Jamie Delson

Posted on February 10, 2015 by admin

Here a video on Jamie Delson of Toy Soldier Company talking about  his business. We thank  are very good friend Erwin Sell for sending it to us.

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56 Responses to Jamie Delson

  1. Don Perkins says:
    February 10, 2015 at 10:42 AM

    I had seen this before, from its being posted on TTSC website, but it was enjoyable to watch again. I like Delson, and years ago when I was just getting in to the hobby spoke to him several times in the process of placing orders. Now I just order very occasionally from his website and don’t have the interaction with him I used to have. His prices for vintage plastic and vintage metal, now that I’m more tied into the hobby through shows, publications, and clubs, continue to astound and amaze — the shock and awe of the toy soldier world. I don’t wish to criticize —- since he seems to have successfully made a business out of his beloved hobby —- so apparently he knows what he’s doing.

    Reply
  2. erwin says:
    February 10, 2015 at 1:20 PM

    My opinion!!
    I like the part(to made soldiers accessible to collectors!!?).Well it all depend on the prices those collector want to afford to pay. TS c prices were always high, now they still are way too high in most regular same items others carry. Many years ago I bought few items and the (so call toy soldier B/W guide) from TS. But then I continue buying from Stone Castle, Stads ,ATS and others, plus at show. The plays set they sale are over fill with recast in way too many poses and no very correct designed at all neither historical figure/era represented. I prefer much more CTS playset structure(content) than TOY SOLDIER co of NY and in prices versus items too.
    May be the high rental, taxes, fees and business taxes returns from NYC and NY had affect in the way that his prices have gone so high!!??.Who knows?
    So far I can see that CTS,HB and others are doing much better in sales nation and worldwide according to many who had told me from whom they had buy in the pass 15 years or so the most of their collection by mail/site stores.
    In general it is small hobby with hard profit gains and every years cost increase, interest diminish and fewer new collectors come to play. So I’m glad he still hanging there…

    Reply
  3. ed borris says:
    February 10, 2015 at 2:43 PM

    Funny thing at OTSN we were discussing home many brick and mortar stores exist in this hobby in the US, if you count stores that deal in plastic we couldn’t think of more than a handful. Obviously if we counted metal shops there would be many more. I knew of three in Illinois and I believe they are all closed down now, there used to be many hobby and dimestore type facilities that did part toy soldiers part something else, in fact all three of the stores I counted as shops in Illinois were not solely toy soldiers they all had off shoots to fall back on. One did toy soldiers and trains, another did models, and Remote controll things and the other believe it or not was a lawn and garden center too. I don’t think any mom and pop hobby stores exist anymore in the Chicago area.

    Reply
    • admin says:
      February 10, 2015 at 5:14 PM

      ED
      Last year I had a French collector over in the states and as you remember we had a hard time giving stores to go to. Today it is the shows or for most people the internet. EBay changed things not all for the better.

      Reply
  4. erwin says:
    February 10, 2015 at 4:27 PM

    I agree.Actually store front today in this hobby are not business attractive any more.No even train stores or typical hobby with kits. They are closing down every year. I once lived in the fort Lauderdale area(FL) .From k largo area up to west palm beach were about 10 classic hobby town stores with kits and few soldier sets (old stock and few new plus few vintage that appear once every month).After 2001 almost all were gone. I’m talking about few of them, huge and very busy. The internet service web store took over, owners decide to sale from their warehouse, saving rental ,employers ,insurance , cameras/security system ,time ,gas and many other .
    Toy soldiers with metal were few more than plastic or in fact were mix in that area. Inly one is still open.Sad but true. The saving on seller/owner was huge but customers are starting to feel the pain after dealing with ever increasing shipping fees impose on business and regular broken USPS. EBay is another killer of the toy soldier store business because they use the shipping discount program that attract sellers and buyers. Many who can not longer travel rather prefer seat and order from eBay, specially if now eBay buyer protection give the buyer the full guarantee that some time is abused by few. But at the same time what you spend in gas going to shows, any store if any and time waiting to go is about same you spend in shipping service to the product getting to you. What is lost is the beautiful experience to walk and see those stores inside with so many rare and treasures you will never see again any where.

