Heading for the hills!
Happy hunting!
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Tuesday, 31 December 2013
King and Country: December Disptaches
Thank God, or anyone else you care to for that matter, that Santa and his sleigh are never as late as some of my posts! Anyone looking at this has probably seen all the goodies already, you may even have ordered some of them. So without further ado, here's the list of new releases and retirements for December [perilously close to being last month] from Andy and the team in HK
Happy hunting!
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
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
Monday, 30 December 2013
K&C Announce KnC
In a somewhat radical departure from the norm King and Country have announced the development of a new product range made out of plastic. Yes, you heard right. Plastic!
The first complete series of figures is due to be released early in the new year and according to the press releases will be a number of figures for their 'Alamo' range. Meanwhile, there is a taste of what is to come in the form of a 'mixed media' model of an American Sherman, pictured below
KnC 001, a D-Day Sherman, is being advertised as a high quality, pre-painted plastic and metal 1:30 scale model and comes with a half body tank commander and 2 removable wading engine and exhaust stacks
The company are using a hard plastic so reproducing fine detail shouldn't be a problem and we won't have to worry about swords, bayonets, rifles, flag poles and the like bending or figures that can't stand up!
Take a look at what the company is saying for yourself
"INTRODUCING "KnC""
This month we’re officially announcing our new “KnC” brand. At King & Country we’ve been working for over 18 months on producing a line of figures and vehicles that will be complementary to our existing main stream production but will provide collectors, old and new, with a less expensive, more affordable line of products that we believe can fill a gap in the 1:30 scale market.
Pre painted and manufactured in high quality, hard plastic resin the new figures and vehicles will provide collectors with a way to purchase "multiples" and "add-ons" that can extend and supplement existing K&C all-metal and mixed media collections and displays... not replace them!
We also believe that the more-affordable price-point will encourage younger collectors and even some plastic enthusiasts to venture into our part of the toy soldier/military miniature community...perhaps for the first time.
The first figure line is centered around our existing "Remember The Alamo" all-metal series and will be released in early 2014.
Meanwhile.....
KnC001: D-Day Sherman
This is one particular M4 Sherman that King & Country has never produced before... the unique "Wading Sherman". For D.Day certain M4A3 Shermans were fitted with tall wading stacks that were fixed on top and on the rear of the tank’s engine compartment. This allowed the vehicles to be launched off the beach and wade, under their own power, onto dry land. Once ashore the stacks would be jettisoned and the M4 could resume its task and its normal profile appearance.
Metal toy soldier collecting purists may well be frothing at the mouth at the very idea of all this but I for one am quite excited at the prospect. I'm certainly prepared to reserve judgement until I've actually seen some of the finished products
Roll on 2014 and happy hunting!
The first complete series of figures is due to be released early in the new year and according to the press releases will be a number of figures for their 'Alamo' range. Meanwhile, there is a taste of what is to come in the form of a 'mixed media' model of an American Sherman, pictured below
KnC 001, a D-Day Sherman, is being advertised as a high quality, pre-painted plastic and metal 1:30 scale model and comes with a half body tank commander and 2 removable wading engine and exhaust stacks
The company are using a hard plastic so reproducing fine detail shouldn't be a problem and we won't have to worry about swords, bayonets, rifles, flag poles and the like bending or figures that can't stand up!
Take a look at what the company is saying for yourself
"INTRODUCING "KnC""
This month we’re officially announcing our new “KnC” brand. At King & Country we’ve been working for over 18 months on producing a line of figures and vehicles that will be complementary to our existing main stream production but will provide collectors, old and new, with a less expensive, more affordable line of products that we believe can fill a gap in the 1:30 scale market.
Pre painted and manufactured in high quality, hard plastic resin the new figures and vehicles will provide collectors with a way to purchase "multiples" and "add-ons" that can extend and supplement existing K&C all-metal and mixed media collections and displays... not replace them!
We also believe that the more-affordable price-point will encourage younger collectors and even some plastic enthusiasts to venture into our part of the toy soldier/military miniature community...perhaps for the first time.
The first figure line is centered around our existing "Remember The Alamo" all-metal series and will be released in early 2014.
