Hardy Chemical & Plastics Corp. Stagecoach - Green/Yellow HP

I started going through one of my tote bins of Western toys pulling things out, and photographing them. Some of the things in there I had forgotten about but for the most part I pretty much remembered what was in there. However, this is the first time photographing the hoard! Recently, several Hardy wagons that were purchased not too long ago were featured here on the blog, but in that tote bin was this Hardy Stagecoach in really good shape that needs to be posted. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

ELMAR #9139 The Wagons West Playset

Sometime last year I latched on to this cheap rack toy offering from ELMAR. In my mind I thought the pieces would be smaller - something akin to 1/72 or HO scale similar to Giant of Hong Kong. Instead, these pieces are oddly sized with the figures being ca30mm. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

TRAIN TIME: Running Trains on Memorial Day

Today being Memorial Day here in The States, I took out my two Modern Marx military trains as a small reminder of the sacrifices made by the men and woman of our military for whom this day is in honor. Have a great Memorial Day folks and - Enjoy!

Unk Mfr - Child's Union Kepi (large)

Some time back I had purchase a child's Union kepi made by 'J' hats. While nice, it really needs to get some work done on it as it has lost its shape

This latest acquisition is in much better shape. There are no maker's mark anywhere on it so I have no clue as to who made it,. It has a nice form to it and the head band is still present just above the visor. This one is large, while the 'J' Hats kepi is small. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

(L) 'J' Hats (R) Unk Mfr

 

Unk Mfr - All Western Gun & Holster Set

The wonderful thing about growing up is, you didn't have to have the most expensive toys to have fun. This set is very basic: plastic pistol (7" long), vinyl plastic belt with holster with a badge riveted on. I don't know who actually made this set but it's a nice little rack toy. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

'THE STAMPEDE': Fun With Job Lot Finds and Playing With My Western Toys - Pt 4 Final Old West Stampede and Photos Worthy of a Frontier Newspaper

I selected a few choice photos, cut out the old backdrop and inserted a new one in Photoshop. Also using Photoshop, I tried my hand at creating a cloud of dust and sand being kicked-up by the horses roaring through town and then gave the photos that old time photo look. Hope you - Enjoy! Opa Fritz

Headline in the May 18, 1874 Dodge City Western Gazette reads

"STAMPEDE"

photos by staff photographer Jesse Gallup.

Here's a few finished shots in color and monochrome. Which do you like better readers? 

'THE STAMPEDE': Fun With Job Lot Finds and Playing With My Western Toys - Pt 3 Creating an Old West Town in The Computer Using Toys , Old Photos, and Photoshop

Basically, the diorama was finished but I sat at the computer thinking that it needed something else. First of all, that all-purpose backdrop I painted seven years ago and used for so many other photo shoots, just wasn't working for me. 

Looks nice enough, but for me doesn't evoke 'old west' quite yet

Through the years Bettina and I have taken a gazillion photos of the desert here in Nevada. This particular photo of Boulder City and the Lake Mead area, is actually fairly recent. It'll make a good 'nuff background.

Using Photoshop, I cut out the old backdrop

That's it! That's the look I'm after - yay!

I layered Bettina's photo behind the town and voila' Old West town

More to follow - finishing up in our next installment.

Enjoy! Opa Fritz

THE STAMPEDE': Fun With Job Lot Finds and Playing With My Western Toys - Pt 2

Trying to get a feel for what I wanted the scene to look like as the horses go stampeding through town. Somehow the flatness of the buildings wasn't appealing to me.

Not too bad, but also not what I was looking for

Okay - now I'm feeling it!

The Old West vide is really hitting me now. The 'flat' buildings have been replaced. The MPC streetfront has been folded to give it the 3d look vs. being splayed out flat against the backdrop. Also, the early style MPC Western buildings have been deployed on the board. The camera angles are better as well - it's all coming together.

There's a bit more to do though - stay tuned for Pt3. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

'THE STAMPEDE': Fun With Job Lot Finds and Playing With My Western Toys - Pt 1

Wellll, maybe 'playing' isn't entirely accurate but it's the kind of play adult hobbyists morph into. I'm not on the living room floor setting up my figures and yelling, "Pow, pow, you're dead" and knocking over little Cowboys like when I was a kid, but putting them into settings like this and taking pictures is still fun. It started after my first round of sorting through the job lots I blogged about the other day and came across this bunch of horses by REL (along with a lone REL wagon driver)

So I'm thinking "What the heck am I gonna do with all these horses with no wagons for them to pull?" Then a bit of my family's past history came to mind when I remembered a story my dad used to tell about the days when he rode the rails as a hobo w-a-y back in 1918-21(ish). He used to tell us a story about how he "saved a town from a stampede" (his words) somewhere in South Dakota I believe. He could never remember the name of the town and he never elaborated on just how he went about 'saving a town' - but it was a fun story from my dad's past to listen to. The bottom line is, my next photo op was answered - STAMPEDE! I could use all of these horses to mimic a stampede.

While I do have an Amazon photo studio - it's really only suitable for small toys - I just don't have enough free space out in The Cave for elaborate set-ups...

...but I do have a washing machine and dryer whose tops can be used to set up some minimal displays. Time to get out all the stuff for a photo shoot:

-a scenicked display base which I've used for numerous other photo shoots

32" (81.3cm) x 25" (63.5cm)

-a backdrop that was part of a diorama (the diorama board was disposed of years ago)

 -a sheet of foamcore

-a hill that was saved from an old train layout and used from time to time in my shoots

-MPC buildings and ringhand figures

-Marx fence pieces

-last but not least, nearly all of the REL horses and the wagon driver

Enjoy! Opa Fritz

Nasta Industries, Inc.: Wild West Playset No.2709 (1980) - Pt 7 Final Set-up and Ready To Play

Finally, we get to see Nasta's Wild West Playset, all set-up and ready to play. This set is all action: two opposing forces shooting it out in the wild, wild, West - no ladies in broad skirts hauling groceries, no town drunk wobbling through town, no blacksmith making horseshoes. No, this is about a battle to the finish. I feel sorry for that poor covered wagon getting caught in the middle of all this! Who will win? That's your call! The playset comes with an 18" (45.72cm) x 24" (60.96cm) playmat and that's how I set it up - everything is placed within the confines of the mat. Enjoy! Opa Fritz