Forces of Valor – The Motor Pool

Forces of Valor Steps up to the Microphone

After laying low for several months, and still trying to figure out why they are having issues correctly shipping out orders to their retailing network, Waltersons has finally re-surfaced to share some news with us about upcoming projects. Apparently, a large re-stock shipment is expected to reach our shores in July, filled — according to their literature — with all sorts of relatively new items they ran out of earlier this year. According to the manufacturer, the following items will reportedly return-to-stock this summer:

1:32 scale US M24 Chaffee Light Tank

1:32 scale GMC 2-1/2-ton Trucks

1:48 scale USMC Bell AH-1W “Whiskey” Super Cobra Attack Helicopter

1:700 scale US Battleship Missouri (full hull)

1:700 scale German Battleship Bismarck (full hull)

1:32 scale German Initial Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – Hauptmann Herbert Oehme, “White 100”, schwere Panzerabteilung 502, Leningrad, Russia, February 1943

1:32 scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – Lt. Vermehren, “Alwin”, “121”, 1/schwere Panzerabteilung 501, Panzerarmee Afrika, Tunisia, 1943

1:32 scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – “Red 100”, schwere Panzerabteilung 505, Kursk, Russia, July 1943

1:32 scale US M4A3(75) Sherman Medium Tank with VVSS Suspension – Training Vehicle, C Company, 10th Tank Battalion, 5th Armored Division, New York, 1943

1:32 scale US M4A3(76)W Sherman Medium Tank with VVSS Suspension – Sgt. Daniel “Buttons” Cardell, “Julia”, 761st Tank Battalion “Black Panthers”, Task Force Rhine, Germany, 1945

1:32 scale US M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo Assault Tank with VVSS Suspension – Lieutenant Charles Boggess, “Cobra King”, C Company, 37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division, Bastogne, Belgium, December 26th, 1944

Also expected are the following new items that have been shown on their web site for well over a year:

1:72 scale USMC AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopter

1:700 scale HMS Invincible aircraft carrier (full hull and waterline)

To be perfectly honest, we will believe all this when we see it, based upon their past performance and mishandling numerous issues. Moreover, nothing was mentioned regarding new product in the pipeline even though we are quickly looking at the back half of 2024 and the all-important holiday season. To be blunt, they’re still having trouble getting their ducks in a row, one year after they acquired Greenlight Collectibles. Moreover, the sales sheet sent to us fails to include information about their upcoming 1:72 scale F4 Phantom II and F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, nor does it talk about any of the 1:64 scale military vehicles supposedly hitting the streets. So, if you plan to place orders for any of the items Waltersons says are expected in July, please do so with a grain of salt and understand we have no control over the situation nor do we guarantee that said items will actually materialize this summer. Its been an exercise in frustration that we wish was finally addressed to everyone’s satisfaction

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The Forces of Valor Update: Comes the Destroyer

Hinted at a few years ago, Forces of Valor has finally unveiled details concerning their upcoming 1:32 scale Ferdinand tank destroyer. Like their Sturmtiger rocket assault mortar, the Ferdinand will feature a removable superstructure so that collectors can peer inside the vehicle and even monkey around with the vehicle’s ammunition, its stowage racks and other pertinent details they ordinarily wouldn’t get to see had the superstructure remained in a fixed position. According to their literature, the Ferdinand will come with two crewmen although neither figure was shown in the preview pictures. It also appears as if the vehicle will not come with removable engines that we assumed would come inside the package and have become a hallmark of the series. As a guess, they were omitted to keep the final cost of the item down to below a manageable price point.

On the downside, it seems as though the Ferdinand will come with a hefty price tag – $189.99, well above either of their previously released Sturmtigers or any of their other 1:32 scale armored fighting vehicles. Interestingly, only a couple of hundred vehicles are being built for each major market and, if their information proves correct, is pegged for a late summer release, perhaps in conjunction with several other new products.

