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Interested, New or Novice Dimestore Collectors
For anyone interested in Collecting Dimestore figures, before any figures are ever purchased, I would recommend that they do their research first. The first step is to buy relevant reference books. Although published a few months short of 10 years, Collecting American Made Toy Soldiers 3rd Edition by Richard O'Brien, will give you a detailed breakdown of time periods and Dimestore company histories. Although pricing was done pre-Internet/eBay, it will give you a starting point. For accurate and up to date pricing, I will be unveiling my new living price guides shortly. Now, since O'Briens is black and white, you will also need American Dimestore Toy Soldiers & Figures, Copyright 2000, by Don Pielin, Norm Joplin and Vern Johnson. It adds to the Dimestore experience by giving you 650 full color photos with over 2000 Dimestore figures represented. These two books integrate well with my website and will give you all the information necessary to make informed decisions. Besides the mentioned reference books, there are many more available, you can never have too many reference books. If I can be of any help, make a post or email me.
Having purchased your Dimestore reference books and read them thoroughly, it is time to buy some figures. Your first stop should be eBay. eBay is the #1 source for Dimestore figures. I would suggest picking 2 or three different Dimestore companies and buying 1 rough figure from each one. Usually you can get rough figures for $3.00 or $4.00 each, this will let you compare figures, get a handle on size or material which they are made of. Get a feel for the differences. Dimestore figures are made of solidcast lead, hollowcast lead, cast iron, composition of several mediums and tin. Once you have bought several figures and figured out what direction you want to collect, such as by Dimestore company, Theme collecting or material preferred, you are ready to get serious.
One of the biggest mistakes I see new collectors making is to get caught up in the heat of the moment and overpay for figures. There are plenty of figures available, take your time, make wise buys, set a price and stick too it. I would advise against going for the rare or expensive figures right out of the gate. They will still be around once you have got some experience. One of the finest bidding services available is esnipe.com, for a minute fee, It lets you place your bids electronically so your bid isn't revealed until the last few seconds, no time for someone to up the bid or even shill you, God forbid. It does save you money. Collecting is an investment as well as a hobby, buy smartly.
The next topic I want to tackle is condition. You can buy Dimestore figures in any condition you like, but I would recommend buying figures with nice paint and no damage, if possible, I know there will be scarce figures you will be lucky to get in any condition. If you follow these paths, you will be a successful Dimestore collector, have a good investment and hopefully enjoy the hobby to the fullest.
Care, Cleaning and Restoration of Lead Figures
One of the first things I do upon receiving new figures is clean the surface area of dust and dirt. After hearing of several methods, I have settled on using a metal protector, such as Armor All. I have never had any adverse effects from using it. Besides cleaning, you get a nice luster when buffing, if you have good paint. It can also be used in cleaning rubber and vinyl figures and vehicles. I generally spray a liberal amount on a q-tip and go to cleaning. If the figure is really dirty, I spray the entire figure and then q-tip it dry. Q-tips do well in crevices and are non abrasive. After I get a good cleaning, I inspect the figure under a bright light using a magnifying glass. I look for cracks, damage or casting variations.
There is no greater enemy to a collector than lead disease, more commonly known as "lead rot" or "lead cancer". Easily identified by the white or grey residue or powder. Corrosion may be so severe as to completely consume the piece. There are many culprits to this condition, but some of the leading causes are high temperatures in an oak cabinet which form high levels of acetic acid, stagnant air in oak cabinets which cause high levels of acetic acid, even if the figures are not touching the wood, high humidity in any cabinet, immersion in water, such as the New Orleans flood. A rule of thumb is, hard woods emit higher levels of acetic acid, but all wood emits some acetic acid, so a non wood cabinet is the best storage solution.
Now for the restoration process for lead figures, use a mixture of 50 percent pure gum spirits of turpentine (not substitute) and 50 percent highly refined medicinal mineral oil. You need some Q-tips for application. Brush off the affected figures, scrape away the rotten areas or powder, apply the solution, gently wipe off excess, and let the figure air dry for seven days. Badly affected figures should actually be immersed in a tub of the solution. The same for hollowcasts, where the lead rot sometimes begins inside the figure.
Packing and shipping 101
One of the most universal problem areas in the Dimestore Hobby is that of packing and shipping. Since I buy as much as I sell, I am continually receiving packages that are unacceptable to any standard. I would probably go as far as to say 35% fall into this category.
Buyers should receive their figures, or anything else for that matter, in the same condition as when it was bought. Meaning sellers do have a responsibility to pack all merchandise to the highest standards.
So both buyers and sellers understand what is acceptable, here is some guidelines.
1. ALWAYS WRAP ALL FIGURES INDIVIDUALLY, YOU MAY GET AWAY WITH ROLLING THEM TOGETHER, BUT DON'T.
2. NEVER PACK FRAGILE FIGURES IN AN ENVELOPE, NO MATTER HOW WELL YOU THINK IT IS WRAPPED, IT IS A CRAPSHOOT.
3. ALWAYS PACK FIGURES IN A BOX WHICH HAS ADEQUATE ROOM FOR PACKING MATERIAL, AND DON'T USE FLIMSY BOXES.
4. WHEN PACKING FIGURES, ALWAYS MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS PACKED TIGHT. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SHAKE YOUR BOX AND HEAR ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
5. MY RECOMMENDATION FOR PACKING MATERIAL IS STYROFOAM PEANUTS, THEY TIGHTEN UP GOOD.
6. TAPE ALL BOX CREASES TO INCREASE RIGIDITY.
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