    Reply
  5. erwin says:
    February 10, 2015 at 6:30 PM

    I see, is everywhere..sad and bad. The times change. But the more they change the less happy and entertaining they become. Is like what my father use to say” I always love the stores with counter and show case were they serve you and hand you the figures you like”; then the self service come and make things apparently easy until it become a nightmare with shoplifting, damage products and retuned damage…and lead to cheap produced product overseas so they can keep with the loss till now.Not to count the less human interaction that have create a world of cybershoppers/sellers with whom you can barely talk in a human way .

    Reply
  6. ed borris says:
    February 10, 2015 at 6:34 PM

    I used to go the Hobby Chest in Skokie Illinois almost every week, it was a mix of Airfix HO scale and metal figures, plus a train section. They had hobby books, magazines, news letters and war games too. I miss that store, I always enjoyed going there. In those days 1972 to 1976, it was mostly metal , never saw 54mm plastic figures in there other than in models.

    Reply
  7. erwin says:
    February 10, 2015 at 7:46 PM

    Where I live now and entire 100 miles radius there were more than eight 10 years ago, now only 2 left and they are surviving, you can tell!!

    Reply
  8. Wayne W says:
    February 11, 2015 at 1:06 AM

    For years the closest hobby shops that sold figures to me were in Montgomery, AL (70 miles away – closed in 2001), Columbus, GA (100 miles – closed about three years ago), or Mobile (170 miles – don’t know). We have Hobby Lobby and Michaels in Dothan (about 10 miles) but the selection there is spotty at best. I’ve sworn off Imex because of their plastic and how many more of their 1/72 scale sets do I need anyway – particularly in that plastic? When I first re-discovered the hobby in the early 90s I did a lot of business with Jamie Delson, Stone Castle, and loved to get your list Paul and usually ordered from it. But Delson, as has been stated was a bit expensive and then came the net – which in my predicament has always been pretty much a necessity.

    Reply
  9. Bill Nevins says:
    February 11, 2015 at 2:43 AM

    All of the NY stores are gone now. Going into Manhattan to visit Polks, from Queens via the number 7 train, was an all day adventure. And you could spend all day at Polks. And I often did. There was no place like it. Especially if you were allowed downstairs where the treasure was kept. I’m sure you remember that, Paul.
    I’ve still got boxes of Atlantic that have the Polks price stickers on them.

    As for Jamie Delson. He must be doing something right to have stayed in business for so long. I’ve been to his apartment on Riverside Drive a couple of times and had a ball every time. Jamie loves toy soldiers. Simple as that. I rememebr that I made a 54 mm Alamo model for him around 1980 or so and in return I loaded up on Starluxe and Dulcop stuff. At one time, Jamie had an impressive inventory of Starluxe. I always opted for the unpainted stuff because it was cheaper and it fit in with my Marx plastic better.
    The mounted Sioux and the mounted Apaches are among the best Indians ever produced by a toy maker.

    Jamie has been around a long time. Good for him.

    Reply
  10. Bill Nevins says:
    February 11, 2015 at 2:57 AM

    I forgot to mention that Jamie was the first one to publish catalogs that actually showed the product. Getting his catalogs in the mail was as much fun as getting Comment Time,
    Command Post and later PFPC. I would spend hours pouring over his catalogs and figure guides and learned quite bit about foreign plastic from them.
    His original figure guides are classics and are still usefull today.

    Yes, of course I still have them.
    Don’t you?

