Small Scale Military Headquarters

I'm looking for good 1:18 scale scenery pieces for displays.
Who makes scenery that complements 1:18 scale figs.

So far I researched the s1 21c playsets and after reading a a recent thread I looked at Playmobil for some houses, i looked at some train scenery in a hobby shop the other day but got caught up on the scales and didn't know what would work best.

My idea's for a display revolve around the ETO either mid to late 1944. So i'm open to all idea's so please share your advice.

The company Build-a-Rama (www.build-a-rama.com) offers some 1:18th scale scenery pieces and accessories that are of top quality - this site is probably your best bet. There are also buildings made by the Pola company for G-scale trains that are a little on the large side for that scale, but work near perfectly with 1:18! I think there is a Pola website, but you can find the products on ebay and at online stores that sell train products. Some board members have also used G-scale tresle bridges in dio projects. The train products can be pricey, however. Recently, members have been raiding the aquarium section of Petsmart stores. The stores have some heavy plastic bridges, temple ruins, palm trees, and other pieces that may be useful (though I'm not sure that palm trees will go with an ETO dio...) Ultimately, however, you may want to go and customize your own buildings. You can find tips on how to do that in the Customs & Mods forum. Hope this helps!

Someone recently mentioned the new playset / building for the pirates of the caribbean toys. They are 1/18 scale. You could use ithe tower without the wheel or even with the wheel as a mill or some such. personally, I would paint it to make it look a little more realistic. its like 28.99 at WM. I figure it will eventually go on clearance, so I am waiting. Also, Check out cheap doll houses, if you have any artistic ability, you can paint them up to look pretty good, especially if you are painting them as partially destroyed, you can get away with a pretty easy paint job. I also came across a little shack thingee with a corrogated roof from "The Corps" for like six bucks on smalljoes.com and took off the maps and notices on the desk and bullatin board and replaced it with german propaganda posters and battle maps, got a cheap doll chair at a dollar store and put a german soldier in it talking on a radio. turned out pretty cool. Lots of stuff are around if you look. check garage sales. I found some cheap wooden doll furniture in a dollar store and busted some of it up and put it in the 21st farm house. Looks more realistic with some furniture strewn around.

If you are looking for trees. Check out "My Daughter's Playtable" on the Custom thread. I bought some trees from WM for my ETO dio. WM sells them during the X-MAS season only. There are trees with snow on them for the Winter dios. You can buy single trees or multi-packs. They'll be out again here about Sept. or Oct. They range from 2" tall to 9" tall.
Kevin.

Has anyone tried the Schleish trees?

Here is a recent yardsale find:


Click on the link above to see it bigger...
Its is a real working fountain that fits perfect in the round fountain playset.
I just took out the tall winged angel and slipped the fountain in the ring.

In the background I have an outhouse from the doll section of hobby lobby. You never know what you can find and where it will be - Look sharp!

Found today at Target a new Playmobil "Safari" set that includes a jungle hut elevated above the ground, similar to what would be used by the Japanese or in Vietnam. Measurements of the hut on the box were appx 10 tall by 14 x 12 base. Looked good in the photo, for $30 you also get a couple of trees and of course the Playmobil people, animals and accessories. This is not my auction, I included it for reference:
http://cgi.ebay.com/PLAYMOBIL-NEW-US-CA ... dZViewItem

Ha! I never thought of that. That's cool.

I made a bid on this playmobil house, maybe I can customize it a bit and use it for an ETO themed display.
What do ya think?

The playmobil website online store (which sells alot of miscelaneous accessories for the toyline) has very similar German-style houses to the one pictured above on sale for $20. Those are old pieces and getting harder to find. My younger brother just bought a few to fill in his Playmobil town

Tman,
I checked out their website and they have some neat stuff.
Does a XD figure fit well within the playmobil houses??

Thanks for the tip!

Razor17019 wrote:Tman,
I checked out their website and they have some neat stuff.
Does a XD figure fit well within the playmobil houses??

Thanks for the tip!

It would be a little on the small side, but it should work. I've seen pictures of boardmembers using the Playmobil Doll House as a building in dioramas.

On a side note, to me its really funny seeing members going after Playmobil. I grew up with it, and have alot. The boats were my all time favorites. They are the origional toyline with "Xtreme Detail" - just look at all the accessories the sets come with! The toys are pretty durable as well. Most of my figures and boats survived "storms" in the pool and rather rough treatment and are still in great shape

i missed out
i'll keep an eye out for other possible buildings

Razor17019 wrote: Does a XD figure fit well within the playmobil houses?

I have a couple of Playmobil buidings that work well and Tman noted they are $20 on the Playmobil site and that is a very good deal! Go for it!

A few other members have some pics posted.

Centone has a pic of 1/18 with Playmobil building and gate on his web link!
http://community.webshots.com/photo/218 ... 6484KrlkaO

And on Morian Miner has a small village:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/394 ... 7415EkOkIz

I'm liking that safari village.

I like the playmobil buildings. They may be undersized, but aren't too bad. Pretty simple way to build up a European town. Like Tman said, they're having a sale on one of them right now online. I recommend picking a few up. The walls are modular, so you can modify the buildings (constant process for me, trying to find the "ideal" config).

Also, Playmobil is going away from the old way the castle and village walls went together, and everything is now that System X stuff, so I think these building may be very hard to get in the future. Hopefully, they come out with new buildings to go with the System X stuff.

Is there any way that safari hut can be used in an ETO scene?? Holland, Italy???

Found a deluxe military set by McFarlane. Came with a modern soldier with an AT-4 missile launcher and RPG. Figure and weapons are too big for XD, but the broken, brick background is perfect! Take a look:




*****
Here is a custom MG emplacment that was made for me by a really talented artist:

Bought the Playmobil Safari set at Target today. Very cool set. My only gripe is the bright green doors and windows, but a good bath in some brown Rit dye took care of that. The building itself has came out before with differnent windows and roof as a western building. With the front porch, its a pretty good size. if you stand one of the IJA figures in front of the door, its a little taller than he is. The accesories are a little small (chairs, table, cots), but still useable.

Also able to justify it by giving all the animals and figures to my kids to play with. So, it worked out real well for me.

playmobil has a good look to it !!

I'm with Razor - the 1/12 stuff can be great. Here are some pieces I got from DT's line (which is a fraction of the cost of McFarlane stuff):

Morian Miner wrote:Bought the Playmobil Safari set at Target today. Very cool set.....With the front porch, its a pretty good size. if you stand one of the IJA figures in front of the door, its a little taller than he is.

Please confirm; the XD IJA figures are a bit shorter than the Playmobil door?!? That's good news

What are IJA figures?
Some of those figures i've not seen before.

I'm probably going to buy some of those playmbil houses after seeing the village setting, Where did the paved road come from?

I just ordered one of these:



$26 and change shipped. 14"x7"x12". Not bad.

bird wrote:What are IJA figures?
Some of those figures i've not seen before.

I'm probably going to buy some of those playmbil houses after seeing the village setting, Where did the paved road come from?

IJA(Imperial Japanese Army) are the Japanese figures that came out about a year or so ago.