Meanwhile.....
KnC001: D-Day Sherman
This is one particular M4 Sherman that King & Country has never produced before... the unique "Wading Sherman". For D.Day certain M4A3 Shermans were fitted with tall wading stacks that were fixed on top and on the rear of the tank’s engine compartment. This allowed the vehicles to be launched off the beach and wade, under their own power, onto dry land. Once ashore the stacks would be jettisoned and the M4 could resume its task and its normal profile appearance.
Our new “KnC” M4 comes with 2 x removable stacks... 1 x half-body tank commander... and a
separate .50 calibre machine gun. Each tank is also carefully packaged in a specially designed, sturdy “window” box that allows collectors to see exactly what they’re buying when they’re buying it. |
||
AVAILABLE : Now!
| ||
Metal toy soldier collecting purists may well be frothing at the mouth at the very idea of all this but I for one am quite excited at the prospect. I'm certainly prepared to reserve judgement until I've actually seen some of the finished products
Roll on 2014 and happy hunting!
Wednesday, 25 December 2013
Sierra Toy Soldier Newsletter Link
Here's a little experiment that I've not tried before
The other day, the latest edition of the STS Newsletter arrived in my inbox and upon opening it I noticed a little orange and white icon in the top left hand corner which, when I clicked on it, gave me the option to share it in all manner of ways
When I clicked on the Blogger icon from the extensive drop down list, this is what resulted. A very skeletal post containing the following hyperlink
I hope you have fun exploring it
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Sierra-Toy-Soldier-Newsletter---December-2013.html?soid=1101631510936&aid=hDXxyMm-8yw
The other day, the latest edition of the STS Newsletter arrived in my inbox and upon opening it I noticed a little orange and white icon in the top left hand corner which, when I clicked on it, gave me the option to share it in all manner of ways
When I clicked on the Blogger icon from the extensive drop down list, this is what resulted. A very skeletal post containing the following hyperlink
I hope you have fun exploring it
http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Sierra-Toy-Soldier-Newsletter---December-2013.html?soid=1101631510936&aid=hDXxyMm-8yw
Beau Geste Digest: December Releases
New releases in December from our Argentinian cousins take the form of three new sets for their WW1 range
Sets 374, 375 and 376 depict WW1 British Infantry and a British Field Medical Corps Mule Ambulance, all in winter uniform
Happy hunting!
Sets 374, 375 and 376 depict WW1 British Infantry and a British Field Medical Corps Mule Ambulance, all in winter uniform
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| 374 - British Infantry in campaign, Winter, WWI |
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| 376 - British Military Band, Winter, WWI |
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| 375 - British Field Medical Corps, Mule Ambulance, Winter, WWI |
Happy hunting!
William Britains: New Nappies and Tommies!
New releases from W. Britains for their Napoleonic and WW1 ranges
Napoleonic - Brunswickers
The Black Brunswickers were raised in 1809 to fight Napoleon Bonaparte's occupation of Germany. These Brunswickers were distinctively attired in black wool uniforms, black leather belting and wore silver death heads on their shakos, quickly earning the nickname 'The Black Legion' or 'The Black Horde.
- BR36113 -- Brunswick Leib Battalion Standing Firing No.1
- BR36114 -- Brunswick Leib Battalion Kneeling Firing No.1
- BR36115 -- Brunswick Leib Battalion Standing Loading No.1
- BR36116 -- Brunswick Leib Battalion Kneeling Defending No.1
- BR36117 -- Brunswick Leib Battalion NCO No.1
- BR36118 -- Brunswick Leib Battalion Officer No.1
- BR36119 -- Brunswick Leib Battalion Standing Reaching for Cartridge
- BR36120 -- Brunswick Leib Battalion Casualty on Ground
- BR36121 -- Brunswick Leib Battalion Drummer
Napoleonic - British 44th Foot
In the Eighteenth Century, British Infantry regiments were normally made up of nine companies of regular infantry and one company of elite grenadiers. Although this was successful for fighting in the developed European terrain, it was less successful in the virgin forests of North America. The British forces in North America developed tactics for this new kind of warfare and light companies were trained to fight in a non-traditional method relying on marksmanship and extended order. Although the experiment was successful, the practice was abandoned for a short period at the end of the French & Indian War.
