Lidos Wobble And They Do Fall Down!

I acquired a whole pile of 1950’s - 1960’s Lido toy soldiers recently.  They came with a stack of rubber Auburn half-tracks and tanks, all for the amazing price of twenty five bucks (pretty good haul if you ask me).  Most of the Lido army men had broken rifles so they’ll get some repair and be painted up as WWII Nationalist Chinese troops.  I think this suits the Lidos…as toy soldiers, frankly, they are worthless unless they are glued to a base.  I guess the toy geniuses thought that putting out an army man that barely stands unless you sink him knee deep in sandbox dirt was a good idea.  You might as well set up a few hundred side by side and watch them tumble over, ala “falling dominoes”.

  
Despite a cheap and “cost effective” approach by Lido (no base, less plastic, less money), the figures themselves do have some value.  They have enough detail to make them usable if they are painted up, despite the proportion problem of having big feet, rail thin bodies, funky clunky weapons and clown-sized buttons on their uniforms…

    

Lincoln Logs In The Trenches…

Lincoln Logs…if you didn't have them growing up, you probably lived in some sort of repressive commie craphole.  They are the quintessential American toy…and a true American original (if you don’t know…Lincoln Logs were conceived and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son, John).  I cannot tell you how many forts and blockhouses I built with them.  This toy was about self reliance, frontierism and the ultimate defense against wild-eyed red Indians…or Star wars AT ATs and Imperial Scout Walkers in my case...  


Well…the Star Wars toys and the logs went the way of the Dodo bird…with the help of some gasoline and a book ‘o matches (damn…I wish I wouldn't have done that…looking back in retrospect…and looking at how much money Star Wars toys command today)…but the legend of Lincoln Logs and the good times had from that “titanic” toy battle remain with me to this day.


I never realized that Lincoln Logs produced a line of toy soldiers, both large and small.  They made Indians, cowboys, sailors, marines and WWI doughboys.  I was lucky enough to get 6 of the charging “boys of 1918”.  They look a lot like Britains in style and size, and in fact, that’s what I thought they were, until I turned them over.  I was surprised to see “Lincoln Logs USA” on the bottom of the bases.  Well, apparently these are pretty rare, so they will probably stay on the shelf, or get the “super duper gingerly” treatment should I ever use them in a tabletop or sandbox wargame... 


Marx Marine Poses

Here are all 12 Marx Marine poses.  These are shown in khaki, but they also came in various shades of green, and at one point, grey...

Marx Marine #1

Marx Marine #2

Marx Marine #3

Marx Marine #4

Marx Marine #5

Marx Marine #6

Marx Marine #7

Marx Marine #8

Marx Marine #9

Marx Marine #10

Marx Marine #11

Marx Marine #12

Oompa Loompa Dipity Doo, I've Gotta Another Bullet For You! - Oriental Slag Bags: The Korean Grey Iron Copies


Wonka must have worked the little bastards too hard. Apparently, they decided to unionize with knives, swords and some leftover ARVN rifles.  Willy should have spent that extra money on booze and hookers for the company Christmas Party instead of blowing it on cheap "Hong Kong" purple suits and top hats.  Did you think you were going to get an invite to the League of Extraordinary Gents, Wonka?  Yeah...I don't think that club wants to associate with a clown who runs around with orange skinned, green haired midgets...and works the poor unfortunate buggers for "room and board".  No wonder they traded in those funny white trousers for O.D.  Maybe you can fend off the "fuzzy wuzzies" with your cane...better yet...throw them a chocolate bar...I'm sure that'll stop them dead in their tracks...and by the way, the Oompa Loompas are wise to your golden ticket scam, Willyboy...all they wanted was to roast and eat the little fat German kid...but no, you couldn't even give them that...you bum.



Produced in Korea in the 1990's, these Grey Iron copies are perhaps the pinnacle of "blob like"metal doo drops.  These horrific excuses for toy soldiers look like they would have more use as turtle ship armor than sitting on the shelf as a reproduction toy from the past.  I guess the Koreans think every Grey Iron is a "Doughboy"...it doesn't matter if it's a wild Indian, pirate, Colonial officer, African native, Marine or an ice skater...they all get the same "Oompa Loompa" green paint job and the mean-ass, "rip out your guts" facial expression.  I guess Korean sweat shops don't understand the concept of "variety"...or, more than likely, those slave drivers are just cheap...

 
The only redeeming factor on these little turds is the price.  Most can be had for a buck apiece.  Compared to original Grey Iron castings, well, that ain't bad.  I can live with repainting them and using them in some rough war gaming.  For the price, you can drop a sledge hammer on the little twerps and not feel too bad...and if you do...have a chocolate bar...maybe you'll win a gold tin-foil ticket to Wonka's little shop of horrors.





Now For A Public Service Announcement: Atom Bombs And You!

Hello boys and girls, I’m Major Dumas, here today to tell you about the dangers of America’s nuclear arsenal.  While atom bombs are our friends, and America’s greatest weapon against our red communist enemy…they can be dangerous to look at while being tested on the range.  Don’t believe me?..look at this atomic sun tan kids…I got this beauty by just walking outside and gazing upon that big cloud of radioactive goodness.  See where my sunglasses were?  In 30 years, after it’s had time to settle into my system, I’ll die a horrible death, riddled with cancers that medical science hasn’t even come up with names for yet.  But that’s in the future kids, when we’re all cruising around in flying cars and wearing skin tight suits that’ll even make mom’s rear end appetizing…let’s focus on the present.  Kids, while mom and dad are "blowing" your college fund and trust money in Las Vegas at Binion’s or the Four Queens, and you’re stuck wandering the streets downtown with nothing to do...should you see that glorious mushroom cloud, the one that signifies America’s scientific superiority over the red menace, try not to look directly into it.  Find somewhere indoors, like the local malt shop, or the bowling alley, or that special place with the red light that dad likes to go to when mom’s away visiting grandma, and get inside.  You don’t want that “glow in the dark” sun tan like me now…do you?  Protecting yourself from atomic rays will make everyone’s life a little bit safer…right kids?  You girls out there who are the future mothers of a free America, remember…looking into the light will cause you to have three eyed, twelve toed little monsters…they’ll have to be taken to that special place where mommy and daddy put your “special” older brother, the one that no one talks about…understand?  And for you boys out there, we need you to be strong and healthy when you graduate high school, because we have a special mission for you…in a faraway place known as Southeast Asia…are you ready!  So don’t be a Major Dumas kids…and remember boys and girls, if someone offers you a reefer cigarette, you tell them that you don’t smoke “Red” dope, because narcotics are a commie’s best friend.  Over and out.

I got this Barclay pod foot officer through the mail the other day.  I don’t know if the face was painted fluorescent pink by some "smart-ass" factory worker ticked off over the wages, or by some long-haired hippie kid, pissed at his parents because he wanted to go to Woodstock and mommy and daddy said no “f-ing” way.  Who knows…either way, it made me chuckle.