    Reply
  11. Eddie White says:
    February 11, 2015 at 8:49 AM

    Agree with all of you about the small time shops. Same with war gaming stores and board games. I can’t help but think the political correctness and liberal agenda against guns, war, and historical symbols such as confederate flag and German iron cross (and swastika), along with computer games and the like have destroyed any interest and exposure of today’s youngsters. I am thinking of 21st century and FOV in places like toys r us and elite metal sets and 12 inch historical figures in Walmart all being forced to modify or eliminate historical symbols or forfeiting being carried as product. All the tank museums, D-day museums, ACW museums and the like should have all of these on display for purchase in order to help increase exposure and sales. But sadly for whatever reason you don’t see it. Or you see BMC or Chinese copies.

    Reply
  12. ed borris says:
    February 11, 2015 at 1:59 PM

    Not me, I have no political views, at least that I would share on this forum.

    Reply
  13. erwin says:
    February 11, 2015 at 2:02 PM

    hello!!!,please dear fellow friends – collectors, this forum is for toys. We should to not go in other direction please!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  14. Greg Liska says:
    February 11, 2015 at 6:11 PM

    You missed a very simple distinction. Nobody’s said anything about glorifying war. It’s paying homage to those who made the sacrifice for this country. This is coming from a guy with multiple combat tours and now retired, but still going over there doing contract security jobs. I can’t think how removing a Confederate flag or a German WWII flag shown in its historical context, helps anything.

    Reply
    • Don Perkins says:
      February 14, 2015 at 12:12 PM

      Of course, Louis Marx and the Marx Toy Co., in the design of their WWII Battleground sets, always refused to use the Nazi swastika on either the German flag, or in any other way in any of the WWII playsets. Or did he just think that for children’s toys, some things just wouldn’t be in good taste?
      Post has been edited by the Editor

      Reply
      • admin says:
        February 14, 2015 at 2:21 PM

        Don
        Many toys have been pull due to parent’s concerns. Example of this is Aurora Horror scenes were discontinued due to torture chamber. Louie and his people would not felt it good to included Nazi flag. Remember we did not get WWII Germans from Marx until the early 60’s.

        Reply
        • Brian Johnson says:
          February 14, 2015 at 10:50 PM

          Yeah I had to do some real begging to get the Guillotine which I still have!!I don’t know how that survived Mom’s Big Cleanout,LOL.

          Reply
          • Greg Liska says:
            February 15, 2015 at 9:05 AM

            This posted in the wrong place before: I’m not aware of this toy. Can anybody direct me to some info on it or some pics?

            In other news: The Atlanta Toy and Figure Show is going on. I was there all yesterday. I found 90% of all I sought, to include the Thomas Toy Romans! I’m glad to say there were a lot of parents with kids there! I hope this is an ongoing trend.

        • greg liska says:
          February 16, 2015 at 9:07 PM

          Marx completely flubbed that German flag, too. It was supposed to be the national flag (black-white-red, in horizontal stripes) and they came up with something that looked more like a faded Belgian flag. I never use the flags anyway, so it was no big deal to me. As a kid, I never noticed, It wasn’t until I saw one as an adult, rummaging around at a flea market, that I realized the mistake.

          Reply
          • admin says:
            February 17, 2015 at 10:44 PM

            Greg
            Years ago I had a discussion with one of my German friends he said the same thing. When we were younger there were things we did not noticed that as adults we see in a different light.

  15. admin says:
    February 11, 2015 at 8:01 PM

    Erwin
    I agree gentlemen if you want to discuss political agenda go some where else. If it continues I will start deleting posts. I hope to have a few new post later today.

    Reply
  16. Jake says:
    February 11, 2015 at 8:48 PM

    I don’t know how Delson stays in business with his high prices, especially with so many online dealers and ebay to compete with.

    Also, he is pretty lax about answering inquiries any time I ever tried to ask him about an item. That being said, from the personal information about him on his blog he seems like a very nice man. Plus, his catalogs really helped me as a reference tool back in the late 80s and early 90s when I began rebuilding my childhood collections.

    He gets my utmost respect for running a successful business even with his pricing and lack of feedback.

