James Opie’s Newsletter 18 – the Sale of Fine Toy Soldiers Wednesday 28 July 2021 - Online only at 10.30 a.m.
12/07/2021 | James Opie
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Here are a few examples of the highlight lots to discover in my latest sale,
Lot 17. Austrian Infantry, Britains set 177
There are times when even sets in poor condition can be exciting – when they turn out to be ultra rare, like the infantry figures in this set. They are something I personally have never seen before, full trousered Austrians dated 24.2.1910 carrying rifles with fixed bayonets and drooping slings. This means they could have been made like this before the more common early version of the infantryman, using the Prussian officer dated 16.2.1908, which in this set is used only for the officer himself. I am told that the Austrian Army at this period did march with rifle slings loose, so these could be the most accurate Britains figures of this subject ever released.
From lot 68
Lot 68 contains, among other things, this neat little conversion. It makes them look considerably more imposing simply by replacing their rather stubby little original rifles with the later tight sling version with bayonet, taken off a movable arm.
Lot 58 Heyde British Infantry Cyclists
These Heyde cyclists look as though they have been entwined round their machines, contributing much to their charm, as one of Heyde’s most popular creations. Sometimes we forget that bicycles came long before cars.
Lot 59 Britains set 101 Mounted Band of the 1st Life Guards in red jackets.
Although there are two slotted arm musicians missing from this splendid early Britains set, they were fairly well distributed when they first came out, so that it is not beyond the bounds of possibility to think that the two missing ones could be filled at a show one day.
Part Lot 62 Britains set 48, Egyptian Camel Corps
A nice set of first version Camel Corps with wire tails normally costs from £150 upwards, so the more common method of boosting the numbers of these in a collection is to buy the numerous broken examples available (they were, originally, a very popular Christmas present at 2/-) and mend them up. Here this job has already been quite competently completed, well enough to be un-noticeable from anything but a close examination.
JAMES OPIE AT C & T AUCTIONEERS
FINE TOY SOLDIER AND FIGURES
Webcast only WEDNESDAY 28 July 2021 at 10.30am 256
All lots on display on www.the-saleroom.com and at www.candtauctions.co.uk
Ancient Britains: Imperial Yeomanry, Donkey Horse Hussars, Small size sets including RARE boxed Bluejackets and RARE Royal Horse Guards, RAMC and Ambulance Wagons, 3rd Madras Light Cavalry, Bikanir Camel Corps, Egyptian Camel Corps, South Australian Lancers on ‘rocking horses’, Belgian Cavalry and Infantry, Mounted Band of the 1st Life Guards, RFA, RHA first version mounted Gunners, 13th Hussars, 21st Lancers, Turkish Cavalry, set 68, 2nd Bombay Native Infantry, Rifle Brigade, Royal Marine Artillery, KRRC, Royal Sussex Regiment, Zulus, Prussian Infantry, Boer War, Greek, Bulgarian, Austrian and Serbian Infantry, and Austrian Foot Guards.
Golden Age: set 200 Motor Cycle Dispatch Riders, Army Lorries, F.A.O. Schwartz Historical Collectors sets, RARE late pre-war 1st Dragoons with outstretched sword arm, Famous Regiments set 1597 Dorsetshire Regiment, set 1545 Australian Infantry at present, Band of the Royal Marines, Waterloo Infantry and Highlanders, RHA, Prussian Hussars, Austrian Foot Guards
Britains Postwar: Picture Packs, 2018 Danish Guard Hussars, 2025 Cameron Highlanders, 2046 Arab Display, 2096, Irish Guards Pipes and Drums, 2088 Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry, Bahamas Police musicians, RHA
Other hollowcast: Timpo and Charbens G Is, Wild West,
Britains recent issues: GLOSS Limited Editions, Premier, Metal Models, Knights of Agincourt MATTE American Revolution, Napoleonic, War along the Nile with Steamer, Zulu War with Rorke’s Drift Storehouse, Tactical Scenes, American Civil War, WW I, WWII.
Collectable figures, Matte: Conte Alamo, King & Country WWII and ACW, Del Prado Men at Arms
Royal Canadian Mounted Police: Britains, Timpo, Crescent, Hill, Benbros, Good Soldiers, Ducal. Dorset, Dawson, etc. plastic Eyes Right, Nardi and aluminium.
Civilians: Britains Boy Scouts, Hunting Series, Clockwork Unit, CBG Mignot Paris Fire Brigade, various Farm, Zoo, Accessories, Wagons and miscellaneous figures.
Continental figures: Heyde British Infantry Cyclists CBG Mignot Napoleonics, Napoleon at Boulogne and Friedland, Kings of France complete series, Flat figures
Gloss finish New Toy Soldiers and conversions: Mark Time Royal Engineers Observation and Winch Wagon, William Dickinson New Toy Soldiers, Ducal Military Band of the Black Watch, Blenheim, Nostalgia, Trophy, Soldiers Soldiers, All the Queens Men
High Quality Models by GNM Miniatures
Other Models large and small: St Petersburg, Stadden, Royal Hampshire Art Foundry
Plastic Figures: Elastolin with 9705 Nurenburg Castle, Papo, Mokarex, Airfix, Minitank, Britains Eyes Right. Athena, Lone Star, Crescent Royal Canadian Mounted Police: Eyes Right, Nardi,
NEXT SALE DATE: Wednesday 8 DECEMBER 2021 at 10.30am
Contacts: JAMES OPIE Consultant: Tel. +44 (0) 20 7794 7447 E-mail jamesopie@yahoo.co.uk C&T Auctioneers: Web site www.candtauctions.co.uk
Unit 4 High House Business Park, Kenardington, Nr Ashford, Kent TN26 2LF
Catalogues and Bids Tel. (three lines) +44 (0) 1233 510050 E-mail enquiries@candtauctions.co.uk