Buying Antique Toys Online

If you are new to buying antique or vintage toys online its a good idea to spend some time deciding on your budget and the area of interest that appeals to you, and then to spend some time watching online auctions without bidding, mainly to get an idea of the closing prices for the antique or vintage toys you like best. Demand for certain categories of antique or vintage toys fluctuates and like any vintage or antique item, it is the market that determines the value. Rarity and condition are major factors also. The wise collector will go for the best quality item that fits their budget.
Recently there plenty of great values to be found when purchasing Antique and Vintage Toys and we present here for you the top deals. Please have a look at the antique and vintage pieces directly below and click on any items through to for more information, images as well as characteristics. If you don’t find what you are looking to get within the page, work with the query service above. eBay often shows the very best and least expensive Antique Toys finds as well as being the best and one of the very preferred online shopping web sites. We make an effort to provide the very best results for items so you’re able to add to your collection, get started buying antique toys or simply obtain the most for the money.

What people are watching on eBay

ONE Wind Up Toy Android Robot,Kids,Party Favours,WUT149

eBay Watchers: 124
Price: $2.2

10 - Windup Toy Keys "For Windup Toys" - L@@K!!

eBay Watchers: 121
Price: $16.49

Antique Wind Up Toy, Girl & Bird in Cage, For Repair!

eBay Watchers: 52
Price: $63.5

Early German Wind-Up Clockwork Tin CLOWNS on Wheels Toy - Very Nice - NR

eBay Watchers: 49
Price: $485.0

Vintage German Lehman Tin Wind Up Toy Masuyama Riksha Very rare

eBay Watchers: 45
Price: $212.5

	Vintage Wooden Soldier Ramp Walker Doll Rare Military Americana US Army Ca WW2 $34.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 7h 39m
	VINTAGE TOY LEAD SOLDIERS DIFFERENT TYPE OF FIRE ARM ON EACH TOY $5.00 (0 Bids) Time Left: 7h 56m
	Vintage Lead Toy Soldier Ancient Figure Viking Shield $98.00 (0 Bids) Time Left: 8h 34m
	Vintage Lead Toy Soldier Figure Green & Yellow $38.00 (0 Bids) Time Left: 8h 34m
	Antique WW1 Small Army Soldier Model Figurines Pair Lead Rifle Damaged Soldiers $49.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 8h 40m
	Nine Small Vintage Collectible Metal Toy Soldiers Army Cowboy Medieval Indians $45.00 (0 Bids) Time Left: 9h 39m
	Vintage Lead Toy Soldier Union Confederate $19.00 (0 Bids) Time Left: 10h 35m
	Great WWI Barclay Toy Soldier Lot With RARE Accessories-A Must See! $20.49 (2 Bids) Time Left: 10h 57m
	4 - Barclay Manoil Lead Soldiers $20.51 (5 Bids) Time Left: 11h 26m
	4 - Barclay Manoil Lead Soldiers $10.00 (1 Bids) Time Left: 11h 27m
	8 - Vintage Lead Soldiers Indians Cowboys $18.00 (0 Bids) Time Left: 11h 27m
	3 - Vintage Lead Soldiers Barclays Manoil $10.00 (0 Bids) Time Left: 11h 30m
	4 - Vintage Lead Soldiers Barclays Manoil $12.00 (0 Bids) Time Left: 11h 30m
	24 Antique Cast Lead Navy Regiment Sailor Soldiers Barclay Feix or Britian's $155.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 11h 36m
	Set of 5 Vintage Tin Soldiers Army Men Figurines $4.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 11h 58m
	Rare ancient tin soldiers of the Russian army 1941-1945.Made in USSR LKZ $30.00 $60.00 Time Left: 12h 1m
	Vintage Wind Up Celluloid Soldier Made In Japan $500.00 (0 Bids) Time Left: 12h 31m
	Rare 2pcs Soldier Calvary Canadian Mountie toy metal $9.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 12h 41m
	LOT OF LEAD CAST IRON TOY FIGURES! SOLDIERS, INDIAN, POLICEMAN? & MORE! $45.00 (0 Bids) Time Left: 13h 4m
	5pcs Desert Fighters Soldiers lead toy $9.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 13h 16m
	VINTAGE SOLDIER BOY PUZZLE TITLED PARADE BARBELLE CARTOON ARTIST OLD 1920's? $2.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 13h 59m
	CAST IRON Toy Soldier Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 16m
	CAST IRON Toy Soldier Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 16m
	CAST IRON Toy Soldier Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 16m
	CAST IRON Toy Soldier Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 16m
	CAST IRON Toy Soldier Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 16m
	CAST IRON Toy Soldier Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 16m
	Toy Soldier FLAT FLATS LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 16m
	** Cast Iron "FEMALE" Toy Soldier * Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot *LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 16m
	CAST IRON Toy Soldier Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 16m
	CAST IRON Toy Soldier Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 16m
	CAST IRON Toy Soldier Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 16m
	Vintage Barclay Lead Pirate Toy Soldier $10.99 (1 Bids) Time Left: 14h 19m
	CAST IRON Toy Soldier Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 21m
	CAST IRON Toy Soldier Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 21m
	CAST IRON Toy Soldier Bussler Britains Wall Warwick Mignot LOOK $0.99 (0 Bids) Time Left: 14h 21m

