Well, we got the call today from Corgi to indicate that their long awaited B-17 combination set is in stock and headed our way. Because the manufacturer is located up in Washington and we’re clear across the country in New York (not to mention our upcoming vacation closure), we expect to take delivery of these aircraft on or around the 16th. At this time, virtually all of the sets allocated to us have been spoken for since enthusiasts and historians alike recognize their worth as valuable additions to any collection. Don’t be surprised if all of the sets get snapped up tout de suite, and rise in value quickly once they become increasingly hard-to-find. Also expected in this cache is a brand new Panavia Tornado and Vickers Valiant.
Shout Outs
Blitz 72 Decides to Pull Sentry Duty
We’ve been pleasantly surprised with some of the new introductions coming out of the Blitz 72 camp, including three of their latest offerings. Word from our distributor is that they will soon be shipping a trio of deluxe vignettes, which combine a vehicle with some sort of structure or figures.
All three sets have been posted to our Blitz 72 combat vehicles section and are scheduled for a September arrival.
Minichamps 1955 Vincent: You Can Get it in any Color So Long as its Black
First announced over five years ago, it appears as if Minichamps’ long-promised 1955 Vincent Black Lightning may soon be hitting the road (#MIN122134600). The manufacturer’s web site is currently showing an October release date, although no photo of the 1:12 scale replica has been posted as yet and no one at the Company will confirm or deny if this is a hard-and-fast roll out date.
So here’s where we stand with this hotly anticipated bike if it should show up. For anyone that has already pre-ordered the bike, be it five years ago or yesterday, we will be selling the ride for $144.99 less a 15% sales discount. Our dealer cost has gone up substantially since this bike was first announced half a decade ago, so this is going to be the best we can do in terms of pricing. We will not be offering free UPS ground shipping, since the revised price falls below our free shipping threshold of $140. You can, of course, add other merchandise to your order to clear the threshold, thereby getting free shipping to boot (so long as the ship to address is within the lower 48 States). Now, since many of the pre-orders have aged substantially, we will need anyone truly interested in taking delivery of this item to immediately contact us by phone with their current billing information.
Bear in mind that Minichamps still has not posted any updated release information for their 1948 Vincent Black Lightning with Rollie Free figure, so please do not ask us to hold the 1955 bike until the 1948 bike arrives. Frankly, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the 1955 bike isn’t a mirage given the hot summer we’ve had. So, that’s it in a nutshell and let’s hope it was all worth the wait.
Century Wings Continues to Sky Rocket in Value
What do you say when you see 1:72 scale Century Wings F-14s commanding $500 or more on ebay and people more than willing to pay the price? Even the recently released VX-9 Vampires, ‘Vandy 1’ (#CW001601), is already going for well in excess of its MSRP, just a week after its debut. When you consider the fact that the global economy is still recovering, that’s saying a lot for a company that seems willing to pump out more of the same year after year.
Anyway, we hope more of the F-14s, SR-71s and other aircraft CW has been known to pump out are in the pipeline, since it says a lot for the manufacturer, its products, and impeccable standing within the diecast community.
Dragon Drives on El Alamein
The Dragon Armor steam roller seems to have slowed down a tad in recent months, so when we get news that a new armor piece is shipping shortly, we start to get giddy. Rolling out this week is a German Sd. Kfz. 141 PzKpfw III Ausf. N Medium Tank that was attached to schwere Panzer Abteilung 501 of the Deutsches Afrika Korps (#DRA60601), their first Type N Panzer III tank, which bears all the hallmark detail everyone has come to expect from a 1:72 scale Dragon caisson. We are already quite surprised by the number of pre-orders we’ve received for this vehicle, so if you want to jump on board and see if you can claim North Africa from the British 8th Army, then now is the time to fuel up the panzers.
Move Over PayPal – Facebook Enters the Online Payment Market
News out of social media giant, Facebook, is that they will soon be testing a new online payment system similar in scope to ebay’s heavily entrenched PayPal payment system. For more information on this emerging story, read this:
http://readwrite.com/2013/08/15/facebook-online-payment-system-launched#awesm=~oeBzWpyqtCwptL
Hobby Master Cracks Open its August Cache
Bauer Says, “I’ll See you in September”
We’ve learned that Heinrich Bauer’s latest creation, a 1:12 scale replica of a 1:934 Mercedes-Benz 500K Roadster, is now expected to roll off of the assembly line some time in September (#BAUMB500K). This is easily one of their most ambitious works of art, hand-assembled from over 1,95o separate parts, and no doubt the jewel in any classic car collector’s diecast collection. Keep in mind, these beautiful renditions take time to build and finish, hence the lengthy delay since being first announced way back in April 2011.
Bauer Says, "I'll See you in September"
We’ve learned that Heinrich Bauer’s latest creation, a 1:12 scale replica of a 1:934 Mercedes-Benz 500K Roadster, is now expected to roll off of the assembly line some time in September (#BAUMB500K). This is easily one of their most ambitious works of art, hand-assembled from over 1,95o separate parts, and no doubt the jewel in any classic car collector’s diecast collection. Keep in mind, these beautiful renditions take time to build and finish, hence the lengthy delay since being first announced way back in April 2011.
Corgi Embarks Upon its Bomber Campaign
In what can only be viewed as good news for bomber aficionados, Corgi has confirmed the imminent arrival of its 1:72 scale B-17 Flying Fortress and Bf 108G-6 mega pack. Originally slated for a fourth quarter releases, this unique combination set is scheduled to arrive at Corgi’s facility on the 22nd, which means we should have our allocation by the end of August (#AA39915).
In related news, their humongous 1:72 scale Avro Vulcan bomber has also been moved up on the release schedule, and is now expected in the September/October time frame (#AA27201).
Both of these sets are truly massive, and, as such, are ineligible for any free shipping discounts we ordinarily offer. On the plus side, you can still pre-order either of these heavies using our 15% off discount.













