A lot has happened in the 4 years since I last updated this blog! Lots of things in general and lots of things related to Discworld.  When I first began this blog it was because I felt there was a lack of easily accessible information on the web about Clarecraft and their pieces.  Thankfully with the growth of Facebook groups this has changed. The Discworld Collectors Guild page on Facebook is a good source of information and a good place to buy and sell items.  The Collectors Guild Archive has a wealth of information about the huge range of merchandise available.

I have pretty much stopped buying pieces, although I did invest in a Miss Level recently.  She is amazing and I will put pics up at a later date. I have even sold several pieces, my Dragons, Chess Set and Death on a Motorcycle.  I have a distinct lack of space to display pieces and so decided to reduce my collection to pieces that I love and that I can display. I have a long way to go however.  After selling these pieces I put the money back into more Discworld stuff, proving that I haven’t lost the bug. I have developed a taste for the Paul Kidby Limited Edition books.  I will of course write about these and put pics up. I am currently waiting for a Limited Edition Good Omens. Not the Celestial Edition of 24, priced at £6,666. I didn’t sell that many pieces!!

Even though I haven’t updated the blog in so long I have still had people sending me emails and enquiries and I answer every one. I really like hearing from other collectors and answering questions.

I’m hoping to make posts about the Limited Edition Kidbys and the Unreal Estate by Bernard Pearson.  I do still intend to cover the Clarecraft pieces I’ve missed but I need to remind myself what I’ve covered.  As ever, most of my collection is boxed up somewhere so each blog post involves a lot of time grubbing about in the attic trying to avoid the spiders. 8 years since I started this blog, 8 years in which so much has changed and it appears the only thing that hasn't changed is my inability to display my collection!!! Oh, and I still haven't had 'Shins' repaired! (See Bitten by the Pratchett Bug entry).

The End

Well, as everyone will be aware, Terry passed away this week.  Even though we all knew in the abstract that this day would come, facing it has still been a bit of a shock. 

This is not the end of this blog, I have many more items I want to cover.  I have spent 2 years trying to do this blog on an Ipad which frankly is no fun at all.  However, I am now the proud owner of a laptop so hopefully I can start back up again (in between caring for my toddler, going to work, going to the gym and all the other hobbies and interests I have!!).  I want this blog to carry on though, I enjoy writing it and I enjoy the opportunity to talk about Discworld.  It gives me an excuse to 'play' with my collection which sadly, spends so much time boxed up and shut away.  It allows me to 'live' in the Discworld realm. 

I shed tears when Clarecraft closed, I shed tears when Terry announced his embuggerance and I shed tears when I heard he was gone.  There are many Terry quotes that were appropriate and I know if you have found yourself here that you know them all already. Suffice to say that Terry lives on in blogs, facebook groups, forums and in the collections of people like me, and you. His ripples go on.


Goodnight Sir Terry, Rest in Peace

Ankh Morpork (so good they called it Ankh Morpork)

In this entry I'm going to cover figurines loosely based around Ankh Morpork. Characters, buildings and artefacts. This is only for the pieces I havent covered so far or those pieces that don't fit into a specific set on their own eg wizards, watch.
DW21 The Tankard From The Mended Drum
The Tankard was introduced after Terry requested that some smaller items were made available at a lower price so more fans could afford them. It was introduced at the same time as the potion bottles (see Witches). This piece was modelled on a tankard borrowed from a pub called the Gardeners Arms, local to the factory.
This was sculpted by Bernard and introduced in February 1991. It was retired in August 2001 and 2362 were sold. The 1st RRP was £10.11 and on retirement it cost £14.95. Top price paid is a reasonable £30. It looks a very tactile piece to me (and I love tactile) but for some reason I never got round to owning one. These were available in pewter and bronze finishes but there are no records of any being sold in these finishes.
The quote is from The Colour of Magic
"No - this was still the interior of the Drum, its walls stained with smoke, its floor a compost of old rushes and nameless beetles, its sour beer not so much purchased as merely hired for a while."

DW31 Gaspode the Wonder Dog
Gaspode features in 3 figurines surprisingly. He is featured in a Collectors edition with Death (DWC134) and an Event piece with Laddie from Moving Pictures (DWE16). These have both been covered in their respective sections. The remaining piece is just Gaspode on his own. He is shown scratching himself. He is often to be found scratching due to the host of doggy (and sheep) diseases he harbours! Gaspode has had loose affiliations with various different characters but after a while he sort of defaults to the Beggars. He becomes Rons' thinking brain dog and often speaks for him.
This piece was introduced in 1992 and was available until closure. His RRP was a very reasonable £12.95. He tends to sell for around this figure. He was sculpted by Leigh. I do not own this figure so do not have the tent card quote.


