Bob the Temple Builder | 29 Jul 2016 7:21 a.m. PST |
Back in the late 1960s/early 1970s I tried my hand at Napoleonic wargaming and painted a number of Minifig 'S' Range Prussian Infantry. By the time I had finished painting them my initial enthusiasm had gone, and they were put into a storage box. Five house moves and over forty years later – during a sort of of all the stuff I had put into our garden shed – I found them again. Although at the time my enthusiasm for Napoleonic wargaming had not been rekindled (it has been now), I sorted the figures out, found that they had not suffered too much during their extended period in storage, and brought them into the house to finally base them. That was some two years ago … and last Friday I got the figures out of their storage box and over the past week I have renovated them (i.e. repaired the minor scuffs they had suffered and repainted some of the paintwork that had not been done very well when I first painted them), gloss varnished them (I wanted them to have an Old School look), and based them on matt grass green MDF bases.
So more forty five years after I started them, these figures are finally based and finished. How many other wargamers have similar tales to tell? |
Prince Rupert of the Rhine | 29 Jul 2016 7:38 a.m. PST |
I'd love to say I did have a story like that but those miniatures are actually older than me by 4 years…. |
forwardmarchstudios | 29 Jul 2016 7:39 a.m. PST |
Some true vintage figures! |
razuse | 29 Jul 2016 7:55 a.m. PST |
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Ceterman | 29 Jul 2016 8:05 a.m. PST |
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Ed Mohrmann | 29 Jul 2016 8:21 a.m. PST |
Ran across some old old Airfix Robin Hood figures I painted in about 1966. The paint still adheres, but I'm wondering if I need to paint the unpainted Sheriff's men I found as well… |
War Panda | 29 Jul 2016 8:48 a.m. PST |
Great story and lively minis. Older than me by three |
nickinsomerset | 29 Jul 2016 8:57 a.m. PST |
My earliest are only 40 years old! Tally Ho! |
42flanker | 29 Jul 2016 9:19 a.m. PST |
So…. how's the temple coming along? |
Bob the Temple Builder | 29 Jul 2016 10:15 a.m. PST |
42flanker, Work is progressing … slowly. |
Supercilius Maximus | 29 Jul 2016 11:16 a.m. PST |
Templus fugit. I'll get my coat…… |
spontoon | 29 Jul 2016 11:39 a.m. PST |
I keep buying figs to paint for anniversaries; my Battle of the Boyne army I bought in the mid 1980's will probably be finished in time for the 400th. anniversary! |
Hal Thinglum | 29 Jul 2016 11:42 a.m. PST |
Love the old Minifigs 'S' range. Great job. |
Frederick | 29 Jul 2016 11:49 a.m. PST |
Old Skhool Cool! My oldest unit is about 30 years old |
Rod MacArthur | 29 Jul 2016 12:25 p.m. PST |
I gave some of my 50 year old Agincourt figures to my 7 year old grandson last year. They were Airfix Robin Hood and Sheriff of Nottingham. There are more of them which he plays with when he visits, and they are still in reasonable condition (Humbrol paints). I still have my earliest Napoleonics, Airfix Highlanders, which I painted as Gordon Highlanders in 1969. Rod |
Bill Rosser | 29 Jul 2016 12:45 p.m. PST |
My oldest are some badly painted Heritage ACW union. Mid-70's or so. |
Brian Smaller | 29 Jul 2016 2:01 p.m. PST |
Fantastic – I am so glad you went with the plain green bases. Really made these old figures. |
79thPA | 29 Jul 2016 3:14 p.m. PST |
Now you need to remember where you put the rules. |
platypus01au | 29 Jul 2016 7:01 p.m. PST |
Unfortunately I also have a couple of similar stories. Maybe not 40 years (though I have some plastic models in the garage of a similar age). JohnG |
Florida Tory | 30 Jul 2016 6:50 a.m. PST |
Minifigs from that era are still my favorite castings. And, yes, I have units from 1970 still awaiting paint. One of my sons pulled out a unit of Russian cuirassiers fully painted, about 10 years ago that I had ignored for about 30 years. He based them & claimed hem for his own. Rick |
R Dean | 31 Jul 2016 12:46 p.m. PST |
