“The habit of collecting more or less valuable objects is as old as the human kind. It corresponds to a need which can be found even in some animal species, and it belongs to a deep level of the human psyche.”
“It is an unconscious form of defense against the excessive leveling of taste, preferences, and habits forced upon us by everyday life. In particular, in the case of toys, there is a well established need to possess as many of them as possible, so as to be in the position of claiming possession of a treasure unknown to others. (…)”
Regardless of the deep needs generating the desire of possessing and preserving objects, collecting represents a more developed stage of such an unconscious and unstoppable desire.
To approach the collecting of toy soldiers requires the background of a sufficiently sophisticated historical culture, which may facilitate the understanding of the various socio-cultural aspects of their origins.
The admiration of the layman for the martial aspect of an ordered group of toy soldiers is undeniable. Particularly interesting in this respect is the collection by Gianluigi Testi, from Padova. It is organized in dioramas at the private museum in Ponte di Brenta, and it contains more than fifteen thousand pieces. It truly provides a total tridimensional immersion into military and civil history. Many productions, in particular during the 20th century, contained figures representing scenes from everyday life, such as foxhunting at Vienna’s Prater, or religious processions, hikes to the Mount Blanc, entire English villages (including the traditional village idiot), zoos, and, particularly impressive, circuses.
Collections such as these come side by side with the purist’s acquisitions, much smaller as far as quantity of pieces goes, but particularly interesting because of the degree of precision with which they are realized. Many experts in this field spend a long time in detailed studies before they realize one of their figures.
The criteria, of English origin but widely used, for a primary classification of collectionists are based largely on the object of their interest: the lovers of ‘toy soldiers’, with their shiny details and the imprecise form, and the collectors of ‘model soldiers’, very well defined in shape and color.
In between, one can find those who concern themselves with the ‘connoisseur’ series, as in recent productions in this spirit. These are figures which are qualitatively superior to ‘toy soldiers’, yet not as sophisticated as ‘model soldiers’.
A last, elitist group comprehends those who devote themselves exclusively to unique pieces, sometimes produced by famous artisans and artists, which have little to do with the traditional figures, and more with true works of art.

Text by Andrea Masotti - Translation by Stefano Predelli

Notes (text):
1. R. Togni, Storia del collezionismo, Trento 1991, p.18.
2. M. Alberini, Collezionare i soldatini, Novara 1979, p.259.

Notes (pictures):
1. Gurkha Rifles, “Toy Army Workshop” production, 1996, metallic alloy, 54mm, coll. A. Masotti.
2. Roman Knight, “Andrea Miniatures” casting, 1995, metallic alloy, 54mm, coll. L. Segna.
3. World of Dickens, "King & Country" production, 1997, metallic alloy, 54mm, coll. A. Masotti.