AIRFIX

On their own, Airfix figures and models are collectibles without necessarily being part of a toy soldier collection. What modeler or miniaturist doesn't know Airfix models or has never made an Airfix model? Today Airfix models have become prized collectors' items all over the world, although of course, the most widely collected is in the UK.

The Airfix brand is founded by Mr. Nicholas Kove, an enterprising Hungarian Jew who emigrated from his country and who in 1939 began manufacturing toys, especially dolls, to later begin manufacturing models. From then until today the brand continues to produce a huge range of kits of all kinds. Furthermore Airfix is one of the few brands that produces toy soldiers and military miniatures at the same time.

Broadly speaking, the Airfix collection of toy soldiers and military miniatures would be articulated as follows:

• HO scale figures in soft plastic. Millions of these figures have been manufactured that revolutionized the toy soldier collecting market. They cover a wide range of periods and themes. Romans, medieval, US Civil War, Indian Wars, American Revolution, Napoleonic, Far West, First and Second World Wars, civil, etc. They are very cheap figures and are sold in boxes of between 40 and 45 pieces.
• 1/32 scale figures. Same as the previous ones but in 1/32 scale (54 mm). Lately they have been produced in hard plastic instead of the traditional soft plastic.
• Multipose. Military miniatures at 1/32 scale in kit form. Hard plastic, excellent WWII focused figures. They have the particularity that the pieces of the figures are interchangeable with each other, which gives rise to an enormous number of possibilities.
• Historical figures in 54 mm. Military miniatures that were sold in blister packs and in individual boxes. Figures in high quality kit format. English Civil War, Napoleonics, USA War of Independence, Foreign Legion, etc. A delight. They are not difficult to find on the second-hand market.
• English kings, queens and historical figures on a large scale. More than military miniatures, they are models. Rare and hard to find.
• HO scale historical battle and assault sets. They include several boxes of soldiers and accessories as well as forts, bunkers, bridges, etc. The hardest to get is the Battle of Waterloo Set. At auctions, when a complete set appears, very high prices are paid. I paid a small fortune for mine more than 20 years ago.