A toy soldier is a miniature figurine that represents a soldier . The term applies to depictions of uniformed military personnel from all eras, and includes knights , cowboys , American Indians , pirates , samurai , and other subjects that involve combat -related themes. Toy soldiers vary from simple playthings to highly realistic and detailed models . The latter are of more recent development and are sometimes called model figures to distinguish them from traditional toy soldiers. Larger scale toys such as dolls and action figures may come in military uniforms, but they are not generally considered toy soldiers.
23-624: A toy soldier is a miniature figurine that represents a soldier. Toy soldier ( s ) may also refer to: Toy soldier Toy soldiers are made from all types of material, but the most common mass-produced varieties are metal and plastic . There are many different kinds of toy soldiers, including tin soldiers or flats , hollow-cast metal figures, composition figures, and plastic army men . Metal toy soldiers were traditionally sold in sets; plastic figures were sold in toy shops individually in Britain and Europe and in large boxed sets in
46-691: A collection of over 6,000 figures; these are on display at the Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection at Brown University Library in Providence. Some of the more noteworthy, annual toy soldier and historical figure shows include the Plastic Warrior Show, which is the oldest established show in the UK. Beginning in 1985 and still being held annually in Richmond, South London. Another well known show
69-459: A pacifist, was the first to publish detailed rules for playing war games with toy soldiers. He suggested that this could provide a cathartic experience, possibly preventing future real wars. Although this was not to be, Little Wars was a predecessor to the modern hobby of miniatures wargaming . According to Wells, the idea of the game developed from a visit by his friend Jerome K. Jerome . After dinner, Jerome began shooting down toy soldiers with
92-500: A particular type of soldier or historical period, though some people enjoy collecting many different kinds of figures. The most popular historical periods for collecting are Napoleonic , Victorian , American Civil War , World War I , and World War II . Many collectors modify and paint plastic figures, and some even cast and paint their own metal figures. Actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr had a collection of 3000 toy soldiers when he sold it in 1977. Fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin has
115-432: A substantial collection of toy knights and castles. The most extensive collection of toy soldiers was probably that of Malcolm Forbes , who began collecting toy soldiers in the late 1960s and amassed a collection of over 90,000 figures by the time of his death in 1990. Anne Seddon Kinsolving Brown of Providence, Rhode Island, US, began collecting miniature toy soldiers on her honeymoon to Europe in 1930, eventually amassing
138-460: A toy cannon and Wells joined in to compete. A similar book titled Shambattle: How to Play with Toy Soldiers was published by Harry Dowdall and Joseph Gleason in 1929. Although people continue to play wargames with miniature figures, most contemporary wargamers use a smaller scale than that favored by collectors, typically under 25 mm. [REDACTED] Media related to Toy soldiers at Wikimedia Commons Enamel paint Enamel paint
161-541: Is paint that air-dries to a hard, usually glossy , finish, used for coating surfaces that are outdoors or otherwise subject to hard wear or variations in temperature; it should not be confused with decorated objects in "painted enamel", where vitreous enamel is applied with brushes and fired in a kiln. The name is something of a misnomer, as in reality most commercially available enamel paints are significantly softer than either vitreous enamel or stoved synthetic resins, and are totally different in composition; vitreous enamel
184-400: Is applied as a powder or paste and then fired at high temperature. There is no generally accepted definition or standard for use of the term "enamel paint", and not all enamel-type paints may use it. Typically the term "enamel paint" is used to describe oil-based covering products, usually with a significant amount of gloss in them, however recently many latex or water-based paints have adopted
207-553: Is one of a number of works by Nolan to use enamel paint, usually Ripolin , a commercial paint not intended for art, also Picasso's usual brand. Some "enamel paints" are now produced specifically for artists. Enamels paints can also refer to nitrocellulose based paints, one of the first modern commercial paints of the 20th century. They have since been superseded by new synthetic coatings like alkyd, acrylic and vinyl , due to toxicity, safety, and conservation (tendency to age yellow) concerns. In art has been used also by Pollock with
230-1151: Is the London Toy Soldier Show held in central London (now owned and operated by the magazine Toy Soldier Collector), the Miniature Figure Collectors of America (MFCA) show in Valley Forge, the Chicago Toy Soldier Show (OTSN) in Illinois, the East Coast Toy Soldier Show in New Jersey, the West Coaster Toy Soldier Show in California, the Sammlerbörse (Collector's Market) in Friedberg, Germany and
253-607: The Great . Miniature soldiers were also used in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries by military strategists to plan battle tactics by using the figures to show the locations of real soldiers. In 1893, the British toy company William Britain revolutionized the production of toy soldiers by devising the method of hollow casting , making soldiers that were cheaper and lighter than their German counterparts. In addition to Britains, there have been many other manufacturers of toy soldiers over
