Luigi Toiati cannot remember a time before he collected toy soldiers. He has a massive collection but doesn't keep count. He was a professional figure painter for 45 years, starting his career in London, working for his close friend Edward Suren, creator of the famous Willie brand of soldiers. In 1987 he began making his own soldiers, founding Garibaldi & Co. Toy Soldiers. A familiar figure on the toy soldier show circuit, he and his collection have been mentioned in various books on the subject, and he has himself written numerous articles on related matters. He has a degree in Sociology and a deep interest in Semiotics (the study of signs). He now lives in his native Rome with Monica, his wife and co-founder of their marketing research agency, Focus srl www.focusresearch.it).
James Opie is the toy soldier consultant to Bonham's auctioneers and recognized as one of the world's leading experts on the subject. He has a very significant collection of his own, which he has been building since childhood. For over a quarter of a century, until his recent retirement, James Opie was also editor and buyer for the Military and Aviation Book Society and various other book clubs. He has written seven previous books on various aspects of toy soldier collecting.
