No other American Dimestore figures have raised as much speculation over their evolution as a small group of early production Manoils known to collectors as “Hollow-Base.”
Figure in the center of my photo is a regular two hole base Manoil. It’s flanked by two hollow-base figures.
I theorize that since hollow-base castings were, and still are,
extensively used [...]
There is no shortage of Toy Soldiers being offered in on-line auctions, but buyers should acquire some wisdom before wading into on-line auctions’ murky waters.
Wrong and inaccurate descriptions, over-use of the words “rare” and “scarce”, and repainted or touched-up figures being offered as original factory production in mint condition tend to confuse all but the [...]
by Don Pielin, Norman Joplin, and Verne Johnson
An all-color book devoted to collecting the toy soldiers and figures that were sold in the Five-and-Dime stores
Did you know that Don Pielin, long time collector and show manager of the Old Toy Soldier Show in Chicago, is attributed with coining the term “American Dimestore Soldier?”
These distinctly American type toy soldiers stand approximately 3-inches tall, are robust in character and were sold mainly in “five-and-dime stores,” such as Woolworths, Grants and Kresge, [...]
