We are about to be inundated in military vehicles. Lots of ’em. Drawn from a line in Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, we have been informed that our shipment of Eaglemoss Military Vehicles of the Second World War are en route and expected early next week. Many of the 1:43 scale vehicles expected have been sold out for some time, while others have never graced our shelves, meaning a great many people have been waiting a very long time hoping to one day nab these military apparitions.
Eaglemoss 1:43 British Chevrolet C8A Heavy Utility Truck – Guards Armoured Division, Arnhem, Holland, 1944
Our Product in Transit page shows all of the vehicles contained in the shipment, so, if you are interested in adding your name to the list of hopefuls we strongly suggest you pre-order the vehicles as quickly as you can. It’s entirely feasible that this may be a once in a lifetime opportunity, since they have already indicated they may not be able to obtain more of these vehicles for the foreseeable future.
Eaglemoss 1:43 German Kfz. 70 Krupp Protze L2HI43 6×4 Cargo Truck – Unidentified Unit, Poland, 1939
Minichamps 1:12 scale 1939 Triumph Speed-Twin Motorcycle – Red
So, we’re never quite clear where we stand with Minichamps, particularly when it comes to their classic 1:12 scale motorcycles. Their release dates are never accurate, the stories behind their delays seem to change on a daily basis, and yet, despite all of the inconsistencies and inaccuracies, their bikes are some of the most sought after collectibles on the market today.
As of late last week, here is where we stand with several of their most eagerly anticipated bikes — the latest release schedule calls for the re-release of their 1939 Triumph Speed Twin motorcycle some time in early 2018 and their 1932 Brough Superior SS 100 is supposedly coming back to the market within the fourth quarter of 2017.
Minichamps 1:12 scale 1932 Brough Superior SS 100 Motorcycle – T.E. Lawrence a.k.a. “Lawrence of Arabia”
And now their pair of Vincents, first announced eight years ago, and still two of the most eagerly expected bikes ever to make it onto the manufacturer’s drawing board. Although the German Minichamps site has taken down both listings — for whatever reason — the US distributor has not been informed otherwise, and has therefore kept both bikes on their release schedule. We don’t know what to tell you folks. We are not connected with Minichamps, we continue to wish that the bikes still materialize, and have watched the asking price for the replicas increase year over year, and yet collectors are still keeping their fingers crossed that the bikes will one day show up. I know its not much to go on, and other retailers will likely tell you the same thing based upon the information they too have been provided. So, we are still asking you to hang in there and will post any further news the moment we receive it.
Eaglemoss’ Special Edition No. 8: Star Trek Constitution Class Cruiser – USS Franklin NCC-1743 [With Collector Magazine]Star Trek Beyond was easily one of the best feature length Star Trek films, combining great storytelling with imaginative graphics and superb acting. That said, we are proud to have finally taken delivery of two of the ships portrayed in the film: a Constitution class cruiser, USS Franklin NCC-1743 (STSP08), and its nemesis, an Altamid Swarm ship (STSP09).
Eaglemoss’ Special Edition No. 9: Star Trek Altamid Swarm Ship [With Collector Magazine]Both are part of the Eaglemoss Special Edition series, meaning they are larger than a standard-sized star ship and made in far fewer numbers. We are already starting to run low on both of these exciting releases and we are not sure if they will be restocked and if so, when, considering many of the earlier Special Edition releases are still on back order with no sign of their return to the Neutral Zone.
The all-new 88mm FLaK gun now comes with eight figures including the Desert Fox himself, General Erwin Rommel.
At the 57th All Japan Model and Hobby Show, Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, showed off some of the revamped 1:32 scale military vehicles expected this holiday season.
Walterson’s researchers even paid a visit to the Bovington Tank Museum in England to ensure their replica was every bit as accurate as the real thing
While none of the toolings on display were new, they did demonstrate some of the enhancements the manufacturer implemented since taking over the line last year, including updating the paint schemes, reworking some of the existing molds, adding bonus parts that include engines, and adding new figures such as Erwin Rommel to the new desert variant of the 88mm FLaK gun.
The updated Sherman Firefly medium tank now features an opening rear hatch over the engine compartment and removable engine
We are hoping that additional images are forthcoming, since the Company is still insisting other 1:32 scale vehicles and 1:72 scale aircraft are due out for the holidays.
In other news, the manufacturer posted a video showcasing some of the painstaking lengths they’ve taken for their upcoming 1:16 scale radio controlled T-72 main battle tank. The manufacturer indicated that the vehicle may also be available as a kit, although details regarding this development weren’t made available.
Previously, only a desert scheme version of the 1:24 scale M1A1 Abrams tank was available. Soon, a tri-color scheme will also be sold
Also expected this holiday season are a 1:24 scale radio controlled M26 Pershing tank as well as two versions of the M1A1 Abrams tank – painted in either a desert scheme or tri-color European pattern.