    Reply
  17. admin says:
    February 11, 2015 at 9:44 PM

    Don
    I have been watching the site and I would disagree any political agenda on the closing of hobby shops. What has caused the demise of the hobby shops is internet and change of the interest of young people. Today children are interested in video games not models.
    The internet has changed many things not for the good.
    I will be reviewing any future posts and will delete in regards political agenda.

    Reply
  18. peter evans says:
    February 12, 2015 at 9:45 AM

    Interesting read
    There are NO specialist hobby shops in Central London any more, apart from two War Hammer Orc’s Nest type with limited interest to 54mm collectors.
    Hamleys has a kit and figure section but it is very basic.
    This is one of the reasons that I feel that the hobby will slowly diminish. If kids cannot buy them in the shops the interest won’t be there or rekindled at a later date.
    Everyone goes on about the new sets and the shows but without interaction and interest on a regular basis eventually it’ll all be gone

    Reply
    • admin says:
      February 12, 2015 at 12:36 PM

      Peter
      I agree on your comments as well. As I said in the past we are getting little or any young blood. The market now is the action figures and comic books. If you observe those shows you will see the young people.

      Reply
  19. erwin says:
    February 12, 2015 at 12:17 PM

    Agree;I had say the same before but some refuse to accept it.
    How many new young generation seat and Google (toy soldiers on internet?; how many go to toy shows or are brought be parents/friends?. The new video games about war with poor historical base and just some Tec data send them to play game nothing more. Even the gamers shows and convention are getting slow and with less customers. That is why the few remaining will buy less and eventually the hobby will died down.Look what happen to all new plastic companies that come out of the 1:72 scale to bring some 1:35 and 1:32 scale.
    Hat industries have not done any in years, A call to arms one set every few years and poor in poses. Italeri ,waterloo and armherst the same way…Too limited market, slow sales end delaying the next sets more and more till they decide to go bye bye like Accurate. Even American factories such as CTS,Barzso,AIP,TSSD are very cautious and run as slow as they can to prevent a lost(I don’t blame then)…look at CONTE.
    It will go down unless by a miracle some big box store decide to launch some type of classic playset like BMC did but look what happen back then. Unless massive advertise attach to game add are portraying like for instance a war game of (call of duty) with a playset together of ww2 figures;it may bring back the enthusiast, but have to be very pro advertised in huge way year after year.

    Reply
  20. Bill Nevins says:
    February 12, 2015 at 3:22 PM

    The simple fact of the matter is that the vast majority of collectors are older males who grew up watching all those 50’s and 60’s Westerns and WW 2 shows.
    We are a dying breed and so all those establishments that sold toy soldiers have gone under due to lack of support. The Internet was the final stake in the heart of brick and mortar shops.
    I do think that the anti war movement resulted in an over reaction to the hobby.
    Proof? I give you pink and orange Timmee figures. Still toy soldiers, but in colors deliberately meant not to offend the anti war crowd.

    Whatever you view (and I respected everyone’s right to their own opinion) war sucks for the people who have to fight it and live through it. Unfortunately, the only way to stop certain evil men (see Hitler, Adolf) is to stand up to them.
    Sometimes there is no other choice.

    Reply
    • admin says:
      February 12, 2015 at 5:39 PM

      Bill
      We grew up with toy soldiers. The market changed when GI Joe and Star Wars figure came out. The internet is killing a lot different business. I can get books cheaper on the internet than at my local book store and that is including postage. The odd colors and dropping of war toys came in a period when people were tired of war.

      Reply
      • Don Perkins says:
        February 12, 2015 at 6:42 PM

        Unfortunately for booksellers, I can locate every book title I ever wanted on Amazon, all in a range of prices and conditions. It means I don’t even walk into a neighborhood bookstore anymore, partly because, like hobby shops, so many of them went out of business years ago. I blame this on the liberal pro-book crowd. Ha Ha Ha!