DW32 Teppic the Assassin
There is a whole set of figurines based around the book Pyramids. I debated whether to include Teppic the Assassin in that section. But I decided against it as I feel the assassin character is more tied to the city and the others were all released as a set. This one was introduced singly and first. There is only one version of this piece, however, the layers of paint necessary to get the required finish mean that no two pieces look exactly alike.
I really like my Teppic piece. There was a time when they were quite sought after. He is very detailed, down to the knives in his boots and the buckles on his holsters. He has a little moustache which gives him an air of Errol Flynn.
It was sculpted by Leigh and introduced in late 1992. He was retired in May 1998 and 1859 were sold. His first RRP was £25.12 and he retired at £34.99. Top price paid is recorded as £89, as I say there was a time he was sought after, I'm not sure that figure is always achievable.
The quote is from Pyramids
"He examined himself critically. The outfit had cost him his last penny and was heavy on the black silk. ........He opened the black box and took out his rings and slipped them on. Another box held kives of Klatchian steel, their blades darkened with lamp black. Various cunning and intricate devices were taken from velvet bags and dropped into pockets."
I love this quote. Particularly as if you read on he loads himself up with an inordinate amount of stuff and then, after checking himself in his mirror. Falls over!!

DW35 C.M.O.T. Dibbler
There are 2 Dibbler figurines. Dibbler was originally sculpted with his dragon detectors however it was felt that he should really be shown in his sausage inna bun guise. Therefore he was resculpted and dragon detectors was saved as a special event piece (DW35S, covered in special event pieces section). DW35 is the general sale Dibbler and is shown with his tray. He was sculpted by Leigh and introduced in February 1994 and was available until closure. The RRP was £29.50.
The quote is from Guards! Guards!
"Get your pig sausages, five for two dollars! said Throat, who never let a conversation stand in the way of trade."

DW37 Lord Vetinari the Patrician
The Patrician of Ankh Morpork. Lord Havelock Vetinari. I do like this character, specifically his interactions with Vimes. Stephen Briggs played Vetinari in early amateur productions and it is his version that the Clarecraft Vetinari is based on. The initial piece sent to Terry for approval looked slightly too much like Stephen so he asked that the figure was made more austere, that a skull cap was added and that the hairline was made to recede.
There are 2 versions of this piece. Mark 1 is known as the Cloakless Vetinari. Vetinari is shown sitting in a chair with his dog Wuffles at his side. The back of the chair had an open back. This caused issues with mould life so in July 1995 the decision was made to add a cloak to the back of the chair, hiding the gap. About 300 of the originals were sold before it was changed. I'm not sure where my cloaked version is. Just imagine a black cloak slung over the back of the chair!!
The piece was sculpted by Leigh Pamment. It went on sale in February 1995 and retired in February 2002 (after one change in 1995). 2228 were sold with around 300 of these being the Mark 1 'Cloakless' versions.
The RRP remained at £29.95 throughout its availability, top price recorded for a Mark 1 is around £300. They do go for considerably less as it is one of those rarities that most collectors are unaware of or have forgotten about.
The quote on the card is from Guards! Guards!
"You need a special kind of mind to rule a city like Ankh Morpork and Lord Vetinari had it. But then, he was a special kind of person."

DW47 & DW47W The Mended Drum
The Mended Drum and Bridge Over The Ankh are 2 buildings related to the city. Grannys Cottage was another similar flat back piece that came in two finishes. This is covered in the Witches section. The Drum is the smaller of the two pieces. It was sculpted by Bernard Pearson and introduced in February 1995. There were two versions of this piece. One in a painted finish and one in a wood finish. As ever the wood finish was intended to make the piece more affordable as the detailed painting made them quite expensive. The painted version was available till closure but the wooden version was retired in February 2002 due to lack of sales. 239 wooden effect pieces were sold. There are no numbers sold for the painted pieces. The RRP of the wooden one was £24.95 throughout its availability. The RRP for the painted version was £59.95.
The quote for the piece is from Sourcery
"The Drum jealously guarded its reputation as the most stylishly disreputable tavern in Ankh Morpork..."

DW48 & DW48W Bridge Over The Ankh
DW48 is not a building but a collection of buildings. In keeping with AnkhMorpork being almost medieval the bridges in the city have houses on them. The bridge is a large and heavy piece and was again offered in a painted and wooden finish. The painted ones were available until closure and the wooden ones were again retired early due to low sales.
This was sculpted by Bernard and introduced in February 1995. The wooden finish was retired in February 2002 and 229 wooden finishes were sold. The RRP was £29.99 from start to finish. The RRP of the painted piece was £79.99, a huge difference from the wooden version. There was no quote on the tent card of this piece.

