Roaming Around Finds in A Junk Box looks at two different subjects. The first subject roaming around talks about how it is important to get out in the field. This aspect is important to both dealers and collectors. Second subject is items found in a junk box. My challenge anymore is to get a junk box and see if I can make a profit. Also see if I can find anything for myself. So let’s take a look.
Roaming Around Finds in A Junk Box Roaming Around
When I talk about roaming around, what I mean is physical going to shows and flea markets. I feel that just by reading and observing on the internet you can miss a big part of the picture. For some people it is hard as they do not have any local shows or flea markets. That I understand and respect that. I get reports but I feel if I am not on the ground, I do not have the whole picture. Another reason it gets me out of the house and walking around.
I did my first outdoor flea market of the year. Not expecting many dealers and I was surprised by about three dozen. The dealers that were at the flea market were mostly selling junk. One dealer a box of common figures, but wanted too much.. Another dealer had the Reliable Indian from Canada which I will try to resell. From my first look it is going to be a rough season. further roaming will tell me if I am right for the coming season.
Roaming Around Finds in A Junk Box Finds in a Junk Box
As I have mention before my challenges are getting a junk box and figuring on whether I can make money or not. So far my succes rate has been excellent on the profit side. I also see what figures I can find in the junk for myself. The figures I keep are not rare pieces. I am looking for interesting figures.
Here we have a boxer and three C.U.T.I.E.S figures by Mattel. The C.U.T.I.E.S figures were done at the same time as the Guts figures. They were attempt to capture the girl market but failed. I do not recognize the boxer.
Roaming Around Finds in A Junk Box Conversions
Some times I will find conversions. Here we have two Civil War figures given different heads.
Here is another conversion. The person took a Marx Mexican and using BMC kneeling legs. What is interesting the person used two different BMC legs. One figure has BMC Texian legs the other has BMC Civil War Legs.
The next photo shows two soldiers. Soldier with a pistol is 70mm and was made in Hong Kong. The soldier has been sold by various companies in various forms. I have seen the soldier sold unpainted. Here it is factory painted. There is no markings on the bottom of the base to identified it to any specific company. The 60mm soldier is famaliar but I can not place it.
Roaming Around Finds in A Junk Box Purchases
I have purchased a few figures for my collection or resale.
I spotted the the figure on the left. It is a Thomas Dutch Boy. According to Kent Sprecher the Dutch boy it is a part of children of the world. The figure is part of six figure set. The other figure the elephant with guitar made me laugh, so I had to get it. Telling about my purchase to Erwin\, he responded with the following photo.
Good stuff. I agree, you have to get out to the flea markets to find anything interesting.
There no better feeling for a collector than finding a treasure in a box of junk figures.
I still expect to open a suitcase Fort Apache at the market only to discover a George Armstrong Custer looking back at me.
One day.
I’m hoping to find a Blue Box Fort Cheyenne Bill……….one day as well.
I had a friend do that. I have never found a Custer.
Interesting question.
What figure would you one day hope to find in a junk box?
Any Gunsmoke character for me. I would settle for Custer.
Last year, I got Seth Adams and Flint McCullough at my local flea market.
Probably my best find as far as single figures goes.
Dear Stad,
I would like it if you can part with it.
Thanks, Ed Bearnson.
The Reliable is very interesting figure !!
I like the conversion and the French figures are great interesting!!!,never see those..
The Tall (75mm approx.)Gi’ officer is a BLUE BOX copy made in late 70s ,hey were sold with light paint detail in face and else and not painted in bags as I far I recall ,I got a full set of 6 poses. They appear to be never sold under Blue Box .There also is a even taller(3.5 to 4″ ) scale base of same 6 original Blue Box poses as well not made under Blue Box. I got the in mint packs as well. It has often attributed as BB but not mark figures with BB I had seen in either size version, not in packs I got either.
So I will not brand then as BB at all .
The Soldier with raised weapon is LEYLA -Germany modern German army(post WW2)-Bundeswehr.Often sold in kaki and green to be allied and enemies in sets .They were sold in other colors too as well ,even neon fiesta colors by 90s .The set has 12 nice poses included pilot and staff and could very well used for Korea or late winter WW2 war US Paratroopers and or infantry as most carry WW2 weapons and same jacket .
The way I always recon is because LEYLA has exact same pose with weapon raised in same exact way and arm on the mounted and foot cowboys and Indians plus soldiers .
The C.U.T.I.E.S I have a set playing guitar made in Japan and sold as surprise toys but bough in a discount store for few …
Pretty much same exact colors .I think from late 80s.
