Way back when, we did a fair business in the scale motorcycle category and, in particular, sold our fair share of Minichamps bikes. Several years ago, all of that changed when the manufacturer raised their prices substantially, cancelled a number of eagerly-awaited bikes, and generally took a wait-and-see attitude with the whole category that didn’t sit well with a number of folks. As a result, we decided to sell off what we had in inventory, cancel our orders, remove those listings that were no longer pertinent and focused on what we do best — sell diecast military products.

That said, Minichamps claims to be back in the motorcycle category and are looking to start up sales by reintroducing two of their previously sold out classics – a 1939 Triumph Speed Twin and a 1932 Brough Superior SS100 that was ridden by none other than “Lawrence of Arabia.” We’ve listed both bikes on our web site and have begun to accept pre-orders for each of them despite our reservations.

Now, anyone that knows Minichamps can immediately understand the predicament this course change put us in. While they make a terrific product that oftentimes appreciates in value once they are no longer available, they also do a less than stellar job of forecasting when their products will actually hit the market. Months have a habit of stretching into years, which means we have to constantly reassure our clientele that eventually they are going to happen. Presently, both bikes are slated for a fourth quarter 2019 release based upon information found on their own web site. The reality is that we do not know for sure if this is a pie-in-the-sky best guesstimate on their part or one that we can actually hang our hat on. So, if you’re willing to wait, sometimes years instead of months, and fully understand how this sometimes shakes out, then we are more than willing to accept your pre-order for either or both bikes and will do everything in our power to fill your orders in a timely fashion. Again, the ball is in Minichamps’ court — all we can do is wait for them to arrive on center court and serve the ball.