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Many years ago tin soldiers were the favourite toy of children. These times have long gone, however, and the acquisition of these figures has become the preserve of collectors, antiquarians and even museums.

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This form of collecting can be reached one of many ways. One could be the simple desire to collect original figures, that could form part of the decoration of a house. Another could be to consider tin soldiers as toys, and take an interest in the evolution of this type of entertainment over the years. The last and most common is the military and historic interest. In other words, finding out how soldiers dressed in times past and everything related to the era. These collectors often possess figures covering every era of mankind, and some of them end up becoming genuine experts in general history, surrounded as they are by Assyrian, Macedonian, Carthaginian, Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Persian, Medieval, Arab, Samurai, Templar and, of course, modern figures.

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A little history
The origins of tin soldiers can be traced back to the 18th century, when a German toy company began manufacturing tin pieces with all manner of details. Later, in France they began using lead to create these military figures because it was much cheaper. To harden them, antimony was applied so that they could adopt any given posture. At the end of the 19th century, to save money the first hollow soldiers began to be manufactured in England.

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These three countries were pioneers in the art of tin soldier collecting, which originally was nothing more than a coveted toy. But later other countries like Spain, Sweden, Austria and, more recently, the United States followed. In Spain, the manufacture of tin soldiers was begun by an Italian smelter and engraver in Barcelona in 1928. Later, the craze spread to the rest of Spain.

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Types of collecting
There are basically two different ways to collect tin soldiers. The first is to buy the figures in specialised shops. The second is to construct the figures yourself, using moulds, and later paint them.

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Logically, the first option is far simpler and, of course, more expensive. However, there is the satisfaction and difficulty of finding soldiers from different eras, some of which are much in demand. The older the piece, the more difficult it is to find it. Modelling shops, antique shops, gift shops and even toy shops are the best places to find such figures.

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The second option tends to give more personal pleasure and satisfaction. Not only is this collecting, it is a hobby that can provide hours of entertainment, in that these soldiers can become genuine works of art. To produce one, you must first build the mould, a tricky task that requires considerable skill and dedication. To do this you need a plywood box, with no base nor top, filled with a layer of plasticine, vaseline, turpentine and silicone, to give shape to the soldier you want to reproduce. Once this mass has hardened, the mould is finished and ready to be filled with lead, tin and antimony. Broadly speaking, these materials can be melted on a gas camping cooker, taking due care. Although this process may seem very complicated, the specialised shops tend to sell all these materials and complete step by step guides to help you along.

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Once the soldier has been made and, of course, solidified, the next key stage is the painting. This is a very painstaking task requiring great patience that must be backed up by historical research: the colour of the uniforms, the weapons, the clothing, etc. Once this process has been completed, often a question of months, the patient artisan has one more piece to add to his collection.

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