        I actually think it’s amazing I live in one of the few metro areas in the country which actually has a full blown toy soldier store, carrying both new and vintage plastic and metal —- that would be Rick Berry’s Michigan Toy Soldier Company. Of course when it comes to the vintage stuff, Rick’s prices, although not quite as extreme as Delson’s, are always higher than what you find at the shows. I think that dealers like Delson and Rick Berry perceive, when it comes to vintage stuff, that once they sell it, it becomes very hard to replace it at a reasonable price. They therefore just hold the item at what seems like an exorbitant price until that one certain buyer comes along who has to have it at any price, and is willing to pay that price to get it right now, rather than wait for it to maybe show up at a show or on the internet. Delso and Rick Berry know that once they sell a vintage item, it may be quite a while before they’re able to acquire the item again.

        I heard Richard Conte say once that he started producing his own plastic figures because Barzso was releasing just one playset a year, and Conte felt at that rate he would be waiting for years before he got the different sets and armies that he really wanted.

        But the shows really are great. I worry that I’m going to turn around one day and they will have all disappeared as well. Remember, Bill Murphy prophesied the demise of OTSN (at least in its present incantation as a national show) within just a few years, because the big east coast dealers like Hobby Bunker and MarxMan would no longer find it profitable enough to come all the way to Chicago.

        Reply
  21. ed borris says:
    February 12, 2015 at 7:13 PM

    Personally I don’t think OTSN will ever die because it’s become increasingly more of a coming out party for the big metal manufacturers. Perhaps in a few years the plastic dealers may fall out, but not too soon. People are still making money and this past year I had my best OTSN ever.

    Reply
  22. erwin says:
    February 12, 2015 at 7:55 PM

    OTSN as been the greatest in US will not fall off that easy in many years I think, same on other big large show specially for vintage, but once large maker of toy soldiers stop producing in years such as ACCURATE,HAT or slowing down as other have done. The big site store carriers as Hobby Bunker and others will stop going to those sows as it won’t get to much new items worth a trip and set up their many tables, rental and /or loading of truck, gas else expenses to make few hundred that could be easy done from their site(internet ).They will carry short run production figures and set done in plastic by few new lines like from Russia or even here. Once those big new product carriers stop moving around, the shows will be for vintage and nostalgic as were years ago ,just that now as mentioned ,many of those vintage collector are unfortunately not longer here and every coming year less.So eventually they will died down.
    New time need new generation motivated by new product as they had never play with by most of old generation did. The action figures era(most non historical) but superheroes/comic cartoon related plus internet and games had brainwashed these new generation 99%.Like I say before unless some huge powerful company decide to bombard with advertise the media, internet ,newsmagazine and push entire section of plastic toy soldier line least attached to the war game section. The would not be any recover and turn over at all and will go down with less and maybe with limited short run production figures .Metal is another tale

    Reply
    • Don Perkins says:
      February 12, 2015 at 8:41 PM

      Yes, as I scan the horizon, looking as best I can into the distant future, I can perceive some grim portents. But then, to paraphrase Paul Stadinger’s comment years ago, “I myself enjoy it and plan on participating in it as long as it may last.”

      And I will personally be participating at Indy in April, and hopefully for a weekend this September in Chicago. I’ve already been to one pretty good antique toy show in January here in Michigan, and expect Joseph Saine to add his auction and show in August, to provide a bridge between Indy and OTSN. That should be enough to get me through 2015.