Wooden version

Painted version

Beggars
I am covering the beggars here. They are a discrete group so in theory I could cover them as a whole entry but again I feel they are of the city.
DW74 Foul Ole Ron
Foul Ole Ron is the head of our little gang of reprobates. He was the first beggar that Clarecraft made. He was introduced in early 1997. He was retired in February 2003. Ron was losing Clarecraft 7% on each figure sold. The RRP was £29.95. He was sculpted by Joe Pattison. I do have this figure, I must admit it was a gift and I'm really not keen at all. I'm having a clearout soon. I have never sold a figurine but I think Ron and the Duck Man will be rehomed. I will never buy the other beggars so there seems no point in keeping them. The retirement of the beggars was announced in August 2002. At the end of that month 648 Rons had been sold. All the beggars finally retired in February 2003 so there was plenty of warning and shops did stock up so the final number maybe much higher. Sadly I have no final numbers sold.
The quote is from Hogfather
"You posh, Ron?"
"Buggrit."
"Yep. Sounds posh to me."

The final three beggars were all released together in February 2000 as it was felt Ron was getting lonely. All four beggars including Ron were retired in February 2003. Lots of notice was given and lots of shops stocked up. I have no final numbers sold but I do have figures for how many had been sold up until the end of August 2002.
DW112 Coffin Henry
The RRP for this piece was £27.50. Numbers sold by end of August 2002 was 356. I do not have the quote for this piece.
DW113 The Duck Man
The RRP for this piece was £27.50. Numbers sold by end of August 2002 was 390. He was sculpted by Joe pattison.
The quote is from hogfather.
"'The Goose was good,' said the Duck Man, picking his teeth.
'I'm surprised you et it, what with that duck on your head,' said Coffin Henry, picking his nose.
'What duck?' said the Duck Man


DW114 Arnold Sideways
The RRP of this piece was £27.50. Numbers sold by end of August 2002 was a very low 221. I do not have the quote for this piece.

This is a picture of all four beggars taken from the newsletter. Coffin Henry is the one in blue and Arnold Sideways is the one sat down.

DW164 The Golden Statue
This is the statue from the Ankh Morpork Post Office in Going Postal. This was another of the last pieces produced before closure. It was only available from May 2005 until October 2005. There are no numbers sold but again it is likely to be low. This rarely comes up for sale. It is possible that people preferred to spend their money on characters they liked that were made at the same time (the Monstrous Regiment trio, Ponder Stibbons or Vetinari for example). The statue is shown complete with all his wings. I do not know the quote for the piece. It was sculpted by Joe Pattison.

DW165 Lord Vetinari Standing
This was one of the last pieces produced by Clarecraft, introduced after May 2005 and retired on closure later that year. This is another of the last batch of pieces that I bought, its a very simple and elegant piece. It was sculpted by Joe Pattison. The piece was inspired by a photo taken of Stephen Briggs at the Discworld 21st birthday party. I have included this photo taken from the newsletter for comparison. I have no numbers sold for this as it was retired on closure however, as it was available for such a short time it is safe to say that it will be limited. It has made significant sums since however the last one sold on ebay went for £92. That's the first time I have seen it go for below £100.
The quote for this piece is from Going Postal
"With his hands steepled reflectively in front of his pursed lips, was Havelock, Lord Vetinari, under whose idiosyncratically despotic rule Ankh Morpork had become the city where, for some reason, everyone wanted to live."

DW170 Wax Seal of Ankh Morpork
This is another Going Postal related item. It is a lovely piece styled to look like a wooden stamp. It has Property of AMPO written around the handle. On the bottom is the Ankh Morpork crest in pewter. I really like this little piece, it is another tactile one. It was one of the last pieces released and retailed for the bargain price of £13.49. It was sculpted by Joe Pattison and there is no quote for this piece. Shortly after the factory closed this little piece became greatly sought after and reached £127!! It has been a while since appeared but it is probably unlikely to make that kind of money again.

Posted with Blogsy

Musicians and Soldiers!!

Trolls

I have had this entry sitting in Blogsy for almost a year. I kept meaning to get the pieces out to photograph and it never happened. In my defence in the last 12 months I have got married and had a baby so I have been busy!
I got the figurines out to photograph. I found my Band with Rocks In easily enough as they live at the top of the stairs. I knew Jade would be a challenge as I put her safely in her box and into the cupboard when I put my figurines away. I have since changed my bedroom furniture and have found that for the time being Jade is completely inaccessible. Rather than delay this entry any longer I decided to just leave photos out until I can get them. I found Polly in the cupboard but Igorina was nowhere to be seen. Igorina came in several parts so I must have boxed her up and put her away so I didn't lose any. I will endeavour to get them photographed and added on though.
This entry was going to be all about the Troll characters that have made it into figurines. As I was noting the various Troll characters I realised that I have already covered most of them. Detritus in Armour was covered in the Watch section and the Ruby and Detritus bookends were covered in…. Bookends and Event Pieces. This left me with Lias Bluestone and Jade from Monstrous Regiment. Therefore I decided to make this section about the Band with Rocks in and the Monstrous Regiment trio instead!

