Please note that we have no hand in either the production nor the distribution of the products we sell. While we may offer advice to several of the model makers we work with so that they have a better understanding of what our clientele may be requesting, our affiliation goes no further and we have no financial stake in any of the companies we deal with. Moreover, anticipated dates of delivery are just that — anticipated. Release dates are subject to change and can oftentimes lag far behind the original intended date of release projected by either the manufacturer or distributor. Vagaries in the supply chain can and, on many occasions, slow the arrival of shipments by lengthy periods of time.
In summation, the companies we work with are relatively small as compared with far larger corporations in the toy industry yet are looking to serve a global if niche marketplace that continues to grow both here and abroad. So, while product may show up in eastern and southern Asia where many of these manufacturers are located, it may and oftentimes can take longer before said product makes it to our shores and is then available for general sale. As a result, it may take us several months (and in certain cases years) before we can fill a pre-order. Please bear this in mind if you have your heart set on a newly introduced item and choose to pay us up front for an order using debit payments such as PayPal or AmazonPay.
With the Trump Administration’s April 2nd deadline for imposing tariffs fast approaching, it appears as if several manufacturers and distributors are taking a wait-and-see stance when it comes to importing their goods into the US. Presently its not clear how much of a tariff will be applied to product being imported from such countries as China, one of the principal makers of diecast models, and a longtime target of the current administration. Indeed, one of our distributors has already indicated that they plan to increase prices on several lines that they import from China weeks ahead of the looming deadline. Another has thus far decided to delay the import of several lines for the foreseeable future until the matter has been settled one way or the other. Should the tariffs go into effect next month, its possible that these lines will be held up at the ports for several months until a decision has been reached regarding their cost to consumers.
As it stands right now, it may be a rather dry spring and summer in terms of new product making it to market, or at least until a trade agreement has been reached that satisfies both nations. To date, we’ve had to adjust the prices on new product coming in from Air Force 1, Luft-X, Wings of the Great War and Armor Collection. Other companies — most notably Corgi, Dragon and JC Wings — may soon have to be cost adjusted if the trade negotiations fail and pressure builds to import these lines to prevent them from languishing in limbo. Still other key manufacturers — Hobby Master, Panzerkampf and Legion, among them — are made in Bangladesh, may or may not be affected by tariffs since talk seems to change on a week-by-week basis based upon the mood and climate in Washington. To be fair, the president has said that he is “flexible” regarding the imposition of across-the-boards tariffs but as we all know by now flexibility can have different meanings depending upon who we are talking about and when the conversation takes place. In any event, we hope to have further updates regarding the tariffs and, in so doing, discuss possible delays in receiving certain lines as trade negotiations progress.
At a press conference held in the Oval Office of the White House, President Trump unexpectedly announced that Boeing had won the contract to develop and deploy the US Air Force’s sixth generation fighter jet. Dubbed the F-47, to honor Trump as our nation’s 47th president, the aircraft, which as yet does not have a name, “came after a tumultuous competition between Boeing and Lockheed Martin for the prized rights to build the aircraft that is meant to anchor the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) family of systems,” said Aviation Week.
“The Air Force wants a new aircraft with the range, speed and stealth to operate effectively over the vast Indo-Pacific region and against some of China’s most advanced weapons systems, including current and future stealth fighters and surface-to-air missile systems.
The requirements dictate an aircraft with performance that defies familiar categories for combat aircraft, such as a fighter or bomber. Boeing’s future aircraft is expected to feature a supersonic speed and perhaps a lack of vertical control surfaces to enhance its survivability, along with a large structure to carry all fuel, sensors and weapons internally.
The NGAD contract also offers a reprieve for a defense and space business within Boeing that has reported over $18 billion in reach-forward losses on fixed-price military and NASA programs since 2014, including $5 billion in new charges from 2024 alone. Despite the losses, Boeing invested heavily to win the NGAD contract, including starting construction nearly two years ago on a new factory in St. Louis to produce the aircraft.
