david_scrivener

Collecting Britains farm people can become an expensive and obsessive pastime because of all the variations in colours, and in some cases, arms. The first of several posts to show all I have at present. Note the thick and thin arm versions of the Farmer #501, and Farmer's Wife #502 (no brolly). Also note the wife at the right of the lower row, the rare & never catalogued fixed arm version, which I've only ever seen in light blue. This is generally regarded as a bit of a mystery item. My theory is that it was intended to be part of a 1950s 2nd grade cheapo lead farm range (along side their 'New Crown' cheapo soldiers etc), which never happened because of the general change to plastic. These figures were in production for a very long time indeed, 1921 to 1959 (except WW2 years), and paint styles are the best way of making a reasonably accurate guesstimate of the age of examples. Note the two Drovers in the light smocks in the middle of the row. A 1920s one with red cravat with neatly painted black spots, and a 1950s one with blue cravat and generally simpler paint style.

Attempting to post photo of cottage, possibly Peacock & co.

I imagine some of you watched the compulsive hoarding TV documentaries on BBC and/or C4. There is a similar long running series (since 2009) on US TV, which has spawned some youtube parodies. I just found this one: 'Hoarders: Barbie'

As I said in the other thread, he may not have much choice in the matter. I suspect a forced sale because of some domestic/personal crisis.

Only dealers will bid on that lot, and only then if they think they can sell them on at a profit. As everyoen has said, its a stupid way to sell a collection. I can only imagine it is because the seller is suffering from some personal crisis and has to sell quick. Impending divorce perhaps? Or his wife threatening to divorce if he doesn't sell the collection?

I look forward to seeing those, but then you knew I'd say that.

Well done, those Evedale farmyards are rare, as are all the other cardboard cut out things they've made over the years.

Update: On close examination one of the wells has a sticker underneath: Transogram Made in USA Transogram, offices in New York City, is a company which I've only associated before with their plastic copies of Britains/Herald and Timpo swoppet type cowboys, Indians, American Civil War & Knights figures which they had made to order in Hong Kong in the 1960s/70s. I've just checked in Richard O'Brien's book of American Toy Soldiers & Figures, and find Transogram started in business back in 1915. Apart from this well I've just bought I have no idea what else Transogram made before say 1958. I also haven't found much else made in the USA in the way of wooden farm buildings by anyone in the style of those made in the UK, France or Germany. A whole new line of research to keep me off the streets. I'd guess the well was made about 1930.

i went to a 'Fleamarket' at the Bath & West showground this morning and bought: (1) For £20 a box of 1930s Elastolin style (although some may have been made in England, possibly by Peacock & Co) wooden fencing (made of real twigs!) 20 fence sections, 5 gate sections, 2 bridges, + 3 wells, an Elastolin lying cow & 4 assorted poultry + some damaged stuff. also, not farm, but still collectable old toys (2) For £45 Britains #1613 boxed set of WW1 infantry charging wearing gas masks in post 1946 style box. (3) For £13 a bag full of Gemodels (George Musgrave) plastic cake decoration figures, including 6 x bagged sets of cricketers, diving ladies etc. Before setting up on his own, George Musgrave had been a figure designer for Britains Ltd. Last I heard, George is still alive, although in his 90s, and still owns a toy museum @ Eastborune. (4) For £8 a not pristine, but good enough for the price, Britains large scale lead racehorse from their 'Racing Colours of Famous Owners' series 1925-60. I already had another horse (different colour), so now need 2 jockeys. Anyone here got any? I very much doubt any members here collect this series, but someone may have acquired one in a job lot which has been sitting in a 'swapsie box' ever since.

Sue, Glad you lke them. I look forward to seeing a photo of the cottage and the restored hen house/pig sty in one of your dioramas. As I told Sue when I told her about hte lot (I already have 2 of the cottages & the other one), the cottage was made by Amersham Toys, the other one unknown, possibly Peacock & Co or (more likely) Hailey Models. Neither mentioned by seller, who presumably had no idea.

Belgian Surrealist artist Rene Magritte for me. http://www.rene-magritte.org/index.jsp

Re your mates. Quite. This is the only sport I can bear to watch, and I haven't a clue who any of the teams are:

As many collectors (certainly me) have collections which don't exactly fit in with the conventional divisions of collecting communities there may not be any forums, or even blogs, which exactly fit your interests, so it may well be the case that you'll have to join several forums, follow lots of bloggers, and visit all of them as often as you have time to do, and just hope that you find stuff on each of them occasionally. Yes, it gets depressing sometimes, but we can only look at what other people choose to post.

