What was your first set of 1/72 figures?

[Kelmi]

Airfix French Infantry 1980

[Erich von Manstein]

The back then brand new Matchbox Afrika Korps may actually not have been my first figures, but among my earliest sets the one I remember most blissfully.
They (& some other Matchbox sets) were a bright example of what was already possible those days and a early clue of things to come (Esci, Revell & Italeri till recent Zvezda, Pegasus & Caesar).
Imho a perceptible improvement compared to many Airfix & Atlantic figures or the customary Hong Kong knockoffs at that time.
Although being on the very small side and slightly flat, their WWII Japanese & ANZACs are still among my all time faves.

[GumSmith]

Airfix, what else ! French foreingn Legion and US Cavalry.
Most of them get lost in the Sahara ( sandbox in our neighborhood.. )

Cheers Oke

[Emperor]

As I said first was Pavlovski grenadiers from Italeri...Second French infantry from Italeri...Third British artilery from Italeri...

[Graeme]

Airfix Japanese infantry for me, in the early 60,s
I went on to buy nearly every set Airfix made.

[Michael Robert]

Well, I share my memories.
Mine were Airfix Scots at Waterloo and Amercians from AWI, somewhere 72 or 73. I continued buying nearly all Airfix sets and later also Matchbox and Atlantic. Then, I lost most in the garden war playgrounds and later sold (or better gave away) the rest. Started again somewhere around 2002 with Italeri French Napoleonic staff, again the Scots and Russians (Pavlov).
Similar to many of us here
Michael

[Germanicus]

Italeri Roman Infantry and cavalry, and Italeri Gaul warriors and cavalry, as a Christmas gift from my history nerd of a father when I was 6 years old...

[pipers]

Atlántic. Custer

[Bluefalchion]

Airfix US Paratroopers.

Somewhere in the mid-1970s.

[Santi Pérez]

Airfix Waterloo French Imperial Guard, also in the mid-70s.

Santi.

[Egbert]

Airfix US.Cavalry and Confederate Infantry…
I think it was 1969!

[steve_pickstock]

My first set was the Airfix Civil war sets. But at that time the figures were de-sprued an came in a cotton bag with a draw string. I think these may have not have been directly from Airfix themselves but sold on and re-packaged. There were blue and grey in the bag so you had two forces. This would be around 1963 (ish)
Soon after that Airfix 8th Army, Afrika Korps and European German sets all joined the ranks, and got lost in the sandpit behind the shed. the rest as they say, is history.

[Minuteman]

My first set was the Airfix Infantry Combat Group. This would have been around 1969/70. It's great to see these tiny and very basic British WW2 infantry being given a new lease of life in one of Harry's recent posts!

Soon after this In the early 1970s - while I was just starting to build a collection of Airfix Napoleonics - my friend next door inherited quite a lot of the Airfix WW1 range in their original first edition) boxes; I went 'round and we spent a happy hour having a good look at what Airfix were giving us to 're-fight the Somme'.

There is something about that very old Airfix packaging that brings back lots of good memories from long ago.

[Iceman1964]

It was 1969, I was 5 years old. Atlantic Italian army by sure, but I don't remember precisely which one (bersaglieri? Alpini ? Sailors ?) . In few years I had all Atlantic and many Airfix.
The restart in 2010 with the just released French Courassiers Zvezda.

[Iceman1964]

terrible error, I just checked on Plastic Soldier Review, Atlantic started in 1972, so it was not 1969 ..... but I'm justified, it was one millenium ago

[wilberforcefrog]

My first set is the one I posted here!, the caesar Egyptians! I was more used to 28mm miniatures before that, but I am coming to prefer these little guys.

[Kaiphranos]

I'm not quite sure what were the first sets I owned, but some of the first I tried painting were Revell's Aztecs and Conquistadors. (I was probably 10 or 11 at the time?) I no longer have those particular figures, but I did end up revisiting the Aztecs earlier this year.

[Hobbyinovator]

OK a rummage of the attic turned up these figures. The British commandos were part of a beach assault kit I bought at Woolworth's 5 & 10 in 1974. Didn't like the DUK or the plastic trench so they went by the way side. Such is the mind of a 10 year old. These were the first figures I ever bought with my own money, which when you consider how cheap I am, explains why I still have them. Don't know when I got the rest (Africa Corp and WWI Germans) but I don't think it was long after.

The very same, plus lots more inherited from my father and my uncle. The first sets bought by myself was probably the Matchbox WW2 Brits or Germans.

[Zed1]

I guess it was ESCI British light dragoons - I'm not so sure, because I collected all of these ESCI sets back when I was 13/14 years old. And I have none of these figures left, I'm afraid.

[stormy54]

Still got them somewhere, just can't recall where somewhere is...
1:72 scale Airfix WW2 German Infantry (48), mid 60's, Airfix British Infantry, Africa Korp, 8th Army and others.
U.S Marines (now being repurposed for Stargrave and other wargame military)