Texas Toy Soldier Show Report May 2017 Ed Borris back from the show has sent a report. Hopefully we will get photos or be able to direct you to them.
Texas Toy Soldier Show Report May 2017 The Report
Just got back from Texas. It was hot and really, really humid there. because of the hummidity,I suffered greatly. Even so I had a great time with all my Texas buds.
I didn’t bring much , just my conversions and a couple figures of me and Mike Kutnick . I sold all the figures of mine and Mike”s. Also few conversions about 15 or 16 were sold. Still I bought a ton of Barzso figures at a good prices. My guess would be about 500 or 600 figures. I also sold my recently acquired Lexington Green set.
The attendance at the show seemed really good for the first 3 or 4 hours on Saturday, people were buying and spending lots of money, seemed to slow down later in the day. Sunday I only stayed until about 2:20 as I had a plane to catch, but the attendance while down a little bit from Saturday was still good. TSSD was there , Hobby Bunker and the rest of the plastic guys were the local Texas boys, including Gary Beadle, Ed Gannon, Gordon Gheen and a new entry into the plastic field Thomas Colbenson.
Tom had acquired a lot of Conte sets through an estate sale including Stamford Bridge, all 7 Alamo sets and the Warlord sets including both towers and the Village. He also had a large supply of Barzso figures which I purchase. He didn’t know a great deal about the Conte sets so Mike and I helped him out quite a bit. By the time I left of Sunday he had sold the Stamford Bridge set and all the Warlord stuff, at a nice price for him and the buyer. None of the other notable plastic dealers like Stengel Jr, Barzso, Eber or Allan Ford attended.
Texas Toy Soldier Show Report May 2017 Plastic Figures
There was quite a bit of plastic to be had at good prices. Although it does seem to be turning more towards metal. There were some other plastic dealers there, but I think they were all locals too. I didn’t do more than look at some of their items, so didn’t get their names. It was probably close to a 50/50 split between metal and plastic. With maybe a slight edge to metal. Most of the plastic dealers I spoke to had a decent show.
The guy that played Cliff on Cheers, John Ratzenberger showed up. He bought some St Petersburg metal figures. Ratzenberger looked at over at me at one point and I held up my beer and said cheers, but he didn’t seem to appreciate it. He just frowned and looked away. I heard he really was in town to attend the Comic Con show which was going on at the same time. He found about the toy soldier show and showed to buy some figures. He didn’t seem to be the friendly sort.
I really enjoyed myself despite the humidity and I look forward to going again in the future.
Good report, Ed.
Actually, I thought your humor as a good-natured joke with John Ratzenberger — holding up a can of beer and saying “Cheers” — was quite funny, and would have been appreciated by any cast member of the show that had the slightest bit of a sense of humor. Apparently, Ratzenberger doesn’t.
But back to the show. I have never been able to attend it, so I appreciate these reports. Years ago, before TSSD started having the show, my wife and I scheduled a summer vacation trip to San Antonio just so I could visit the Alamo at least one time in my life. We found out the whole city is full of interesting things to see and do, and the Alamo itself was the highlight.
Sounds like a Good show, Cheers used to be massive here in England back in the day and I used to watch every episose back in the 80s I think, Funny show. Ive got a few of those Conte Normans and Vikings but they are getting harder to find these days and more expensive. Ive always wanted a set of those Barzso Aztecs, But again hard to find and expensive.
Darren.
The Barzso Aztecs and Spaniards were as usual very limited done and the playset I think was also done in less number .I manager buy the Playset number 12 at it release on Chicago show in 2003 but I do not know if figures were sold in bags after and if did would had been less amount and common than most other Barzso sets bags like Indians, pirates and pioneers no charters set that you can still find then.
Yet their production been short run resin material figures and they stop making few years already had created a high value mark x all their sets.
Among it the conquistadores-Aztecs SETS that are very hard to get and last time I check few figures end in over $100.00.
A full playset recently was at eBay for near $800.00
So you need to get very lucky to get them in my opinion and willing to paid high if really want then .
My thoughts …
best regards
The funny thing is I think it took him a few years to sell out of the Aztecs and Conquistadors sets, one of his slower selling sets. I remember Beau Cunnyngham got the last one and that was at least 3 years after it was released. If I remember correctly he did have bagged figure sets available at one time in limited numbers. Some of the figure sets we picked up are sets produced in limited numbers, like BNO American regulars in blue, Confederates casaulties in blue and British Regualrs in green from the BNO, the last two mentioned will be really hard to find.