I've noticed a lot of members here seem to be attached to their favourite brands of tractors & other agricultural machinery in an apparently similar way to football fans are to their chosen teams. Notice the number of you all who have manufacturer based user names & avatars. I find this curious to say the least from a sociological perspective, but then I've never understood football, or any other sport, 'fandom' either. To understand my perspective of what I'm talking about, may I refer you all to this comedy classic: My view is as David Mitchell's.

The Wend-al cow is in good condition, but then Wend-al (& Quiralu) figures have to be in good condition to look any good, as the modelling is rather crude and cartoony. They have a certain charm though. Because of their style, I think the only lead figures they look 'right' with when displayed are those by Phillip Segal, which are also crude & cartoony. Do you have many Wend-al/Quiralu/Segal figures Sue?

I can't post pictures at present because my only camera is the old fashioned film kind, so have to finish the film, get it developed etc. Also I'm not on photobucket (& don't know how it works anyway) which is why I haven't posted any pictures on any forum. There are only about 4 or 5 members here who seem interested in really old stuff, and when I get them, I'll be happy to email the photos to you, Sue, Peter, etc.

2 eBay lots arrived today: #1: Mega rare but damaged (roof of cottage) Britains 168F farmyard, only sold for a few months in 1959. Now I'm deciding how best to restore the cottage roof. Because of the damage, only £12.73. A good condition example in a specialist auction and properly described would probably go to well over £200! From the same seller I also bought 2 x £4.99 lots of wooden fencing which I think were made by Peacock & Co in the 1930s. #2: Another job lot of buildings etc. A thatched cottage with garden/yard, 20 sections of Peacock & Co (also 1930s) 'brick wall' (actually crudely painted wood, but hey, they were TOYS! The items in the lot I really wanted), 8 x small scale, about 1/72, German made farm/village buildings and some tiny trees & fences to go with (I might sell these, but doubt anyone will be interested here), and some assorted plastic farm figures & animals, some Britains/Herald, others Hong Kong. Just over £60 the lot including P&P

What models are you thinking of putting in this part of your display? If machinery of some kind, say tractor + silage cutter etc, then go with Mandy's matting. If intended to put animals there, perhaps best to forget 'realism', and stick to green paint, as plastic cows etc will probably keep falling over on matting.

Regarding the pipe smoking driver, if you're going into geek collector mode, look out for: 1961:There were 2 moulds, slight differences in creases at trousers at/below knees and wide/narow underside of boots. 1963 version of both moulds had the word England on the inside of left thigh about 1967: version changed from polythene to PVC plastic about 1969?: cap & boots changed from brown to grey All of the above in blue or grey plastic versions, giving a total of 16 variations. This driver deleted in 1971. (ref: Jonathan Stephens study)

Sold at lower price than i expected, still high though, £233, 14 bids, 7 bidders.

Am I the only one here who thought of the late great Frankie Howerd when I saw the title of this thread? "Ooh -er-missus, titter ye not"

Its not farm related at all, but i think you'll find the price this item eventually reaches pretty amazing, so worth watching for the entertainment value. It is a carded set of 4 Britains/Herald Robin Hood figures, comprising Robin, Maid Marion, Little John and Friar Tuck, made circa 1960, Britains cat no. H5499 eBay number: 251039409265 ends in 3 days, 19/4/12 @ 20.43 The start price was £4.99, and now 11 bids later its up to £151! Yes, £151 for 4 plastic figures, and the all important card carton thingy. It will go a lot higher, trust me on this.

The publishers, New Cavendish, and the two authors Norman Joplin and James Opie intentionally made the two books to complement each other and avoid duplication as much as possible, allowing for some overlap to be inevitable. Joplin's book is certainly cheaper, but this is because a considerable number of Opie's book disappeared without trace, with much recriminations and financial loss all round. This is why it hasn't been reprinted.

It covers everything Britains made from 1893 to 1993, so excludes the early mechanical toys. It doesn't go into the detail of non-military items seen in Joplin et al's green book for lead (e.g. colour variations of farm figures) or Barney Brown's books on plastic farm, zoo, and garden, but I guess you have those books already anyway. Yes it is mostly soldiers, but that's what Britains did. However it does give basic listing of the non-military items, including very useful appendices at the back giving production start and end dates of everything. 640 large (27 x 29 cm) pages, the book is 5 cm thick. It is organised on a year by year basis, each year chapter starting with a synopsis of what was going on generally that year. Because they were making real military items during the war, 1941-45 is covered by just two pages, but they're very interesting pages, showing some of the few boxed sets they made up which contained just about anything they had left ib their warehouse!

A copy of this out of print and usually very expensive book (£200+) is on eBay, and ends this afternoon @ 14.49. Currently 0 bids @ start price of £95 - a comparative 'bargain' It is a huge book, and is essential for anyone who collects a wide range of Britains, although, of course, there are other smaller & cheaper books and other reference sources for those who only collect a limited part of their range. eBay item number: 330713869040