Chicago Toy Soldier Show September 2017 we are starting a coverage of the show. As you know this show is a major event for new prioduction from plastic and metal makers. Also dealers in older production are there with many unique items. I will be checking in on various people during the weekend to get you any news. Also we have our intrepid reported Ed Borris on the scene. If you have any information or photos please share them with us.
Chicago Toy Soldier Show September 2017 Ed Borris
We call Ed and he gave us the following report. There are lots more people in today and yesterday than before. The people he saw were people staying at the hotel. Business so far has been light. Ed said he got 100 Marx Dearborn pioneers for a friend. He got them at very good prices.
Rusty Kern of Playset magazine was seen and he has his Marx Civil War book for sale. Ron Barzso had just come in and was not set up yet. People are waiting for his room to open up. Nick of TSSD is not there but his wife is.
Chicago Toy Soldier Show September 2017 Friday
We have checked back to see how things are going. According to the reports more people and rooms have opened. Barzso is selling his figures in the new material. The figures seem to show more detail than before.
John Stengel JR is there. He does not have any new Action Casting Figures at the show. John is hoping that he will have new figures out in April of 2018. He is talking on doing zombies.
Francis Turner had a Black Wyatt Earp character figure. He was not sure what it was worth and was asking prices.
Checking with Ed Borris he said selling was still slow for him. He was hoping for sale to pick up today. Ed had sold some several figures of himself that he had made up. So far no one was interested in his color variation of 60mm Marx cavalry in tan and light blue. He got for himself a Marx pioneer running with a rifle and poweder horn in a choclate brown.
Chicago Toy Soldier Show September 2017 The Big News
The people at the show are waiting to hear the news from Ron Barzso and Ken Ciak. As it was reported there were rumors that they were getting together at the show on making new figures. They will be making a major aunouncement after auction on Saturday. We have heard various rumors, but we will wait and see.
Chicago Toy Soldier Show September 2017 Mike Mullins
We have heard again from MIke Mullins. Here is what he hadsay of his second day at the show.
Chicago Toy Soldier Show September 2017 Saturday
Sales at the show have picked up. One highlight has been Rick Kellar’s room. Rick has had a mountain of plastic which he has been dumping in bins. Then he give a box to a customer and lets them fill it up. The figures don’t only included Marx. It has been reported that people have found Timmee Russians in the mix. Rick is constantly refilling his bins.
Francis Turner is selling some mid level playsets.
I talked to Alan Ford and he said was doing well with his playset and parts. He remarked that prices were down. Marx was everywhere but European plastic is hard to find.
Checking with Ed Borris, he was happy with his sales. He had sold an Alamo playset to Jim Clouse. also another person had bought 40 of his conversion figures.
We missed Steve Weston but talked to his lovely wife Linda. she said they were sold out of a number of items including the No Name figures.
Chicago Toy Soldier Show September 2017 Auction
Ed went to the auction and meeting. People were anticpating to hear news from Ken Ciak and Ron Barzso. Sadly nothing was announced. Rumor has it that Ken and Ron are doing a Yorktown Playset. We will wait for confirmation or not.
Richard Egen won the Spartacus playset box signed by Kirk Douglas. Ed gave Craig Remington figures of Craig as an Alamo defender.
They opened a still sealed Alaska playset.
Joe Joria, who is having health issues show up today.
Ed said that his sales have been worthwhile. He said some of the other dealers had been doing sales.
Tomorrow is the show.
As we get more information we will post it here.
Mike, nobody attending OTSN for the first time can be expected to find time to stop and take pictures. There’s way to much to see and do, and then hurry on to the next room. So just enjoy yourself and don’t even worry about it.
The metal bar room seen is amazing.
