Someone asked me recently where they could buy plastic toy soldiers, so I thought it might be a good idea to share my answer as a post. There are several ways to buy toy soldiers:
You can buy many of them online from sites like Battlefield Legends, Michigan Toy Soldier, Toy Soldiers of San Diego, Hobby Bunker, Classic Toy Soldiers, Minute Men Toy Soldiers, Warstore Collectibles, etc. If you like Civil War stuff you can also check out Cunnyngham Collectibles. I usually buy things from online dealers when I already know what the figures look like.
Another way to buy soldiers is to visit a local Toy Soldier Show. Here is a link to a post about a show I just attended this weekend which should give you an idea of what they are like, as well as a Toy Soldier Show schedule courtesy of Michigan Toy Soldier. Soldier Shows are a good place to see things first hand before buying them, and sometimes you can also find older sets or figures that you were not aware of. Some vendors sometimes have boxes or bins full of vintage figures and you can dig through them and find a nice gold nugget or two.
Then there's also eBay. eBay can be a good place to buy a large lot of mixed figures for a low price, but it can also be a place where people resell stuff that you can buy cheaper elsewhere, or where you can find an old set of figures that is out of production and hard to find, which can sometimes get pricey. So you do need to know a bit about what you are bidding on, most importantly its fair market price. And then you also need a bit of luck so that the listing does not attract too many bidders.
Then there are also local hobby shops, but these are becoming less common given the competition from the online world. They sometimes they carry a few plastic figures. If you are looking for a good starter set, some of the BMC soldiers are fairly decent and affordable, and can usually be found at these shops.
So whether you are a seasoned collector or new to the hobby, good luck with your shopping and enjoy the hunt!
Then there's also eBay. eBay can be a good place to buy a large lot of mixed figures for a low price, but it can also be a place where people resell stuff that you can buy cheaper elsewhere, or where you can find an old set of figures that is out of production and hard to find, which can sometimes get pricey. So you do need to know a bit about what you are bidding on, most importantly its fair market price. And then you also need a bit of luck so that the listing does not attract too many bidders.
Then there are also local hobby shops, but these are becoming less common given the competition from the online world. They sometimes they carry a few plastic figures. If you are looking for a good starter set, some of the BMC soldiers are fairly decent and affordable, and can usually be found at these shops.
So whether you are a seasoned collector or new to the hobby, good luck with your shopping and enjoy the hunt!
