PITTSBURGH - Ray Haradin's Old Toy Soldier Auctions operates in a world of miniature antiques, but prices on top lots were strictly big league in the company's May 1 auction featuring the collections of John Graham (part III), brothers Bill and Don Thompson, and other consignors.

"At $229,000 with 99 percent of the lots sold, it was, by far, our best sale to date," said Haradin. "I was thrilled with the result."

The 645-lot auction inventory featured an extraordinary toy soldier collection that was established in the 1940s by two brothers from Chicago, Don and (the late) Bill Thompson. When their family moved to California in 1947, the boys' carefully wrapped and boxed toys made the journey as well, but they would remain in quiet storage until 2009, when they were unwrapped and assessed for auction purposes.

PITTSBURGH – Collectors of antique toy soldiers and figures have long known that good things come in small packages, and that ever-growing legion of enthusiasts helped push the total for Old Toy Soldier’s Nov. 21 auction to $193,000 – the company’s highest sale total to date. Leading the charge in the 644-lot sale was an army of figures from the German manufacturer Heyde (pronounced “High-dee”).  

“The Heyde lots really got the momentum going,” said Old Toy Soldier Auction USA’s owner, Ray Haradin. “There was a tremendous amount of interest in them, and in all the German-made figures, for that matter.”  

Haradin explained that collectors are attracted to Heyde figures because they are highly realistic and do not look mass produced. “Their sets are very fanciful. They tend to have 20 pieces in them, with all 20 being different, so they display very nicely. Also, Heyde made their figures in a larger scale than Britains did, so they tend to cross over more with toy and train collectors.” 

PITTSBURGH – Ray Haradin’s Toys of Yesteryear has announced the availability of the new 76-page fixed-price sales catalog featuring Part II of the esteemed John Graham Collection of Britains and other antique and vintage miniature figures.

The full-color catalog features an extensive selection of 18th- and 19th-century military and civilian figures by the premier manufacturer W. Britain & Sons and several other companies whose miniature figures, toys and boxed sets are in great demand with today’s collectors. Spanish and French productions are included in the John Graham Collection, including a number of rarities by Mignot.

The fine folks at Round 5, creators of the official MMA action figure collection, sent us these images of new figures just now hitting retail shelves near you. The latest release includes the classically styled Round 5 treatment for Andrei Arlovsky, Big John McCarthy, Frank Mir, and Antonio Nogueira. They're all part of the new Series 3. Check 'em out below the jump.