Not all Toy Soldiers are created alike...
Getting Started in Collecting New Metal Toy Soldiers

If your new to the hobby or thinking about starting a collection there are an amazing amount of toy soldiers on the market today which can be very confusing. The first thing to decide on when starting a collection is what time period you want to collect. The American Civil War is probably the most represented historical period in toy soldiers followed by The British Colonial Period or The Napoleonic Era . Other periods such as the American Revolutionary War are produced by a small number of companies and have a limited selection available. Check the site index on our "Start Here" page for an idea of the different historical periods available in one form or the other. Some things to keep in mind when choosing a company to start with include: Is the company producing new sets or figures a regular basis? Do they produce enough sets to make up a nice display or do their figures display well on their own? Do the figures mix well with other companies? Is the sculpting realistic or static and stiff in appearance? The next decision should be what style of toy soldier to collect . This is a personal preference which leads to the cardinal rule of collecting..."Collect What You Like." Below is a basic primer on the styles of toy soldiers available. The companies represented in the photographs are sold by our company and are chosen because of quality, selection and availablity. There are many other companies producing figures and they are worth looking into when starting a collection.

There are three basic styles of new metal toy soldiers. The "Traditional Style" is based on the original Britains hollow cast look whose characteristics tend to be simple in decoration and features. These are usually painted with high gloss paints. The "New Model Style" employs more realalistic sculpting and detail and are extremely accurate representations of military figures. These are usually painted in a matt or semi-gloss finish. The third style is actually a hybrid of the first two styles and is usally sculpted to high degree of accuracy but painted traditionally with high gloss paint. A fourth category or style can be added if one is to include Historical Miniatures such as those produced in Russia by the St. Petersburg Collection. These figures are actually more accurately categorized as Connoisseur Figures or Historical Miniatures which are painted in life like detail. One last note on new metal toy soldiers is that the size or scale differs from company to company. Most "Traditional" toy soldiers are 1:35 (54mm) scale while "New Model" are the larger 1:32 (56 or 57mm) scale.

Styles of New Metal Toy Soldiers:
1. Tradtional
2.New Model Toy Soldier
3.Hybrid
4.Connoisseur Figures or Historical Miniatures

Left: Shenandoah Traditional (Hybrid Style,Highly accurate sculpting but painted in a traditional gloss paint )
Right: Regal (Traditional Style, simple features and high gloss paint)

Left: Conté Collectables (New Model Style, Highly accurate sculpting, matt finish )
Right: Briatins (New Model Style, Highly accurate sculpting, matt finish )

Left: Lancer Miniatures (Highly accurate sculpting,Semi-gloss finish. This is an example of a Historical Miniature painted toy soldier style.)
Right: Guard Corps (Hybrid Style: Accurate features but painted in a traditional gloss paint )

Left: Imperial Productions (Traditional Style, simple features and high gloss paint. This is a beautiful example of the Britains hollow cast style)

Righ: LeMans Collection (New Model Style, Highly accurate sculpting, matt finish )

Left: Ted Toy (Hybrid Style,Highly accurate sculpting but painted in a traditional gloss paint )

Right: Edmund's Traditional Toy Soldiers (Traditional Style, simple features and high gloss paint)

These are Examples of highly detailed and painted Historical Miniatures

Left: St. Petersburg Collection (Connoisseur Style or Historical Miniature)

Right: Shenandoah Miniatures (Connoisseur Style or Historical Miniature)