Never knew if they were that value I would had get more….
best…
I knew the the soldier was German the only question is was it made in Germany or Mexico. A number of their molds of their molds were sold to Mexico. I have seen the western from time to time.
Admin.As far I know and see from Mexico. Leyla and Manurba owned mold the western/Indians, animals, farms, dinosours, circus and cars I had seen reissues only in bags.
The colors I describe above include yours in grey I had only see from Germany .Even now there some in bags as that x sale there.Knights, africans, pirates, space too only from Germany .But I could be wrong as to what mold went to Mexico.
My understanding is they were leased and then by late 90 s sent back or else.
Resently I sold two western full mexican reissues.
The main difference from mexico sets is they are in more gloss color and same hard plastic used in Marx.
Best….
The elephant’s guitar has only four pegs/strings so possibly a bass?
Or a baritone uke?
Well interesting or not the series of animal musiciana have most with four finger humanoid type hands .They did a dinosaur set as well.
Wile the funny animals come with different versions of same species but more like wild and farm or circus animal with out hands ,more like funny heads/faces or poses.
I found out just by looking one of my packs as described exact as (Animals Beasts)!?.
Some time sold in window cases too .
That is the way I got them as children, my brother claim he had others in bags.(He is 7 Years older than me)
I have the musicians and dinosaurs mark as IDL only ,while other funny series mark as IDL and others with HK and numbers or numerical series.
that is all I know.
I know IDL did copies or varied version of space sets, soldiers and original set of US president mounted in high gold pedestal basses. I have those too.
I don’t know any more about this brand if US based and making toys in HK or else.
Best….
Heck in a junk box I want to find two Johnny Ringo’s, one for me one to sell. The elephant has fingers, so he finger pick.
Interesting note on the Mexican conversions it looks like he either carved out the tails or cut them off and re-glued to the BMC legs, on both of them he chopped off the bayonet scabbard and added canteens and pouches. Also looks like he used a hot knife or something to put them together. I wouldn’t be too surprised if they were Delson re-animations as he likes to call them.
I keep meaning to say a general thank you for your Blog and wish you and yours HNY. It really makes my day to see what you have found and the news flashes.
I wish there were such finds around here – Charity shops and jumble sales and craft fairs and even toy fairs rarely contain any toy soldiers.
My charity shops are waste here too. The last time I got anything was a year ago. Many shops have pickers in the stores themselves looking for the treasures.
It is sad see charity shops been sort before go to sales floor by vultures .It feel cheated in a way to me.
Last time I went to one I found four packs of the star wars half open and split off with most figures missing .
I do not have time to go there often neither do flea markets or else up here with my busy time and parenthood. I wish I could but I rather like heard from you admin or Bill the good finds. I’m glad some you left fighting from these scammers volunteers that sale in eBay their finds.
Hello, Does the Lone Star Bren Carrier driver still have the peg to hold it in the seat? If so how much are you asking with postage to NYC? Thank you.
Hey does anyone know if Lone Star figures have ever been re-issued?
I think they did, I know Erwin will know for sure.
Lone Star part of the heavy armor knights or King Arthur else call and afghans warriors were reissues. I can not remember if others were.
I believe they were reissue under same circumstance as the Charbe and Cherliea molds find and saved, not all of course by early 90s .
Many molds were too late to save and apparently destroyed or gone!!??
The reissued saved sold under ICARUS I think and from there by lady that was daughter of the owner or else. Were sold here by several US dealers included TSC,CTS,TSSD and others direct imported from UK.
Admin should correct me here as do not recall well how the tales go.
Many LS had been copied and cloned by early HK makers .
The Bren car was cloned and copied with drivers in HK I got two of then.
They also reissued the Lone Star guardsmen band, Australians and British sailors. They were first sold by Toyway which had the molds. The Charbens molds were with Divina Hill. I may have the name wrong. The company was called Plastic from the Past. Peter Evans or brian Carrick can correct this information.
Thanks admin,I totally forgot the nice Australian and Sailors.
thanks on name data too.