The Band with Rocks in

These guys feature in the first Discworld book I ever read, Soul Music. They do not feature in any other books. They are 3 broke musicians who meet when they try to join the Musicians Guild. Imp finds a strange instrument in a strange music shop and finds that he is able to play it instantly, he seems possessed by the instrument. The instrument bears more than a passing resemblance to a roundworld guitar and so Imp becomes the front man. He was previously a harpist in his native Llamedos. Lias is good at banging stones together and so obviously morphs into the drummer. Glod can play the horn and makes up the final member of the band who freely admits to being in it for the money!
The book is fun as due to its obvious parallels with the roundworld there are lots and lots of references to popular culture. I won't list any of these save to say that my favourite relates to the new boy in the fish shop being ‘elvish’.

Imp Y Celyn DW81
Imp is from Llamedos, the rainy land which is more welsh than Wales! Populated by druids, it is a place where music is important. Llamedos is Sodemall backwards. A trick inspired by Dylan Thomas Under Milk Wood which is set in the fictional Llareggub. I have welsh roots and my house has a name plate with Llamedos on. Chiefly because when I bought my house it was the first house I had ever owned and my feeling when I shut the door was Sodemall!! Most people think it is something to do with my Welsh roots which suits me!

Imp’s full name is translated from Welsh roughly as Bud of Holly. So naturally he gets called Buddy. In the piece he has a distinctly 50’s rock and roll look with his dark hair in a quiff leaning back playing his guitar.

The RRP for Imp was £24.95.
The quote for Imp is from Soul Music
"Buddy’s eyes snapped open suddenly. ‘Let’s rock,’ he whispered."


Lias Bluestone DW82
Lias is the rhythm section of the band. He initially starts out just banging rocks together but later he develops an actual drum kit. Lias also changes his name, choosing to be known as Cliff, despite being told by others that noone by that name would last in the music business!!

The piece of Lias comes in 2 parts. Lias himself with his hands up, clearly mid drum and the drum set itself. He is wearing dark glasses. The RRP for Lias was £44.95.

The quote for Lias is from Soul Music
"’Let’s give ‘em "The Wizard’s Staff", then,’ said Glod.’ That always breaks the ice.’ ‘OK,’ said the troll. He counted on his fingers. ‘One, two…one, two, many, lots.’"

Glod Gloddson DW83

Glod seems to be less bothered by fame, stating clearly he is in it for the money and trying to direct the others to achieve this. I love that when they play a gig and are expected to be pelted with veg, Glod brings a string bag so as not to waste anything! A lovely detail on the Glod and Imp pieces are the pieces of fruit on the ground around them.
The pieces do not seem to be completely in proportion with each other but they do make a nice set. I have them arranged on a shelf with Lias at the back and the other 2 arranged either side of the drum kit. The RRP for Glod was £24.95.

The quote for Glod is from Soul Music
"He was small, even for a dwarf. A large bronze horn lay across his knees…’I can blow anything,’ said Glod."

Value wise Glod and Imp are fairly standard small figures. Prices between £30-£50. Obviously Lias is a larger piece and can make up to £80.
I do have numbers sold but my paperwork has been put away. Will update shortly!
All three pieces were retired in February 2005 and were introduced in around 1999.

Monstrous Regiment

Monstrous Regiment is another book that features characters that don’t resurface in later books. It follows a group of recruits who turn out to be females disguised as boys. I do like this book. The characters are generally appealing and the story goes along nicely.

This was one of the last books that Clarecraft was able to draw inspiration from. I do wish that more could have been made from the book. I really like the character of Jackrum, the rotund Sgt in charge of the recruits. ‘You are my little lads and I will look after you’. Various characters from Ankh Morpork appear including Vimes, Wililam De Worde and Otto Chriek. Each of them brings something to the story, reminding the reader that a war does not just affect the countries and armies involved, but has repercussions in the wider world. Especially a world that has been made smaller by the introduction of the clacks.
These pieces were among the final ones produced by Clarecraft. They were introduced after May 2005 and retired in October 2005 when Clarecraft closed.
I didn’t buy all of the final pieces but I did buy these three because I really liked them. All of these pieces were introduced in 2005 and retired later that year when the factory shut. I have no idea of numbers sold and there are no variations of these pieces.

Polly DW167
Polly is the first character we meet in the book. She cuts off her hair and is disappointed that that is all she really needs to do to look like a boy! She has however practised and prepared to pass as a boy and is very successful initially.
Polly is a relatively small figure resplendent in her red uniform with her shako and sword and pack on her back. She had an RRP of £45.00 and has made in excess of £100. The 2 most recent sold on ebay however have reached more modest prices of £66 and £77.50. There are no numbers sold available for these pieces but anecdotally Polly is the figurine that most often appears on ebay. Polly was sculpted by Mark Ayling.
The quote is
"No, sir. I was a – I am a girl, and I cut my hair and pretended I was a boy and took the Duchess’s Shilling, sir."