Yes I don’t think it would ever be a big hit.I particular love the era represented as partially related to my background cultural.
Yet I admit that x the US collectors would not be a big sale.Probably that made then produce less sets.
Yet same time made then harder now and much more value when years pass.
The poses and figures in myn posetion come perfect.
However I had seen some w mold defect that had always an isssue w Barzso resin.
Best …
For some reason the Aztecs and Conquistadors seemed to be fuller bodied figures than other sets, with less mold defects. I think the doofus brothers actually made better molds for them, they must have had a good day.
Yeah I remember seeing them for sale years ago and thinking they look good, I’ll get around to buying some of those, But I took to long and I hardly ever see them now and when I do your right they are getting more and more expensive and getting out of my price range. Ive probably missed the boat on them now, Nevermind. It would have been nice to see a few different companys have a go at making a set of Ancient Inca/Maya/ or Aztec, Just for a change, But I guess your right when you say theres perhaps not the market for them.
Shame you missed the PLASTIC WARRIOR show Darren. There were quite a few Conte figures for sale
We will make sure he does not miss it next year.
I know Gene said he wasn’t going this year but did anyone have Paragon’s new Alamo Mexicans? Just wondering if they’ve been released or not. They were supposed to be there. I figured Nick and DeAnna might have them.
Any plans from TSSD for a future set of figures or add one to the Vietnam series?
Ask tssd
http://www.sdsoldiers.com/coming_attractions.htm
Is there something on the above link for TSSD’s future toy soldier plans?
There was a host of Conte Vikings , Normans and Saxons at Tom’s table, all gone now I’m afraid. Me and my Partner do have a fair amount of Normans and Vikings for sale if you are interested. Nick revealed no plans for his new release, in fact it sounded like he was planning on taking a break, but that could change at any moment and no one had Paragons new Alamo Mexicans. We don’t have any Conquistadors or Aztecs, but we do have Confederate casualties in blue and some British regulars from the BNO in green, that can be used as 95th rifles. We also at least three British sets and one or two sets of the French from LOTM. In addition we have quite a few American regulars in blue and volunteers in gray from the BNO . I’m not sure exactly all the Barzso figures we picked up as I didn’t look them over in great detail, as they won’t be shipped from Texas until Tuesday.
One additional thing I did overlook was a reporter/photographer from Toy Soldiers and Model Figures magazine did take numerous photo’s of the personalized figures I had made of Mike Kutnick and myself and did some what of an interview, so maybe I will be appearing in that magazine again in the not too distant future. I’m sure he took many photo’s of other people’s offerings so maybe I’ll end up on the cutting room floor, who can tell?
Thanks for the report, Ed. I hope there will be more pictures!
Any reports from the Ohio Show last week? I couldn’t make it this year.
Remember, there are no TWO Ohio Toy Soldier Shows:
1) The show in Wadsworth Ohio (Cleveland area, northeastern part of the state), held last weekend, which was started by the Stengels, but which John Stengel Jr. has turned over to Rick Keller, Steve Connel, and Rod Chapman (the same threesome who now produce the Midwest Toy Soldier Show in West Lafeyette, Indiana).
2) The show in Columbus, Ohio (in the center part of the state) operated just by Rod Chapman, which is next scheduled Sunday, October 15, 2017, just 3 weeks after OTSN.
But in answer to your question, Jack, I unfortunately didn’t attend the Wadsworth show last week, since its a little far from our new retirement home in Indiana. But I’ve already informed Rod Chapman that I’ll be attending the Columbus, Ohio show on October 15, since it’s only about half the distance from where we now live. I very well may see you there. John Stengel Jr. normally goes there himself as well, as a dealer.
But like Jack, I’d appreciate a report on last week’s show from anyone who attended.
People live in Ohio on purpose?
Enjoyed the show very much,,the menger is a hoot,,some of the re enactors were interesting tho it was obvious a bit of PT and other basic training was needed to us vets,,,I spoke to several about the status,,situation etc of conte and as always it goes in many directions,,
Did I see you there? I’m terrible with names.