AB Figures are run by Anthony Barton and Michael Hickling. We have both been wargaming for over 35 years. Now we are returning to our first love - WW2. To us authenticity, detailed design and quality are key and we go to great lengths to research our figures using contemporary illustrations, photographs and artifacts.

We hope you will like our figures – we really believe that we supply the best "Men in Miniature" for the dedicated Wargamer and Modeller.

About Anthony
After a childhood spent making plasticene animals and gaining an indifferent degree in Zoology, Anthony Barton ("AB") started his career making biological and archaeological models for museums.

Military figures had always been a hobby, and growing poorer prompted him to start making them seriously in about 1985. The "AB" range was launched in 1990, and he now devotes most of his time to it, with periodic diversions into larger-scale projects: historical paint-work, sculpture and reconstructed costumes – he has worked for many historical institutions.

He lives quietly in a small house near York, surrounded by interesting junk, and only goes out to play music with the York Waits, a 16th Century wind band which he helped found in 1977, or to indulge in historical re-enactments in interesting places, generally involving bows or early firearms.

About Michael
Michael is our craftsman making the moulds and running the small foundry and manufacturing process from his home in the beautiful Welsh countryside. He also packs and despatches your orders with help from his wife..

Michael has also actively helped in archaeological excavations including Fishbourne Roman Palace, and the exciting Patching Gold Coin Hoard, and occasionally works on digs in Wales like Dinefwr Castle and Llandeilo Roman Fort. He now enjoys pottering around the countryside in his 1943 Willys Jeep.

Early War Miniatures design and make miniatures, models and scenery for subjects from World War I through to World War II with lots of interesting things for in between.

I started EWM back in late 2010 and went live as a very small hobby/business launching the first EWM catalog on January 1st 2011. An awful lot has changed since then.

So in October 2010, I became the proud owner of a little known range of miniatures designed by Tom Lobley called Toms Tins. Tom kindly gave me the opportunity to take on his beloved range and see if I could in his words “make a go of it”. In 2012, EWM became my full time employment allowing me to commit myself to this business both growing and developing the ranges. I can say now, with some confidence that EWM has truly arrived and we are very definitely “making a go of it”, thanks again Tom.

Now at EWM we design, mold and manufacture miniatures, models and scenic accessories for collectors, modelers and gamers alike. Most of our products are designed for 20mm scale. We cover the period from WW1 to the end of WW2 with lots of interesting things for in-between. We make everything you will find on this site labeled as EWM. We do resell some other products that complement our ranges, which we hope you will find interesting and appealing. We have been in business since 2011 and our extensive model ranges are growing all the time covering some obscure, yet interesting subjects. EWM attends trade shows in Europe and the UK where we carry many, but never all our products. There are just too many now so make sure you get your show pre-order in then we can bring you the products you want to any show. Future shows we are attending appear as a tab above.

EWM has a growing number of partnerships with other retailers that we work with us both here in the UK, in Europe and the USA. We intend to expand and build upon these relationships in the near future. A list of our retail partnerships outlets and contacts appears elsewhere on this web site. We also work with a number of others in the games industry making molds and doing some casting work for a other business’s. We try to forge lasting relationships based on mutual benefits and offer things that enhance what EWM and others can offer their customers. In no particular order, we have the pleasure of working with :
Two Fat Lardies
Dan Taylor Model works
Perry Miniatures
Armourfast
Toddies Terrain
Giesber’s Models
CTK publications
Black Lion decals
Mckeeman Models

A small but important point about “SALES”. EWM DON’T do sales at any time, OR every month OR offer discounted prices (20% off) on our trade stand EVERY show like some companies do. EWM prices are our prices both here on our webstore AND the same with our EWM trade stand and with our retail trade partners. We have a number of trade partners and retail agents who also sell our products. Our trade partners earn their margins and we think it would be very disloyal to undermine them and you our own customers, by selling EWM products via both regular and random discounted sales!
Now, we will occasionally offer new products on a “special introductory offer” basis. When this happens, our agents and partners get the same option and pricing should they wish to also offer the same products at the same time.

EWM now has in excess of 1600 products, a number that is growing ALL the time. We have every intention to continue to continue to invest in, grow and expand the many product ranges, periods and subjects that we cover. We are very approachable, so if you have any questions, email us or better still, come and see us at a show and ask.

Matador Models was founded in 1997, and first traded at Trucks & Tracks that year. Since then our ranges of kits in resin and white metal have continued to grow rapidly. At the company’s heart are its KC ranges. These are conversions and improvements on 1/76th plastic kits. From there we have branched out into complete kits, and the range reflects the interests of our small group of master builders: if we like it and it is not on the market, we build it! We have also bought and therefore kept on the market kits from other manufacturers, notably most of the 4Mil and the complete Airfield Accessories ranges, from 1/144th to 1/35th, though the largest scale, being too far away from our own interests, we have now passed it on to Scalelink. More recent acquisitions have been masters from the Trux and BW ranges.

While extending these ranges, we have added more: AA76 in our favourite 1/76th scale and AAC, a range of conversions on airfield vehicles in 1/76th and 1/72nd. Following a growth of interest in the First World War, we have extended and reorganised our early ranges. We have also widened our interests, both by stocking plastic kits which complement our ranges and by starting a fantasy range for role play and wargamers.

If Matador tries for a “house style” it is that its kits should be a pleasure to build, and we aim to keep them in the middle range of complexity. While it is always best to refer to photographs and other references when building a kit, we try to make our models capable of standing alone: of being built and painted accurately by someone who does not have several books on the subject. If you are a beginner with only a few plastic kits behind you, or coming back into the hobby, why not take on one of the less demanding projects - try a conversion kit.

There are many sturdy plastic kits on the market which, with a conversion kit and a little effort, can be turned into eye catching and rare vehicles and enhance a collection. In the Tank Museum you can find research articles for beginners and experienced alike.

Matador is and will remain a small company, not least because for us, as for our customers, this is a hobby. Note that because of the way we subcontract the manufacture our models, while the larger parts are nearly always in resin, some details are produced both in metal and resin. Some examples of kits marked “metal/resin” may therefore appear entirely in resin or metal. The decisions are made for reasons of production, and do not in any way affect the quality of the model you receive. We hope you enjoy our kits.