Toy Soldiers for Big Boys
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
Back in the days when there were no video games, computers or iPods, boys played with toy soldiers. Boys turned into adults, and forgot about their toys. But for some men, the fascination with these military miniatures has continued.
As a boy growing up in Scotland, Andy C. Neilson loved playing with toy soldiers. He turned his hobby of collecting military miniatures into a business, and co-founded King & Country, which is now one of the top toy soldier makers in the world.
In an interview with The Korea Times, Neilson, a former Royal Marine Commando living in Hong Kong, recalled how his brother sent him a set of toy soldiers for Christmas. This piqued his interest, and soon he would order more from British companies that made the figurines.
However, he became frustrated with the bad service and delays in delivery. So his then wife suggested starting his own company, and in 1984 King & Country was born.
Neilson admitted that for the first 12 years, the company was not very successful, mainly because they were just following what other companies were doing.
But that changed in 1995 when Neilson came up with the idea of doing a World War II series based on the epic war film ``A Bridge Too Far.'' He decided the figures would have to be more realistic and authentic. Instead of the usual enamel paint, the toy soldiers would be painted in matte colors. This idea proved to be a hit, but King & Country's big break was still to come.
Neilson found out, through a friend in Hollywood, that Steven Spielberg was making a war film ``Saving Private Ryan.'' ``He told me it was all about D-Day, paratroopers and U.S. Army Rangers, so that's what we produced. We went to the biggest toy soldier event in the world that year, and we launched our D-Day American GI series at the same time `Saving Private Ryan' was released. It was a double whammy. People would see the movie and get the figures. King & Country exploded,'' he said.
Neilson attributes much of the company's success to not just its high-quality products, but also for having ``the right idea at the right time.''
King & Country's main target market are successful businessmen and professionals in their late 20s to 60s and who love history, and also women who are looking for unique presents for their husbands or boyfriends. Some famous collectors include Rod Stewart, Phil Collins, Mike Meyers, Steven Spielberg and even the King of Tonga.
What's the appeal of toy soldiers for grown men? ``A famous psychologist, who is also a collector, has a theory. In the world, we feel so tiny and sometimes you feel the company has you under the thumb. So you collect toy soldiers, and you become in charge. It's a mix of nostalgia and being in command, plus the beauty of collecting anything well made,'' Neilson said.
King & Country offers 19 collections, including an extensive World War II collection with soldiers, tanks, aircrafts and even dioramas. These ``toys'' do not come cheap, with prices ranging from 45,000 won for a figure to 220,000 won for a military tank.
It may seem expensive, but the King & Country collections are apparently good investments. Since the company makes the miniatures in limited quantities, a resale market has emerged on eBay. ``It was a big surprise for us. We see guys on eBay selling old soldiers for three, four or even 10 times the original price. I know two guys who were about to retire, took their pension money and invested in old King & Country soldiers, and tripled their money in 18 months,'' Neilson said.
King & Country collections are now available in Korea through its official distributor History Kingdom, whose CEO Ahn Jae-man is also a collector.
Neilson is in discussions with Ahn to come out with a Korean War series, in time for its 60th anniversary next year, including a special figure of Maj. Gen. Paik Sun-yup, the first four-star general in the Korean Armed Forces.
Visit www.worldwar2.co.kr (Korean only).