About Me

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No Fixed Abode, Home Counties, United Kingdom
I’m a 60-year-old Aspergic gardening CAD-Monkey. Sardonic, cynical and with the political leanings of a social reformer, I’m also a toy and model figure collector, particularly interested in the history of plastics and plastic toys. Other interests are history, current affairs, modern art, and architecture, gardening and natural history. I love plain chocolate, fireworks and trees, but I don’t hug them, I do hug kittens. I hate ignorance, when it can be avoided, so I hate the 'educational' establishment and pity the millions they’ve failed with teaching-to-test and rote 'learning' and I hate the short-sighted stupidity of the entire ruling/industrial elite, with their planet destroying fascism and added “buy-one-get-one-free”. Likewise, I also have no time for fools and little time for the false crap we're all supposed to pretend we haven't noticed, or the games we're supposed to play. I will 'bite the hand that feeds', to remind it why it feeds.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

H is for Her Madge and Hangers-on

As I'm looking at the tackier end of the toy and model figure spectrum (see magazine article below this one!), we might as well cover this quality shite while I'm at it.

In the past I think I've posted a quite sportive article on the subject of our monarch...or at least a post with supportive comments, but the truth is that as time moves on and and I see what a iniquitous world we have created since 1979, and watch how ex-soldiers are as good as forgotten by their nation, I find myself increasingly less enamoured of the cosseted, privileged old bint, sitting in her ivory towers, saying nothing!

But she gets the odd model of herself made, so we do have to pay lip-service to her here, from time to time! I guess 3D printing will lead to some narcissists getting more models of themselves made than there are of the likes of QEII, the 'selfie' generation!

Cavendish Miniatures had these solid lumps of polystyrene made at some point in the....late 1970's? Don't think they are rare, some chap had a whole box of them at the London shows a few years ago, warehouse clearance, in various finishes, from a near-unpainted flesh or white'ish plastic, to these silver and chromium-polished types.

I bought one of each to show both while taking up the minimum of space in the collection as they are big! He's a flat, sprayed, silver, she's had the shiny mirror treatment with an 'antique' wash.

These obviously date from the Wedding, and are hideous, they are also quite accurate, yet remain hideous, if I discovered that some American firm like Franklin or Danbury Mint were behind them I would not be in the least surprised...hideous! Computer-painted, factory-tampo'ed polypropylene, or an ABS type polymer?

These are a little more interesting, they seem to be from a kit, yet have the feel of commercial painting in two colour schemes? A soft white styrene like 1970's Airfix kits, but not Airfix (I'm pretty sure?), you can see they've both been glued to something dark, whether it was the same thing or two similar things I don't know, does anyone out there?

Sizer-shot; the 'kit' figure is about 60mm? (They're in the attic again!), making the naff, detailed one about 90 85-mil and the Cavendish at the equally popular 120 100mm. If anyone knows the origins of either of the smaller ranges, let us know.

3rd April 2022 - According to Peter Evans of Plastic Warrior the top pair are Charbens, probably sculpted by Ron Cameron and issued in 1974, they can be found on a wooden plinth in realistic paint as well. While the middle four were by Dapol (later cleared by Colin Penn at toy fairs/shows), still looking for clues on the two smallest, ball gown Queens? Glued to vanity sets or music boxes?

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