Jade DW168
Jade is my favourite of the three. Jade (AKA Carborundum) is the troll in the group. This is a large piece and was an expensive piece to buy new. The detail on her is just amazing and she is a lovely piece. She was sculpted by Joe Pattison.
The quote is
"It looked like a boulder that had spent centuries in the damp pine forests. Lichen covered it. Stringy grey moss hung in curtains from its head and its chin. It had a bird’s nest in one ear."
This piece was expensive due to her sheer size, this also made her the rarest of the three as people had to make hard choices about which of the final pieces they wanted to spend their money on. I recall that she was about £80, she has obviously made far in excess of this however. She has appeared on ebay infrequently but I haven’t seen one for a little while. Pollys and Igorinas do pop up from time to time and are subject to the same vagaries of value as the other pieces. Sometimes they go for silly money, sometimes they are more affordable.

Igorina DW169
Igorinas are the female version of Igors. Apparently they lisp less and tend to be more attractive than average. Igorinas motivation seems to be that Igorinas are not allowed to be as ‘hands on’ in helping people as Igors. She has a wish to become a surgeon and feels that battlefield experience will help her persuade her father to support her.
Igorina is a piece in proportion with Polly. She has her shako and pack too however they are separate add ons to the piece. The shako being separate allows the stitiches around her hairline to become visible. Rather than cut her hair like Polly did Igorina simply transplanted her scalp, replacing her long hair with a shorter one. She keeps her own scalp in a jar. The separate pieces may make her value rise in future as various parts get lost and misplaced. Her RRP was the same as Pollys at £45.00 and she has made in excess of £100. She tends to appear less frequently than Polly but more than Jade but there hasn’t been one on ebay in recent months.
The quote is
"’ What’re female Igors called, Igor?’.
Igor stumbled and kept moving. He was silent for a while, and then said: ‘All right, what did I do wrong?’"

Posted with Blogsy

Badges 2010

In February 2010 the Seamstress Guild shield was released. This has a pewter coloured scroll with the famous motto on it. It has black enamel with a deep red enamel outlining the shape of a heart, it has a red enamel and gold coloured lantern with silver needles and gold detailing. This came in a velveteen box with a cardboard sleeve with a sticker showing a picture of the shield. It has the PJSM logo imprinted on the back which is a nice touch. The number is DW AMC 04.

 

In March 2010 the Thieves Guild shield was released. This and the other shields were all a similar size, a bit bigger than the one inch originals. This one came in a larger velveteen box with Sgt Brailles Pin Emporium printed in gold on cardboard in the lid. This came in a proper cardboard box, rather than a sleeve with a large sticker on the front with a picture, the description and the logo. The boxes were becoming even more extravagant. Although this undoubtedly makes the pieces feel like they have more value it also inevitably pushed up costs. This one features black and white stripey enamel with a gold coloured cut purse with coins falling out. It has a pewter effect scroll with the motto on at the bottom. The simplicity and colours in this piece make it very effective. The number is DW AMC 05.

 

 

In April 2010 the Fools Guild Shield was released. This one is exactly the same format as the Thieves Guild one. This includes the box and sleeve. This one is just the top part of the previous Fools Guild badge. It has black, white and blue enamel with polished gold bells. The red part at the top is enamel rather than a jewel with this one. The motto is again on a pewter scroll round the bottom. This one is nice enough but a bit plain. The previous one was nicer. The number is DW AMC 06.

 

In May 2010 the final Glorious Revolution pin was produced. This box is the same as the Fools Guild one rather than being in a bag. This badge is quite large. It has blue and red enamelled lanterns, green leaves and lilac enamel around a central City Watch badge with Keels number on it. DW PRTR 03.

 

 

In June 2010 The Last Hero pin was issued. This is the only one to be presented in a small black drawstring pouch. it has a gold coloured Great A'tuin with a dagger through it with 'The Last Hero' written on it. This one isn't one of my favourites but it is probably the one I would be most likely to wear as it is quite striking. The number is DW LASTHERO 01.

 

In July 2010 The Sunshine Sanctuary for Sick Dragons pin was released. This one came in a velveteen box with white fabric in the lid with the logo printed in gold. It also came in a cardboard box with a small sticker on. I must admit to really loving this one. It is again in 2 parts. It has a beautifully made and detailed portrait of a swamp dragon (draco vulgaris), presumably Errol, he even has a little collar with a tag round his neck. This portrait is in a silver metal and is on an octagon shaped background with a coppery colour border with Sunshine Sanctuary for Sick Dragons printed on it in black. The octagon is filled with orange and white enamel with the motto 'Don't let my flame go out' and a small plaque on the bottom with R Devant Molei Proprieter. The number is DW SSSD.

