Tag: monk bar models

Categories
wargaming

Toy Fairs

It has become a habit of mine to visit toy fairs in Doncaster and York at Christmas and New Year.

Sometimes you get a bargain but mostly the prices are way too high for wargaming and anyway you’re likely to be paying for the classic box or venerable package.

Toy graveyards are common even at the flashiest store
I was almost tempted but 20 quid was too much
Not many games at these shows anyway
But lots of toy cars
Some collectibles of course for the discerning customer – not me of course!
I don’t remember this set
Building graveyards too
25 quid gets you a low loader but of course you get that JCB as well!

Then again it is a trip down memory lane – when a toy shop was found on every high street across the country.

Mind you, you can still get to an excellent bricks and mortar hobby shop in York which is full of model kits and trains.

A classic toy shop window of the high street – now a rarity

So this holiday season I managed three trips and came away with some useful purchases after all.

First up from Doncaster I got some buildings and railway wagons

A card market hall by super quick models
Card and plastic goods shed make unknown
Some more bin end lorries

Two quid each for the buildings and three vehicles for a fiver: they were on a table tidily arranged so not graveyard prices. I can’t find the railway wagon picture and now their store away……probably to be forgotten! Finally from Doncaster…….

Two kits for a fiver in a slightly upper class bin end! I only wanted the truck but this stall only sold combined packs no splitting

Second visit of the three I picked up some strelets sets at York Monkbar model shop.

Monkbar price match hannants from what I see so buying just a few saves me the postage. And I get some fresh air and a walk into the bargain

And finally I bought some more “bin end” lorries at York Toy Fair.

More bin end Lorrie’s which I can’t resist for some reason

These work out a quid each from bin ends. Toy graveyards used to be 50p or less but jumped during Covid and now range between one and two quid a pop or with discount if you buy a few together.

If you’re lucky there are still bin ends selling at 50p. There was one at the Doncaster Show.

So quite a satisfactory haul.

February will see normal service resumed on the Wargames show circuit starting with Vapnartak.

Categories
life wargaming

On the High Street 23b

York is a good place to visit as a Wargamer especially if you like History. Aside from all the sites concerning the Roman, Viking and Later Medieval periods, there are still real shops where you can buy things for your hobby.

Bookshops have still been dissappearing at a fair rate, yet Amnesty International reopened their York book store which involved moving across the river to a new revamped premises.

On the model front you can still get a good range of stock,

  • Warhammer in Lendal – does what it is says on the tin – well packaging!
  • P&S Hobbies sell large scale models – boats, trains and planes but also a lot of kits including 1/72. Their miniature figure stocks have been shrinking though.
  • Monkbar Models sell large railway related ranges alongside extensive military model kit ranges and collectible ready built aircaft and vehicles. Their stock figure ranges – notably 1/72 have also been shrinking. No.2 Goodramgate.
  • Boyes General Store does a a good range of hobby tools and paints and many Warhammer boxed sets. They no longer carry Airfix or Perrys post lockdown.
  • Down whip-ma-whop-ma gate is the OG gaming store which is ideal for your RPG needs
  • And by Ousegate Bridge is a board game cafe – Geek Retreat
  • Travelling Man offers a massive range of Board Games along with selected RPG lines.
  • The Alma Cafe on Coppergate sells some Irregular Minatures – 40mm figures
Board Game Cafe – next to Ouse Bridge, 3 Low Ousegate.
RPG gaming store 1.5! Whip Ma Whop Ma Gate – what a street
Boyes everyday shopping plus warhammer and loads of paints and hobby tools – 35 Goodramgate
Don’t be fooled by the for sale sign – thats the upstairs office suite. P&S Hobbies are a large scale specialist covering boats, planes, trains and military interests. Good source of scratch build parts including balsa wood – 4 Walmgate
Amnesty International reopened a bookshop in York in 2022 which has more space and is less cramped. 19 Micklegate.
No question – if its board games – then this is the destination. 74 Goodramgate
Need a break then head to Alma Cafe. 6 Coppergate.
In the gifts area you can inspect and of course buy some 40mm Irregular Figures
Of course if you pick Viking Festival weekend then you get some live vikings strolling round town.

So if your visiting York check out these traders and give them some valuable support. And remember February is the Month for Vapnartak Wargames Show and the Viking Festival.

Of course the centre piece of Medieval York is the Minster which on a sharp winters day looks fantastic.

Or you could visit the many other churches in the city and take in the glazed windows.

Categories
new additions wargame shows wargaming

Supply Chain 2021

My hobby has again been sustained by a supply chain. In my case 2021 has seen my ebay activity trail off while I have increased my buying with a few hobby companies.

Thank you to everyone (in no particular order!)

  • Cronwallis – ebay supplier from Oz who provided some rare 1/72 plastic figures for my Fauxterre Napoleonic Mythical Realm. Also I secured a supply of Russian Napoleonics who will see life as my Milan Guard – one day!
  • Model Hobbies supplied a lot of Napoleonic 1/72 figures and many Waterloo 1815 figures for my Wars of the Italian Unification project
  • Black Forest Hobby were a source of some hard to get figures and rulessets
  • Other ebay suppliers included ms-plueth (dutch/belgians), model148 (for peninsular war types) and rasweetrampwp who provided some WW1 belgians which I morphed into Neapolitan Chasseurs circa 1860.
  • buchunversum supplied a very valued book – Funcken 19th century army uniforms with german text – britain/prussia/france 1815 to 1850. Crucially it shows the evolution of french and german uniforms from shakoes and breechs to pickelhaubes, kepis and trousers.
  • SHQ provided 20mm metal napoleonics
  • Hannants provided numerous 1/72 plastic figures mainly for my mythical napoleonic armies
  • Caliver books provided invaluable titles for my new interests in european wars between 1848 and 1866. The Schleswig War of 1848 was probably my most satisfying buy – I just did not expect such a gem of a book. (see lead image for details). America in Algiers circa 1820 was a complete surprise!
  • Irregular Miniatures have supplied some very useful 20mm figures for my Italian and French forces fighting over Rome in 1848 and all Italy in 1859
  • Warrior Miniatures have provided 25mm troops for what will be my Fauxterre post Napoleonic forces
  • Wargame Vault supplied me with “A Gentlemans War” skirmish rules in pdf format.
  • Perry Miniatures provided their Carlist Wars ruleset
  • Paul Meekins Books supplied a 100 year old copy of a trilogy on Garibaldi’s wars
  • Games Lore supplied 5 Parsecs from Home sci fi rules

On the high street I bought figures and kits from Antics in Plymouth and Monk Bar models in York while Wonderland of Edinburgh supplied many sets of 1/72 figures including Crimean era

I managed just two shows where the following traders provided some excellent material.

  • Pendraken for bases
  • Colonel Bills for 20mm WW2 metals
  • Dave Lanchester Books who have provided some really excellent source books most recently on 19th century sea warfare and Vichy France at War
  • I have written up about Fiasco 2021 traders here and Recon 2021 show traders here.

Operation Hight Street

For some extra fun I have tried where possible to run my sideshow WW2 wargame project by buying in person at shops/traders. It has not been easy. Yet I have bought quite a bit of material from those few trips I did manage.

So I hope our hobby suppliers continue to prosper and provide us with figures, scenery, rules and other materials to enable us all to enjoy a hobby that lets you escape into your imagination.

Thank you