More relics from behind the walls at the "Free Town Restoration Project"

[creskol]

Started tearing the interior walls at Free Town yesterday, and Woody found this rolled up bag in a wall cavity.
It was quite heavy, but it wasn't until we unwrapped it that found it was an old Morton Salt bag containing some lead soldiers.

 

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[Subterranean]

Most little boys hide their treasures and know exactly where to retrieve them. These soldiers were probably hidden by a jealous or angry sibling, just to spite the owner. Or, Mom or Dad hid them as a disciplinary measure until the little owner improved his behavior! While nearly all prewar sodiers were of lead or tin mixtures, Grey Iron had a lucrative business selling the only iron soldiers on the market...until WW2 brought it all to a screeching halt and nearly every toy company changed over to plaster, paper, or wood to survive until peace-time. Most did not make it. Plastic saved the industry in the late 1940's! Sub

 

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[Old Dude]

My very first thought was that an angry sibling hid this poor little boy's toys too!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[VOL1266-X]

Rob, that house is a treasure trove of curiousities. cool finds. HH, Q.

 

[creskol]

Rob, that house is a treasure trove of curiousities. cool finds. HH, Q.

Thanks Quindy!

 

[mangum]

That's really awesome! Added a little mystery too

 

[Valley Ranger]

Rob - have you seen this about Free Town? That house looks familiar.

 

[Pointman]

That is a cool find and it has the paint.

I have found some old ones in the ground, but they all turn black and are damaged. I actually started to take the old lead that I dig up and mix it with tin and then I have been buying molds and doing these. My intent is to make nice figures out of lead/tin mix and pass them down to my kids. Family heirlooms.

This also gave me something to do with all the lead wheel weights, fish sinkers and random pieces of lead I have dug up. I have about 12-15 pounds of lead/tin mix as a result. I could sell the mix online also.

 

[creskol]

Rob - have you seen this about Free Town? That house looks familiar.

Yes .. Richard is quite a fine gentleman, one of the most well spoken folks I know. I have talked to him quite a bit about local history, of which he is well versed.

 

[Valley Ranger]

Glad to see folks (like you and Richard) are preserving local history. All the money boys (and gals), just want to bulldoze and pave. Makes me sick.

 

[Pointman]

I wanted to add that the green one on the bottom with the Tommy helmet and with his rifle shouldered looks like the one that I found a small part of. If it is hollow like mine, it is probably made in the UK or with molds from the UK.

 

[arrowhead82]

That is soooooooooooo cool. Never found a complete lead soldier before. Good find!

 

[creskol]

I wanted to add that the green one on the bottom with the Tommy helmet and with his rifle shouldered looks like the one that I found a small part of. If it is hollow like mine, it is probably made in the UK or with molds from the UK.

Thanks pointman .. these guys are solid as solid can be and are quite heavy for their size.

 

[DocBeav]

Creskol,
I heard back from my friend on an ID as well: He concurs with what Sub said:

"What you have are Dimestore models - The upper row is USMA cadets and the lower are WWI doughboys. They do have some good value with the right dealer. Antique dealers however try to buy very low like five or six a figure and sell at 15 to 20 or more. Collectors and dealers in soldiers like Ron Ruddell or Joe Wallis make a better deal both ways."
"I concur with the identification but unless I saw them up close and personal I would not take a shot at the company. However, Grey Iron was a producer of Dimestore range soldiers during the 20's, 30's and early 40's but I believe the need for metal during WWII drove them out of business. "

Good finds man!

 

[park pirate]

WOW..Vary cool, looks like they may be worth some money...

 

[Subterranean]

Hey Folks, If a magnet sticks to these soldiers, they are Grey Iron. Flat, rectangular bases, no pour (choke) holes on the bottom, the poses, the presence of any rust, all help make a definitive identification. Let's have fun out there! Sub

 

[Bill D. (VA)]

That's a very cool find Rob - WTG!!

 

[detroitdigger]

Those figures are awesome!

 

[johnnyblaze]

Nice find man

Different for sure.

Blaze

 

[creskol]

Creskol,
I heard back from my friend on an ID as well: He concurs with what Sub said:

"What you have are Dimestore models - The upper row is USMA cadets and the lower are WWI doughboys. They do have some good value with the right dealer. Antique dealers however try to buy very low like five or six a figure and sell at 15 to 20 or more. Collectors and dealers in soldiers like Ron Ruddell or Joe Wallis make a better deal both ways."


"I concur with the identification but unless I saw them up close and personal I would not take a shot at the company. However, Grey Iron was a producer of Dimestore range soldiers during the 20's, 30's and early 40's but I believe the need for metal during WWII drove them out of business. "

Good finds man!

That's great! Thanks for all! I certainly appreciate your efforts.

 

[pepperj]

Very cool find creskol the figures are great shape from even being in a salt bag. They'll make an awesome display once your finished the home, it's one of those things that every time you look at them it'll bring that inner smile out of satisfaction knowing where they came from and saving them.

Have you any information on the Morton salt bag?