 

 

In July 2010 the Discworld Cup pin was released. this was a kind of bonus one, I think to tie in with the football world cup. It has 2 pins on the back because it is quite a tall pin. it has a green enamel base holding a trophy with the Discworld on top. this came in the same box as the Sunshine Sanctuary one although the backing of this one has a little stand that can be folded out. The number of this is DWC.

 

In November 2010 the Guild of Alchemists pin was released. This was in a velveteen box in a cardboard box but there is no sticker, it just has the number written on in biro. This one is again quite plain but has lovely deep red and blue enamel on it. It has the motto on a scroll on the bottom again. The number is DW AMC 07.

 

 

After a lull the City Watch 1.5" pin was released in March 2011. This is just the same badge as the original, only bigger (the first one was 1"). I prefer the smaller one for some reason. It is quite similar to the ones that CMOT Briggs used to sell that are now available through PJSM. The CMOT ones have a normal badge backing rather than a pin so it is easy to tell the difference. It has the same box as the Alchemists Guild pin. I always felt that a bigger version was slightly unnecessary but it is more in scale with the later pieces than the 1" version was.

 

 

In July 2011 the Guild of Assassins 1.5” pin was released. This again is the same pin as the original, just bigger. This has the same box as the City Watch badge but the insert is white, not black. I have photographed it on a black backing as I think it looks better. I nave also taken a photograph of the 1" pin and the 1.5" pin together to show the difference in size. There are no numbers on either the larger City Watch or Assassin badge.

 

 

 

 

There were also 2 keyrings produced. I'm not exactly sure about the release date on these but I seem to think they were released around the same time as the Discworld Cup pin. These were priced a bit lower at about £10 but more achievable. Unfortunately they were both released together along with a couple of pins so I remember having quite a struggle to be able to get these. They were on general release so anyone could buy them, but you could get your collectors number put on them which clearly, I did. The keyrings were basic leather fobs with a metal circle on them. One featured the Mission Patch which is exactly the same as the pin and the other featured a scene of the god Blind Io. This one is in gold and black and has a very ancient greek feel. I wish I could use these are they are both very nice. They are still available on PJSM now and I'm tempted to get the Mission Patch one for my husband as he really likes that one. The Mission patch one is photographed out of the bag but still has the protective plastic on.

 

There is still a backlog of pins available from PJSM. The early ones have sold out but some of the later ones are still available. No more have been produced, probably because of the backlog, which is a real shame as on the whole these are beautifully made, quality items. I was lucky enough to be able to keep up the collection but I can imagine that some people were unable to keep up. Especially as the series went on and they got larger and more elaborately packaged obviously costs went up. Some people may have preferred no outer boxes (all my cardboard ones seem to be a bit battered) or even the original small clear plastic boxes or bags to keep costs down. Some of the pins are spectacularly detailed so the high costs were clear but with some of the more plain ones it seemed that it was mainly the packaging pushing costs up. I would have been happy with more basic packaging especially if it meant they could have continued to produce them as I do think these are lovely pieces and would love to have more.

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Badges 2009

In January 2009 came the Guild of Assassins Shield, distinct from the original crest this shows the shield of the guild. This has the cloak and dagger with nice gold detailing on the dagger on a deep red enamel background. The double cross is picked out in gold on a black background. The diagonal stripe is a lovely deep shade of purple. The number is DW AMC 02 01. This one is in a velveteen box but rather than being pinned to a card insert there is a moulded plastic back that the pin sits in. This is the only one that sits in its backing like this.

 

In February 2009 the Mission Patch was released. This is a favourite of my husbands. It is highly detailed and shows a little rocket orbiting Great A'tuin with tiny stars on a dark sky. This pin is quite small and is in scale with the originals again and presented in a plastic box. DW GA 01 01. Motto Morituri Nolumus Mori (we who are about to die, don't want to). This one was also produced as a keyring and I really wanted to present one to my husband, unfortunately it is engraved with my collectors number so is part of my collection so obviously cannot be allowed to leave the house!!

 

 

In March 2009 came the Vetinari Coat of Arms. Again this one is gorgeous. The number is DW RCH 01. This was in a velveteen box but also featured a cardboard sleeve with a small plain rectangular sticker with the code and number on. This is an edition of 200. I love this one. Its another one where they use the technique of putting two separate pieces on top of each other. There isa gold coloured back piece with white and purple enamel detailing. Then there is a silver coloured top piece with a central portion of black enamel. Vetinaris shield is black on black. There is a small purple jewel in the top of the dagger at the top. The dagger indicates that Vetinari was an assassin. This is a heavy piece. The motto is Si Non Confectus Non Recifiat (if it ain't broke, don't fix it).