At the recently concluded China Hobby Show, the Company also showed off the next Tiger I heavy tank, which we believe will hit the diecast battlefield as early as this summer. We haven’t listed it for pre-sale just yet as we are awaiting details concerning which unit it severed with and if the retail price has gone through a similar uptick in cost. So, for now, we’ve opened the pre-order window for the Ferdinand and will unveil their newest Tiger I as soon as information is passed along to us.

On a completely separate topic, a collector posted an image of a 1:32 scale US M60A1 Patton tank in what we are calling older Unimax packaging that carries the Green Light Collectibles logo on its front exterior facing.

We are assuming that Green Light is bringing back some of the old Unimax favorites as a means of bolstering their line up and will, presumably, offer these vehicles at a lower cost than their traditional Forces of Valor series. We’ve asked the manufacturer for clarification and hope to get an answer back after we return from vacation towards the second week of May.

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The Forces of Valor Update: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

**Forces of Valor’s 1:700 scale Royal Navy Invincible Class Light Aircraft Carrier – HMS Invincible (R05), Falkland Islands, 1982 [Full Hull Version]**

We’re happy to report that our latest shipment from Forces of Valor went off without a hitch. This shipment, as you likely know by now, included all of the newest products that had been originally earmarked for a late 2023 arrival but, for various reasons, was delayed until early February. Their newest M4 Sherman tank — Julia — has already sold out and we are currently awaiting a second delivery so that it can be re-stocked. Unfortunately, the advent of Chinese New Year will likely delay this follow-on shipment until the end of the month, perhaps longer if it takes Waltersons a few days to get back in the saddle after returning from “the Year of the Dragon.” We still have a few pieces left of the other items comprising this shipment but expect them to sell out too if the next shipment has to be delayed until early March.

Thus far we haven’t heard much about several of the newest projects that were hinted at by Waltersons a year or two ago and have now seemingly gone AWOL. I’m speaking about the 1:32 scale Elefant tank destroyer that was purportedly going to be the newest entrant in their Inside Out series. Likewise, the manufacturer briefly indicated that a King Tiger heavy was tank was in the works but little else was mentioned. A 1:32 scale Opel Blitz ambulance decked out in the Afrika Korps motif was supposed to come to fruition this year but seems to have been shunted to the back burner. Instead, the next cache of products — likely slated to arrive in April — looks to include the on-again off-again HMS Invincible aircraft carrier, a 1:72 scale AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter, two F/A-18 Hornets, a pair of F-4 Phantom fighter-bombers and some assorted accessories. Its a good bet that the acquisition of Greenlight Collectibles last year has affected Watersons’ release schedule for its Forces of Valor lines and, quite possibly, resulted in a reapportionment of resources as they grapple with both the FOV line and Greenlight’s own proprietary product lines. We thought that some new products would be shown at the 2024 Nuremberg Toy Fair but our hopes were dashed when we viewed a video of their booth which didn’t show anything new or unexpected.

We know this isn’t what you want to hear in light of all of the recent delays and issues that have cropped up in the wake of the Greenlight Collectibles acquisition and hope that our next installment of the Forces of Valor update will have more exciting news to share with you. Peace out.

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The Forces of Valor Update: The People Have Spoken

**Forces of Valor’s 1:32 Scale US M24 Chaffee Light Tank – Company D, 36th Tank Battalion, 8th Armored Division, Rheinberg, Germany, March 1945**

In the past, we’ve reserved our Forces of Valor updates for discussions on new merchandise either just hitting the air waves or expected imminently. However, given the issues we’ve faced with this manufacturer over the past few months, we thought you might like to know where we stand with them and how it ultimately affects everyone’s orders going forward. On January 25th, we received our re-stock shipment and, apart from one minor problem where they over-shipped us a model kit, all seemed well with little need for immediate follow up. Whew!

