Did you know that the actor Douglas Fairbanks had a collection of over three thousand toy soldiers or that Malcolm Forbes owned over ninety thousand of them? Collecting tin soldiers is an unusual hobby which involves both old and new collectibles. All kinds of figures of uniformed military personnel are considered as toy soldiers. The older collectibles were made in sets while the newer ones are usually produced as individual pieces.
You can collect those that are made of various types of material but the most common ones you would come across would be most likely to be made of metal and plastic. In the early days, toy soldiers were made of lead. In the 1930s, however, manufacturers started making them out of plastic as by then people had realized that lead was toxic. Companies like W.Britain made plastic toy soldiers for the mass market but continued to make lead figures for people who collected it as a hobby.
Therefore, different manufacturers specialized in making different types of toy soldiers. Soldier Pac, an English company, made them out of lead. Lineol, a German company, produced them from the Medieval Ages, World War II and Western gunfighters.
So to begin with, you may want to decide the type of era that you would like to specialize in. Those symbolizing the American Civil War are very popular as are World War II figures.
Interacting with other toy collectors will help you to get hands-on information about your hobby. Widen your network by contacting other collectors through their websites or getting in touch with them at toy shows. You will find most collectors more than willing to share their passion for collecting toy soldiers.
You can find a wealth of information about collecting such toys in specialized magazines such as Toy Soldier, Model Figure and Plastic Warrior. You could plan a visit to the National Toy Soldier Museum in Bologna, Italy or to the Marx Toy Museum in West Virginia and take a look at collections of them down the ages.
If you come across those that are not in good condition, be careful while trying to restore them. You may end up chipping off the paint while trying to clean them. As you pursue this hobby you will realize that collecting them is not just about having a large collection of toys. Each figurine has a history of its own, just waiting to be discovered.
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