treasures from the columbus toy soldier show...

 I've attended a number of wargaming conventions over the years. But the Columbus Toy Soldier Show on October 3rd, 2007 was my first 'Toy Soldier' show. It was a pretty smallish one-day affair with thirty or forty dealers in attendance.

Following my mantra of "fast, easy, fun, (cheap)" I found that there were a few bargains to be had but for the most part things were priced at about what you find on-line. Now, I admit to being tempted by some of the more collectable items (I found the 'Town and About' figures to be absolutely charming) but was able to restrain myself. I did not buy a 54mm WWI Sturmpanzerwagen A7V.

I did manage to increase the artillery park by adding a Marx Revolutionary War cannon, Craig (who is trying oh-so-hard to convert me solely the dark side of 54mm wargaming) slipped me a Call to Arms ECW artillery piece and then pointed out a massive Barzso ECW cannon which I had previously overlooked. Bought that too. In addition I purchased 10 or 12 BMC Hessian fusiliers, 5 CTS Hessian grenadiers and 12 Charben English grenadiers. In one of the bargin boxes under the tables I found a box of Accurate American Revolution militia, some CTA Maryland infantry and a box of CTA Zulus at Uluundi.  Once I got home I found that the militia and Zulu sets were not complete. In fact the Zulu set actually contained a sprue of British infantry. Still, at a discount price of $5.00 per set, I've got no room for complaint.

Conveniently I now have four cannons which I can use for 54mm English Civil War games. One of my first 54mm purchases was a set 16 (4 crews of 4 men each) of ECW artillerists. None of the cannons are the same which seems historically accurate if what I see on the Internet regarding ECW cannons is true. Must be fate.