Plastic Figure Showcase Part Five Spirit of 76, AIP, Flea Market Finds we first look at some swoppets. Next an interesting variation of Armies in Plastic showed up and I ma curious when done. I show from my minor finds from a little flea market near where Laurie works.
Plastic Figure Showcase Part Five Spirit of 76, AIP, Flea Market Finds Spirit of 76 
One item I picked up recently is The Spirit of 76. This set was know doubt done to take advantage of the Bicentennial. The set list it was made exclusivily for Ward International. It contains three foot and one mounted. I wonder if they did other sets. It is interesting to note that so far I have seen three different companies doing revolutionary figures in this time period. All of the figures are swoppet style.
Plastic Figure Showcase Part Five Spirit of 76, AIP, Flea Market Finds AIP
I have been picking up various Armies in Plastic figures over the last year. In a recent batch I turned up these two WWI figures. They are in a gray soft plastic instead of a stiff plastic I normally find. When were these figures done and who do they represent?
Plastic Figure Showcase Part Five Spirit of 76, AIP, Flea Market Finds Flea Market
There is a little flea market near Laurie’s work that I am stopping at on Friday to see what I can find. I usually has 20 or so dealers. Today I found these three figures. The racetrack figures are by Boley which I may have shown before. The cowboy is unmarked so I have no idea who made him. 
On a previous visit to this flea market I turn up the four knights and the Batman figure. The Batman figure is from some blind bag offering. I forget for the moment who did the red knights. The other knights are by Imaginext. Next I will also check on Saturday as Laurie has to work that day.
Plastic Figure Showcase Part Five Spirit of 76, AIP, Flea Market Finds Russ Heath has Passed Away
Russ Heath has passed away at the age of 91. He was noted for his work on the DC war combat comic book line. He has a connect to us as well as he did the comic book ads for the Revoultionary War and Romans sets. I talked to him in the 70’s about them he did not have much to say other than it was another job he did. Here is obit.
The knights are 7 poses included two mounted in 65 mm scale approx
I do sale some old stock full set from 90s first sold under Schellin (i may be wrong in spelling here) and later Supreme.my stock pack are in blister and bags.
I have several set left x very low price.they are original made in China figures not copies of any other makers.they blend w jecsan,reamsa,elastolin,nardi,cane and others 1/30 or taller scale brands .some have plug in weapins and shields.
The Ward distributor marked packs of 76 s sets were show too by Bill Nevins not long ago here. Wards was a NYC small importer distributors of mainly HK made toys, they pack many other swoppet HK toys sets I have several in mint packs too.
I think the AIP are just two regular poses of US infantry set made in 90s by Tony as part of two first Ww One sets done early production
I have to check versus mine first sets I got in person from Tony hands
Boley toys is one of the best Chinese civilian add on figures set makers since 90s with many nice playset.
My thoughts.
Best
Sorry to hear about Russ Heath. I was looking through some of my “Our Army At War with SGT. ROCK” comics the other day and came across some that he did the art work on. He knew how to draw, every panel was a well done work of art.
BOBBYGMOORE
The AIP figures could be WW1 Portugese, the American uniform would work but the colour would need to be a blueish grey.
Russ Heath’s estate owes me a Dollar for buying the Civil War set that he illustrated!!I still remember the feeling when I opened the Box which as soon as I got it out of the Mailbox I knew “Hey something ain’t right here”LOL.
I’m also still bitter!🙂I got suckered into that add that if you sold a box of flower seeds you get a free set. So I went door to door selling seeds only to be greatly dissapointed and angry when they arrived. Is it too late to bring a Class Action Suit against Helen of Toy?😀
The cowboy is from a Lincoln Logs set.
I have a bunch of the early AIP Doughboys in brown. They were cast in a soft, bendy plastic. I believe AIP released a later set – maybe these were done in a stiffer plastic.
The WWI U.S. Army Doughboys AIP released were cast in a medium brown soft plastic.
AIP then released the same figures as WWI U.S. Marines, but in a light grayish-green plastic, just like the color of the two figures in Admin’s photo.
I therefore believe the two figures which are depicted are from AIP’s WWI U.S. Marine set.
And I always thought AIP’s entire line was well-sculpted, in a good, high-quality soft plastic, very reasonably priced, and often covered historical eras which other manufacturers had neglected. They were also quite accurate, in that Tony always used the Osprey books as a basis for his sets’ uniforms and weapons. I thought Tony reached his pinnacle with his release of the Sudan War Expeditionary Camel Corps sets (Gordon at Khartoum), which had a new, original, excellently sculpted camel.
I purchased multiples of every set Tony released, and I would be happy if he would resume production of new sets. But the range of historical time periods he released was vast, possibly greater than any other toy soldier producer ever, not counting the W. Britains Toy Soldier Company, which of course had a much longer existence.
AIP did change plastic in 2000s production.Early sets were in soft plastics differently to those.
The such early plastic when exposed to long periods in humid or cold did get affected.
Tony did change it x that reason after noticing in his warehouse not heated the issues.
The marines were made in Olive green not grey green.
I can not see exatly color here as photo may change it w lights too.
Best.
EXF had done already more sets variation than AIP but AIP did cover a lot of never before covered and was before EFX the largest plastic toy soldier set makers .
Yet Tony took far longer to pro produce such amount while EXF from 2013 till now had done way more.
I consider Tony the top and largest toy soldier plastic set maker since 70s.
My thought.
Best
I always liked the Spirit of 76 figures ! I heard they may have been gas station giveaways also . They did quite a few different figures, always thought underrated and can still be picked up for relatively good prices !
I had a set of the “76” figures which were primarily white and were labeled as French as I remember. Don’t know what happened to them and haven’t seen them at shows or online.
Yes they were gas giveaways by Shell,
They were sold as Men of 76. Made by the former co-owner of Lido Effrem Arenstein who started up Innovative Products/Promotions in HK after Lido closed in 1964. He was proud of his ability to copy the Timpo and Britains swoppets. His AWI figures were given away at Shell service stations and you could buy the ten blister cards and also a star fort with figures.
If you look carefully at the figures in this box you will see that they aren’t the Shell IP/P Men of 76 figures they are very much poorer quality copies and the muskets are much thinner/smaller. I bought some of these in Italy in 1979, they were sold in header bags marked made in Kong Kong.
I agree with you Brian. These figures are different from the Men of 76
There several verssions / copies.
The one made and sold under Star TOYS brand are the best in my view w different color versions from others. I have several mint packs to make compare pics.
Best
Don Perkins is right about the AIP Doughboys and Marines. The first, softer plastic Marines they made were a very, very light green-they looked more grey with just a light tinge of green in them. The second set of Marines they made were in an olive green. Semper Fi.