John Jenkins Designs - Knights of the Skies

As John Jenkins Designs starts to expand into the 20th century with the most recent release of the Condor Tanks COND-01, John Jenkins Designs is following up with the start of the Knights of the Skies Collection. The first release of this collection is the Sopwith Camel B7270, ACE-10. ACE-10 is avaialble for pre-order at www.BgsToySoldiers.com for $188.00 USD. This Aircraft collection will be a must have for any Aircraft miniature Enthusiast. Here is a little more about this first model:

The Aces were the top pilots of each nation who had downed at least 5 enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The governments promoted them to raise morale, civilians adored them for their courage, and skill, and the press were to memorialize them as “Knights Of The Skies”. Aces presented a vision of war based on past virtues like chivalry and decorum. They became modern day heroes flying machines, instead of riding horses. The first aircraft of the collection is the one that became famous because it was the machine that Capt. Roy Brown used to chase Baron von Reichtofen over the Somme on 21st April 1918. A flight from which the Baron did not return. Brown had fired at the Baron’s Dr1, and upon landing was told that he had shot it down. (This machine was then flown by Capt. O W Redgate, who scored two more victories in it that same month.) There were 3 white bars on the fuselage sides, one ahead of where a roundel might have been, and two aft.
A red chevron, edged in white, appeared on the top wing across the centre section.

The Sopwith Camel entered squadron service in June 1917 with No.4 squadron of the Royal Air Service, near Dunkirk. The following month, it became operational with No’70 squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. By February 1918, 13 squadrons were fully equipped with the camel. Originally intended as a replacement for the Sopwith Pup, its design was more evolutionary than revolutionary, featuring a box-like fuselage structure, an aluminium engine cowling, plywood-covered panels around the cockpit, and fabric covered fuselage, wings and tail. Two Vickers machine guns were mounted directly in front of the cockpit, firing forward through the propeller with synchronisation gear. A metal fairing over the gun breeches created a “hump” that led to the name Camel. More than 5,000 Camels were produced, and it was responsible for destroying 1,294 enemy aircraft, between June 1917 and November 1918, and was the most successful fighting scout employed by either
side in terms of the sheer numbers of victories that it scored.

Also coming in the October release are:

BM-25 44th Regiment of Foot, British Line Infantry, Sergeant and Corporal
JR-18 COMBAT SET #4, Wounded Highlander and Line Infantry
SRN-02 BRITISH NAVAL BRIGADE, 2 Sailors Firing #1
BCHART-02 The Battle of Chippawa, 5th July 1814, British Foot Artillery, 2 Crew Aiming,
WISTOCK-04 RAID ON ST. FRANCIS, WATCHTOWER

All pieces are available for pre-order at www.BgsToySoldiers.com

Black Hawk Toy Soldiers: Templars

For all the Blackhawk Toy Soldierscollectors out there that have started collecting the Templar collection from 2010, we have the remaining 10 figures from the collection coming in at the end of this week. They will be available for purchase this weekend at www.BgsToySoldiers.com.

Blackhawk Toy Soldiers: Hand to Hand Combat - BH0512

The collection includes:

BH0510 - Templar Sergeant
BH0511 - Fatimid Caliphal Guard
BH0512 - Hand to Hand Combat
BH0513 - Salah Al Din
BH0514 - Jacques of Molay, Templar Grand Master
BH0515 - Phillip IV, The Fair
BH0516 - Phillip IV, The Fair Guard
BH0517 - The Death
BH0518 - The Executioner
BH0519 - Jacques of Molay, Burned at the Stake

This will complete the series of the Templars by BlackhawkToy Soldiers. The next collection of figures should be announced soon, and we will let everyone know as soon as they announce what Blackhawk Toy Soldiers will be doing next.

Collectors Showcase: Scots Greys Napoleonic Cavalry

Collectors Showcase will be releasing 8 Scots Greys Cavalry figures in late October. These figures will be available for pre-order at www.BgsToySoldiers.comthe third week of September 2010. We will have the figures available individually and as a set. The new Scots Greys Cavalry set will be limited to 400 total sets available worldwide. These new figures were designed using a new technique for capturing the uniforms on the soldiers in action with physics taken into account, which Collectors Showcase has dubber "Mini-Cloth". This is what Collectors Showcase has to say about this new set of figures:

"The Royal Scots Greys ride again! TCS is very happy to present our next Napoleonic installment.
These eight figures are packed full of action and for the first time ever incorporate our new proprietary physics sculpting model that perfectly imitates the behavior of real clothing in miniature. Known as minicloth it truly takes sculpting to whole new level. Minicloth was written in-house and takes into account simulations that incorporate physics and density of whatever attributes we assign, from dense wool to thin cotton. You'll think you're looking at a real rider and horse! MiniCloth brings forth a new era in miniatures never before seen: our in-house technology combined with traditional techniques, brings forth results that are pretty amazing. Naturally we'll be using minicloth on all of our sculpts moving forward. We'll be showing these pieces in Chicago and wait till you get a close look, it's pretty wild.
The action has been pushed further again and the paint combines our popular gritty look with the bright colors of the Scots Greys uniform. We thought after doing our 92nd Highlanders it would be great to set the scene right with the Grey's charging-right into a battery of French guns! Well we left out the French casualties but we think we captured the mood alright!"

Available soon at www.BgsToySoldiers.com

Figarti Miniatures: Iraq War

Figarti Miniatures: M2A1 Abrams Tank - IRQ-001

Figarti Miniatures has just released a 1:32 scale collection of Iraq War figures. The entire first collection of figures from the Iraq War series from Figarti Miniatures is now available at www.BgsToySoldiers.com. The first release of figures is centered around EOD forces from the US Military and a number of US military vehicles. The release includes:

EOD: Careful! - IRQ-001 - $62.00
M1134 Stryker ATGM - IRQ-002 - $219.00
USMC M198-155mm Medium Howitzer - IRQ-003 - $239.00
M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank - IRQ-004 - $239.00
EOD: Ready with extinguisher - IRQ-005 - $69.00
EOD: Reporting Status - IRQ-006 - $62.00
More USMC Artillery Support Figures - IRQ-007 - $62.00

Pictured above is the M1A2 Abrams Tank. All the figures are available today at www.BgsToySoldiers.com

Coming in September, Figarti Miniatures will be adding to their World War II allied European Theater collection with some new British piece. This new release will include:

British AEC Matador Artillery Tractor - ETA-026 - $189.00
British 5.5 - ETA-028 - $219.00
British Churchill AVRE - ETA-032 - $199.00

These figures will all be 1:30 scale figures and are all available for pre-order from www.BgsToySoldiers.com today. As with all Figarti Miniatures, all the pieces are extremely limited Edition.

John Jenkins Designs - THE CONDOR LEGION: THE WEHRMACHT'S TRAINING GROUND

John Jenkins Designs is starting a series of figures based on the Spanish Civil War, primarily focused around the Condor Legion. The first of these figures will be arriving in September. The first figure John Jenkins Designs will be releasing is The Condor Legion PzKpfw 1A - COND-01, which will retail for $138.00 USD. The scale will be 1:30 and be constructed from Metal, Polystone, and reson. As an added bonus, John Jenkins will randomly ship a Pzkpfw 1 A with the numbers "423" in 15% of the boxes. This is a slight variation from the other PzKpfw, but will not be marked on the outside of the box. Figures will follow in the October release from John Jenkins Designs. The COND-01 will be available for pre-order at www.BgsToySoldiers.com this week.

The Condor Legion was the expeditionary force of soldiers and airmen sent by Hitler to aid Franco's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. The Germans used the war as an opportunity to develop equipment and tactics, and their force included not only instructors, but also combat units of artillery, aircraft, and tanks. These units tested guns, planes and tanks, and perfected

John Jenkins Designs: PzKpfw 1A - COND-01

techniques that were used in the 1940 Blitzkreig. Many of the officers prominent in the early campaigns of WW2 won their first successes in Spain. In October 1936, 2 German ships arrived in Spain loaded with a Panzer 1 Company, and all the services and personnel to establish Franco's army's first armoured unit. The so called PANZER-GRUPPE DROHNE. Oberstleutnant Willhelm Ritter Von Thoma was to command the contingent.
Two versions of the Panzerkampfwagen 1 were shipped to Spain, the A and B. The design was pioneered by Krupp in the early 1930's. The PzKpfw 1 A had a two man crew, and was armed with two 7.92mm MG13s. Battle experience in the SCW indicated that the Pzkpfw had several weaknesses. Its 0.5inch armour offered little protection against even the smallest anti-tank guns possessed by the Republicans. Its weapons were also far to lightweight to take on enemy tanks and the vehicle lacked the endurance to participate in prolonged action, often leaving the 2 man crew working in its cramped condition quickly exhausted. These invaluable practical lessons added impetus to new tank designs, although the Pzkpfw 1 itself continued to see service in Poland and France during 1939 and 1940.