We also learned that they are currently moving their Forces of Valor inventory from one public warehouse to another, the latter better situated to receive and ship out orders to the vendor’s clientele. This new warehouse has a proven track record of getting out orders on time and with little incident. As strange as it may sound, however, the new public warehouse is located over 1,000 miles away from their current warehouse in Indiana, a stone’s throw away from Greenlight Collectibles, and originally designed to handle the overflow of inventory resulting from the Greenlight Collectibles purchase before the resulting turmoil. Its not clear if this is a permanent arrangement or one designed to last for just a few months until a more workable strategy has been put into place. At any rate, we’ve placed our order with them for all of the new merchandise they’ve supposedly received and are keeping our fingers crossed that it can be shipped out by the tail end of January so that it arrives at our facility the first week of February.

In regards to new merchandise being announced, the manufacturer has updated their Chinese web site, which now has several new scenic sets, accessories and other product listed and we presume ready for a Spring release. With the Nuremberg Toy Fair right around the corner, we’re hoping that more new items will be added to the site along with reliable release dates we feel confident they can adhere to further down the road.

In the mean time, if you’ve placed a pre-order for the merchandise slated for February, hang in there a little while longer until we can receive and turn around all of the orders we’ve received to date.

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The Forces of Valor Update: We the People

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale US M4A3(76)W Sherman Medium Tank with VVSS Suspension – Sgt. Daniel “Buttons” Cardell, “Julia”, 761st Tank Battalion “Black Panthers”, Task Force Rhine, Germany, 1945 [Bonus Ford GAA V-8 Engine]

Waking up every day in the wee hours of the morning becomes a tad disheartening when we go through our emails to determine if our Forces of Valor shipment has, well, shipped. We placed an order with them over two weeks ago and have been sitting on our hands ever since, waiting patiently for a response that never seems to come. Today, we received a short message from Waltersons indicating that our restock order was going out either today, Thursday, or Friday, and that its tracking information would be passed along to us just as soon as the shipment was processed and sent on its way. Frankly, we’ve heard all this before and still no explanation has been provided as to why our shipment has been in hibernation for so long other than to say its sitting at a public warehouse. The manufacturer also went on to say that they are moving their product to a different public warehouse that has promised it can handle their shipments in a more expeditious manner. Bear in mind that the last shipment we received from them was way back in October and it was completely screwed up, with no explanation as to why it was sent out in such a sloppy manner. I’ve gone on record to say that in my 45 years of doing business after graduating college, and wearing multiple hats in the business world from salesman to store manager, buyer to merchandise manager, I have never seen a situation as poorly handled as this, with no communication from the owner as to why we have been placed in this unenviable position for such a long period of time.

As I’ve previously indicated, we will wait and see what this shipment looks like before placing an order with them for all the new merchandise they claim to have ready for dispatch. Paying thousands of dollars up front for an order only to have to chase it down for weeks on end isn’t my idea of ushering in the New Year. I know its not what a lot of you want to hear but we have to protect our investments — even with our suppliers — and be assured that what we order is what we will get despite what the manufacturer says in their communiques. If what they say is true, we should have this shipment by the tail end of January and, at that time, will place an order for their newest merchandise that is supposedly in stock. If they can address that to our satisfaction, then the new merchandise will likely arrive in early February.

Not much has been announced by the manufacturer as to what we can expect for the balance of the year. They’ve made previous product announcements over the years that simply haven’t come true, so having our hopes dashed time and time again isn’t new to us even when we pray things will change. In the seven or so years we’ve been doing business with them, lots of products have been hinted at that never came to fruition, shunted to the back burner for all sorts of reasons. Its become a tedious affair listening to pie-in-the-sky optimism with little to show for it. One the plus side, I’m over my sciatica. Yay! Happy new year!

Update: On Friday, our order has reportedly shipped and tracking information confirms that it is on the road. The delivery date is currently scheduled for Thursday the 25th. Once we inspect the shipment and note any errors we will then submit our order for their new merchandise. Again, we have no way of knowing if the new merchandise will be processed and shipped out on time but we will create a separate blog post to track its progress.

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The Forces of Valor Update: Groundhogs Day?

Ever since we opened in 2000, we believe in being as transparent as possible, sharing as much information with our customers as is possible. Sometimes said information is too sensitive to share publicly so we have to remain mum and keep in mind the considerations of both our clientele as well as our vendors if we are to remain an effective retailer.

