BTSS: News!

Apparently there's been a bit of a question mark hanging over this year's Birmingham Toy Soldier Show, a question mark concerning firstly whether it's going to be held at all and secondly concerning the venue for it, should it be going ahead

I've been completely oblivious to all this and my attention was only drawn to it thanks to the K&C UK Collectors Club newsletter that dropped through my letter box a few days ago

Thankfully, according to the newsletter, the show is back on, albeit with a different organiser at the helm and located in a different venue

The show has been taken over by Patrick Adams of the British Toy Soldier Company and will be held at Edgbaston Stadium on Sunday 12th October. In addition to this, the show will be sponsored and promoted by Bachmann Europe PLC, the new distributors for William Britain's toy soldiers

You may find the following information, which appears on the following website, [http://toysoldierfairbirmingham.com/] of some interest

Maybe I'll see you at the show in October, and in the meantime.....

Happy Hunting!

The Birmingham Toy Soldier Show: News

We are very nearly at the beginning of a new year, reflecting back on the current one and, hopefully, looking forward to the one ahead with all the experiences that it will bring

Whatever it brings we can be certain of at least one thing; some things will change. And so it is with what has been, for the past 23 years at any rate, a constant in the toy soldier hobbyist's calendar, The Birmingham Toy Soldier Show

Like its bigger brother, The London Toy Soldier Show, 2014 will see it morph into something slightly different. The LTSS is now being run by different organisers and held at a different venue. The Birmingham event will continue to be held at The Clarendon Suite in Edgbaston but 'under new management'

After 23 years at the helm, Dave McKenna, supported throughout by his good lady wife, has decided to pass the rudder on to someone else, namely Pat Adams of The British Toy Soldier Company, with sponsorship from W Britains

Let's hope the event continues to prosper and succeed in one of its founders original goals, to bring the fascinating hobby of toy soldier collecting to a new and expanding audience

Watch this space for further details

The 23rd Birmingham Toy Soldier Show

A couple of weeks ago, on Sunday 13th October, I visited The Birmingham Toy Soldier Show. By all accounts visitor numbers were a little down on last year and there was certainly a drop in the number of traders. Nevertheless, there was still plenty there to have a gander at, as I hope the accompanying images will testify to, and I passed an enjoyable two or three hours chatting with dealers and model makers and making the occasional purchase of architectural items, figures, coffee and a bacon bap!

Next year's show, the 24th, will be held on Sunday 12th October 2014 at The Clarendon Suite, just off the Hagley Road in Edgbaston, Birmingham

As usual at the BTSS plastic figures in general, and old Timpo figures like these in particular, were very well represented. Quite a few dealers had a wide variety of soldiers like these, that I have fond memories of from my younger years, available for sale including Cowboys and Indians, US Cavalry figures, Knights and Crusaders, Eskimos, Tepees, Tents and Buildings

From cheap and cheerful, mass produced plastics we travel to a rather different place on the spectrum that makes up the toy soldier scene. This somewhat more serious and considerably more expensive reconstruction of an Imperial Roman watch tower was painstakingly built by a pair of model makers who together go by the name of Small Wonders Model Makers

Take a look at their website at www.smallwondersmodelmakers.com or feel free to contact them using the details below

As usual, King and Country UK were there in force at the show but they have been scaling down their operations somewhat according to Mike Neville. They have decided to display predominantly new and upcoming figure releases at the shows and simplify the dioramas on which they are displayed, all in an effort to cut down on set up times, make the figures the centre of attention and allow the customer to see more clearly what's new across the many different ranges produced by the company

Most of the display boards for K&C UK's dioramas, including this one, have been made by Dave Marshall at TM Terrain

A selection of British Paras, part of the new Premier Figures series that has recently been announced by the company displayed alongside building facades and terrain modules by John Gittins

The series of Normandy buildings shown here really are lovely. I picked up the recently retired church facade whilst I was there along with two of the eagle-topped columns for one of my LAH/SA dioramas

Two shots of the very impressive Figarti figures available from Clive at Grey Goose Collectibles, beautifully displayed alongside yet more tremendous terrain from Dave