Hi Paul, happy to clarify the story of the UK remoulds:
Charbens moulds were owned by Prindus (Prison Industries) who used them in rehab training for offenders. they were sold in a Government Auction and bought by George Hill who had a plastic injection company and only wanted the bolsters the moulds were mounted on, by chance a Plastic Warrior subscriber heard about them and convinced George it would be worth re running them. Originally George sold them through Marlborough Military Models of Wales who made metal “new toy soldiers”, they also commissioned him to make a range of Zulu war figures (I think there were 3 Brits and 4 Zulus but I would have to dig them out to be sure). ~When Marlborough went bust George’s daughter Divina started selling them through a company she set up called “Plastic from the Past”
The Cherilea moulds were owned by Tri-ang who had bought out Sharna Ware, who in turn had previously bought bought Cherilea when they went bust. Tri-ang were selling the Cherilea moulds for scrap because they needed to clear out the old factory before demolishing it, Giles Brown of Dorset Soldiers heard about this and went up with a truck and bought all he could carry, he told me about it so I went up and with help from Barrie Blood bought another load.
Giles did a deal with Jamie Delson to get the moulds refurbished and TSC imported a load of the resulting remoulds into the USA while in the UK Giles sold them under the Icarus brand. He also experimented with other old lead moulds to make plastic figures and as a result I have the only complete plastic set of the Benbros Robin Hood figures. Eventually when sales of Icarus figures slowed down Giles sold his Cherilea Moulds to George Hill. I lent my Cherilea moulds to George so he could refurb them and get them back into production, eventually I also sold them to him.
So that is how Divina Hill came to be selling the Charbens and Cherilea remoulds through Plastics from the Past.
Regarding the Lone Star Moulds, a lot of them are still in existence but I’ve lost track of who owns them now, I know Michael MS from Mauritius was looking at buying them but I don’t know if this ever happened. Apart form the Lone Star sets you’ve already mentioned Toyway also re-ran the old Timpo West Point Cadets band.
Hope this helps, regars, Brian
Thank you. The reason I ask is I have some Lone Star WWII germans in a pea green plastic, interesting poses but don’t know if they are ‘originals’.
Send photo so I can see them
Hi Paul and a Happy New Year to you and Laurie.
The French lady in white plastic was a premium given with Mokarex Coffee, she is from a series of figures in French Provincial Costume. There were three sets which contained a man and a lady in local costume from the Provinces, your lady represents Nice (marked Nicoise) and was in set 2. Sets 1 and 2 each had 6 pairs while set 3 (Bret-Hist) had 7 pairs, so a total of 38 figures to collect.
The Layla paratrooper looks like the original German plastic to me.
Best wishes, Brian and Jane
Good info on the earlier post on who owns the moulds. Thanks. My question is who owns the Crescent moulds? I like the Crescent Medieval set with the Archer the best figure in the set. Looks like Crescent made some other well sculpted sets.
Hi Tom, to date we haven’t been able to track down the crescent moulds, there were rumours some years back that they had been located somewhere in Wales but nothing came of that. ~We search on in hope!
That is one terrible boxing pose, he is wide open for a left hook. Awful foot work too.
Ed I was wondering ,but you are the expert. Still never see that figure before and I like it…
You can block a punch by moving your right hand to the left side of your face as he is doing or appears to be doing, but the hand over there leaves you wide open to a left hook as you have no hand to block on the right hand side of your face to block. The left hook is often thrown in combination after a right cross. The typical one, two, three combination is a left jab, followed by a right cross, followed by a left hook. In addition to his growing list of problems with his feet in the position they are in he will be hard pressed to use his feet to launch a counter punch or to use his legs to move away from a punch. Duane Bobick often used his high hand to defend a right cross and we all know how well that worked out. It is an interesting figure, if for no other reason but to demonstrate what not to do in the ring.
Well u know your things x sure.
I think is intersting as few boxers done. But base in your observations I will be intersted why sculptor did not look at it first.
Thinking if is from Hong Kong problay copied.If not then who did it.
There some others I had seen and I guess send u link.
I do not know if well done or not.
Best…
Or maybe he’s just a sparing partner? Or he fights like Rocky Balboa and just takes the hits and comes back for more????
With respect please.
The LEYLA is not a paratrooper but regular soldier.
The set consist of a paratrooper pose in different uniform with part of parachute on it, plus two pilots different poses, one officer and with 7 regular soldiers-(the one above,prone firing weapon, advancing with LSMG ,Officer with hand down, walking with box/luggage in right hand, marching with hung weapon ,with radio in right hand all using same winter jacket); and saluting officer with flat cap.
I think are 12 poses in total as far I remember.
Best…
Hi Erwin, yes I have the set, I tend to think of anything in a bulky combat smock as being a para or airborne but he may not be. And of course it’s LEYLA not LAYLA – which was a single by Derek and the Dominos and was a big hit here in England in my youth!
Incidentally there are two basic defenses against the left hook, one is to block with your right hand, the other is to duck down and under it, our boxer is in the position to do neither.