In the case of Forces of Valor, its been a mixed bag of late, as we attempt to figure out why product hasn’t been made available here in North America despite our best prodding and pushing to get accurate information direct from the source. Essentially, when Waltersons acquired Greenlight Collectibles back in May, they realized that Greenlight’s facilities were too small to hold both company’s inventory. So, they went out and found a nearby public warehouse to hold the Forces of Valor inventory, at least until they could sort things out in the new year. Unfortunately, they have run into a litany of problems using a public warehouse, which has prevented them from being able to serve their vendors, and, in turn, their customers.

We’ve been told that sometime in February they plan to move both the Greenlight and Waltersons inventory to a new warehouse, although we have no assurances that this plan isn’t fraught with its own perils and pitfalls. Right now, we are still awaiting news concerning a re-stock shipment that will supposedly hit the road shortly. Communication with Waltersons isn’t exactly their strong suit, so getting up-to-date information has become a hit-or-miss proposition. As for their new product that was supposed to become available in October and then December, we’ve been told that the shipment has arrived at the public warehouse, although nothing further has been discussed. At this point, it is entirely possible that their new product may not ship out until February, once they have consolidated their inventory and addressed any issues that the new warehouse may pose. For now, we are listing them in our January upcoming releases section, although its a fair bet that this could slip by yet another month. Mind you we have no hand in the process and no way of getting moved up to the front of the line to receive product as quick as it comes in.

In summation, please be patient and understand that as it currently stands we are working to get and share news with you as it hits the wire. Remember, patience is a virtue, and right now looking at ways to purchase more patience with an Amazon gift card we received this holiday season. In the mean tine, peace out.

Update: As of January 3rd, here’s where we stand with the Forces of Valor series. Our point of contact has indicated that our re-stock order will ship out to us this week, which means it should arrive sometime during the second week of January. They are also claiming that the new merchandise is in stock and ready to be shipped out, however, we have elected to hold off receiving this merchandise until they can demonstrate that they are capable of shipping out an order on time and correctly. Our last shipment, which arrived way back in October, was totally FUBAR and led to all sorts of issues that took weeks to address to our satisfaction. So, we want to see how the re-stock shipment goes before committing our resources, time and energy towards another potential fiasco. I know this isn’t what a great many of you want to hear but when we face a problem of this magnitude we insist that the supplier go back to the drawing board and get things right. Walk before you learn how to run, so-to-speak.

If the re-stock shipment goes as planned and without any hitches, then we will have Forces of Valor release their new product shipment to us, perhaps as early as the second week of January. This means that the new merchandise should reach us before the close of the month. As always, we ask for your patience in this matter and hope you can understand that we need to ensure that Forces of Valor can ship out product in both an expeditious manner and without any additional problems.

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Better Late than Never

Typically, as the holiday season draws to a close, we take stock of what items are still expected to arrive by year’s end, all in an effort to provide the greatest selection of merchandise available even after the holidays have come and gone. This year, we still have quite a few re-stocks and new items scheduled to show up in the waning weeks of 2023 and into the New Year, many of which people have been waiting for for several months running.

**Neo Dragon Armor’s 1:72 scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 171 PzKpfw V Panther Ausf. G Medium Tank – “Black 112”, Unidentified Unit, Prussia, 1945**

In the case of Forces of Valor, we are expecting a re-stock order to arrive by the end of this week, barring any last minute unforeseen issues with either the weather or the supply chain. Said shipment includes several of their most recently released warships as well as a number of 1:32 scale tanks that we ran out of during the holiday rush. Waltersons, the manufacturers of the line, claims that a shipment of long-awaited new items is due to reach them over the next few days. Rather than hold up our re-stock shipment, we elected to have them shipped to us first, followed by the new product, which is currently on track to reach us by either the first or second week of January. This follow-on shipment will also include another cache of “Cobra King” Shermans, which have become their most popular vehicle in 2023.