If Allan Ford says “prices are down” that’s really significant to me. I’ve bought MIB old Marx playsets from Allan at VERY GOOD PRICES. In fact, he’s the first one I’d contact if I was looking for a specific set because he always has the best quality at the best price. Maybe the time has come for hoarders to sell old Marx before the market is totally gone and young people have NO interest. I have a good buddy who has Beanie Babies that used to sell for $1000s sitting in boxes out in his shed. He has a “Royal Blue Peanut” the elephant that he turned down $3000 for when he was asking $5000. By now, mice may have eaten it.
Yes Alan is great person to buy from. When I get a chance to talk to him more I will get more information. I have always touted to buy for your enjoyment not investment. I have been amazed over the years what has sold and not. Right now with Ebay I am finding I have to bundle more of the items I get. I will say this I am surpise that certain items I could not sell before like Rel and Lido horses I can sell if give nice quantity. I know one Ebay dealer that has had success with Some minor companies.
The Yorktown Playset as a joint venture between Ken Ciak and Ron Barzso sounds promising, especially in light of Ron’s previously released Battle of Lexington set. I hope the rumors are true.
I received Ken’s LOD Trojan War character figures in the mail today, and they are just great. Ken told me the Trojan Horse itself will be shipped after the Chicago Show ends. Ever since I saw, in pre-school, Cecille B. DeMille spectaculor movie “Helen of Troy”, and then read the Classic Illustrated comic book, I have wished that someone would make a Trojan War playset. LOD has finally obliged. In college, I finally got to the original version in a world classic literature class where The Iliad was required reading.
According to the Warhorse Miniatures interview of Mr. Ciak, more Trojan and Greek figures are going to be added, so it’s shaping up to be something really exceptional. I was looking forward to conversing directly with Ken Ciak at OTSN, but unfortunately couldn’t attend this year. But it sounds like from the reports we’re getting that everyone there is having fun, as usual.
Right now it is just a rumor. We will just have to wait and see.
Admin: You say “Francis Turner has a black plastic Wyatt Earp and is not sure what it is worth and is asking prices.” Do you mean is is asking other dealers what they think it is worth? Or do you mean he is taking offers on it?
Francis was asking people on a price. some people felt it was $200.00 others $600.00
Could set a new record for a cream figure turned black in the dump?
No there are black Wyatt Earp figures. I own one which I got at an auction where they sold a number of Marx items from the warehouse. wyatt was also done in gray and tan.
Well, it’s over. I had a decent show, got to hang around with Mike Mullins a bit, a good guy and a good converter. Got meet meet Eddie White, sold a bunch of conversions probably close to 70 of them. Spent more that I would have liked too, but after everything was said I done, I came home with 2/3 of the money I came with and have a bunch of stuff for re-sale. The early traffic at the actual show itself was pretty heavy, it seemed to diminsh at around noon or 12:30, I had a fair amount of sales on Sunday at least in the number that bought stuff, but no large purchases. Got to drink a number of beers with Mark Fuentes, a really nice guy and sold quite a few of the figures of me, Mike Kutnick and Craig Remington. I managed to pick up a few items for my personal collection including a chocolate brown 60mm cavalry figure ,some Marx build them yourself cowboys, and some LOTM character figures from Barzso. I was really imprressed with Ron’s new figures, to me they seem to reveal more detail and appear much sturdier than his previous figures. I got the impression from talking to Ron that he is not going to re-do all his figures sets and he didn’t want to diminish peoples collection values by re-doing all the character figures. Of course that could always change, but he seemed firm about that. I was anticipating an announcement at the raffle about his future plans, that that never happened. I prersented Craig Remington the figures that Mike Kutnick and I had produced of him just prior to the raffle and he seemed very pleased and surprised. All in all I had a good time, I was hoping for bigger sales, but I really can’t complain too much. I thought the room trading traffic was low. The TV crews were around on Sunday and I saw the show appear on one of the local news channels, they seemed to focus most of the spread on the hallway exhibits and I saw them interview Any Nielson of Kings X, couldn’t hear what was being said as I was at the hotel bar when the piece came on and they didn’t have the sound on.