By 1770, regular Regiments were required to have one company designated and trained as Light Troops. The training was inconsistent and often inadequate, but by the beginning of the Nineteenth Century, progressive officers were writing well thought out manuals for this new corps.
While most companies of the regiment fought in tight formations, the 'Light Bobs,' as they were nicknamed, fought up to 80 paces in front of the main body of troops in pairs and in spaced intervals. Additional tasks of these light troops included rear guard and flanking protection, reconnaissance and protecting artillery.
When infantry formed squares, light infantry and artillerymen were often instructed to take cover in the squares when they were attacked by cavalry. Our new offering of 'Light Bobs' of the 44th Regiment of Foot are on their way back to the protection of the Battalion and Grenadier companies formed up into a defensive square. One enterprising soul pauses to loot a watch from a French casualty before sprinting to safety as the Sergeant signals others to follow with a sharp signal from his whistle!
- BR36122 -- British 44th Foot Light Company Kneeling Firing
- BR36123 -- British 44th Foot Light Company Crouching Running
- BR36124 -- British 44th Foot Light Company NCO Blowing Whistle
- BR36125 -- British 44th Foot Light Company Looting French Officer
Battle of the Somme
- BR23045 -- 1916 British Infantry Trench Lift Set No.1, "When Nature Calls"
- BR23051 -- 1916 British Infantry With a Cup of Tea
- BR23052 -- 1916 British Regimental Aid Post Set No.4, Awaiting Treatment, Wounded Tommy Leaning Against Wall and Another Seated
Happy hunting!
Thomas Gunn Miniatures: December Releases
Here we are at the tail end of December and I'm just about getting round to putting together one or two very brief posts about some of this month's releases from a handful of my favourite makers
All I can say in my defence, and it's not much of one really, is that I've been up to my eyes getting things ready for Christmas. Such is life when you have a wonderful young family to help raise; other things have to take a back seat from time to time
Anyway, first up, feast your eyes on these three planes of yesteryear, courtesy of the team at TGM
All I can say in my defence, and it's not much of one really, is that I've been up to my eyes getting things ready for Christmas. Such is life when you have a wonderful young family to help raise; other things have to take a back seat from time to time
Anyway, first up, feast your eyes on these three planes of yesteryear, courtesy of the team at TGM
WOW003 - Dornier 335
The Dornier Do 335 Pfeil ("Arrow") was a World War II heavy fighter built by the Dornier company. The Pfeil's performance was much better than other twin-engine designs due to its unique "push-pull" layout and the much lower drag of the in-line alignment of the two engines, this made it one of the fastest piston driven aircraft of WW2. The Pfeil was an extremely large fighter aircraft for its time with a wingspan and fuselage length measuring over 40ft. Only a handful were produced before the end of the war with none seeing actual combat, Allied aircraft were too slow to catch the Dornier and the Luftwaffe were forbidden to engage the Allies should one fall into enemy hands! Our 1/30 scale model comes with 2 all metal figures, a Luftwaffe pilot checking his map and an elite Fallschirmjager smoking a pipe! This limited edition of 15 models is priced at $650/£450 and is available from January 2014.
WOW005 - Fokker Eindecker
Fokker Eindecker. The Eindecker was the German Air Forces first monoplane fighter aircraft and entered service in 1915. It was also the world's first aircraft with a single machine gun that fired through the propeller, this gave the Germans a degree of air superiority over the Western front until early 1916 which later became known as the 'Fokker scourge'. Future aces such as Boelcke, Von Richoften, Immelmann, Udet, Jakobs and Otto Kissenberth all learned their trade on the Eindecker. Our aircraft photographed features and also includes a 1/30 scale weary Otto Kissenberth celebrating another aerial victory by downing a bottle of something strong! If you would like to reserve a model then please drop me an email at your earliest convenience. Priced at £315 + £15 Postage.
WOW004 - Hannover C1.11
Hannover 2 seater WW1 Bomber. A Hannover 513/18 from FEA 11, based at Brieg/Breslau during World War 1 in a pale blue livery. Our aircraft comes with GW017 Workshop set which comprises a mechanic repairing a Maxim gun and a rookie pilot - namely Wolfram von Richthofen, the 4th cousin to the famed Red Baron. Wolfram reported to FEA 11 in March of 1918 for advanced training, he was later assigned to Manfred's JG1 on April 4, 1918 and first flew with the Red Baron on April 21, 1918, the day the Red Baron was KIA. Wolfram eventually went on to score 8 victories and survived the war, he also served in the Luftwaffe during WW2 rising to the rank of Field Marshall, only to die in July 1945 from a brain tumour. Please note we will add pictures of the GW017 figures to our website with our Hannover when they become available. The pilot figures shown at the moment are for scale reference purposes only and are not included. There are a total of 12 Hannovers available worldwide priced at £365 + £15 Postage.
Several more pictures of each of these beauties are available on the company website. Happy hunting!
Merry Christmas, 2013
Merry Christmas, one and all
Here's hoping Santa brings you a certain something special to stuff in your stocking!
Have a super holiday season, and happy hunting
Sunday, 8 December 2013
Warfare
I haven't posted anything lately in connection with Warfare, the online military history magazine. A while ago it changed its format but it's still out there and still worth a look I reckon. I had a quick gander the other day and came across this interesting little calendar feature. Take a look for yourself and see what you think
Events Calendar
Calendar Key
Today.
Events on this day.
Nothing happening on this day.
Happy Hunting!
Happy Hunting!
Saturday, 30 November 2013
Figarti: Forthcoming Fabulousness!
All of the following are currently available, or very soon will be, from Grey Goose Collectables here in the UK. Just give Clive a call and he'll see you right! I've got my eyes on the Panther and MW's Tiger!
This all new Tiger 1, as commanded by the infamous Michael Wittmann, features oodles of fine detail and expertly rendered weathering to the paintwork. Limited to a production run of just 500 models this little beauty comes complete with photo-etched tools and equipment, hinged commander's hatch, moving gun breech and Figarti's new individual link assembled tank tracks for that additional touch of realism. If it looks anything like as good in real life as it does in the photos then it will be worth every penny of its £145 price tag!
Happy hunting!
This all new Tiger 1, as commanded by the infamous Michael Wittmann, features oodles of fine detail and expertly rendered weathering to the paintwork. Limited to a production run of just 500 models this little beauty comes complete with photo-etched tools and equipment, hinged commander's hatch, moving gun breech and Figarti's new individual link assembled tank tracks for that additional touch of realism. If it looks anything like as good in real life as it does in the photos then it will be worth every penny of its £145 price tag!
First Legion: The Forgotten Bits!
You'll never guess what landed in my in-tray earlier today. The November newsletter from First Legion which included details of all the new releases mentioned in the previous post as well as two American Revolution personalities that have been featured on the company's Workbench page for some time and a bunch of 'sneak peaks' thrown in for good measure. Read on and enjoy!
First
Legion is extremely pleased to present the first of our personality
figures of the American Revolution!
Long previewed on our workbench,
we are excited to finally bring you AWI056 General Cornwallis & His
Dogs.
In addition, of course we had to do a Mounted General Washington
to lead the Continentals on to victory. We sincerely hope you enjoy
them!
AWI056 General Cornwallis & His Dogs - $179.95
AWI057 General George Washington - $159.95
Following
the success of the first two releases in our “vignette” series, the
Death of Lannes and French Camp Life, we are pleased to present this
preview of the next such vignette for our flagship Napoleon’s Europe
product range.
This time we have selected a moment on the evening
before the Battle of Borodino where the Virgin of Smolensk Icon was
paraded before the Russian Army to prepare them for the horror that
would follow the next morning.
We hope you like it!
Next,
for our Battle of Stalingrad range we have this small preview of the
first of our truly ragged winter Germans depicting the very end of the
Battle.
These two figures are doing their best to keep warm and
prepare some food cleverly using their MG34 to assist in the process.
And
last but by no means least, we have a preview of the first of our
Confederate mounted personalities from our American Civil War range,
Generals Lee and Longstreet!
Happy Hunting!
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