**JC Wings’ 1:72 scale US Navy Vought A-7E Corsair II Attack Aircraft – VA-93 “Blue Blazers”, USS Midway (CV-41), 1979**

Another distributor reports that a very large shipment of Neo Dragon Armor 1:72 scale military vehicles are also winging their way to us and is hopefully hitting our loading dock by the end of this week. This shipment includes a vast array of Abrams, Panther, Jagdpanther and Tiger I heavy tanks, all of which are denoted within are Product in Transit section. In addition, a second JC Wings A-7E Corsair is scheduled for release, as are a number of Panzerkampf 1:72 scale armor re-stocks. Needless to say, we’ll update our New Arrivals section once they arrive and get them out-the-door just as soon as they’re checked in and ready for outbound shipping.

We’re still awaiting news if the December Hobby Master shipment is on track for a late December fly-over or if it has been shunted into early January. We’ll pass along this information just as soon as we catch wind of it. Enjoy!

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Forces of Valor Goes Vertical

**Forces of Valor’s 1:72 scale USMC Bell AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopter – Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 “Vengeance”, Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California**

Apparently vertical integration has different meanings to different entities. In the case of Waltersons, their acquisition of Greenlight Collectibles earlier this year has allowed them to become both a manufacturer and distributor, not to mention a peddler of their line of products through their own proprietary web site. It also appears as if they’re trotting out more of their older molds from cold storage to maintain momentum, improving them when ever and where ever possible to bring them up to today’s standards. Case in point their 1:72 scale vertical take off AH-1Z “Zulu” attack helicopter, a chopper originally produced by Unimax that has quietly been added to the burgeoning Walterson’s catalogue.

Waltersons’ Chinese web site now has the updated AH-1Z added to their helicopter section, which is bundled together with their hallmark helipad as well as a standard display stand. This new attack helicopter bears the markings of Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 “Vengeance” (HMLA-469), which was retired in 2022 at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California. We’re not going to stick out our necks and offer a release date since there’s a great many other products that were supposed to come out well before this helicopter was being tapped for re-introduction. As a guess, it will likely support small scale Marine operations sometime in early 2024, perhaps as part of a larger 1st quarter product roll out. So, in the meantime, keep planning your forcible entry options by savoring each of these close-up photos.

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Product Spotlight: A Murder of Crows

**Forces of Valor’s 1:72 scale US Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter – 1-227 ATKHB, 11th Aviation Regiment (Attack), 1st Cavalry Division, Karbala, Iraq, March 2003**

An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the offensive capability of engaging ground targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles and fortifications. Due to their heavy armament they are sometimes called helicopter gunships.

Attack helicopters can use weapons including auto cannons, machine guns, rockets, and anti-tank missiles such as the AGN-114 Hellfire. Some attack helicopters are also capable of carrying air-to-air missiles, though mostly for purposes of self-defense against other helicopters and low-flying light combat aircraft.

The Boeing AH-64 Apache is an American twin-turboshaft attack helicopter with a tail wheel-type landing gear arrangement and a tandem cockpit for a crew of two. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. It is armed with a 30mm (1.18in) M230 chan gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft’s forward fuselage, and four hard points mounted on stub-wing pylons for carrying armament and stores, typically a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydro 70 rocket pods. The AH-64 has significant systems redundancy to improve combat survivability.

A modern attack helicopter has two primary roles: first, to provide direct and accurate close air support for ground troops; and second, the anti-tank role to destroy grouped enemy armor. Attack helicopters are also used as protective escort for transport helicopters, or to supplement lighter helicopters in the armed reconnaissance roles. In combat, an attack helicopter is projected to destroy targets worth around 17 times its own production cost before being destroyed.

