Military Figurines I remember playing with plastic army men when I was a kid. I suppose every boy and pretty much every girl plays with military figurines at some point, but I was pretty crazy about them. I had toy soldiers from pretty much every era of military history from the Middle Ages onward. I had a Union Civil War regiment, allied troops, Napoleonic soldiers, and plenty of medieval knights in full plate mail. I would stage epic battle that had no respect for history, pitching my knights against machine gun battalions that couldn't penetrate the thick iron plates. Inevitably, the older would run rampant over the newer. For some reason, my fantasy life always sided with antiquity. Most of my friends got rid of their military figurines when they got past a certain age, but I kept mine. As a matter of fact, I got into ever better miniatures. I started to buy ones that I could paint myself. For awhile, I was really into historic detail. I would paint whole regiments with authentic colors, even adding touches of shading to their faces to make them look more human and realistic. After awhile, however, my emphasis changed. I got less interested in authentic military figurines, and more into science fiction miniatures. I didn't care that much about historical accuracy, and I figured I would rather let my imagination run a little bit wild. Of course, the best thing about science fiction and fantasy figurines is playing tabletop battles with them. It's a step that many people never take, but it is worth it. If you played games with military figurines as a child, the chances are you will enjoy playing them as an adult. In my case, I've spent countless hours engaging in epic battles involving hundreds of miniatures and dozens upon dozens of dice rolls. I tend to win more than I lose, but sometimes I lose spectacularly. It doesn't matter. I have fun every time. If you feel like collecting your own military figurines, you should take a good look at what your reasons are. What are you drawn to? Are you into historical accuracy, or are you just inspired by the fantasy of having a miniature army at your command? For some people, military toys should be accurate down to the finest detail. To others, the more fantastic the better. It is all a matter of personal taste. Fortunately, there are military figurine stores that that cater to everyone. Summary Military figurines are toys lots of kids played with over the years. Some even turned their interest into a hobby they continue to this day. Historical accuracy does matter to many, and there are many stores which specialize in fine collectibles of military figures. Take a look online. Related Articles Quality Die Cast Collectibles Civil War Reproductions Civil War Miniatures Related Sites