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#1732787987948276-584: The U.S. Modern, collectable figures are often sold individually. Scale for toy soldiers is expressed as the soldier's approximate height from head to foot in millimeters. Because many figures do not stand up straight, height is usually an approximation. Standard toy soldier scale, originally adopted by W. Britain , is 54 mm (2.25 inches) or 1:32 scale. Among different manufacturers, standard scale may range from 50 mm or 1:35 scale , to 60 mm or 1:28 scale. For gamers and miniatures enthusiasts, 25 mm and even smaller scales are available. On
299-467: The automotive industry". Nitro-cellulose enamels are also commonly known as modern lacquers . Enamel paint comes in a variety of hues and can be custom blended to produce a particular tint. It is also available in water-based and solvent-based formulations, with solvent-based enamel being more prevalent in industrial applications. For the greatest results, use a high-quality brush, roller, or spray gun when applying enamel paint. When dried, enamel paint forms
322-528: The biennial Zinnfigurenbörse (Tin Figure Market) in Kulmbach, Germany. In recent years, collectors of vintage toy soldiers made of polythene PE and polypropylene PP thermoplastics as well as PC / ABS plastic blends have reported brittling and disintegration of collectible miniatures or components thereof. Different types and styles of toy soldiers have been produced over the years, depending on
345-527: The brand names of Herald and Deetail . Also in England, the scale model company, Airfix produced a variety of high quality plastic sets, which were frequently painted by hobbyists. Many Airfix figures were imitated by other companies and reproduced as inexpensive, bagged plastic army men . Timpo Toys, Britains main competitor in terms of sales and quality in the 1960s and 70s developed the 'Over - Moulding' system. Different coloured plastics were injected into
368-522: The commercial paint named Duco . The artist experimented and created with many types of commercial or house paints during his career. Other artists: "after discovering various types of industrial materials produced in the United States in the 1930s, Siqueiros' produced most of his easel works with uncommon materials which include Duco paint, a DuPont brand name for pyroxyline paint, a tough and resilient type of nitro-cellulose paint manufactured for
391-438: The cost and availability of materials, as well as manufacturing technologies. Here is a list of some of the most commonly collected varieties of toy soldiers. Prominent vintage toy soldier makers include Airfix , Barclay , Britains , Herald, Elastolin , Johillco , Lineol , Marx , Manoil , Reamsa and Timpo . The playing of wargames with toy figures was pioneered by H. G. Wells in his 1913 book, Little Wars . Wells,
414-454: The larger end of the scale are American dimestore figures , and many of the toy soldiers produced in Germany, which are approximately 75 mm (3 inches) or 1:24 scale . Tin soldiers were produced in Germany as early as the 1730s, by molding the metal between two pieces of slate. Toy soldiers became widespread during the 18th century, inspired by the military exploits of Frederick
437-456: The mould at various stages, creating a fully coloured figure without the need of paint. During the 1990s, the production of metal toy-grade painted figures and connoisseur-grade painted toy soldiers increased to serve the demands of the collectors' market. The style of many of these figures shifted from the traditional gloss-coat enamel paint to the matte-finished acrylic paint , which allows for greater detail and historical accuracy. The change
460-587: The term as well. The term today means "hard surfaced paint" and usually is in reference to paint brands of higher quality, floor coatings of a high gloss finish, or spray paints . Most enamel paints are alkyd resin based. Some enamel paints have been made by adding varnish to oil-based paint. Although "enamels" and " painted enamel " in art normally refer to vitreous enamel, in the 20th century some artists used commercial enamel paints in art, including Pablo Picasso (mixing it with oil paint), Hermann-Paul , Jackson Pollock , and Sidney Nolan . The Trial (1947)
483-838: The years. For example, John Hill & Company produced hollow cast lead figures in the same style and scale. Companies such as Elastolin and Lineol were well known for their composite figures made of glue and sawdust that included both military and civilian subjects. After 1950, rising production costs and the development of plastic meant that many shop keepers liked the lighter, cheaper, and far less prone to break in transit polythene figure. This led to greater demand for plastic toy soldiers. The first American plastic soldiers were made by Beton as early as 1937. The first plastic toy soldiers produced in Great Britain were made in 1946 by Airfix before they became known for their famous model kits range. One large historical producer in plastic
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#1732787987948506-680: Was Louis Marx and Company , which produced both realistic soldiers of great detail and also historical collections of plastic men and women, including the "Presidents of the United States" collection, "Warriors of the World", "Generals of World War II", "Jesus and the Apostles", and figures from the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Marx also produced boxed playsets that featured many famous battles with armies of two sides, character figures, and terrain features. Britains produced plastic figures under
529-446: Was largely inspired by the introduction of very high quality painted figures from St. Petersburg , Russia. There is a substantial hobby devoted to collecting both old and new toy soldiers, with an abundance of small manufacturers, dealers, and toy soldier shows. There are even specialty magazines devoted to the hobby, such as "Toy Soldier Collector", "Plastic Warrior" and "Toy Soldier and Model Figure". Collectors often specialize in
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