Your guess is as good as ours when this handsome A39 Tortoise Heavy Assault Tank will hit the market in North America
Some times we’re left in a lurch, not knowing what or who to believe. Such is the case with Panzerkampf, a relatively new manufacturer of diecast military vehicles that’s been lurking in the shadows of obscurity for several months now, neither providing hard-and-fast release dates for its retail clientele nor clear about which vehicles will be released and in what order. According to information found elsewhere on the web, this could prove to be crucial, since they have a number of completed vehicles that will instantly get snapped up once they do find a willing stockist.
Merkava anyone? While the Mk. 3 Merkava has been available from numerous manufacturers, collectors have been after this Mk.5, with its saucer-shaped turret, for a very long time
The two most notable projects supposedly out before the close of 2017 are a WWII-era British A39 Tortoise heavy assault tank and a modern-day Israeli Merkava Mk.IV main battle tank. Other vehicles appear on the Panzerkampf Order of Battle, including the German Panther and Panzer III tanks, and Hummel tank destroyer, along with a Russian Amata main battle tank and MSTA self-propelled howitzer. For now, we’ll keep twirling our fingers waiting to hear from one of our distributors lucky enough to have locked up the line. For now, we’ll join you in ogling some of these tantalizing replicas and hope they become stocking stuffers instead of stuffs of legend.
We have received reports that many of the roads leading into and out of the southeast portion of the United States are now cleared of debris and that power should be restored to many affected customers by Monday September 18th. Furthermore, we have learned that the USPS, UPS and FedEx will be resuming shipments into and out of the southeastern US this coming Monday. So, we will be resuming shipments to the affected area beginning Monday although there could still be intermittent delays where service has not been fully restored or in instances where the Postal Service has decided to temporarily withhold shipments including the Florida Keys.
With Hurricane Irma due to make landfall in Florida some time this weekend, we may elect to hold any outbound shipments destined for the region for several days until such time that it is prudent to resume shipments. The same may hold true for the Carolinas and up along the eastern seaboard as we get a better sense of the hurricane’s impact on the entire region. We apologize for the decision but hope you understand that sometimes prudence is the better part of valor.
Note: On Friday, September 8th at 5PM EST, FedEx, UPS and the US Postal Service all announced that they have suspended service to the affected region for the next several days and will wait until the storm has passed before determining when they can resume service.
Needless to say, we wish everyone in the affected region the best of luck ahead of the storm. Stay safe and heed the warnings of the local authorities.
With summer all but a distant memory, we’ve updated our Calendar of Events page to reflect both domestic and international shipping deadlines for the upcoming holiday season. If you plan on sending a gift or want to know the drop dead dates to mail an item amidst the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, we strongly suggest you peruse the calendar to see how it fits within your shopping plans.
Collecting diecast memorabilia can be a wonderful if daunting past time, particularly if your collection starts to get out-of-hand, is stored in multiple locations, or you just can’t remember what you have and the price you paid. Enter a web site called Collectorz.com, which just might have the answer in this grab-and-go economy. Geared more towards collectors of movies, books, comic books, games and music, the site, nevertheless, offers some interesting software solutions that could easily be re-purposed towards the miniatures business. Essentially, you enter all of the information about each new treasure into a database, which can then be viewed as a mobile app, web-based program or desktop software solution, depending upon which option suits your fancy. Given the relative value of the average diecast collection and the ease with which anyone can forget what they paid for each item, it makes sense to catalog each acquisition the moment they come in, particularly if one day you decide to put things up for sale or turn it over to someone that doesn’t have a clue as to the value of each item. Think of it as an insurance policy that could one day pay off as handsomely as each collectible you own.
Modelcollect’s Rheintochter 1 surface-to-air missile may appear strange and unfamiliar, but serves as a testament to the lengths with which the Company is prepared to go to assume the diecast throne
For the better part of the 21st Century, most collectors of scale armor would agree that Dragon produces the best array of 1:72 scale armored fighting vehicles. Sure, there have been contenders for the crown as well as a few drop outs along the way, but Dragon, barring a few dry years in which models were promised but never delivered, was seen by many as the king of the diecast battlefield.
Despite its longstanding run on the throne, Dragon may have to hand over the crown shortly to Modelcollect, still a relative newcomer to the armored ranks, who has, nonetheless, quietly built a stable of high quality diecast replicas that have reignited passion in the hobby and moved the ball forward where others continually fumbled. Where Dragon seems content to churn out the usual diet of WWII vehicles, Modelcollect has dabbled in the more obtuse subjects, releasing a wondrous array of less familiar subjects that have garnered respect and admiration from the community.
In recent months, they have offered all manner of mobile missile launchers and other transporters in model kit form, which will no doubt be ported over to the pre-assembled market. In the meantime, they have also cranked out a number of intricately detailed pre-assembled models, and stand ready to deliver more this summer. We’ve already posted information on their upcoming E-100 series of armor, and today we learned that they will also be offering a Rheintochter 1 surface-to-air mobile missile launcher set atop an E-100 chassis (AS72062). There’s a good bet that the Rheintochter will also be wedded to both their E-50 and E-75 chassis, making it available in three different forms. We are also awaiting news concerning their Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte mega tank, something the German Waffenamt never seriously considered as a weapon of war due to its immense size.
Anyway, keep a careful eye on Modelcollect as it continues to build out its order-of-battle and looks to become the de facto king of diecast armor.
