forum too; but I do not recall seen these new (to me)?.Please confirm. Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Dan Murphy says:
        September 16, 2014 at 8:19 PM

        Erwin, to the best of my knowledge the Toysrus True Heroes buckets are not the same figures as those now at Target. The True Heroes figures are the Timmee clones that came out some years ago and switched the legs and torsos of some of the old Timmee poses. Here is a link to the current True Heroes Army Playset on the Toysrus site, and the figures illustrated are the Timmee clones:

        http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3546320&cp=&parentPage=search

        The Target figures are smaller at around 50mm, much more detailed, and are equipped as modern soldiers with body armor, newer weaponry etc. Although smaller and just traditional army men, these figures seem to fit with the larger Blue Box/BBI line of detailed action figures and models.

        Reply
  24. Ed Connell says:
    September 16, 2014 at 4:27 PM

    The bridge alone in that fantasy set, makes it worth getting. I wish they would have made them, 54mm figures though, dag nab it. Paul showed the figures, and I love women warriors, especially dual wielding ones.

    Reply
  25. erwin says:
    September 16, 2014 at 9:29 PM

    Thank you Dan for clear it for me.Will get then at Target once I’m back from trip..best
    regards.Erwin

    Reply

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