204 Revolutionary War Soldiers

[grumpy old man]

I’ve just found this link to all those old Helen of Toy sets of soldiers from the 60’s and 70’s US comics that we weren’t able to buy in Europe. Why does Reginald Perrins Grot company come to mind?
http://home.att.net/~1.elliott/comicboo ... flats.html

[dandy mad]

I remember airfix doing something like these soldeirs when i was a kid back in the 80s mainly ww2 though

[stevezodiac]

I remember those ads on the back of DC comics where you got a 100 soldiers in a sort of military chest. Myself i got those Airfix boxes of 48 Confederates and 48 Union soldiers from the Civil War. Plus the US Cavalry but the soldiers wouldn't stay on the horses. We used to have both armies facing each other and then roll a marble to knock them down one by one skittle fashion. Fisrt one to knock all his opponenets men down was the winner.

[STARBOY]

I seem to recall reading that the Roman soldier advert that appeared in the comics of the 60s/70s was drawn by Russ Heath. I remember Airfix doing lots of these types of soldiers (one of my favourite toys as a kid I had loads of these) almost everything was available, Foreign Legion, Arabs, British, Japanese, German, American etc soldiers and cowboys and Indians, Romans, Greeks - you name it in fact there seemed to be a set available for them all (even Scots Highlanders/Jacobites and Saxons) - I even recall Bonanza and/or High Chaperal had a set -they came attached to a plastic strip seemed to be loads in each box. I've seen them still available in small indie game shops and have been tempted to pick them up. I also remember buying a palstic bag of these (although thing they were just cowboys and indians in bright colours with horses they "clipped" on) they were the cheaper version (think I got them in Woolworths , this was the 60s- great fun)

[STARBOY]

Nostalgia warning:Found a link to these Airfix soldiers - the boxes seem the same as I bought as a kid in the 60s - the back of the box used to have a "window!" where you saw the soldiers - I even remember a set of football players as well - gawds I loved these things so much but they're £4.30 a box now when I was a kid they were slightly more than comic money.


http://www.angelfire.com/pe/ATSTOYSOLDIERS/index2.html

[Kashgar]

In defence of the Airfix 00 gauge boxes of figures these were of a far better quality than the Helen Toy sets that were up for grabs in the US. The Airfix figures, although small, were perfectly formed 3D models whereas the Helen of Toy figures, and contrary to how they looked in the comic-book ads, were decidedly 'flat' and kind of '2D'.

[Gary Northfield]

A good site for little Airfix plastic soldiers is this:

http://soli.inav.net/~edzwil/Collector%27sguide.html

Not that I'm into that sort of thing, of course.

[STARBOY]

Thanks for the link NP - brought it all back (can't believe I actually remembered there wss a High Chaperal and Bonanza set ) instantly remembered most of these as I looked at them especuially the Foreing Legiona nd Arabs (my favs withthe Romans and UK one) -

[colcool007]

The airfix sets still do sterling service in many wargamers WW2 scenarios. But most now opt for the lead figures produced by companies such as Peter Pig or Wargames Foundry. Google for Flames Of War and be transported back to the days that you created your own stories about Flying Fury or the Steel Commando!

[Kashgar]

Just the name Airfix conjures up so many memories and not just of boxes of miniature figures. I remember building a whole gallery of historical figures from the Black Prince to Napoleon and many an historic craft from HMS Victory to the Apollo moon-rocket, to the extent that my bedroom ending up looking like a cross between Madame Tussauds and the Imperial War Museum.

[davidandrewsimpson]

Starboy

The Russ Heath ad was the "132 ROMAN SOLDIERS $1.98" (Blue & Yellow)" one. I have very fond memories of that ad

David Simpson

[grumpy old man]

If you scroll down to the bottom of the page and use the links to the different ads you'll find Russ Heath did most of them around '61 and they were used for the next 20 years

[felneymike]

Ahh Airfix, that takes me back (i never had a Spitfire or 109, non-jet planes weren't "cool" during the tail end of the Top Gun craze in 1990 or so. I remember my first one being a SAAB Draken).

Now that i think about it, they'd make brilliant models to do reference drawings from in my adventure comics. I wonder if they still do cars as well, the Ford Zodiac mk2 is a proper sod to get right.

[stevezodiac]

Those Airfix 00 gauge sets of 48 soldiers were 2/6d old money. I remember my mate pinching a quid out of his older sisters purse and giving two of us half a crown each (2/6d). I immediately bought a box of those soldiers. I had so many that I kept them in a big Tea Time Assorted biscuit tin.

[stevezodiac]

just scanning some comics to put on ebay and found this ad which i don't think is included among those on the link: