I am probably a fairly typical representative of the “Generation Airfix”. As a schoolboy I started with Timpos in 1/32 – fascinating figures, but with a number of drawbacks: too expensive to get a large collection funded by pocket money, and they also had this annoying tendency to loose their helmets. I had also a few Britains figures, but I never liked the strange looking green metal bases. However, I soon discovered Airfix and assembled over the years a collection in 1/72 and 1/32: Napoleonic era, knights, ancients, WW2, a bit of everything with a focus on WW2. When the 1/72 Atlantic ancient series appeared in the stores, I immediately had to have them. The Romans were really ugly, but their Egyptians and Greek sets are still nice, even by modern standards. And they were doing military as well as civilian themes – a balance that is rarely found in the recent output of the manufacturers.


Then comes a large gap of about two decades in my collector career. My interest in 1/72 figures, this time with an exclusive focus on the ancients, was renewed about ten years ago. For several years then I have been a figure collector in the true meaning of the word, collecting them, but not getting any project finished. In 2008 the first two dioramas were finished, this year the score rose to 7 diorama projects altogether. For me it makes sense to focus on one particular period, so it’s exclusively Ancient Rome for me. This does not mean I don’t understand the appeal of other eras: Napoleon, the Samurai armies, the Mongols … but so far I have resisted the temptation to expand the collection into further epochs.

Likewise, I collect only 1/72, although in recent years 28 mm scale has become a respectable competition, with some fine hard plastic figures with anatomically correct proportions being available. But in my opinion 1/72 offers the best compromise between various criteria: On one hand, the figures are large enough that even a painter with modest skills like myself can produce some decent results; I would not even try to paint 6 mm or 15 mm figures. On the other hand, the 1/72 figures are sufficiently small to enable larger scenes that one simply cannot do in 1/32 or 1/35 (or 1/16, for that matter). And it is still the scale where most accessories are available, those in true 1/72 as well as things from the neighboring universe of 1/87 model railways. A lot of H0 stuff can easily be adapted for a 1/72 diorama: vegetation, animals, some buildings where exact scale is not crucial, and so on. In the end, it is the overall impression of a diorama that counts.

Me too, Airfix has a lot to answer for, paid 1/10 for my first box, which was way back when, Some of the earliest ,The infantry combat group are still in my collection, The Guards were chopped around with paper hats added and have long disappeared, except for  one unit converted into St Louis Greys for the ACW. 
Anyone else remember those days?
 Now have all too many, if such sacrilege is allowed.
    My personal interest is wargaming, in almost all eras, which helps account for the size of my personal collection ,but  I do enjoy painting for the sake of it. although the folks on Bennos forum always leave me with a standard to aim for.
    There are quite a few similar groups and blogs out there for inspiration.
 If anyone asks will share a few of my favourites.
    Attached some later conversions, presently being reinforced.

Aloha guys!

I was also an Airfix fan. Esci Atlantis etc. I have over a 100000 fig collection. Sadly, about 10 years ago, quite a number of figures became brittle. I have noticed tis happening especially with later Airfix figures. Most of the Esci too. I suspect that it is the composition of plastic that they use (oily and soft), these become hard, lighten in colour and then brittle. Practically all my Esci Zulus are gone.

My most dependable figures are my metal Jacklex Sudan war figures, beautiful 20mm and nicely proportioned. Pity that their Esci Sudan opponents have also deteriorated!

  Hello Blaster, good to hear I`m not alone, thats quite some numbers, How do you manage to store and display them.
   Brittle ankles is a sad problem, but so too is lead disease. Gues we have to enjoy them whilst we can.

Hi,

sorry for the late response. I store my surviving figures mounted on bases which I stick underneath with metal washers. These are then placed onto magnetic sheets in plastic containers. This way, the figures don\'t get knocked about and are nicely arranged and organised.