      Reply
  23. peter evans says:
    February 13, 2015 at 7:02 AM

    Hello again from across the pond.
    Well children still play with figures – miniature representations of real people, it’s just that the criteria has changed. One of the biggest sellers in the UK are the Lego blind bag Mirco figures. Some of the early versions are selling for silly prices on Ebay.
    The way I look at it the reaction is very similar to how hollow cast metal collectors must have felt when plastics superseded. It’s still there but different.
    Also for our (?) generation we grew up with WW2 as an event that touched most of the adults we knew, on TV were Westerns, Robin Hood, Garrisons Guerrillas, et al. Lots of War and Western films and toy figures to recreate what we watched.
    Also materials and labour were cheaper 40 years ago.
    Now it’s fantasy, SF, and Superheroes.
    Part of growing old is accepting that things change and let’s face it nostalgia isn’t what it used to be !
    As to the shows. Well, we have been running the PW show without a break ( admitedly with a few changes of venue) for over 30 years, so we must be doing something right.
    As to the Central London show and the Birmingham(Midlands) shows – they are to all intent and purposes supported in the main by WBritains and King & Country who both take around 15 – 20 tables each. If either of these companies went belly up then these shows would be in serious trouble. The best thing about the Plastics side of the hobby is that collectors can collect according to budget, metal not so much.
    Let’s have this conversation again in five years and see were we are
    My regards to you all

    Reply
    • admin says:
      February 13, 2015 at 9:43 AM

      Peter
      I agree the future of playset and plastic figures is Lego and others. If you look at EBay U.S. you will see listings for 350,722. Today it is fantasy and super heroes.
      Plastic Warrior Show is a great show. Many shows who are properly run and promoted will go on.
      I am amazed on the metal prices and you are right Peter you collect plastic easier.

      Reply
      • erwin says:
        February 13, 2015 at 11:20 AM

        Yes. I notice Lego with so many military series and cobi from Poland company too with all new and more cheap ww2 line of American, British, German and Russian sets;interesting their ww2 armor behicles and soldiers. At Toys R us in Manhattan they have the ww2 series with some armor.Least some ww2 historical toys for children to learn.

        Reply
        • erwin says:
          February 13, 2015 at 11:25 AM

          I will like to add that the COBI brand vehicles are high in prices but the soldiers small packs carry the WW2 weapon that are 1.:32/1.30 scale compatible and well done ,very match size and more much detail than timpo for instance. So for those in need of some weapon for conversion/else. It could be a good source

          Reply
  24. ed borris says:
    February 13, 2015 at 3:41 PM

    Well, if you look at the world today many of the privately owned shops be they grocery, bakery, butchers, drug or variety stores have all faded away only to be replaced by franchise type stores. Privately owned businesses just can’t compete with franchise prices. Toy stores and hobby shops just went down in flames earlier than some of the others probably because they were a luxury. You might view the internet and e-bay as something that has filled the void caused by the loss of hobby shops and toy soldier shops. Or that’s at least one way to look at it.

    Reply
  25. Jake says:
    February 14, 2015 at 1:42 PM

    Not sure why Admin deleted my post. I guess he misread a political angle into it. Oh well.

    Reply
  26. ed borris says:
    February 14, 2015 at 10:59 PM

    Soemone had the Gullotine at the Kane County show already assembled, I almost bought it.

    Reply
  27. Greg Liska says:
    February 15, 2015 at 7:41 AM

    I’m not aware of this toy. Can anybody direct me to some info on it or some pics?

    Reply
  28. Mark says:
    February 15, 2015 at 1:23 PM

    Sounds Great Greg, and sounds like you had a great time !

    Reply
    • greg liska says:
      February 16, 2015 at 9:01 PM

      Thanks, Mark. It was the first time I had been home in the US for it in 3 years and it seemed everything I wanted was just waiting there for me. I also sold everything I brought to move! What could have been better?

      Reply
  29. Eddie White says:
    February 17, 2015 at 10:35 AM

    Although the marx miniature WWII playset with “Berlin” in the title had the swatztika flag in it.

    Reply
    • greg liska says:
      February 17, 2015 at 7:27 PM

      Good point! I’d totally forgotten about that. I wonder what the difference was? A little Swastika will offend only a little?

      Reply
      • erwin says:
        February 17, 2015 at 8:44 PM

        it will offend today many more, today unfortunately they got offended for so less. I always got in trouble because no filter in my mouth …but this is sadly the world we are going now. Sad but true..I think Marx mini figures series were done in Hong Kong were not restriction were observed by toy factory regarding this !!??could any body clear it for me please!!

