It wasn't all that long ago that we truly were in a Golden Age of 1/72 toy soldiers with as many as a dozen companies pumping out soldiers on a regular basis! That # has sadly dropped to 4; Hat, Strelets, RedBox & Mars/Waterloo1815. It seems such a shame to see so many companies either disappear or slow production down to a trickle that we barely remember they are still out there! Some you could see coming & others just vanished rather suddenly. We keep hoping for resurrections, but it is hard in a failing economy to be optimistic! For the record, I split the final spot as Mars puts out a lot of sets, but refuses to advance quality making them a not so desirable company so they split a point with Waterloo1815 who continues to trickle out enough sets a year to make them noteworthy, but not enough to earn a solid point alone. I left Zvezda out as I feel they no longer offer toy soldiers, but game pieces instead!

For the first time in my life I don't live within a couple of miles of a model shop or a hundred miles from a good well stocked model shop. I get all of my 1/72nd figures by mail order now. I think if I was starting out I wouldn't bother. A lot of the see and buy retailing is done at big shows in SE England and the rest of the UK is so puny or impoverished it doesn't warrant mega spendfests. I don't think it is entirely to do with the producer companies I think it reflects a bigger malaise. I have always bought my Strelets figures from the family business of F&S in the North of England which I hope will go on for a long time but nobody knows.
In the midst of this decline, Strelets spread a bit of gold dust. Always optimistic , prepared to take chances, improve their products and so on -we know the story and thank them for keeping the hobby alive.

David

I know how you feel Dave! There hasn't been a shop in my area for over 10 years! I had 3 when I got back into it in the early 90s, but 2 are gone & the other is strictly a game store now.

It's now the Silver Age....to match our hair colour...and its about quality and well thought out sets/subjects versus quantity.

The surviving manufacturers will do well with carefully chosen subjects and a loyal customer base.

Regards,
Andrew

Andrew

I like the Silver Age as a metaphor which is far better than cigarette end grey. I have 3 grandsons now so maybe all my plastic junk will go to them and they may prove to be loyal customers or producers in the future. My sister's grandchildren and Canadian cousins' grandchildren have researched their (and mine) family history with far more energy and zeal than I could muster.


David

LOL! Good one Andrew! & oh so true! I have no one to leave my troops to & can not imagine what will happen to them when I am gone?

Yes, so far the survivors are finally listening to their customers & putting out carefully selected sets which have been asked for since Hat first put up a forum! Still not sure I will live to see my coveted ACW Iron Brigade made, but many other sets I've longed for are out, coming, in the pipeline or looking good!

no my dear friend...it's not over. see Strelets, Waterloo1815, Orion, Redbox, and naturally ...Hat industrie.