 

 

In April 2009 came the Fools Guild Crest. However this one is not simply the shield. It is again in two parts. The shield is one part on top of a silver and rose gold coloured base of 2 dogs dressed as clowns. The dogs have gold detailing and little red gems on the hats. There is a large red gem in the top of shield which is enamelled in black, blue and white with polished gold bells. This came in a velveteen box but again has a cardboard sleeve with a sticker. This time it is a bigger sticker with a picture of the shield on. DW AMC 03. I used the picture I took without a flash so the colours stand out more.

 

In May 2009 the tradition of the Glorious 25th continued with DW PRTR 02. Again this one is presented in a plastic bag with a cardboard insert rather than a box. The insert for this one is a lot bigger and more detailed. This time it has the revolutionary cries of the citizens. Truth, justice, freedom, reasonably priced love and a hard boiled egg!! The cardboard insert shows how the piece was developed from a pencil sketch. Again the names are listed with a picture of City crest from the year before. This is a lovely bronzey colour with enamelled lilac and the hard boiled egg.

 

In July 2009 Captain Carrot was released. This is just a bronzed figure of someone in armour holding a flag. I'm not fond of this one as I don't think it particularly looks like Carrot, it could really be any soldier or guard. This is presented in a velveteen box with a cardboard sleeve with sticker. The number is DW CWC 02.

 

 

In August 2009 Lord Vetinari XXV came out. This is another favourite, well, top five because I fall in love with them when I see them and then when I see the next one I fall in love with that one too! This one is smaller again, more like the originals. This is another one in 2 parts. there is a silver toned Vetinari portrait on a gold coloured background ringed with deep red enamel and XXV marked on it. This one is presented in a small plastic box and the number is DW DP 01 01.

 

At this point a backlog developed. Up until now the badges had sold out pretty quickly but it would seem that not all collectors could keep up with the rapid pace they were being released (the badges usually cost £20-£30 and often came out at the rate of one a month). Instead of the editions completely selling out each time they were starting to hang around. No badges were released for several months.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Badges 2008

This entry is a little different. It is not about Clarecraft items. It is about the series of pin badges that were released a few years ago by Sgt Brailles Charity Pin Emporium via PJSM designs. This entry owes a great deal to the kindness of Sandra Kidby who put together a list with the dates of release for me as I couldn't remember. There are quite a lot of pins and it would have ended up being a massive blog piece so I have separated them into years to break it down a bit. The pins were produced in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

If there are mottos on the pins I will translate except ones that are already well known or have been mentioned in this blog before. These pins were not easy to photograph due to the detail involved, the colours and the shine. I took one picture of each with and without flash and tried to pick the best.

 

In February 2008 the first 2 pins were released. They were released without much fanfare and only a hundred of each pin were made. It was clear that it was envisaged that there would be a whole series of pins and if you managed to get hold of the one of the first hundred you would get a collector number and be able to purchase the others of that number on first refusal. The problem with this was the pins were released at 1200 midday on a weekday. All 100 were released at the same time and they all sold out very quickly which meant that if you were at work or unable to get to a computer at that time you had no chance of getting a pin. This was recognised and the makers, realising how many people had been disappointed agreed to make a second edition. This edition would be released in 2 batches. 50 at midday and 50 in the evening to allow people a chance to get hold of them. In future there would be more made of each pin. I was one of those who missed out on the first set but I luckily managed to sneak in at the last knockings of the evening batch!!

The badges were put into various sets indicated by the edition number of each badge. Eg the badges with AM in the number are part of the Ankh Morpork set,those with PRTR are part of the Peoples Revolution of Treacle Mine Road set.

The first 2 pins in the series are the Guild of Assassins 1” and the City Watch 1”. These cost £19.99 each so not cheap but achievable. They were small but nicely detailed and enamelled. They were clearly good quality items. The CW one is plain copper coured metal. The assassins one has a touch of deep puple enamel behind the skull and 2 red gems either side with 2 smaller ones on the dagger at the top. Would be nice to wear it on a coat but I've always been too scared to. It's not so much the monetary cost that I am worried about but I have a full set and couldn't bear to be missing one!!

I have taken photo of the back of the City Watch one. You can clearly see it says DW-CW-02 (Discworld City Watch set). The Assassins number is DW AG 02.

The 02 indicates that mine is part of the second edition. These are the only 2 pins that have this second edition indicator. All other pins were produced as one larger edition. These badges were displayed in small plastic boxes with clear lids. I did think about putting in something to show the scale of the pins but I didn't in the end. The first 2 are quite small and plainly packaged compared to some of the ones that came after.