Good observations, Ed. As soon as they get back from the show and get unpacked and reorganized, I’d also like to hear the observations of Mike Mullins, Eddie White, and Len Hardt. Did Gary Kaupert (not sure I’m spelling his last name correctly) make it up from Missouri?
I’ve only been to about half of the OTSNs that have occured, but having attended the last 6 in a row, believe me it was painful to have to miss it this year. Even as late as Thursday, I was still tempted to drop everything and zip up to the show for at least a day, especially since I could have picked up my LOD Trojan Horse directly, rather than wait for it in the mail, but my wife convinced me otherwise. I also would have enjoyed seeing the new composition Ron Barzso figures, hearing the latest from John Stengel Jr., and going through those massive tubs in Rick Keller’s room.
But I still enjoy hearing everybody’s reports.
Ed, did any of the other dealers comment to you about how they perceived the level of room traffic, foot traffic, and overall sales? How about attendance at the Sunday Show itself? Do the aisles still fill up pretty much?
Next up (for me) is Rod Chapman’s Columbus, Ohio Toy Soldier Show (October 15), followed on October 30 by the East Coast Toy Soldier Show in New Jersey for Erwin, Paul Stadinger, Andy, Bill Nevins, and others in the area (but not for myself, unfortunately).
Gary was there, I ran into him a couple of times, he was hopig that maube the Russian Nam figures would have appeared, but I didn’t see any, not sure if he found them.
The guys I talked to, saw things pretty much the way I did, the room trading was pretty light at least in terms of what I consider the general public. The show had good attendance, at least until about noon or shortly thereafter. I found the shoppers at the show buying things, but not big money items, lots of small purchases. I didn’t see people walking around with plasysets, although I did see one guy that had purchased a Mighty Mattilda without a box walking around carrying the ship.I spoke with Nick of Crown Miniatures and he’s a metal guy and he said a good show, and I spoke to Franics Turner who packed up early and he pretty much agreed with my assessment, lots of buyers , but nothing big. Saturday had the biggest crowd for room trading, but even then it wasn’t what I would term heavy. There were times when I had 4 or 5 guys in the room at one time shoppiing, but there were times where no one was there for up to 1/2 hour at a time.
How did Turner make out with his black Wyatt Earp figure?
Andy the figures were post here in 2012 as PLastic Magazine did not have any figures to show in photos.
http://www.stadsstuff.com/?p=1258
thanks Erwin, I knew I had a photo up but did not get a chance to look.
also mentioned here.
http://www.marxwildwest.com/inventory3.html
Playset magazine#66 is the one did cover it …
best
Yes, I’ve seen pictures of black and tan Wyatt Earp figures many times. Always wonder about the legitimacy of the figure in color variations other than cream. I’ve cut open a few “mint” and damaged gray ones to discover they were cream inside turned gray on the outside. Would be VERY leery to spend $hundreds on an Earp color variation without a strong
paper trail. I think true gray ones may have been made, but I won’t be buying any more unless they come from a stapled set.
My gray figure was bought before the landfill finds.
I would not pay high money for a color variation. I only have them because they came into my hands for next to nothing.
Thanks for all the updates about the show, I haven’t heard anything new about LOD/Barzso announcement. I wonder what it could be, maybe they have some more details to discuss. If I hear anything, I’ll let you guys know. I have not been to the Chicago show yet, one of these days. But lately, I have been going to the East Coast Toy Soldier Show and then I the Gettysburg Show.
Mike
Laurie and I will be there roaming around. We base ourselves at Gerry Watts’ tables. I will walk the show several times while Laurie will just relax and helps watch Gerry stuff. I will be doing photos and seeing what I can find. It is a great show for us plastic collectors.
I bumped into last time, we talked for a minute. We have bumped into each other over the years. It was you that got me back into the hobby after I ran into your mail order catalog. I might even have one laying around. I have been going to the E.C.T.S.S. about 4 different times over the last 20 years. I would say that there was about a 10 year period that I didn’t really collect too much. But the last few years I have returned, it is such a great hobby. Thanks again.
