The art of toy soldiers in 42mm

There is a certain aesthetic that I imagine when I hear the term 'toy soldier' Funnily enough it's not the toys that I remember from when I was a child - predominantly Airfix or Timpo - but instead in my mind I harken back to a more earlier time of little tin men. Strange as I am not old enough to remember those day - although my father was.

Today I was doing my rounds of various FLW blogs when I came across a wonderful little picture - on the very enjoyable  'ARMY RED/WHITE AND OTHERS...' blog - which perfectly matched my perception of what a toy soldier should look like...

These beautiful little figures are from the 42mm Deutsche Homage range which are available from Irregular Miniatures. I think they are fantastic and really exemplify an antique toy soldier look. Here's some more examples...

These are gorgeous!

If only these were available in 54mm I would be over the moon (I am being strict with myself and am not lashing out on another scale format).

I would be overjoyed if my scratch build soldiers eventually turn out this charming. A big thank you to Tradgardmastare for highlighting the availability of these miniatures.