It must be the end of the round and his head and right leg are already heading toward his corner! Otherwise he’s taken a punch to the head and is already groggy, his head turned—hoping his corner throws in the towel? As you point out, this guy is basically done for. It would be interesting to see what position the other boxer was in.
I like the flat footed pigeon toed stance.
I meant whatever the OPPOSITE of pigeon toed is – Charlie Chaplain?
Try to move if your feet are like that.
LOL!!
Marx did some Boxers too, theirs was somewhat better. One was a lefty the other stockier and shorter with his hands held low. They were at least in somewhat correct boxing stances. I have four of five, of them one set of the two is painted. They show up on E-Bay all the time you can usually pick them up for like $5.00 each.
The one shown isn’t a bad sculpt, and he has seen fighters fight before. Fighters do use that defensive tactic, but it isn’t the best defense. Aside from the fact it leaves you vulnerable to the left hook, you cannot throw a counter punch with that hand as it is basically out of position to use it properly. It’s a tactic usually used by fighters with poor head movement.
Most boxers today aren’t trained very well. One noted exception is Vasily Lomanchenko, if you get a chance to see him fight hes worth the time to watch him. In fact I’d recommend watching some of his fights on u-tube, he’s that good. There are other decent fighters, but he impresses me the most.
I love this blog we go from toy soldiers to class learning boxing position and training from an expert.
Thanks Ed…
One question direct to you to clear me as I’m a bit confuse now.
Does the actual above posted figures is in no way a possible actual pose or could be used some how in boxing?-Hope you understood my Esperanto this time.
Sure, if you had another boxer throwing a right hand at him it would make a decent scene. I have seen boxers try to block a right hand that way many times. The feet are a bit funky though. He would be a boxer under extreme duress. That’s just not the usual pose I would expect to see in a boxing figure. I would guess he probably saw a picture of a boxer throwing up his right hand to try and block a punch and used that as a model for his sculpt. It is a real pose and it does happen. If you were to U-Tube the Duane Bobick versus Big Joh Tate fight, you would see Bobick trying unsuccessfully try to block right hands exactly like that. You will also see Duane getting knocked out.
OK.great!!!
Thanks a lot!!!.
I will definitely see the video and pause to see it better
So I will like the figure more now as could be accepted .
I would not like get an unrealism boxer pose .But now I like the figure more …
Nothing wins a fight like having your fist rammed into your own cheek by the other guy’s punch because you’ve covered your face wrong.
You see, I planned my assault by neutralizing his knuckles with my jawbone. After I weakened them up I began seriously doing him damage with my stomach and solar plexus. Then I REALLY got mad and decided I’d take out his knee with a swift attack from my groin area. Then it was time to work over the bottoms of his feet with my entire body.
Now that I had him weak I was ready to finish him off…
Yes. Please excuse my throat for hitting your elbow.
Block it with your face.
Ed, The boxer pose is Joe Louis. I have a factory painted version that is done in black skin. I’ll get a picture to Paul.
I also got Jackie Robinson and the famous female swimmer Esther Williams in that grouping. All 3 are factory painted.
And yes, I got these with a bunch of East German and Polish plastic at the flea market.
That is great Bill.
Will like see then. Wonder who did them…
What one of the two Marx poses is Joe Louis? Or they both are? If it is they made him wrong, they made him a lefty. Well, the one that resembles Joe is a lefty. You are talking about the Marx 54mm figures right?
I have the German s LS in painted or partial painted vintage and the one in field green not painted the color could be one described as pea!?.Both vintages.The not painted are last I think.
I saw cloned HK verssion in grey color too but smaller and crude.
Pics have been sent to Paul.
Could any body explain this mix mess or else…!!?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182408325541?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT.
Did Marx made playset in HK using the non HO figures!?
I have the Marx Germans and GIs copies of HK but these looks real Marx and mix with MPC else!?
The person added Marx parts to the set as the yellow pieces are from the Navaronne Playset. The only Marx Hong Kong Playset is the unreleased pirate set. Parts were sold later separate.
Nice, like the animals and the guitar playing cowboy best !
Thank you admin.I was not sure in the mix there…
Also never see that name playset before. The box is marked HG ,but in close up picture show Marx poses soldiers or copies .As far I got Marx HK Germans were copied by Helm toy and other less known.
the Helm toys are generally branded bellow base wile others not.
However the figures show in hand of seller is mark MARX and are original.
I was wondering the mix ,but as I have one M41 and one Halftrack copied and mark HK plus the Germans and GIs mark too HK was thinking if ever made a playset there using MARX name or else.