I really appreciate the information and sharing from the show. I hope to get up there one day before it’s too late. So far the one show I’ve been able to make has been the Texas Show (I’ve made maybe five of them) – but even there, it seems like the world conspires to prevent my wife and I from making what has become a special long weekend (or longer) in San Antonio.
Before I retired it was always graduation (I had to attend); and since then there’s always something. This year we had five graduations in my family between my grandchildren from HS and Kindergartens. Geez, when we finished Kindergarten I don’t even remember if we received a “well-done.”
Hopefully, though, next year. Always next year.
In the meantime, again, I appreciate the reports and pix from those who can go.
I had the same thing getting to PW show in UK. I final did and went many times but the last few years the budget has not allowed it.
Ed, do you know how Turner made out with his black Wyatt Earp figure?
He didn’t have the figure at the show, he ws just asking around about how much it was worth. I told him about $200 to $250, someone else told him $600. I said $600 seemed too high to me.
Wonder if someone is trying to sell it to him?
Who knows if he had it or was thinking of buying it. Either way it does not matere to me.
No, he had it at home.
OK, thanks. The difference would be, if someone else was selling it to him and he offered $100 to buy it to resell it for $200, the seller would be $50 better off if someone paid him $150, and the new owner at $150 would also save $50 on the transaction rather than pay $200 to a middle man.
Personally it will never fligh my mind buy a figure for any price near to a fraction of that.
But I understand those who are willing of course.
Best..
My annual update now follows, in no particular order.
It was a successful show for myself as a buyer with bargaining very prevalent with the re-sellers and even more so with most old toy soldier re-sellers. As a preface I will explain that I am both a plastic and metal collector. My plastic periods are ACW, Ancient Greeks and Persians, Trojan War and inactive at present, WWII.
I started out with Steve Weston and my pre-order from him. The Chintoy ACW Staffs are excellent and will make great additions to my ACW armies. Would love to see some mounted ACW staffs. Steve also brought me some replicants. I also ordered from Steve two of the “No-Name” Greeks Sets that he had already sold out of by Thursday night. Thankfully he has some more at home that he will send me and I was able to look at some that someone else had purchased but not picked up yet. They looked great in person along with the Romans.
Picked up a couple ACW conversions from Ed Borris and talked to him later on Sunday about future ACW with some of my duplicate ACW figures. When I mentioned I was a Stads Stuff follower Ed gave me as a memento one of your old roman figures. Thank you again.
I also ordered a copy of Rusty Kerns new ACW Marx book in paperback on Sunday. He will be sending one to me as he had sold out of all 50 of the paperback ones he had brought and I think? he had only one hardcover left when I saw him. Looking at the book during room trading it was extremely well put together.
Picked up some excellent bagged deals, combined deals and individual bin figures from Father and Son, Bill Murphy, Ralph’s hobbies and others. Didn’t need all the figures but will hopefully use the rest for conversions or who knows a room of my own someday?
Left some more painting work for Joe Hall of Nickel 55. Nice guy and can’t speak highly enough of his painting work. I know he took in a large pile of painting work and did well with his painted plastic for sale.
As mentioned Gene from Paragon was not there and I could not find much of his stuff. John Stengel Jr. was there but did not have any new Action Castings. Mike Luteran was there with some a lot of his hand crafted work with the siege towers and building looking fantastic and attractively priced. Picked up some of his miscellaneous smaller stuff for my Trojan War project.
Speaking of the Trojan War, Ken was there in force with his new Trojan War additions, the Trojan horse, the new ships and new character figures along with his lines formerly from Ron B the robin hood and AWI figures. All of the new additions look great, the horse is outstanding and the ships offer plenty of conversion possibilities, so I picked up two. Speaking of the new project nothing official was ever announced between Ken and Ron, but unofficially it was pretty much common knowledge and I told Ken and Ron that I think it is an excellent project.