My oldest survivors are Minifigs ME fantasy figures from ~1974, but they have been painted and based for the past 25 years at least. I did pull a later 1970s Archive fantasy figure out of my junk box and paint it last year, so less than 40, and only the one figure. |
TeodoroReding | 01 Aug 2016 12:13 p.m. PST |
Dear Bob, Great Stuff!! You may not know that there is a blog on Minifigs S range run by Clive Smithers. minifigssrange.blogspot.ch I have over 9,000 Minfigs 25mm (Peninsula), with about 250 being S range (caught the tail end in 1973-5). Clive put some pics of those figures on the blog link I am sure he would be delighted to hear from you. There is a link on the blog to this email address newsfromtoothfairy-attheoldmetaldetector@yahoo.co.uk Best wishes |
Winston Smith | 02 Aug 2016 7:32 a.m. PST |
You beat my record of 32 years. The only way those triremes got finished and played with was when I sold them to a friend. |
Craig Ambler | 02 Aug 2016 9:50 a.m. PST |
Excellent figures. It is always worth it! |
14Bore | 02 Aug 2016 1:08 p.m. PST |
Would fit right in with my collection (late 70's to very early 80's) Just a few days ago was adding to my flash collection because I got more Minifig 2, they have a lot of flash and screws. Anyway wanted to see what other tags were in it and found a Coxsackie without a stand and a perfectly good Uhlans. They have to be at least 33 years old. Must thought I didn't need it. But there on the painting list now. |
1968billsfan | 02 Aug 2016 2:26 p.m. PST |
Look in the old boxes of Christmass ornaments. There are 3 heavy package of series 1 MiniFig's hidding there that you missed. Come back and post again when you have painted them and really finished !! |
Clays Russians | 02 Aug 2016 3:24 p.m. PST |
I love those old castings, I wish more were being recast. I know Mssr Cunningham is parceling them out (gawd bless 'im) |
Regulars | 05 Aug 2016 3:21 a.m. PST |
Airfix WW 2 German and Rico minitanks from the mid 1960's. (Repainted several times) Cheers, Joel |
1815Guy | 20 Aug 2016 10:26 a.m. PST |
Time to start that new scale then….. (ducks rapidly) |
deadhead | 20 Aug 2016 12:39 p.m. PST |
The stuff I dumped….eeeh, nostalgia, it is not what it used to be Skytrex Hinchliffe Airfix plastic of course Tradition (now they were good). Three cannon in Humbrol French Artillery Green and two Guard infantry figures are all I still have, from them. 1/300 scale tanks (H and R), in several LCT3 and LCT4s scratch built, to a very high standard, though I say so. An airborne unit with Horsas, Hamilcars and Wacos (latter two home made) plus C47s……. Guess how many times I actually used them on a scale 0-10.. |
Royal Marine | 21 Aug 2016 10:30 a.m. PST |
Still not finished my 15mm Napoleonics … since 1977 … |
vonLoudon | 30 Oct 2016 12:36 p.m. PST |
Minifigs have always been my favorites. Now after 40 years I am in a selling mode. Not too many offers to buy sadly to say because of all the other neat figures that have come along. So somebody is going to get real sweet deals on Minifig and Hinchliffe etc. But it's sad to see them go as well. I reckon the entire experience has been rather meaningful to me anyway. |
Art | 30 Oct 2016 1:30 p.m. PST |
G'Day Gents Hmmm…42 or 43 years ago… When I first got into Napoleonic's in the early 70s…we were all using 1/72 airfix plastic figures…(which I still have) But… One day a player shows up with metal 25mm Hinchliffe Prussians…badly painted but WOW…I mean compared to our plastic figures…JUST WOW! So I went out and bought my first 25mm metal figures…the French Old Guard… My new pride and joy… I painted them with brown bears skins and white jackets…and in their first battle they defeated charging cavalry while in line. A few months later someone asked me why I was using British Guards as French Guards….I said…what…no…no…no…not British Guard…they are French figures…and French Guards…not British figures… Today they have the correct uniforms painted on them…and though they do not look as good standing next to new 28mm figures today…but they are still my real British Guard…and have never been replaced on the table… Best Regards Art |