November 13, 2021

The Forces of Valor Update: Time to Break Out the Tweezers, Glue and Magnifying Glass

Back when they were first offered about a dozen or so years ago, Forces of Valor’s model kit line didn’t exactly light the world on fire, perhaps because they concentrated on the smaller 1:72 scale category instead of the more lucrative larger sized category where they had a more loyal following. While we stocked their armor line, we backed off of their aircraft line since the vehicles weren’t selling all that well.

Fast forward to today and Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor line, has decided to both re-launch their 1:72 scale model kit line as well as kick off a brand new series: 1:32 scale armor kits. While we’re going to beg off the 1:72 scale category for reasons already mentioned, we believe that their 1:32 scale range will do quite well in today’s market, since a great many of our clientele continue to build models, provided they still have the patience, expertise and eyesight to turn bits and pieces of unfinished raw material into works of art. FOV’s first foray into the 1:32 scale build category is based upon their first pre-assembled Tiger I tank – an early production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E that served with schwere Panzerabteilung 505, then deployed to Kursk, Russia, during July 1943. While model makers can certainly compare their skill and prowess against what FOV has produced by duplicating the vehicle in every sense of the word, they also have the ability to portray a completely different vehicle from a completely different unit that served on a completely different front. Ah, the joy of model making!

Presently, we do not have a price for the kit or a firm release date, nor do we know if it will come with an engine, metal or vinyl tracks, or the commander figure, all commonplace in their pre-assembled vehicles. And, since FOV is hawking the fact that their 1:32 scale armor now contains more metal, its not clear how much metal will be used in their model kit line, if at all. We hope to have more complete information shortly as well as insight concerning other vehicles, aircraft and/or warships that will also be available in kit form.

Share This:

Comings and Goings for November

By mid November, we had hoped to have received a great many more items than what our November 2001 Arrivals section shows, thus enabling us to offer more new introductions for the holiday season. While there are some hopeful signs that a number of late comers will still trickle in, the fact remains that there’s going to be slim pickings going forward until the issues plaguing the supply chain get ironed out.

For instance, we had hoped that over a dozen new items from Corgi would arrive before Thanksgiving. Late yesterday we learned that barely four new products are expected this month: a single Tiger tank and a trio of 1:72 scale aircraft. It remains to be seen if the balance of their 2021 releases will arrive by year’s end or whether they will put into port in early 2022. Keep in mind that Corgi traditionally likes to announce their yearly lineup in January, so this year it appears as if they’ll be doing so while any number of 2021 introductions have still to put in an appearance.

Other manufacturers aren’t faring much better although we are still hopeful that both the September and October Hobby Master shipments will make it in time for the Thanksgiving banquet. Likewise, we haven’t heard anything further from the FOV camp, and with their very spotty track record of missing release dates, we’re inclined to believe that their late 2021 releases will more than likely show up in early 2022.

We aren’t expecting anything from Panzerkampf until early 2022, but we are crossing our fingers that both DeAgostini and PMA merchandise will be in more plentiful supply for the holidays. Other than that, there really isn’t all that much to crow about this holiday season since the port congestion issues continue to worsen despite efforts by the Administration and others to alleviate the congestion. And with transportation costs on the rise and inflation fears chiming in, it could be some time before our diecast ship rights itself and returns to the sea lanes as before. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but there’s only so much good tidings we can sing about this holiday season.

Share This: