Odds Ends Expeditionary Forces .
I have some interesting items to pass along. First, we have from Scott of Expeditionary Forces did two photos of the figure comparison between his figures. Next, Erwin Sell spotted some new Shaolin Warriors from Biplant. Third, Brian Johnson found on YouTube a story on the Revell Models. It is the story of its window displays for hobby stores. Finally, I will share some items from my collection.
Odds Ends Expeditionary Force Figure Comparison
Odds Ends Expeditionary Force Biplant Shaolin Warriors
Revell Models
Collection Time
The last fellow looks like he was inspired by Platoon.
That looks like a conversion with Timmee figures.
About the US army guy TM or copy conversion .
It looks to me like a cut torso of prone crawling pose and kneeling with the pose M16 or bazooka leg parts painted over .Nice idea .
The scale in the EXF of Japanese from bottom feet to where helmet attach is 54/55 mm approx. in Japanese but the issue goes with volume of body and big heads ,hand else ,they can not match with most traditional 54 mm in that aspect .In size or high they can match blend with many 1/32 scale .Also their “flat ” bases are least are 3 mm high and in some up to 6 mm high making figure far bigger taller too if put next to other older brands that used more flat bases generally
EXF figures have a very thick volume body that made then looks far bigger ,is not quite the high where the issues it .Is the overall body volumen given .
I made a post compare of Japanese in FB next to several other brand poses
Here can be seen better
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1373047929714901
The EXF Japanese are about the same size as the TSSD and BMC Japanese you don’t hear people moaning about the size of them.
It never made sense to me when TSSD made figures at a size in between 54mm and 60mm. TSSD really never fit in with Marx. CTS makes nice 54mm figures. I’ve said here before, Austin Miniatures 54mm are outstanding. I don’t get excited about the various
“1/32” figures that are closer to 60mm and I don’t generally buy them.
Nick said he was tired of straining his eyes to see figures, and this was a key factor in bumping up the size/scale. This was after hearing about the size of their new line when they first started coming out. Now whether this is truly a reason or simply an off-hand quip from Nick, you’ll need to ask him.
I had that revell fboat,,thanks for the memories
The Shaolin monks look nice, but maybe it’s the copper color and the poses, but to me they look more like statues than toy soldiers.
TSSD is not actually that bad, scale-wise, if you mix Airfix, Matchbox, Marx, Conte, CTS and TSSD figures in your battles. The difference is not glaring. Now, the European Theater Ex-Force sets, on the other hand, look like giants beside any of the others.
I just sent Stad some pics comparing an old Marx 54mm mounted 7th Cavalry figure next to a TSSD mounted CSA figure. The size difference is quite a bit. Maybe he’ll post the pics so people can see them side by side if he wants to bother.
Here is an assortment of US WW2 figures from various makers. The difference really isn’t that bad. https://i.imgur.com/HyDrQa1.jpg
Oddly enough, Marx, while much slimmer, are among the tallest, ranking up there with TSSD and CTS.
Many of so call Marx 54 mm are not at all 54mm even from feet to where hat or helmet joints with head.
So the perception of 54mm in many brands included Marx is not quite regular neither correct as 1/32 at all but just a spread cultural hobby perception.
Marx ww2 germans in several poses are 57/59 mm not counting base.
Same goes x many others.
Marx 60 mm are often 63 to 65mm easy from feet to top head visible.
Airfix made many sets ridiculously different in scale versus each other.
Airfix german alpine and paras no only smaller than their comrades infantry but also their carbines and MGs far underscale as if were armed with toy weapons versus Infantry set.
AIRFIX DAK are smaller in body than infantry easy to see.
Matchbox germans infantry and DAK set are huge next to airfix in body size and taller ,the heads are bigger than Airfix. Yet considered 1/32 as well.
So if same scale disparity was being made since early figures I do not see why so much issues with it now as there is not regularity with any maker ever in hobby plastic figures production.
Besides the first plastic figures made in US in hard plastic,rubber or early soft plastic were made mainly in not 1/32 or 54 mm range at all.
Ftom late 40s to early 1950s production from IDEAL Marx ,aurburn,TM, MPC.Ajax ,Beton and others were made in 60 to 70 mm least and later changed to “1/32”
Most maker of Europe with exeption of UK did their figures always in the 1/30 to 1/26 scale or 60 to 80 mm.
The 1/32 in US was mainly introduced or more used by Marx in order to get more figures inside playset ,reduced cost in production while making larger set of poses to kids in their playset in late 50s but most in 60s to early 70s. Several others follow Marx while others such TM and Auburn continue with larger scale.
I be putting them up in the next few days.
Here are side by side pics of 54mm Marx and the TSSD CSAs. The size difference, to me, is considerable enough that I can’t use them in the same display.
https://www.stadsstuff.com/?p=20566
I posted more info on the Marx figures, but because I included more than one reference link, it automatically went to “review”. Hopefully, it will be approved in a day or two.
Much more of a size difference than with the WW2 figures!
TSSD vietcom are taller in several poses than marines !?.So the disparity here is more odd as Asians are overall smaller than western .TSSD romans are almost 65 mm from feet to where helmet start making them actually taller than CONTE Spartans but same as LOD enterprise .So makers play with scale a lot ,same issues that old makers made smaller and bigger figures .Marx making 35,45,60,54 mm and even in 3″ or 75 mm and the large range .Airfix German regular infantry are much taller and body volume bigger than the DAK and paras or alpine and still all call “1/32 ” or 54 mm -funny .
Makers will complete ignore this and produce wherever they want ,like ,please and we should adjust by buying and finding best match or pass and buy else .
No matter how hard we say so ,once a maker start with a range will not go back and do else as otherwise will have to go and do two same sets in two different scales to please both likes .Molds of 6 to 8 figures using cheap Chinese labor on any good figure will cost from 8 to 15.000 USD easy just the mold ,not counting production batches .As makers are very well aware there is a very good market for the 1/30 range today .Most new makers such EXF, many Russian makers ,LOD and few others doing now will not go and do 54 mm for others .AIP was last making these and in many last sets they went up in scale figures versus early sets.(Frontiersmen-indians ,French ARW are almost 60 mm) .Even warhansa and Chintoy are in the 1/30 range ,the Aztecs and conquistadores from CHINTOY next to Barzso looks much bigger ,yet they blend perfect with Reamsa .
So definitely the 54mmm range is out of profit as makers do every time more the other range 1/30 than tradicional 1/32 .Still there some such Mars doing 54 mm range and even them some figures go off versus others in some sets but overall fall in old 1/32 range
my thoughts
My recollection is that about the time Nick came out with his figures the trend was toward matching Conte’s “new” 1/32 scale which was way larger than the old Marx/Airfix/Accurate… figures in most of our collections. We end up with two scales really.
CTS had worked on some 54mm cavalry figures with really nice horses and the project got scrubbed for a variety of reasons. I cannot find specific reference to this, but, from what I remember, one factor had to do with seeing no value in duplicating TSSD’s attempt at cavalry figures.
https://www.stadsstuff.com/?p=7175
https://www.stadsstuff.com/?p=7054
I, for one, would like to see CTS reconsider
Considering how long the TSSD AND Paragon US Cavalry figures have been out.
Even if they were matches to their previous ACW sets I think it might even be better. I always wished Marx had done more (and better?) mounted cavalry poses. They would go well with our Marx, Accurate, and other smaller figures. JMO.
I have to agree with you 200%!!!! The CTS prototypes looked great and they’d probably be in a useful 54mm size. Maybe they’ll still produce them. I’d buy them in both blue and gray.
The 54mm ACW blue and gray figures that CTS produced are also fantastic poses and they supplement Marx perfectly.
Marx 60mm Cavalry fit well with TSSD Cavalry.
Marx 54mm Cavalry are easy to Convert into new poses.
TSSD vietcom are taller in several poses than marines !?.So the disparity here is more odd as Asians are overall smaller than western .TSSD romans are almost 65 mm from feet to where helmet start making them actually taller than CONTE Spartans but same as LOD enterprise .So makers play with scale a lot ,same issues that old makers made smaller and bigger figures .Marx making 35,45,60,54 mm and even in 3″ or 75 mm and the large range .Airfix German regular infantry are much taller and body volume bigger than the DAK and paras or alpine and still all call “1/32 ” or 54 mm -funny .
Makers will complete ignore this and produce wherever they want ,like ,please and we should adjust by buying and finding best match or pass and buy else .
No matter how hard we say so ,once a maker start with a range will not go back and do else as otherwise will have to go and do two same sets in two different scales to please both likes .Molds of 6 to 8 figures using cheap Chinese labor on any good figure will cost from 8 to 15.000 USD easy just the mold ,not counting production batches .As makers are very well aware there is a very good market for the 1/30 range today .Most new makers such EXF, many Russian makers ,LOD and few others doing now will not go and do 54 mm for others .AIP was last making these and in many last sets they went up in scale figures versus early sets.(Frontiersmen-indians ,French ARW are almost 60 mm) .Even warhansa and Chintoy are in the 1/30 range ,the Aztecs and conquistadores from CHINTOY next to Barzso looks much bigger ,yet they blend perfect with Reamsa .
So definitely the 54mmm range is out of profit as makers do every time more the other range 1/30 than tradicional 1/32 .Still there some such Mars doing 54 mm range and even them some figures go off versus others in some sets but overall fall in old 1/32 range
my thoughts