Toy Soldiers
One of the great toys of my life was a set of toy soldiers my Daddy gave me when I was about 7 or 8.
Daddy was an FBI agent and was often away from home, usually just 2 or 3 days, but on one occasion he was gone for a couple of weeks. I was thrilled to see him when he finally came home, but he brought me a special present, a set of lead WWII toy soldiers. There were about a dozen – some with bazookas, some with grenades, some with M1 rifles. They were heavy and sturdy, and hand painted in great detail.
In the 50s, the country was still consumed by WWII. When young boys played, we played Army or maybe Air Force. We flocked to the old Army/Navy stores where they sold surplus war equipment – knapsacks, Army blankets and even bayonets
My toy soldiers occupied countless hours as I set up imaginary battles and strategic positions. I had a Fort Apache set and my soldiers kept guard there.
I don’t know what happened to that set of soldiers, but if I had them today and they were still in good condition, they would sell – not for hundreds of dollars – but thousands as they are highly collectible.
In fact, the most valuable toy soldier, a1963 GI prototype was sold in 2003 for $200,000.
I played and played with those and other soldiers, until I discovered baseball and basketball. Then, the soldiers were honorably discharged and relegated to the toy chest. But in their day, they were among my closest friends.
