Bill Nevins Finds For December, once again Bill has found some interesting items. We will let Bill explain his latest finds.
I have several interesting items that I found over the last 3 weeks.
First up is a header bag of TimMee Processed Plastic Fantasy figures.
I took some shots of the header card back and front. Are these originals or considered reissues?
Admin Note: Bill Nevins finds Tim Mee Fantasy Figures are original. The figures that Tim Mee used to make the fantasy figures were originally the Marvel Super Heroes they made. Tim Mee reworked the Marvel superheroes into fantasy figures. For example the Caveman with the club was the Hulk and wizard with the wand and knife was based on the Red Skull Captain America’s Main enemy.
Next is something I’ve never heard of or seen before. JUSTEN Toys out of Chicago. Header card bagged set of cowboys and Indians. Look like GIANT copies, but much larger. And the Cowboys hats are removable!!!
Interesting find.
Third up are some nice Papo size Knights. I have no information on these, but they are pretty nice figures. I got 24 boxes in 3 poses for cheap.
Lastly, are some older Britains plastic Walking Man(???) figures. These were mixed in with some Deetail Cowboys. Note the small cardboard piece showing the Britains catalog number. It was in the bag.
Admin Note: In Bill Nevins finds the Britains Figures are the one of the zoo keeper poses. The pose was used in the Britains Chimpanzee Party. This set came with a zoo keeper and four chimpanzees with table and chairs. The table had cups and saucer molded on to the table. The chimpanzee party was part of British zoo for many years. It was also done in metal previous.
I have some more including a set of Gulliver Atlantic copies 7 th Cavalry in a PVC plastic. And much more….Bill
On the Justen bag set…the header card says “Made in the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong” if that helps anyone identify these.
If the cowboys and Indians are about 30 mm were made and sold a lot under two main brands in other colors as well, the brand name used in head card may be just made up for distribution and by the way incorrectly written.
RADO is the one that copied the Giant mold increase a bit the size and sold them first.They did same with Mongols and knights many others HK later distribute it. It was an idea to compete with early other HK same line scale figures.
The big knights were sold by BIG LOT few years ago ,later some dollar store carry some individual packs too. They some times come with mounted poses and catapults large case window playset too, I kept the catapult , give away and sold few knights off when bought two of them. I guess 20010/2012
I most admit the chimpanzee seating in table with keeper are one of more original animal/figures ever done. Awesome idea when they design it.
Great find Bill, the zookeeper are good x conversion, the Tim Mee in original card I think is a good value one too but no idea how much that will go for
Sorry I most add/rectify. Justen is a brand that distribute many other toys, just that looks funny how the name was typed.
They also distribute the HK metallic color plastic cowboys and Indians copies of crescent and other British brand too in window cases too. I had also seen LIDO toys under same odd brand from HK too and have few cities souvenir with same brand.What I don’t know is if they also distribute under same name in Europe as well. In SA they did not, they use other names
I’m not so sure now that these are Giant copies. I showed them to a few friends and they say that they are not copies.
I guess I could open the bag by removing the staples and take some pix of the figures.
Hey, if I remove the staples and then put the original staples back in, does that ruin the integrity of a bag set?
Just curious.
NO.Just don’t said that much Bill please. LOL!!!
It is not like you are damaging the card or pack if you reap off them is another thing.
No.Just don’t said that much Bill please. LOL!!!It is not like you are damaging the card or pack if you reap off them is another thing. Watch the staples are not rust ,do not open if it is.
Bill ,to me the horses looks very alike Giant copies, the Indians as far I can see not look like main three mounted poses I had seen ,but hard to see from bag view too.Giant mounted poses are brave with hand in waist and spear banner in other hand, shield and spear and shooting bow forward, I guess if I recall well.
RE:Chimpanzee Party check out Youtube for “Red Rose Chimpanzee Tea parties”
The Fantasy Figures, I believe , are original. I bought them back in the late 80’s and they are in the same colors. There is a web site called Victory Buy that sells those figures as well as other reissues of TimMee figures. Here is a link to the reissued fantasy figures.
http://www.victorybuy.com/TimMee-Legendary-BATTLE-Fantasy-Figures/dp/B00FQIJEO4
I don’t think the Indians look like the Giants copies, at least the first series of Giant. The horses look different too. The series I have the horses resemble the Marx 54mm cavalry horses. Hard to tell with Giant, they made like 6 different versions of the Indians and cowboys too. I only have the first version. There is a site where a guy does reviews on 1/72nd figures and he goes into the whole history of Giants figures complete with pictures. He pretty much covers everything you ever wanted to know about 1/72nd figures, he even goes into game pieces. He’s a pretty brutal critic.
I think that I am going to attempt to remove the staples and take the figures out.
I an very curious about the removable hats and I really need to see the poses better.
Good idea or not?
I think the staples on a typical header card can, with care, be open, removed, and resealed with no tearing or other damage. Of course, the staples, once having been opened, would likely be slightly looser after re-closing than they were originally. Nevertheless I say “Good Idea”.
My own view is that I would pay just as much for an bag of toy soldiers which had been opened in such a way as not to damage the container as I would pay for a bag which had never been opened.
I heard Rick Eber say once that he would not pay a premium to obtain a stapled shut, unopened Marx playset, because he himself would automatically open it to examine its contents before he offered it for sale to anyone else.
Clear thinking, Don. I’ll give it a shot tonight. Besides, how much can these be worth?
Their junk figures that have a novelty factor because no one has identified them yet.
That’s it.
Not a big find in my book, just a curiosity item.
I’ll open the bag and sort out all the poses and colors. I’ll list everything and take pictures.
Then I’ll email the whole thing to Kent, in case he wants it for his guide. If your not familiar with his identification guide, you are missing out. It’s the best ref source available anywhere.
Bill ,as I said before ;they are there.
Look this sample on eBay now please.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/311504379203?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2648&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
eBay item number:311504379203
It’s a Hong Kong bag of generic western figures with plug on hats. I have had a few and MIB they are only worth about $15 Max so yes open the bag and get better pictures. They have a cute ugly factor that may appeal to some collectors. They are not copies of Giant whose 1/72 cowboys and Indians were copies of Britains.