I Have Them... ALL!

A benchmark should not go unnoticed so once again I interrupt my series of band instruments to bring you this moment in my personal collecting history on bands. As the saying goes -"I have them all!" Yes, after 24 years I have collected all the hollow cast bands Britains‚ made between 1946 (the year I was nine & the beginning of the new line) to 1965 the last year of hollow cast production. Excluding special production sets and unlisted larger sets. The biggest year for renumbered and new sets was 1956 when ten bands were new or reissued. The last issue of hollow cast figures came in 1965 and contained a band in the changing of the guard set 1555/9424 reissued number and was a two tiered wooden box set containing 81 items inside there was a 21 piece band of guards. I obtained this mint in the box set from the original owner back in 2002, who told me he hated the set because his father would only get it out for Christmas and set it on the dining room table for him to look at not play with. What a grinch he was!

I have chosen three sets for this article that have significance to the Britains collector, they are the 1960 version of the unlisted Bahamas Police Band set 2185/86 which came in two sizes 15 pieces and 28 pieces and the 1954 hard to find set 2093 Band of the Royal Berkshire Regiment 25 pcs. The third set is a one of a kind Custom Factory repaint for a client in Toronto Ontario by Eaton's Dept. Stores. The order sheet lists the set as 9154SP Fort Henry Guard Fife & Drums 18 piece plastic drums with decals in which all 12 fifer jackets had extra detailing applied as well as drummers.

I have at the present time 24 hollow cast Britains sets, 2 from childhood early forties with boxes that are not bands, one from the new Britains collection 2002 mounted band and 21 that I have collected since 1980, four are mint boxed, 8 are boxed in varying condition and nine are without original boxes. The condition of the figures runs from good to near mint other than those still tied in the box like set 101 Mounted band of the Life Guards which I acquired back in 1980. Most sets come from two sources auctions which I have attended or bid on line and purchasing mini-collections from the original owners mainly in Canada.
My list of bands consists of the following numerically :

SET 27             Band of the line- 12pcs.
SET 30             Drums & Bugles of the line 5 pcs.
SET 37             Coldstream guards 21pcs.
SET 101           Band of the Life guards mounted 12 pcs.
SET 1291         Band of the Royal Marines 12 pcs.
SET 1301         USA Military band 12 pcs.
SET 1527         R.A.F. Band 12 pcs.
SET 1555         Changing of the Guard 81 pcs.
SET 1720         Band of the Royal Scots Greys mounted 7 pcs.
SET 1722         Pipes and Drums of the Scots Guard 20 pcs.
SET 2090         Band of the Royal Berkshire Regiment 25 pcs. (shown)
SET 2096         Pipes and drums of the Irish Guard 12 pcs.
SET 2110         US. Military band yellow jackets 25 pcs.
SET 2113         Grenadier guards 12 pcs.(Incomplete)
SET 2112         US. Marine corp band - summer dress 24 pcs.
SET 2014         US. Marine corp band winter dress 21 pcs.
SET 2117         US. Military band steel helmets 12 pcs.
SET 2153         Band of the Royal Marines plastic drums 12 pcs.
SET 2185//86   Bahamas Police band 24 pcs. (shown)
SET 9154SP    Fort Henry Guard fifes & drums custom 18 pcs. (shown)

It is my hope that this collection will be sold in total to private or public museum who will retain my name as the collector.

Remember as always, the fun is in the search!

Fort Henry Guard Fife & Drums




Bahamas Police Band set 2185/86

Band of the Royal Berkshire Regiment


The original owner
told me he hated the
set because his father
would only get it out
for Christmas and
set it on the dining
room table for him to
look at not play with.
What a grinch he was!