Plastic Showcase Part Two August 2017 deals with several items. First we have a correction that has now turned into a mystery. Next we will look at the Eldon vehicles which went with their landing craft. We will take a look at Timmee Pirates and non MPC ringhand figures. Lastly a peek at an Athena Greek Evazona that is six inches long.
Plastic Showcase Part Two August 2017 Correction
In Plastic Showcase Part One I stated that these figures were by Charbens. Well I was wrong. Paul Morehead emailed me that they were not made by Charbens or by any other English company. A honest mistake as I was trying to think off the top of my head who made them. Now the mystery is who made them. Erwin has taken up the challenge to identified these figures. At the moment we have no idea who made them. If you have an idea let us know. Erwin and I will keep looking.
Plastic Showcase Part Two August 2017 Eldon
In past issues we have spotlighted the Eldon 45mm army figures. At the Macungie Toy Show I picked up the vehicles that went with the landing craft. They were a jeep and a tank. The tank is odd with wheels instead of tracks. Prehaps it could be armor car. The vehicles are some what in scale with the 45mm Eldon army figures.
Plastic Showcase Part Two August 2017 Timmee Pirates
Another item I found at the Macungie Toy Show was some of the Timmee pirates. I got four of the 10 different pirates. As child I did not see them except one that I traded from a friend. The pirates were reissued in Mexico in the early 80’s. They were some of the figures I brought back from my first trip to Mexico.
Plastic Showcase Part Two August 2017 Ring Hand Figures
MPC was not the only company to do ring hand figures. The figure on the left is DK Toys. On the right is an Andygard Army figure. The detail on the Andygard figure is very good. It is shame this company only lasted a short time. Who knows what figures they could have produce?
Plastic Showcase Part Two August 2017 Athena
Most people are aware Athena did 60mm Evazonas. What few people are aware of the also did them six inches high. Here we have an Evazona with bugle. It is only the second one I have come across in my years of hunting.
The armor is indeed an armored car base in WW2 british Humber.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humber_Armoured_Car
Tim mee Pirates are my favorite.
I had never see any from Mexico ,i wish get them reissues as every single of then i had found are always or played a lot and full scratches.
Because odd poses i like then as toy figures ,not much as realistics.
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About Bullfighters…
In my quest to help….
So far my research indicate the figure is not belong to REAMSA,COMANSI,JECSAN ,PECH HERMANOS,TEXIDOR or any other spaniard main brand that did several CORRIDAS(BULLFIGHT SETS) sets.
It is NOT CHARBENS or CHERILEA that are they only known United Kingdom makers of bullfighters as far I know.
IS not by Starlux and few others from France i had check …
Is not from two MEXICAN small brands and bottleneck i check too.
Now.Do any body know the maker,brand of them!??????
In an unrelated subject I saw a post on Face Book, that the new(?) BMC figures are on a ship headed for the good old USA. I don’t know which ones and what figures they will be using or if there were any changes made to the exisiting sets. The post only showed a picture of cases of sets in what looked like a semi-trailer or whatever those containers are they use on ships.
Keep our fingers crossed for new figures, but I don’t know… they’ve been selling and re-selling those originals for years.
Andygard ringhands really make MPC’s stuff look bad by comparison.
I’m not sure if that other ringhand is a Carzol. From what I know about them and from the ones I owned as a kid, their figures were very very close to MPC, almost clones. I don’t think that guy is similar to any of MPC’s poses.
I hope BMC teepees and Alamo accessories will be available again but I think the new owners are concentrating on WW2 from what I have seen. Nice to get the Sherman and Tiger tanks cheap again, too.
It was done by DK toys it just came after the article was written
I do not have high hopes for new figures.
I can not see the side arms in the EVZONE soldier ,but if has nails attacher (which may not) it is by PAL (1956-1965) and more value.
PAL was funded by Dr .Photis ,that died in 1958 .
AOHNA (Athena) absorb the PAL company in 60s and continued using some early PAL molds plus making new ,eventually changing the bases of figures much later three times The method in swivel arms also change from typical nail used by PAL to a pin in body and hole in arm shoulder making it more realistic and nicer.
One of artists for Athean was D. Maratos.
PAL original figures also lack any marks below base ,while Athena not .
One of hardes and more high value figures of PAL are the african warriors and Ludhiana Sikhs.They did ancients Greeks that of course Athena continued too and are among the best to form typical Greeks falang before CONTE and others brands were available .Their Chariots and mounted ancient greeks are great too.
I have over a 12 Pal and more 100 Athena’s ancients greeks.But i do not have any other figures from either brand.
About 5 years ago reducing my collection I list 6 PAL and tow mounted(one standard bearer) ,to my surprise they went for bid x over 400.00 .Then i start realizing how value they are.While Athena go x a fraction versus PAL in the ancient figures.
A book about both brands and others (Greek plastic toy soldiers from 50s and 60s …) was edited about 7 years ago and limited sold .I manage get it and is very recommended.
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Greek phalanx,Sorry phone corrector change entire word..LOL
this site of a collector has some interesting pictures of Greece figures in general,many are metal unfortunately …
http://www.mystrato.us/evzones/evzones.html
There is a new book on Greek figures that came out last year, it’s smaller than the previous one and soft cover but I think it’s much better. The six inch Evzone is Athena not PAL and was made for the tourist trade, the most sought after PAL figures are the Greek Navy, they go for serious money.
Yes the six inch Greek Evazona is Athena. I did not get a chance to comment back. I know the difference betweem Pal and Athena. I am always on the hunt especial for the Pal.
In PAL according the several Greeks collectors I chat with the top paid are those mention in my previews post as barely made for a few months in production.
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When I was about 3 or 4 my dad brought me a set of about 20 Andyguard army figures probably to keep me quiet and Its what got me into Toy Soldiers and I couldn’t stop playing with them. I thought 2 inch Human figures was really cool and exciting and I still have them. Thanks for the info. I always wondered who made these figures and now I know.
Most of you know that Andy Gard also made cowboys, Indians, dogs and a variety of vehicles, including battery operated remote control versions. The cowboys are some of my favorites:
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/toysoldierhq/OtherUSA1.html
I have a unopened rack pack of Andy Gard Cowboys and Indians, There has to be 15 or 20 of them in there with a couple horses. Every ugly color they ever made is included.
Is the Athena company still making figures in Greece? My sister brought a whole group home to me about ten years ago. The group included several Evazona figures, some modern, and several ancient Greek warriors. I was under the impression these were tourist gifts just like the Britains Horse Guard figures in London.
We buried my sister this past Friday. The Athena figure brought a smile to my face with a good memory.
Athena went out business in 2002 or before.There some museum shops and stores still may carry old overstock of last productions .Same in turkey ,Malta,Cyprus according to some collectors from Greece i know of…
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Sorry to hear of your loss Jack. Laurie and my condolences to loss of a family member.
Thank you, Paul. She will be missed, particularly by both of my parents.
I think she did more shopping than I thought if it was back in 2007. Do any other countries (other than our National Parks or Britain) sell specific soldier figures to the tourists? When we travel abroad it is either the big name brands or the usual Chinese low-end copies.