Collectors Showcase: 20th Massachusetts Union Line

Collectors Showcase: 20th Massachusetts Union Line


This September, Collectors Showcase will be adding the 20th Massachusetts Union Soldiers to their collection of American Civil War Toy Soldier Collection. Along with the 20th Massachusetts, Collectors Showcase will be releasing a number of World War II German tanks and figures. The 20th Massachusetts figures are sure to be a hit with collectors, just as their Brooklyn Firing Line and 95th Rifles. You can pre-order your 20th Massachusetts figures today at www.BgsToySoldiers.com.

Collectors Showcase: 20th Massachusetts Union Command - CS00413

The 20th Massachusetts was one of the hardest fighting regiments in the Army Of The Potomac. Of the 2,000 Union regiments engaged during the Civil War, the 20th suffered some of the highest losses. Through their tenacity and bravery the unit earned the right to file in first at the head of the Corp column. The 20th was known as "The Harvard Regiment" because of the large number of Harvard educated officers. As a unit in the Second Corps, the 20th Massachusetts fought in battles from Balls Bluff, Fair Oaks, Malvern Hill, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness all the way to Appomattox Court House. Our sets capture their fighting spirit. With so much success with our 5th Texas we thought it only right to hoist the Stars and Bars and celebrate a great Union regiment.

The four sets of 20th Massachusetts figures include:

20th Massachusetts Union Firing - CS00412 - $89.00
20th Massachusetts Union Command - CS00413 - $95.00
20th Massachusetts Union Wounded - CS00414 - $89.00
20th Massachusetts Union Advancing - CS00415 - $89.00

Pre-Order yours today at www.BgsToySoldiers.com

Figarti Miniature: 76.2 AT gun - Panzer Killer

Figarti Miniature: 76.2 AT gun - Panzer Killer

This month, Figarti is adding to their Russian WWII collection with the 76.2 AT Gun - Panzer Killer, JSU-152, and three Russian Soldiers advancing labeled "Forward!". These three figures will compliment their other recent Russian collection that included the JS-2. All are a part of their highly detailed and very popular 1:30 scale collection, which are limited edition figures. All three figure sets are available for pre-order at www.BgsToySoldiers.com and should be shipping in the second half of July 2010. The sets, and retail prices are:

- EFR-002 - 76.2 AT gun - Panzer Killer ($215.00)
- EFR-004 - JSU-152 ($219.00)
- EFR-005 - Forward! ($95.00)

The Russian JSU-152 self-propelled gun combined three battle roles : heavy assault gun, heavy tank destroyer and heavy self-propelled artillery. Nicknamed the "Zveroby" or "Animal Killer" by Soviet tank crews because of the devastating effect of its 95 Ib. projectile on Panthers, Tigers and Elefants, the ISU-152 was one of the few Russian tanks capable of destroying heavy German tanks. It suffered from an extremely low rate of fire due to its two piece ammunition, but this disadvantage was countered by massed ambushes of 4-5 vehicles firing in salvo at a single target's flanks. Following the great success of its JS-2, Figarti Miniatures proudly adds the "Beast" (EFR-004) to its line of Russian vehicles. Done the Figarti Way, this massive tank comes with two figurines. In addition, Figarti Miniatures adds the "Panzer Killer" (EFR-002), a Russian 76.2mm antitank gun with four figurines; and "Forward!" (EFR-005), three Russian figurines advancing through
the rubble of the Thousand Year Reich.

Coming in August 2010 from Figarti are figures based on the recent blockbuster movie, "The Hurt Locker". They will be 1:32 scale US military figures based out of Afghanistan.

IRQ-001 EOD: Careful! - two figure set $62.00
IRQ-002 M1134 Stryker ATGM $219.00
IRQ-003 USMC M198-155mm Medium Howitzer $239.00
IRQ-004 "M1A2 Abrams" Main Battle Tank $239.00
IRQ-005 EOD: Ready with extinguisher - two figure set $9.00
IRQ-006 EOD: Reporting Status - two figure set $62.00
IRQ-007 More USMC Artillery Support Figures $62.00

These figures will be available for pre-order from www.BgsToySoldiers.com at the end of July 2010.