        Reply
      • Don Perkins says:
        February 18, 2015 at 7:08 AM

        An interesting question, i.e., why would Louis Marx ban the use of the Nazi swastika in his WWII Battleground playsets up until the mid-1960’s and then allow a small one (swastika) to appear in the “20 Minutes to Berlin” H.O. scale set?

        Interesting, but easily answered! When this set was released in the mid-60s, Louis Marx himself was 68 years of age, and just 7 years away from selling his whole company to Quaker Oats, which was also the owner of Fisher-Price Toy Company.

        The H.O. scale sets were being produced in Hong Kong, and Louis Marx, already well past retirement age and nearing permanent retirement himself at age 72, had already turned over operational control and development of the H.O. line to Harmer Cox, his most valued man in the British Crown Colony. It was Harmer Cox, not Louis Marx, who allowed the Nazi swastika to slide by, contrary to the explicit policy of Louis Marx when he was actively involved in day to day operations.

        Louis Marx was a firm anti-communist (see Wikipedia biographical entry). And nobody could accuse him of being “overly-sensitive”, or any other of the typically derisory terms so often employed as a substitute for rational discussion. But Louis Marx was Jewish, and it is inconceivable (and quite understandable in my mind) that he would cavalierly and so casually consent to the use as a child’s toy in children’s playsets of a symbol so historically murderous and hateful. Label Mr. Marx what you will, but when he was running things, the depiction of the swastika was banned from Marx toys.

        Reply
        • greg liska says:
          February 18, 2015 at 8:20 PM

          I am baffled as to why Timmee showed a Soviet flag with no issues and Soviet emblems in almost any setting seem to stir no such reaction, despite the fact that they killed way more people and got away with the oppression of millions of people for much longer. I guess what it comes down to is we never fought a bloody, protracted war against them, in fact, we were told they were our ‘friends’ during the war (which was an unfortunate expediency). Despite this, the awareness of just what they did is not out there. Truly sad.

          Reply
          • admin says:
            February 18, 2015 at 9:11 PM

            Greg
            We have no idea if this set caused any issues as it did not get distributed well when it was out. When it came out we were dealing with the cold war and the Russians were the evil menace.

          • greg liska says:
            February 18, 2015 at 9:52 PM

            Oh, I’m well aware. I DO go back that far and I used to see kids in college wearing Hammer and Sickle T-shirts, both while I was in college in the US and while serving in Europe.

  30. Bill Lango says:
    February 17, 2015 at 8:01 PM

    I just read this post over again and thoroughly enjoyed reading such thoughtful comments! Bill

    Reply
  31. erwin says:
    February 17, 2015 at 11:08 PM

    Greg:Glad for your show and find.
    I had seen this kids come over on show too but barely repeated; problems is consistency, sample most big show are once a year and very far apart, minor show are not well published. So children will forget and parent won’t remain then either. Still we pray and hope it become more often for young to come. I was once trying to promote a local ALBANY NY toy soldier show at school district and was denied because it promote “”violence” “I have to laugh at the person face when she say that to me.. The show was last done 3 years ago after 17 years run…Sad but true

    Reply
  32. ed borris says:
    February 18, 2015 at 9:15 AM

    The one show I do per year at Cantigny is loaded with children. It is almost unusual for an adult to be be there solo. In many cases the children are brought there by their mother. I’m sure it is due to the fact Cantigny is a museum and the toy soldier show is just another attraction for them to visit. However , although many of them don’t buy anything it still gives the hobby some exposure. Perhaps the show will leave a lasting impression on them and at some point it may stir some interest. We usually bring a junk box and give some product away to children that show some interest. Another interesting side note is that there is a woman there, a younger one perhaps in her early twenties that actually has a table there and sells figures she has hand painted.

    Reply

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