What was the 1st metal figure you bought and still have?

I've been thinking about my history in the hobby recently and  chatting to Roy Williamson gave me an interesting thought, which has no doubt been done millions of times. What is the 1st metal figure you bought that you still have and where did you buy it from?
There may be earlier figures that I can't remember or no long have but I think mine was a box of Citadel Bugman's Dwarf Rangers that I bought from a model shop in Chester in about 1986.

No my picture

This is what the ones I still own look like now

Let me know yours.

I have also been loving the cricket today, cricket is a game where England lose to Australia but not today. Today we gave the Aussies a proper spanking

28mm Figures saved me - history part 2

So to continue the history I took up painting figures again about 7 years ago. it cured me of clinical depression, although I can still be a fairly grumpy sod.
I still had a few unpainted figures left, mainly vikings, and wanted something new to paint. I found the Wargames Foundry site andpurchased a huge Pirate army for about £200 - the best part of 300 figures. These were colourful and fun to paint. They have already been seen in these pages so no photo, but good to maintain chronology.
Next up a Pict army from Foundry again. Figures not really great but Oh the joys of painting tartan and the horror of gloss varnish. I have some nice wall breaker rules for these - they appear from the ranks, attack before the main charge then continue fighting through the enemy until they die or make it through to the other side which breaks the enemy, then the main force attacks - causes a bloody mess.

Another Foundry army next, Trojans. Don't know why I bought these I really hate chariots - "Quick they've got chariots build a very low wall or shallow ditch".

My last Foundry army was an jungle tribes African army. 

This is starting to read like Rimmer's Risk Diary so I'll stop there. These 2 songs should tide you over
New England and Unisex Chipshop and for some culture Pubbe Gagge

The hopefully not very boring history of my hobby

Inspired by Adam Carriere I have decided to publish some photos of examples my previous work. Like most of my generation I started with Airfix figures, but I have none of those left. When I went to University in the 1980's I was introduced to Warhammer and at that time a Ravening Hordes supplement came out. In it was a viking army called Auden's Ravens and so I bought my first army (think it was £50ish). They were proper hard and once charged an Elf army composed of almost entirely bowmen and slaughtered them to a man (Elf?). They were Citadel miniatures and are still available to buy at Wargames Foundry. I recently purchased some proper round shields for them, they came with medieval and norman plastic shields, but the army is still only 1/2 painted after 30 years. These are pre-flocking days

Next up I bought a T'ang and the 5 Dynasties army from Essex (for £15 - GW were always expensive). I tend to buy armies as they are cheaper and to be honest I'm a lazy shopper They were a bizarre purchase, no practical opponents but they are well balanced army, fight well and who cares. I finished painting these.

Next up was a 20 year gap as I put away childish things. That's it for now, only 1 more episode for you to endure. This seems a suitable song for this chapter "Swords of a Thousand Men"