david_scrivener Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leakeyvale Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Thanks for that info, David. I am not into toy soldiers but I bet there are some here who are. I assume it is ALL toy soldiers judging by the title and some of the pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_scrivener Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 (edited) Thanks for that info, David. I am not into toy soldiers but I bet there are some here who are. I assume it is ALL toy soldiers judging by the title and some of the pages. 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! Edited April 16, 2012 by david_scrivener Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerrabbit Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Depends on what you want for referencing I guess but the better publication that includes all manufacturers and some unknown, catalogue numbers, dates, variants, rarity and all with coloured photos is the book by Norman Joplin titled 'The Great Book of Hollow-Cast Figures'. A big thick heavy paperback format book that in my own opinion if far better value for your money which can be found substantially cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_scrivener Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 Depends on what you want for referencing I guess but the better publication that includes all manufacturers and some unknown, catalogue numbers, dates, variants, rarity and all with coloured photos is the book by Norman Joplin titled 'The Great Book of Hollow-Cast Figures'. A big thick heavy paperback format book that in my own opinion if far better value for your money which can be found substantially cheaper. 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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