A toy soldier is a miniature figurine that represents a soldier. The term applies to depictions of uniformed military personnel from all eras, and includes knights, cowboys, pirates, and other subjects that involve combat-related themes. Toy soldiers vary from simple playthings to highly realistic and detailed models. The latter are of more recent development and are sometimes called model figures to distinguish them from traditional toy soldiers. Larger scale toys such as dolls and action figures may come in military uniforms, but they are not generally considered toy soldiers.

Toy soldiers are made from all types of material, but the most common mass produced varieties are metal and plastic. There are many different kinds of toy soldiers, including tin soldiers or flats, hollow cast metal figures, composition figures, and plastic army men. Toy soldiers are traditionally sold in sets, but modern, collectible figures are often sold individually.

Scale for toy soldiers is expressed as the soldier's approximate height from head to foot in millimeters. Because many figures do not stand up straight, height is usually an approximation. Standard toy soldier scale, originally adopted by W. Britain, is 54 mm (2.25 inches) or 1:32 scale. Among different manufacturers, standard scale may range from 50 mm or 1:35 scale, to 60 mm or 1:28 scale. For gamers and miniatures enthusiasts, 25 mm and even smaller scales are available. On the larger end of the scale are American Dimestore figures, and many of the toy soldiers produced in Germany, which are approximately 75 mm (3 inches) or 1:24 scale

History
Military figures have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs, and have appeared in many cultures and eras. Tin soldiers were produced in Germany as early as the 1730s, by molding the metal between two pieces of slate. Toy soldiers became widespread during the 18th century, inspired by the military exploits of Frederick the Great. In 1893, William Britain revolutionized the production of toy soldiers by devising the method of hollow casting, making soldiers that were cheaper and lighter than their German counterparts.[1]

In addition to Britains, there have been many other manufacturers of toy soldiers over the years. For example, John Hill & Company produced hollow cast lead figures in the same style and scale. Companies such as Elastolin and Lineol were well known for their composite figures made of glue and sawdust that included both military and civilian subjects. After 1950, rising production costs and concerns about lead poisoning led to greater numbers of plastic toy soldiers.[2] The first American plastic soldiers were made by Beton as early as 1937.

One large historical producer in plastic was Louis Marx and Company, which produced both realistic soldiers of great detail and also historical collections of plastic men and women, including the "Presidents of the United States" collection, "Warriors of the World", "Generals of World War II", "Jesus and the Apostles", and figures from the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Marx also produced boxed playsets that featured many famous battles with armies of two sides, character figures, and terrain features. Britains produced plastic figures under the brand names of Herald and Deetail. Also in England, the scale model company, Airfix produced a variety of high quality plastic sets, which were frequently painted by hobbyists. Many Airfix figures were imitated by other companies and reproduced as inexpensive, bagged plastic army men.

