Toy Soldiers: The Collectors Guide to Identifying, Enjoying, and Acquiring New and Vintage Toy Soldiers

Examines all types of toy soldiers, including the earliest solid figures, hollow-casts, composition and plastic figures, and major models, and offers tips for collectors

This brief but authoritative introduction to the popular hobby of collecting toy soldiers should appeal both to potential hobbyists and to those with simply a nostalgic interest in toys. The work concentrates primarily on traditional toy production in Britain and the United States (with perhaps too much emphasis on modern figures made just for collectors), but it provides basic coverage of toys from other countries as well, with excellent color illustrations on every page. The book also includes very basic material on collecting and storing toy soldiers and useful lists of books, magazines, and collectors' meetings. Joplin, an international expert on his subject, is the author of other excellent books such as The Great Book of Hollow-Cast Figures (LJ 6/15/94). Recommended for all public libraries.
Frederick A. Schlipf, Urbana Free Lib. & GSLIS, Univ. of Illinois
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Though some may eschew this particular collecting passion as yet another symbol of the unwanted military-industrial complex, many find that the process of amassing toy soldiers knows few boundaries--geographic or gender. Joplin provides a glimpse into this hobby, explaining the eight or so types of figures, from solid lead to aluminum, paper, and wood, and their manufacturers past and present. The text is straightforward and includes notes on shows and auctions. Color photographs aid beginners in identification. Barbara Jacobs