"Imrie/Risely Miniatures" Topic

I don't know if anyone is interested or not, but Imrie/Risley Miniatures is going out of business at the end of the month. Clyde Risley died some time ago, and Bill Imrie has been gone for a few years now. The business has been run by his widow since his passing.

The figures are 54mm, but are some of the best on the market. They were my introduction to the military miniature in the mid-1960s and I believe their War of the American Revolution figures are some of the best I have ever seen. Their horses are also outstanding in design and pose, as are all of their field pieces, especially of the American Civil War.

They are offering a 20% discount on all kits until the end of the month so if you are interested, now's the time to stock up on these figures.

Sincerely,
Kevin

So sorry to hear this! I/R was a pioneer in the hobby that continued to bring new and better kits into the hobby well into the 90's. Hope to order from them before it's all gone. Very sad news.

Thanks for this, I have very fond memories of them

Yes, it is. I knew Bill Imrie and met his lovely wife. Bill was a gentleman of the old school and he was one of the founders of The Company of Military Historians.

Hopefully, someone will buy the company and keep the production of those excellent figures coming.

Sincerely,
Kevin

Met those guys , went there on a Saturday by appointment , showed casting facility and everything . I have bunch of thier stuff . A great loss to upstate NY

I did a number of dioramas for a local museum during the bicentennial (1976) on Greene's southern campaign and Yorktown. I used about 300 I/R figures and conversions in 12 dioramas. There was a tremendous amount of conversion potential in these "simple" figures! I truly hope someone picks up the line. Many of these figures would probably cast in resin quite well. My main personal issue is that I hoped building I/R figures would be a major part of my retirement! Here's to Bill and Claude and fond memories.
With sincere thanks,
Bob

Sorry that should be Bill and Clyde! Memory is the first thing to go!

Very sorry to hear it. My earliest metal figures are
AWI from I/R. Hope someone keeps the line going.

This is sad to hear I still have some of their 54mms

Hope somebody buys the molds and keeps it going. I just bought a bunch of generals to fill in my 54mm ACW armies.

Bill

I was just taking a nostalgic look at some of the
unfinished, two-piece I/R cavalry I have.

I noticed the inside of one half of a horse has
'Hellenic Miniatures' inside.

Isn't Helen the name of Bill Imrie's wife, and wasn't
that trademark his first company ?

Sorry to read this.
Tom

Ed, yes it is and yes it was.

K

Thanks for the information. Sad to hear the news. Yes, I hope someone will carry the line in the future. I started out my hobby with I/R miniatures too. I still have many of their figures. Does anyone still remember I/R paint. Great stuff. Fond memories of Imrie/Risley Miniatures.

Very sad. I knew both men (as they were friends of my Father) and have many of their figures and even some of their art work. I haven't painted a 54 in years but the last one I did was and IR.

The I/R paing was excellent, especially the dark blue and buff colors.

K

What a joy! Imrie/Risley Miniature is not going out of business, just the shop is closing. Emailed Mrs. Imrie and her response was:

WE ARE NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS! Perhaps you do not
get our newsletter which indicated that yes, our STORE
would have closed, but we would still do mail orders.
I will be 80 in a few years, and decided to slow down.

Fantastic, that is wonderful news!

Now that is good news. Thanks for checking and posting. I was really worried as I still have many, many I/R figures to get.

Sincerely,
Kevin

Cool! We are all happy campers now!

My Dad used to get me the AWI figures in the mid 70's from The soldier Shop in NYC. We visited the store a couple times,and i recently picked up vintage catalogs from them on ebay,along with some old AWI kits.
They were $3.95 USD back in 1976..

Bob

This has been an interesting thread to follow. Like some others, the first figures I painted were Imrie/Risley. A big inspiration to me was the assault on Spring Hill diorama on display in Savannah, which extensively uses these figures.

When I first began collecting, I/R infantry figures were $2.00 USD a piece-and we thought that was expensive.

I also collect old Lasset (hard to find) and Stadden figures and ebay usually has Staddens for sale.

If anyone collected the old Gammage/Rose figures, they are being resold on line and the listing is quite extensive. They are excellent figures, more 'delicate' than the Staddens and the horses are modeled excellently.

I'll have to look up the website if anyone is interested.

Sincerely,
Kevin

Anybody remember the old Bussler ACW line?? Lots more poses and variety than IR figures.

Bob

Good old Bussler miniatures, yes, I remember them. Nice ACW line and French Napoleonic. I have some of those. They are nicely animated but larger than I/R.
I also remember they have a nice ACW horse artillery. I think I still have their catalog. Rose and Stadden. Good old days! I think you still can order a custom figure from Stadden. Well time for me to get out those I/R and start painting them. Thanks all for all the informations.

I have about fifty of the old Bussler Civil War figures-artillery, infantry, and zouaves. The zouaves are excellent and I ordered my first two when I was about nine years old.

I just found and bought the old Rose King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery gun crew. I'm also bidding on ebay on an old crescent field piece to go with them. It is 'rated' an 18- vie a 13-pounder, but it is a great piece.

Sincerely,
Kevin

10th Marines/Kevin, I'd be interested in the website for
the Russell Gammage/Rose figures. I've a few, and I think
ONE Lasset (French cavalryman, afoot, in stable dress).

I see you're a fellow NC resident. Where 'bouts ?

Ed,

I live in Jacksonville where we stayed when I retired from the US Marine Corps.

I'll look up the website for you and post it.

I just picked up about twenty Rose/Gammage figures on ebay a couple of months ago. Keep a lookout because sometimes they show up, painted and unpainted.

Sincerely,
Kevin

Ed,

It's johnedenstudios.com. Apparently he produces the entire old Rose catalogue and the illustrations for ordering purposes are on the site.

Sincerely,
Kevin

I loved I/R troops. Their variety was outstanding as was their quality. Hope somebody will pick up the molds and continue the lines.

GDN, see HussarL's post aboved. I/R not going OOB,
just closing the store. Still going to do mail-order.

Kevin – appreciate the info. Don't know if you game
as well as collect, but visit wwwDOTtrianglesimsocietyDOT
com for info on our Fall show (9/23-25, in Raleigh).

I've just ordered 3 mounted figures at a 20% discount. This sale will end on August 31. Fairly good deal. Back in the 60's, $2 USD for a foot as mentioned by 10th Marines and $6.50 USD for a mounted. Such is inflation and cost of materials. Minimum wage was $1.50.

Excellent. I am glad they will be around for a while! As with many of you, I/R were my first miniatures.

I have some Bussler painted and unpainted minatures, some individual pieces in original boxes that I am trying to get a value for. I have the union horse artillery set mounted and painted in Floquil flats by Dr Bussler and Leo Meyer. These items originally were owned by Leo Meyer, my father. For Bussler aficionados, he helped to create the set.