Saturday 26 October 2024

THEN AND THE ART OF WAR: SMALL ARMS

Back in the sixties, there was no shortage of cheap pocket money toys in Lucky Bags, gumball machines or on racks, with small armies of tanks, planes and boats. I had loads of these toys, as their economy meant they could be snook into the shopping bag without risk of being harrassed by my mother!
Here are a selection of plastic Hong Kong toys that I have amassed over the years, to roll out in my garden and carpet wars!


The column of Gum Tanks was kindly supplied by Hugh of Small Scale World - a haven for all things small and plastic! https://smallscaleworld.blogspot.com/
One of my favourite items was a small 2" long series of plastic tanks, with a removable hull and a small piece of foil wrapped gum inside!







Not Hong Kong, but a mixture of Matchbox and Bluebird Zero Hour models, from a later military campaign!



 
Taking the war to the railway and the beachhead via Kinder and Hong Kong army boats.


Italian Atlantic series military models, soft vinyl like many of the early sixties toys, but a shade larger at around five inches long.







3 comments:

  1. Tiny things of beauty! I had the 1/87 Roco Minitanks, a great series. SFZ

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    1. Ive got a few of those somewhere. Some great little models, lovely detail for their size. Bill

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  2. My 'go-to' small toys were those from GIANT Plastics Corp. Their sets were readily available at the grocery store across the street from our house as well as the pharmacy. kitty-corner to our house. Trips downtown to Woolworth's, Walgreens, or Gimbels Department Store were also netted some nice cheap toys.

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