During the 1990s, the production of metal toy-grade painted figures and connoisseur-grade painted toy soldiers increased to serve the demands of the collectors' market. The style of many of these figures shifted from the traditional gloss-coat enamel paint to the matte-finished acrylic paint, which allows for greater detail and historical accuracy. The change was largely inspired by the introduction of very high quality painted figures from St. Petersburg, Russia.

Collecting
There is a substantial hobby devoted to collecting both old and new toy soldiers, with an abundance of small manufacturers, dealers, and toy soldier shows. There are even specialty magazines devoted to the hobby, such as Toy Soldier and Model Figure. Collectors often specialize in a particular type of soldier or historical period, though some people enjoy collecting many different kinds of figures. The most popular historical periods for collecting are Napoleonic, Victorian, American Civil War, World War I, and World War II. Many collectors modify and paint plastic figures, and some even cast and paint their own metal figures.

Actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr had a collection of 3000 toy soldiers when he sold it in 1977. Fantasy novelist George R. R. Martin has a substantial collection of toy knights and castles. The most extensive collection of toy soldiers was probably that of Malcolm Forbes, who began collecting toy soldiers in the late 1960s and amassed a collection of over 90,000 figures by the time of his death in 1990.

Some of the more noteworthy, annual toy soldier and historical figure shows include the London Toy Soldier Show in the United Kingdom, the Chicago Toy Soldier Show (OTSN) in Illinois, the East Coast Toy Soldier Show in New Jersey, the West Coaster Toy Soldier Show in California, the Sammlerbörse (Figure Show) Friedberg in Germany and the Zinnfigurenbörse Kulmbach (Tin Figure Show) in Germany.

In recent years, collectors of vintage toy soldiers made of polythene PE and polypropylene PP thermoplastics as well as PC/ABS plastic blends have reported brittling and disintegration of collectible miniatures or components thereof.

Varieties
Different types and styles of toy soldiers have been produced over the years, depending on the cost and availability of materials, as well as manufacturing technologies. Here is a list of some of the most commonly collected varieties of toy soldiers.[5]

Aluminum - slush cast aluminium, made chiefly in France during the early and middle 20th Century
Army men - unpainted, soft plastic toy soldiers sold inexpensively in bags or with terrain pieces and vehicles in boxed playsets
Composition - made from a mixture of sawdust and glue, manufactured in Austria and Germany
Connoisseur - high quality, collectible figures featuring highly detailed paint jobs
Dimestore - hollow or slush cast iron, sold through five and dime stores from the 1920s to 1960 in the United States
Flat - thin, two dimensional tin soldiers cast from in slate molds
Hollow cast - cast in metal, usually a lead alloy, which cools and sets as it touches the mold; the excess molten metal is poured out leaving a hollow figure
Paper - printed on sheets of paper or cardboard, frequently mounted on blocks of wood
Plastic - hard and soft plastic, generally painted figures
Solid - cast in solid metal, usually lead, common in Germany during the 19th and early 20th Century
Prominent vintage toy soldier makers include Airfix, Barclay, Britains, Herald, Elastolin, Johillco, Lineol, Marx, Manoil, and Timpo.

Gaming
The playing of games with toy figures was popularized by H.G. Wells in his 1913 book, Little Wars. Wells, a pacifist, was the first to publish detailed rules for playing war games with toy soldiers. He suggested that this could provide a cathartic experience, possibly preventing future real wars. Although this was not to be, Little Wars was a predecessor to the modern hobby of miniatures wargaming.

A similar book titled Shambattle: How to Play with Toy Soldiers was published by Harry Dowdall and Joseph Gleason in 1929.

Although people continue to play wargames with miniature figures, most contemporary wargamers use a smaller scale than that favored by collectors, typically under 25 mm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_soldier