The Apache began as the Model 77 developed by Hughes Helicopters for the United States Army’s Advanced Attack Helicopter program to replace the AH-1 Cobra. The prototype YAH-64 was first flown on 30 September 1975. The U.S. Army selected the YAH-64 over the Bell YAH-63 in 1976, and later approved full production in 1982. After acquiring Hughes Helicopters in 1984, McDonnell Douglas continued AH-64 production and development. The helicopter was introduced to U.S. Army service in April 1986. The advanced AH-64D Apache Longbow was delivered to the Army in March 1997. Production has been continued by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, with over 2,400 AH-64s being produced by 2020.

The U.S. Army is the primary operator of the AH-64. It has also become the primary attack helicopter of multiple nations, including Greece, Japan, Israel, the Netherlands, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. It has been built under license in the United Kingdom as the AgustaWestland Apache. American AH-64s have served in conflicts in Panama, the Persian Gulf Kosovo Afghanistan, and Iraq. Israel used the Apache in its military conflicts in Lebanon and the Gaz Strip. British and Dutch Apaches have seen deployments in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The AH-64D Apache Longbow is equipped with a glass cockpit and advanced sensors, the most noticeable of which being the AN/APG-78 Longbow millimeter-wave fire-control radar (FCR) target acquisition system and the Radar Frequency Interferometer (RFI), housed in a dome located above the main rotor. The radome’s raised position enables target detection while the helicopter is behind obstacles (e.g. terrain, trees or buildings). The AN/APG-78 is capable of simultaneously tracking up to 128 targets and engaging up to 16 at once; an attack can be initiated within 30 seconds. A radio modem integrated with the sensor suite allows data to be shared with ground units and other Apaches, allowing them to fire on targets detected by a single helicopter.

The aircraft is powered by a pair of up-rated T700-GE-701C engines. The forward fuselage was expanded to accommodate new systems to improve survivability, navigation, and ‘tactical internet’ communications capabilities. In February 2003, the first Block II Apache was delivered to the U.S. Army, featuring digital communications upgrades. The Japanese Apache AH-64DJP variant is based on the AH-64D; it can be equipped with the AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missiles for self-defense.

Forces of Valor’s upcoming pair of 1:72 scale AH-64D Apache attack helicopters are currently on the docket for an October release. Pre-orders are still being accepted.

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The Forces of Valor Update: Sabot Up, On the Way!

Our long-delayed Forces of Valor shipment is reportedly on its way to us and will likely arrive in a few days, most likely after Labor Day weekend. Bear in mind we still do not have a manifest for the shipment nor tracking information so this is passed along to us by word-of-mouth without supporting documentation. Nevertheless, I have a good vibe that the items marked as being en route to us will indeed show up next week. Sigh…

With that out-of-the-way, we should also be hearing news regarding all of the products marked as coming in for September. These items are supposedly in-house or expected to arrive around the Labor Day weekend, when last we heard about their disposition several weeks ago. So, we could be doing the back stroke in Forces of Valor merchandise in the not-too-distant future. Of course, should further news come in that affects this second shipment then we will pass it along to our clientele. Product listings are locked-and-loaded for our web site and eBay, and should be ready to go on Amazon once we have some additional information pertinent for their site.

As an aside, and I rarely like to do this, its been like pulling teeth trying to get information about the latest happenings with Forces of Valor. Their Facebook account hasn’t been updated since December and what little information we do know trickles in after we ring the alarm bells. They have a new web site undergoing overhaul that is written in Chinese and their standard web site, intended for the US and European markets, hasn’t been updated for what seems like an eternity. Granted they went through an acquisition and warehouse relocation, but it would’ve been nice to have been kept in the loop regarding progress instead of having to repeatedly ask. I’ve been doing this in one capacity or another for a very long time (since the early 80s mind you) and there really is no reason for this woeful lack of communication. If they hope to succeed, they need to do a better job. Period.

Update: We’ve been informed that the products slated to arrive in September are now expected in October. Waltersons has a history of repeatedly missing their original forecast release dates so this news comes as no surprised to us. Based upon this information, we can only presume that this date will remain in effect unless anything else crops up that further delays this shipment. Nothing else in the way of new merchandise has been announced although the manufacturer claims that the teething issues associated with re-locating their warehouse to their Midwest facility has now been put to bed.

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