The development deal could sustain for several more decades Boeing’s historic combat aircraft production site in St. Louis, a line that dates back to the first flight of the FH-1 Phantom in 1945, reached peak output with the F-4 Phantom II and continues today with the F-15EX Eagle II. If the NGAD contract can stay on track, Boeing gains the opportunity to revitalize its defense engineering and operations, advancing on the digital engineering and manufacturing practices pioneered by the T-7A Red Hawk trainer and MQ-25 Stingray, an uncrewed, carrier-based air refueling aircraft.
Boeing’s victory also stops Lockheed Martin from attaining a monopoly on Air Force crewed fighter production after the end of the decade, with future U.S. orders for the F-35A still uncertain under the new Trump administration.
The NGAD award will reverberate in the defense industry beyond the crewed aircraft market. The aircraft is expected to feature the winner of the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program—GE Aerospace XA102 or Pratt & Whitney’s XA103. Both feature a new three-stream architecture that increases bypass flow in cruise mode to reduce fuel consumption by more than 20%.
The capabilities of the NGAD also will influence requirements for the Air Force’s proposed family of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The CCAs are expected to operate alongside NGAD aircraft on some missions, expanding options for sensors and weapons.”
Thus far its not clear what the aircraft will look like but it is expected to be tailless, boast an internal weapons bay, feature the latest in avionics, a cutting edge powerplant and incorporate a variety of stealthy characteristics that are designed to reduce its radar cross section. It had been thought that the F-47 (previously known as the NGAD) was on hold due to rising developmental costs so the announcement comes as a shock to both the aviation and defense community. The move is already being viewed with a measure of skepticism given Lockheed-Martin’s history of producing some of the finest cutting edge jets in recent years, among them the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. So, it remains to be seen how Bowing gained a leg up on the competition given its current spate of miscues in the general aviation industry and its problems delivering astronauts into space via its problem-plagued Starliner capsule.
After speaking with our principal supplier, it looks as though we’re about to be deluged with loads of new models towards the end of March. For starters, we’re expecting 15 different MH-53 helos from Panzerkampf along with a nice re-stock of Forces of Valor items. Besides the long sold out MH-47 helicopter, we’re about to receive a pair of F/A-18 Hornets that have long been hinted at and have finally gotten their marching orders.
More importantly, we’re going to be receiving both the February and March shipments of Hobby Master products, along with several key re-stocks that will help to fill out our coffers. So, if you have already submitted pre-orders for any of these items, please hang in there while we sift through these shipments. We will provide you with tracking information so you know when you can finally lay claim to them just as soon as everything has been inspected and segregated. Enjoy!
According to a recent Facebook posting, Greenlight Collectibles, a sister company of Forces of Valor, announced that they have signed a licensing agreement with Paramount to produce a 1:144 scale replica of the F-14 Tomcat seen in the feature-film Top Gun Maverick. Its not clear if they will be producing replicas of some of the other aircraft portrayed in the film and whether or not they plan to up-size the models for the 1:72 scale market. We’ll pursue this story and post updates once they become available.
In a surprise announcement, Corgi today announced plans to roll out not one but three new 1:72 scale Supermarine Spitfires this summer. All three models are based upon aircraft currently on display at hangars across the UK, making them unique in their own right. So, while a Spitfire model always does well at retail, the fact that all three can be seen in the flesh means they’ll help to ignite a renewed passion for these iconic aircraft. The Supermarine Spitfire T.9 is a two-seat fighter aircraft that was developed after World War II. All T.9s started as single-seat fighters, usually the Mk. VIII or Mk. IX. The pre-order window is now open and detailed information concerning each model can be found at the bottom of each listing.
We’ve been overwhelmed by the ground swell of support we’ve received since announcing our inventory liquidation sale on Monday. We thought we would close up shop due to an illness in the family — to be more specific my wife was diagnosed with Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). Naturally, I was overcome with grief and worried about our future when I heard the news, unsure what this sudden and potentially dire medical condition would mean to us.
Fortunately, we have a doctor in the family who immediately came to our rescue. She spirited my wife off to Dallas, Texas, where she lives and works and admitted her to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where my wife has been receiving extraordinary care. At its core, NPH means there is a build up of fluid in both the spine and brain, which can lead to all sorts of complications, from loss of balance to delirium and then some. To combat this, two procedures need to be performed – the first, draining of any fluid that has built up in the spine by performing a lumbar puncture, which was successfully done earlier this week. A second procedure involves inserting a shunt into the cranium, which then drains the head of any remaining fluid. The follow-on procedure is scheduled for early March and I’ll be flying to Dallas next week to be with my wife prior to and after the procedure has been performed.
Despite having a great 2024, I decided to announce my retirement and intended closure of our shop in 2025 after hearing the news. When I made that decision, several people indicated that it might be best to see how the second procedure turns out before going any further. That said, I reluctantly agreed, although I will eventually move our business, home and belongings to Dallas to be closer to our immediate family should anything else be required. I don’t know exactly when this will occur since this whole episode was unexpected and unplanned. I doubt it will happen in 2025 since there’s lots of moving parts and people to consider. Frankly, it isn’t the best time to either buy or sell a home. Our goal, therefore, is to change locales sometime next year, when I believe conditions will be more conducive to making a cross-country move. So, for now, our business will remain open and run as usual, even if it means having to fly back-and-forth to Dallas to see and be with my wife.
In the mean time, I thank you for your support and thought it made sense to share with you our present situation and how it may impact our business for the balance of the year. Its been a harrowing few weeks and hope we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel when this crisis is behind us.
With the recent imposition of a 10% tariff on goods coming from China, it remains to be seen how both manufacturers and distributors decide to pass along these cost increases to the trade as well as the consumer in both the near- and long-term. In my opinion, most will take a wait and see attitude over the next few weeks to see if these tariffs will either be rolled back or remain in place based upon China’s reaction. Bear in mind, its entirely possible that not only will the tariffs remain in place but they could increase further should the Administration feel it necessary to raise the stakes even higher if China doesn’t get the subtle message or decides to retaliate in kind. During his presidential campaign, Trump had threatened a 60% tariff so now that he’s in office anything and everything is on the table. Presently, its not clear if certain manufacturers — among them Hobby Master, Panzerkampf and a few others — will be affected by the tariff and whether or not companies operating outside China will pick up sales by being located outside the PRC.
Its entirely possibly that the new Administration will up the stakes even further by placing an across-the-board tariff on every country that currently does business with the US, all in an effort to demonstrate to the world that we mean business when it comes to concessions. Over the weekend, both Canada and Mexico, our nearest neighbors and close allies, saw a 25% tariff imposed upon them, so it isn’t a stretch that even more allies will get the same treatment should Trump feel its within his rights to push the bounds even further.
So, as we start 2025, things aren’t looking especially great in the commercial space unless something substantial occurs by one or both parties. Geo-political events being what they are, it could be a situation where one side is waiting for the other to blink before they can formulate a response to the US initiatives. It isn’t a pretty scenario and one that will undoubtedly lead to a scarcity of product and higher prices for what does come into the country.
We’ve decided to put a halt on stocking any further JC Wings military products. Five months ago, after speaking with the Company’s owner to voice our concerns over several topics, we indicated to them that they needed to build a dedicated web site so that their customers and the trade could see and speak to them directly instead of trying to track them down on social media. Its 2025, folks, and its about time every manufacturer has its own web site where anyone can speak to a manufacturer through normal channels rather than through chaotic FB threads. We know firsthand how much it costs to hire a web designer to build out a fully functional e-commerce web site as well as the cost of maintaining it and its a fraction of what it costs to complete the production run of a new model.
