The Metal Toy Soldiers of Wm. Hocker, Proprietor





Prior to the age of the internet the principal method of reaching our clientele has been through advertisements in magazines. These have included the Old Toy Soldier Newsletter (now the Old Toy Soldier and under new management), the Toy Soldier Review (now only online), the short-lived British Toy Soldier Parade, the colorful British Toy Soldier & Model Figure and finally the Mini-Soldier Gazette (now extinct). Lest these efforts disappear into the mists of time, we here present a few of the many ads done over the last 20 years.


The First Advertisement First appearance: Old Toy Soldier Newsletter October 1983
Done just prior to our first visit to the OTSN show, at which the first 5 Wm Hocker sets were displayed. It is not one of our more exceptional pieces of graphic design.
The Boer War OTSN August 1985
Typical early new lines ad from the 1980's.
A Small History of the Victorian Army OTSN June 1990
By this time it had become our immodest goal to document history of the Victorian Army in Toy Soldiers. As this ad makes obvious it would be a Herculean task - the Victorian Army was fighting in some corner of the world every year of Victoria's 64 year reign, often several corners at once. Settling on only the more major campaigns, we have still not been up to the task. Perhaps in the future we can return to the Opium Wars, the Sikh Wars, and, together with our history of the American Army, the Boxer Rebellion.
Toy Soldiers That Are Still Toys Toy Soldier Review Spring 1991
The major theme of the Wm Hocker line.

 

British Expeditionary Force Toy Soldier Parade Summer 1992
This ad was created to be run once in the short-lived British Toy Soldier Parade just prior to the first visit to Norman Joplin's British Toy Soldier Show. The photo was used more effectively in another ad at the end of the decade.

 

The Imperial Durbar OTSN October 1994
A typical new items ad for the 1990's
An Old Toy Soldiers' Soldiers Mini-Soldier Gazette Fall 1999
The collapse of communism after 1989 had interesting consequences for the toy soldier world. The newly commercial Russians fed a now affordable taste for "connoisseur" figures, led by the St. Petersburg line, and the liberated Chinese industries began mass producing figures in semi-connoisseur style, with Britains, King&Country, Frontline and the newcomer Conté flooding the market in goods. This ad was aimed at that influx (hopefully with enough tongue in cheek from our humble position not to damage my friendships in the industry.)
The American Century OTSN Winter 1999
A recognition of the new millennium and our continued drift toward American rather than British subjects.
For a big world of stress...a small world of relief. OTSN Winter 2001
Although originally conceived in response to the economic downturn of the new millennium, it ended up coming out just after the the events of 9/11. It is the first color ad and the first using a digitally generated image.
War in Afghanistan! A little historical perspective. OTSN Spring 2002
The war in Afghanistan following 9/11,while satisfying in the feeling that something was being done in response, also brought reminders to students of history that major world powers have had little lasting success in their encounters with the militant hill tribes of the Hindu Kush.
OTSN and MSG Fall 2002.
Some people never grow up...Thank goodness. OTSN and MSG Fall 2003. Our 20th year as makers and purveyors of toy soldiers.

Since 1983