 

 

In April 2008 came the Death XXV pin. Made to mark the 25th anniversary of Deaths appearance in the canon. This one is stunning and really confirmed that this collection would be something quite special. It has 2 blue jewels for the eyes. The face, hands and edges of cloak are highly polished. The cloak detail is a darker grey and the central inset is brighter silver colour. The centre has a background of a gorgeous deep purple enamel with the legend NVLLA IVSTITIA EST EGO SOLVM EST inset in it. There is a small XXV at the bottom. Deaths motto THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME. The engraving on the back gives the pin number, there is no edition number this time as there was just one edition of 200. The format of the number is otherwise similar DW-DEATH-01-01. Also engraved on the back is '25th Anniversary Edition'. This pin is presented in a black velveteen case with a black card background and a black silky insert in the top. There are no other markings on the box.

 

In May 2008 a tradition of releasing a badge for the Glorious Revolution of Treacle Mine Road began. The story came up in Nightwatch when Sam Vimes gets transported back in time. He 'becomes' his first Sergeant, John Keel. Keel is the man who taught young Sam Vimes to be a good copper. Keel is killed, along with several others during the revolution. The lilac was in bloom and officers involved wear the lilac on 25th May to remember.

I feel I should treat these together as they are a lovely little set but I will stick to date order.

The first one came attached to an illustrated piece of card. On one side it has Sergeant At Arms John Keel and on the other a picture of a headstone with the AM crest at the top and the names of the fallen underneath. The stone bears the legend 'They did the job in front of them'. This phrase resonates with me on a massively personal level. The roundworld police force regularly loses members, to car crashes, whether on duty or on the way home after a ridicoulously long shift, to people who wish to harm us or simply because something goes wrong. I have been involved in dangerous situations and I have never gone into them thinking this is the brave thing to do, or the heroic thing, or even because I thought it was the right thing to do. Often there is no time to think at all. And although I would like to say with hindsight that I went in with some sort of noble purpose, most of time I acted instinctively and I did the job that was in front of me. It's not really something that most people would understand and I probably haven't explained myself well but with that one phrase I felt that Terry understood a lot of what being a 'copper' really is. It is probably why I love the City Watch so much.

The actual badge is quite small and is on a real piece of lilac coloured ribbon with a silver coloured lilac bloom with a copper coloured CW badge over the front bearing badge number 354 (the badge number of Keel). There are green leaves poking out from under the badge but they are pale and in fact I didn't even notice until they showed up very strongly on the photo. This badge is numbered DW-PRTR-01-01. This badge did not come in a box at all, it was presented on card inside a clear bag. I actually managed to remove it from the bag to take the photo. This is a first for this blog :-).

 

In June 2008 the Sam Vimes Badge was released. This is a replica of Vimes badge. This badge is very plain compared to some of the others. This is a copper coloured shield. It's nicely detailed and made. It is quite heavy and chunky. The number is DW-CWC-01-01. The box is similar to the Deaths anniversary box.

 

 

In July 2008 came the Going Postal badge. This one is on a similar scale to the first two. This is the first time I've got these pins out and properly looked at the back. This one has a lovely little going postal sign on the back. This pin was an edition of 210, I'm not sure why. This badge shows the crest of the Post Office with 2 copper coloured horns/bugles coming out at the sides . This is number DW-AMPO-01. This one was presented in a similar plastic case to the original two pins.

 

In August 2008 came the Ankh Morpork City Crest. This one was very expensive but amazingly detailed. To celebrate 25 years of Discworld this masterpiece was created. This was an edition of 250. This one was particularly expensive due to the size and detail. I'm not sure of the exact price of most of the pins, I think this one was around £49.99 but I may be mistaken. A truly incredible amount of work has gone into it. It is quite large but it is the detail which sets it apart. It has green enamel ribbons at the top. The crest of the UU has a red enamel hat and blue enamel background. They are tiny areas to have to enamel. Even the tiny book in the crest has the words of the UU motto raised on it clearly. There is red enamel for the curtains, dark green for the grass and plale blue for water. The hippos are detailed and chunky in silver coloured metal with gold detailing around their necks. The hippos have the AM shield between them. The hippos and shield are made in a separate piece that is then placed on the background badge. this is a technique that they have used to good effect throughout the series but this is the first time it was used. The number of this was DW-AMC-01. This one comes in black velveteen box. It has a small cardboard insert stuck in the lid. This insert explains the badge and each one is hand signed on the inside by Terry. This badge was an edition of 250.

 

There were no more pins produced in 2008. It did become quite hard to keep on top of them as sometimes they were coming at the rate of one a month but not always and although there was a notice to say what ones were coming soon there was no indication of when they might be released. This made it hard if you were on a budget as some were expensive and usually the money had to be found at quite short notice. Luckily I am in the fortunate position of being able to afford the pins but there were times when it was quite tight and I was worried I might miss an edition. I do seem to have quite an obsessive streak though and I was determined that I would have all the pins in my collectors number by hook or by crook.

 

Posted with Blogsy