Moreover, their quality control went downhill last year, and we were besieged by requests from customers for parts that they were unable to obtain from JC Wings directly. Again, as a retailer, we do not stock parts for any of the products we sell. Even if parts were available from any of the manufacturers we deal with, we would have to enlarge our storage facilities by two fold to house said replacement parts. It is the manufacturer’s responsibility to not only handle these types of issues but to provide parts to their customers whenever the need arises, that is if they plan to work with the customer going forward. From our standpoint, we pay our invoices promptly but having said that, we also expect a level of service from the manufacturer or its authorized distributor that is commensurate with that level of professionalism all of which is aimed at handling these types of complaints in a competent and expeditious manner.
Anyway, it doesn’t appear as if the manufacturer was serious about creating a web site or ready to provide the services necessary to support their business. So, we’ve decided to stop carrying the line until they can demonstrate to us and others that they are both keen to sell and service their clientele as we would like to see. We’re sorry to have to take this step and hope that 2025 represents a turning point for JC Wings if they want to continue selling their models both here and abroad. If they wish to address this concern in a public manner we have no problem posting their response as an addendum to this post.
We’re a few days away from the start of the Nuremberg Toy Fair, which most insiders agree is the venue where new product announcements are made. Thus far, Waltersons, the owners of the Forces of Valor brand, hasn’t privately discussed what’s in store from them for the 2025 calendar year, even though they’ve posted loads of new items to their multiple web sites. Why they have multiple web sites as opposed to one all-encompassing site is perhaps a topic for another time but suffice it to say that they seem reluctant to provide details on a wide range of yet-to-be-released items that they’ve hinted at for over two years running.
I know they purchased Greenlight Collectibles more than a year ago and that it has taken up much of their time. Its no easy task getting a new company to perform like clockwork. Heck, that’s a given. Greenlight gives them entree into an assortment of big box retailers from Walmart to Target whereas Forces of Valor has had to stick its nose and well-worn shoe in the door of these very same retailers to maintain any sort of presence. Let’s face it, war toys just doesn’t ring up at the cash register like they used to. But frankly that isn’t enough of a reason to leave their dedicated base of customers in the lurch for an extended period of time. Its been well over two years since they posted anything to their Facebook account and I’m not even certain if they are responding to collector inquiries, much less willing to draw back the curtains on what’s new.
That said, we’re hoping they are about to turn a corner and face their critics who have repeatedly asked if anything new is in the wings. If they don’t do so in 2025 I’m afraid they’re going to lose quite a few ardent supporters and witness the selling of more FOV collectibles by people who have moved on to other segments of the hobby. We’ve been a vocal supporter of the line too but are starting to wonder if that backing needs to be toned down in favor of other branches and manufacturers within the hobby. Its up to Waltersons to indicate if they plan on shedding light on what’s to come or are content to leave things the way they are. That would be a sad affair but ultimately their way of saying goodbye to their bread-and-butter range that to date has paid handsome dividends for both themselves and their retail network.
Update: Yesterday, we stumbled across this photograph from the Nuremberg Toy Fair that clearly shows both the Greenlight Collectibles booth playing host to the Waltersons Forces of Valor range. Only a handful of new products were being shown including their upcoming re-release of the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier, Ferdinand tank destroyer and a few other items we cannot accurately discern. Their soon-to-be-released line of 1:64 scale military vehicles are likely integrated within their Greenlight showcase, so there’s no point in discussing them any further. While its encouraging to see that Forces of Valor hasn’t dropped out-of-sight its a bit disappointing to see nothing new was being debuted in a public manner.
When Panzerkampf shows off a new model, they tend to do it in a big way. Yesterday, we learned that they have not one but six different versions of their upcoming Dassault Mirage III interceptor in the hopper, all lovingly festooned in accurate markings and insignia. Currently we are awaiting pricing and release information to flesh them out so we’ll refrain from opening them up for pre-order on our web site. With Toy Fair right around the corner, it shouldn’t be too long before we obtain their background information and pricing so that we can begin accepting pre-orders.