Two shots of some of the trench sections being produced by Britains. I have to confess I'm not a great fan of their figures but I'm pretty impressed with the terrain pieces they're turning out to accompany their WW1 range. I reckon they'd set any group of WW1 figures off really well

I particularly like the dead trees and water-filled shell craters. I can picture them now set out on one of Dave's terrain boards together with some of John's debris and liberal sprinklings of his plastic soil

Last but by no means least, a selection form the company that to my mind are fast establishing themselves as 'First Among Equals', First Legion, courtesy of Ken and the team at Maison Militaire

This proudly defiant German warrior, severed Roman head in hand, was another of my purchases from the show

You won't find Waffen SS camo patterns painted any better than this outside of one of the Russian studios. For my money, they are simply the best on the market

Thanks to all the traders who showed up to show off their treasures, and a special thank you to Dave and Pat for organising another successful show. See you at the next one and, in the mean time, happy hunting!

Birmingham Toy Soldier Show: 2012

German Landsknecht flag bearer from First Legion

 
On Sunday I took myself along to the 22nd holding of Birmingham's Central Model and Toy Soldiers Fayre, to give it its proper title, aka The Birmingham Toy Soldier Show

 
I wasn't there all day so I'm unable to judge just how well attended it was overall, but when I got there, when it opened its doors to the public, it didn't seem quite as busy as it has in the past

Liebstandarte SS ceremonial band by K&C [they do this soooo well!]

 
Nevertheless, there were plenty of traders there, including most if not all of the 'usual suspects', including K&C UK, Grey Goose Collectibles, TM Terrain, Little Legion and Maison Militaire to name but a few, selling vintage and new figures and vehicles from all the major metal and plastic manufacturers; HAT, Armies in Plastic, Victrix, Airfix, Timpo, Figarti, Thomas Gunn, Collectors Showcase, First Legion, Black Hawk, Conte Collectibles, King and Country and seemingly bucket loads of Britains!  Plenty to keep the big kid in all of us more than happily entertained!

Recently released ceremonial archway

Close up of some of the adoring onlookers, also released fairly recently

K&C's new and improved range of distressed French buildings, complete with numerous German invaders

 
This year I was 'on a mission' and owing to other family oriented commitments I was unable to spend the whole day there. My main reason for going was to collect a recently released Figarti tank that I'd asked Clive of GGC to bring along to the show for me, a vehicle I featured in a recently posted Figarti review, and it's a little beauty! As soon as I find time to get it out of its rather handsome box I will take a couple of photos and put them on here as part of my next 'Latest Additions' post. For now, I will keep you in suspense

A fraction of the armour and 'warbirds' available on the Figarti retailer's stand. Thanks for the tank, Clive!

Whilst there I came across a stand I don't remember seeing at the show before, Tiger Hobbies Limited, and what drew my eye was the rather impressive arrangement of 1/72nd scale die-cast military vehicles piled high on their table, along with the arguably even more impressive 1/24th scale Tiger II tank, complete with crew, sitting above it

I had quite a good chat with the owner as I perused the selection of 20mm tanks and other armoured and soft skin vehicles on show, mostly from Hobby Master and Panzerstahl and a few from Blitz 72, a small, but growing, range of 'budget' die-cast and plastic vehicles aimed primarily at the wargamer who might want to buy several versions of the same vehicle without having to re-mortgage the house!

One word sums this up; nice!

The Tiger II, made from a combination of die-cast and plastic parts, was priced at £50. The detailing and the paint job are both very impressive for the money. The turret rotates, the gun elevates, all the hatches open to accommodate a full complement of crew figures should you want to buy them, and each of the wheel has its own independent suspension! The model comes with a plastic commander. The figures in the photos are metal and available at an additional cost. Vehicle and figures are both manufactured by VS-Tanks

If you like the sound of that, you'll be even more impressed when I tell you that for £50 more you can have a fully RC [radio controlled] version with the kind of 'functionality' that would typically cost you a whole lot more! Check out their website by clicking on the highlighted link above and see what you think. Happy browsing!

I leave you with a couple of snaps [poorer in quality than I would have liked] showing some of the lovely First Legion figures on the Maison Militaire stand. Happy hunting

Next year's show will take place on Sunday 13th October, earlier than usual, at the same venue; The Clarendon Suite, 2 Stirling Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham. See you there!