I have a plastic box full of figures. Some are new but others have been rescued from old models or even bought in odd boxes of second hand stuff.
The man above is an Airfix figure and as you can see, the paint was peeling off him. No matter, a quick daub with enamel and he's good enough to stand on the layout. I know he looks a bit crude but you are seeing him many times life size.
And yes I know the paint has peeled off his shoe. It did than when I removed him from the painting stick he was superglued to.
So, don't throw away those plastic or whitemetal people, they can always be saved.
I believe these were sculpted by John Niblett. Most of them, with the exception of the running man, aren't bad but probably suffered from a period of ubiquity, especially in glossy coats that turned them into cliches. I don't know if they were ever produced in a better plastic than soapy soft one I remember? One great advantage they have is that they all belong to a definite period in time.
ReplyDeleteThey are beautifully sculpted when you get a good set. The original plastic was harder than the stuff Dapol uses, but even the soft stuff can still give very crisp detail.
ReplyDeleteMy favourites are man consulting timetable and man in raincoat slumped on seat. Ubiquitus - yes, but used well I still think they have a place amoung the more expensive whitemetal figures.
Talking of whitemetal, what is it with the blatent re-casts of these figures? I've seen man on moped for sale on his own and recently was given a pack of nicely cast people that were obvious copies.
For some reason the phrase:- "Well , here's another nice mess you've gotten me into !" comes to my mind.
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