As another commenter mentioned I concur that there was not a lot of European plastic. A lady did have at the show on Sunday some Athina, other European French/Italian plastic? and some very hard to find Atlantic Trojans, the only Atlantic I saw the whole week. The Trojans were premium priced but in retrospect probably about right, but by that time my show budget was spent. Jeff Immel was there with a BMC display but not selling, he seems to be a heck of a nice guy. Little of his stuff had reached dealers for the show but from what I heard they have their orders in? He sold his displays at the end of the show and on my way out I wished him the best success with BMC and ended up walking away with a great deal on his display Iwo Jima playset. He was promoting his figures at the show by having a bucket of his individual figures tied to business card and coupons, I think it was particularly successful with the kids. Also saw Deanna/TSSD being particularly gracious to kids.
Mike Kutnick and crew did well with his shop with a cop fundraiser, it’s a good cause and fun seeing a playset from yesteryear opened up.
Overall, the show was well run and Roger and family were very visible. I believe the show held it’s own this year, especially plastic. old metal but not new was probably down some. Deals were to be had for the buyers with prices down for the old stuff compared to 5 years ago. My observations were that Thursday night room trading was light with may rooms closed after dinner. Room trading was better Friday and busy Saturday am and early afternoon. The show as others noted was very busy early until about 12:30.
I apologize to anybody I left out.
Sp
Thanks for the excellent report, Tom.
Question: You say everybody seemed to know about the new Barzso/LOD joint project, even though there was no official announcement. Was the “common knowledge” that it was a Rev. War/Yorktown set?
Yes, I believe so. Just bits and pieces that I heard that all match what I read here previously.
As a side note as I picked up a bag of some of the Barzo recasts along with a couple loose figures, Ron’s wife said it was a near run thing in getting the recasts delivered in time for the show.
Ed is too modest and so is Mike Mullins. Ed score a beautiful Marx Fort Apache Stockade playset, with unfolded tin (!), instructions sheet, and figures in original Marx bags. Box is a strong C-nine). And here’s the punchline, there were extra bags of figures in Marx bags: more Stockade Indians, and, and, 24 metallic blue 60 mm Rin Tin Tin cavalry and six horses, four of them with unbroken reins and saddles, and did I mention this is the set with the blue buckboard. Ed also shared in the sale of a Barzso Lewis and Clark( 95% complete) with additional Indians and Corps of Discovery figures, one hundred dollars worth of collectible comics and a ” John Wayne” Marx Alamo playset ( was missing only the front door bar, a spree of shellls and two figures. But the buyer was very happy with it)
Mike Mullins sold a conversion he did of Josh Randall ( Wanted Dead or Alive), a converted two set piece of “Rat Patrol” keeps and figures and several other pieces for good prices. The
I should mention that at one time it appeared Ron was going to pull me and Mike Kutnick aside and maybe some others as well, but as he was about to spill the beans, Rusty and Ken pulled Ron aside and they had a meeting in Ron’s room with the door closed. After that I assumed they were going to announce their plans at the raffle, but that did not happen. I don’t know if the rumors I heard are going to change or just when and how they are going to announce exactly what their plans are. If I had to guess and I don’t, I would say we may learn their plans in the next issue of Playset Magazine. That’s just my theory and it may have nothing to do with reality.
I can see Rusty Kern persuading them to let Playset Magazine get an exclusive “news flash” of the new project. Of course, that means we won’t find out “officially” until November 1, when the next issue of Playset Magazine hits.
But I myself am convinced the subject matter will be American Revolution, because Ron Barzso has had new Rev. War figure sculpts for nearly two years which he brings out and shows to various persons. They are pretty good, comparable to those contained in his Battle of Lexington playset. We’ve all been waiting for some time for Ron to give the go-ahead to turn them into actual production. It all makes perfect sense, and a Battle of Yorktown scenario, which was mentioned more than a year ago, provides a perfect centerpiece for a playset — a beautiful Battle of Yorktown seige redoubt.
