"Funny war games figure story !!" Topic

The wife and I were in an antique store today and in the glass case were some Old Glory ACW and AWI figures painted to a mediocre level.
The sign read:

ANTIQUE TOY LEAD SOLDIERS, EARLY 19TH CENTURY, $15.00 USD EACH.

LOL -- I know I am getting old and washed up-- BUT -not that old and washed up??

Regards,
Russ Dunaway

Funny! Caveat Emptor in any antique shop!

Let me know which antique store this is so I can bring them a bunch of "early 19th century" toy soldiers that I'd be willing to part with for, oh, say $7 USD per?

Just out of curiosity, did you correct them?

andy

It was a shop where people rent booths. The guy at the counter told me he would make mention of it to the proprietor of the booth -- but seemed pretty displeased that I had mentioned it and even wanted to argue with me about how the figures had been cast so I just left it ???

Well, the lead has been around for millions of years. Maybe that is what was antique about them.

A fool and his money …

Did he say how early 19rh c models were of ACW?

The most awesome part is that he wanted to argue. As if a random shopper would say 'I actually produce these figures.'

The seller may have intended that the soldiers were from that time period, not the actual castings.

That's hilarious

The seller may have intended that the soldiers were from that time period, not the actual castings.

Since they are listed as antique I think that's unlikely.

Iv'e seen similar in antique shops. Offering up contemporary figs as antiques with a price tag to match.

If they are not price tagged I'll sometimes ask about them and gently steer the conversation to inform the seller that you can actually still buy these from the manufacturer.

I was at an antique shop a few weeks back and saw some old Minifig Napoleonics painted and priced about the same.

The weird thing was that as I was walking past the booth I first noticed the other items; Peterson pipes, quarter-sawn oak furniture, a tastefully painted nude of an attractive rotund woman, etc.

I thought to myself "I like this guy's style" and then looked down to see wargame figures to as well! A kindred soul out of time…

The seller may have intended that the soldiers were from that time period, not the actual castings.

Since they are listed as antique I think that's unlikely.

That depends on what the definition of antique is. If 50 years ago is you number that only puts us back puts to the late '60s. Are you saying there were no metal figures with ACW uniforms made back then or even earlier?

"EARLY 19TH CENTURY" is not 50 years ago? I was born in 1949 and I would never say that I was born in the EARLY 19TH CENTURY or in the early 20th century for that matter?
The figures WERE NOT CAST "back before the late 60s" or the late 70s or even the early 80s -- they are Old Glory castings not older then 30 years.
The exact same figurines are still available cast in the same way from the same facility. They can be purchased for approximately $1.00 USD and a much better paint job for 6 or 7 dollars.
The figurines are NOT antiques.

Russ Dunaway

So ACW figures were cast in the early 19th century. That would mean sometime before 1850.

SInce the ACW hadn't happened yet, that's pretty impressive foresight!

SInce the ACW hadn't happened yet, that's pretty impressive foresight!

Maybe they were originally sold as "imaginary future" (or whatever science fiction was called back then) figures?

Well, have been in the antique business for a while now.

Y'all probably have seen 'American Pickers' on the
History channel.

There are 'pickers' (like Mike and Frank) who do it as a
business. There are others who, for a fee and the
output, clean houses, old buildings, etc.

This latter group is where you'll find BAD inventory
for sale to antique/collectible/junktique shops.

We've been offered everything from vintage Woolworth
WWI Hollowcast figures in pristine condition (with
the original sales receipt !) to VERY POORLY painted
Airfix plastic WWII (the 8th Army set) carefully set
in cotton wool and then displayed in a flat plastic
keeper box from Home Depot.

The Woolworths were priced at retail (to us, so no sale)
and the person had done their homework (even had e-mails
from collector groups citing prices). The Airfix ?
Well, these 'antique British-made toy soldiers' were
on offer for ONLY $100 USD ! All 10 of them !

OTOH, we did have legitimate estate property come in
for appraisal and were able in some cases to strike a
good deal for both the seller and our shop. I was
frankly surprised at the really nice and genuine antique
miniatures (both collector and wargame) that showed up
in our shop.

'Antique' in some cases has a definite age parameter.
A rifled long gun made in Lancaster, Pa, in 1740 is
an antique. A Stevens single shot .22 short bolt-action
boy's rifle which requires it to be cocked before each
shot is to some dealers and collectors an antique but
to others not.

Enough of my long-winded output. As with everything,
'Let the buyer beware – ESPECIALLY on E-Bay !'

Ed, Could you sell me and for how much? I'm an antique!!

So am I Russ – but my wife claims from a salability
viewpoint, I am priceless (i.e., without value…)

as of last week I am over 50 years old … offers?

etotheipi, for humans 50 is not considered antique.

You are, however, a collectible. Should you find
yourself pursued by a shadowy figure waving a
long-bladed scythe, be very careful….

I have run into similar situations with sellers on ebay.

They usually don't appreciate a heads up either…

I have also seen Prince August cast your own figures trying to be passed off as antique figures in antique shops for silly prices.