Painted or Unpainted? Gloss Toy Soldiers vs. Kit Figures at Tradition of London Shop

Tradition of London Shop sells 54mm toy soldiers in two main forms: 54mm in Gloss, which are finished figures painted in a glossy toy-soldier style, and 54mm Kit Unpainted, which are unpainted kits you finish yourself. Both are organised under the same historical themes, so the same subject (Napoleonic, Zulu War, American Civil War, and so on) usually appears in both ranges. Choose gloss if you want a display-ready figure; choose the kit if you want to paint and assemble the figure yourself.

The two ranges at a glance

What the Gloss range covers

The 54mm Gloss catalogue is the shop's broadest finished-figure offering. Its subject list runs from medieval foot and mounted knights and the Battle of Agincourt 1415 through the English Civil War, Marlborough and Blenheim, the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, the French and Indian War, the Seven Years War, the American War of Independence on both sides, the Napoleonic Wars (British, Royal Navy, Royal Marines, French and Prussian), the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny of 1857, the American Civil War, the American Indian Wars, the Zulu War of 1879, the Imperial German Army of 1900, World War I, Lawrence of Arabia, and present-day guards such as the Danish Royal Guard, Gibraltar Regiment and Swedish Palace Guards. There are also non-military subjects: civilian figures, Guards of London, The Three Musketeers, the Vasa Warship, Sherlock Holmes, and fairy-tale pieces such as the Steadfast Tin Soldier.

What the Kit Unpainted range covers

The 54mm Kit Unpainted section mirrors much of the same ground — medieval knights, Agincourt, the Vasa Warship, the English Civil War, Blenheim, the Jacobite Rebellion, the French and Indian War, the Seven Years War, the AWI, Napoleonic British, French and Prussian troops, the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, the American Civil War, the American Indian Wars, Sherlock Holmes, the Zulu War, and British and Indian Army figures from 1879–1910. It also includes subjects specific to the kit line, such as Camerone and Danjous Last Stand 1863. Because the theme names match the gloss catalogue, you can look up a period in one range and check whether the same subject exists in the other.

Practical points before you order

• Painting supplies are a separate line item. The shop lists AV Vallejo Model Colour paint, along with magazines and books, wooden plinths and bases, and glass domes (20–150mm). A kit purchase does not include paint, so budget for it if you are starting from scratch.
• Bases and display. Wooden plinths, bases and glass domes are sold in the miscellaneous section — useful for either range, but especially relevant if you are building a painted collection from kits.
• Spare parts exist for both scales. The catalogue lists 54mm spare parts and 90mm spare parts, which matters if a kit part is damaged or you want to convert a figure.
• Other scales and makers. Beyond 54mm, the shop carries 80mm, 90mm and 110mm model soldiers, plus CBG Mignot figures, Del Prado Collection, Steadfast Soldiers, Tradition Scandinavia, and 25mm/30mm wargame ranges (including Clive Knight and Holger Eriksson). If you are choosing a scale rather than a finish, compare these before settling on 54mm.

How to decide

Pick 54mm in Gloss if the figure is for display or a gift and you do not want to paint. Pick 54mm Kit Unpainted if the painting and assembly are the point of the hobby, or if you want to customise uniforms and finishes. If you are unsure about a specific subject, search the same period name in both catalogue sections — the parallel naming makes the comparison straightforward.