Oh, I agree, I’m like 99.8% sure it’s going to a Yorktown set. I would also guess it’s going to center around redoubt # 10, which makes sense. As you say he already has the master sculpts and since it appears Ron’s enthusiasm has returned it all makes sense.
I am not surprised as Rusty is getting beat out by the internet. By the time he gets information on new figures it is old news.
I guess this is old news already, but you asked for it, Don – We arrived on Wednesday, so we could set up our diorama (go to playsetaddict.com to see Joe Baker’s masterful photography). Right away I went to Steve Weston’s room to get the new Chintoy Civil War generals, as well as Replicants plains Indians. I picked up the new Barzso pirates, an Indian war canoe, and a British whale boat – all with beautiful (old stuff) figures. DeAnna (Mrs. TSSD) was open, but setting up, so I picked up the new Ex Force shakos and the new Alamo guys from Paragon.
We opened early Thursday morning and it was like a dam burst – we had a steady flow of hungry early bird bargain hunters. As is usually the case, the stream ebbed and flowed like the tide. All in all, we had a financially successful week of room trading – even though we were on the 4th floor, away from the 5th floor big guns of “murderer’s row.”
I found that dealers were bargaining. That’s what I like about the show, compared to eBay – rather than bidding to the highest price, you bargain to the lowest price. True, some few dealers do not negotiate, thus some have had the same stuff for 10 years. One seller had bags and bags of great stuff piled on the floor, all marked 3$ – 10$.
Besides many bags of figures, I bought a reissue Marx 4pc. rock formation set for 7$. He also had Form Tech pieces for 5$ – 15$. Some unusual finds I came home with were Marx reissue Rev War – British in black (for Hessians) and Colonials in flat green (Tories). Francis Turner showed me a very rare Marx Howdy Doody figure set – that was a new one on me. One seller was offering ALL the complete Conte Alamo sets (including resin and metal figures), along with the TSSD Alamo pieces that would complete the fort – 13 boxes, it said. I considered it for about 30 seconds, until I realized that I didn’t have the real estate to set it up.
Finally, I came home with a Marx freight station, complete with extra stuff and figures for 180$. This beauty will be displayed under my Christmas tree. I also traded for a Marx Fort Apache with the red 2-story blockhouse. This will pair up with another red one I have. All in all we had a great week – bittersweet, though, in that several friends were missing.
Len this is not old news. It give another piece of the puzzle. I can’t to hear what Playsett Magazine posts and compare it. The black Redcoat and green colonial could be from before Hobby Bunker got the figures inthe correct colors. Stone Castle had the Recoats in a yellow. Glad to hear on your purchases.
Len, I went to the Playset Addict site, and saw that your brilliant Vietnam War diorama at OTSN is now the headline feature. It was truly amazing. And I think it is great that between Action Casting, TSSD, and Mars, all of which appeared in your diorama, there is finally enough Vietnam War stuff to recreate a massive Vietnam scenario. I was especially impressed with the helicopter Landing Zone (LZ) scenes you incorporated. I had always thought that Stengel’s Action Casting Vietnam figures were perfect for a jungle firefight, but I see they work equally well for an LZ perimeter defense.
As for all the stuff you picked up, it reminded me once again why OTSN is such an amazing show. I think it’s great you got a second Marx 2-story blockhouse that can be combined with the one you already have for a truly massive Fort Apache set-up.
Thanks for such a detailed report.
Those different colored Marx Rev War figures were from a Mexican company that did them before Stone Castle ran them.
I was able to trace their US office to an address in Westchester County, NY.
Another collector and I visited the office and may have implied that we were looking to import their product into the United States.
About a week later, a dishwasher size box of samples arrived at my door. It contained all of the Marx molds figures that they had, in every color you can think of. They also sent nice color catalogs that I can’t seem to locate, damn it!
I still have some of the figures. The plastic was stiff enough to keep weapons straight, so I used them for conversions. I painted them
up and they came out pretty good.
I also have them in remarx blue and green, all purchased in the old days at OTSN.