Whispers

The Motor Pool: Operation Drumbeat 2018

The tempo of operations has taken a marked increase over the past week now that we’re headed into the all-important holiday season. We’re getting a lot more visitors to our web site, added product/order inquiries both online and via phone, and a general surge in sales for various product that cuts across all categories. As a reminder, our phone support line is now being manned to cover additional hours and we’ve updated our Calendar of Events page to reflect the cut off dates for both domestic and international shipments if you are hoping to receive your packages before Christmas. Keep in mind that this is expected to be an exceptionally busy holiday season due to the pick up in business across America, so its entirely possible we could sell out of a number of items earlier rather than later. Add in weather-related delays, a Canadian postal worker strike, forest fires out west and the odd asteroid strike and you can see why we continually urge everyone to submit their orders as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Happy holidays!

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World War I: A Hundred Years Hence

November 11th marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. All of the remaining survivors have now left us, joining their brethren on the battlefield who paid the ultimate price some five generations ago. In its aftermath, there were upwards of 20 million souls that died during the so-called “War to end all Wars,” thus earning it the moniker of being one of the costliest conflagrations of all times.

As a purveyor of military memorabilia, it is sometimes difficult to separate the scale tributes we promote and sell from the actual carnage of war, particularly as it relates to the first World War, where men were mowed down by the thousands feebly attempting to cross “no-man’s land”, dogfighting overhead without so much as a parachute to save them, or braving the ocean’s depths when submarine warfare was still in its primordial infancy. The First World War was a cruel war to be sure – virtually annihilating an entire generation, ending several European monarchies, and redrawing the map of Europe in such a way that it almost guaranteed that a second war would eventually replace it in terms of death and destruction.

So, as you admire your collections or contemplate making your next purchase, we ask that you remember the true cost of war. Take a moment to reflect on the lives spent on both sides of the conflict, many of whom were snuffed out long before they could enjoy the dividends of peace and benefits of being born long after the conflict ended.

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In Memoriam

Anyone that has perused our About Us page over the years probably took note of the fact that it took two people to initially run this operation. Well, we are now down to one. Early on Sunday morning, after a long bout with dementia and suffering the prolonged effects of Type II Diabetes, my father-in-law and partner, Marvin Binder, succumbed to his combined illnesses. What follows is his obituary written collaboratively by several members of his immediate family.

Marvin Binder passed peacefully in his sleep on Sunday morning, September 23rd. Over his 88-year lifetime, he was happily married to his wife, Beatrice, and together they saw their daughter, Robin, marry Marc, her high school sweetheart. Robin and Marc gave Marvin two granddaughters, Linda and April, who were lucky enough to have Marvin in their lives for so many years.  Both received college educations and married their respective sweethearts, Samir and Jason. Through them, Marvin was fortunate enough to see three great granddaughters enter this world, Isabelle, Mia and Eliana.

Professionally, Marvin was perhaps best known as “Mr. Matchbox.” He worked to create display cases, sales programs and other important initiatives that made Matchbox a world renowned brand and respected toy company, the likes of which few companies have been able to replicate.

Most importantly, Marvin was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off of his back, even if it meant digging into his personal savings or face hardships of his own to provide comfort and aid. He touched so many lives through his unwavering compassion toward others.  He was a kind, loving person that will be sorely missed by not only his family, but many friends, acquaintances and colleagues that knew him for what he truly was: a Mensch.

Marvin’s funeral is scheduled for Thursday, September 27th at 1PM at Schwartz Brothers Funeral Home. Even if you cannot attend, we know you join us in wishing him well in the afterlife where he will finally be reunited with his one true love, Beatrice.

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Forces of Valor Adds a New Face to Their Facebook Page

Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor line, has hired a new point person to deal with questions and/or concerns as they pertain to their line. We are therefore recommending that you direct any and all questions concerning Forces of Valor to Sunny, their new moderator, who will likely have the latest information and release dates for upcoming product.

As an aside, Sunny claims he will be posting new images shortly, likely for the upcoming 88mm FLaK guns and pair of Jagdtiger heavy tank destroyers. Both are tentatively scheduled for a November release, barring any logistical issues or tariffs imposed by the current administration.

All of which leads us to one final point. We are still receiving phone calls, emails and messages asking us when a particular item is coming out, what it will look like, and how it will differ compared to previous versions. Friends, we know as much as you at this juncture. Everything that has been passed along to us has been posted to our web site. We do not have firm, written-in-stone release dates despite the holidays fast approaching and we certainly do not have any images of the product other than what we have posted. We understand that a great many of you are waiting with baited breath for more information concerning the reinvigorated line, however, there is nothing more we can share with you. By contacting us with these types of questions it takes us away from other more pressing matters that we can address. Hang in there and I am sure Waltersons will be delighted to unveil product information to their fans just as soon as they are ready to discuss them.

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Hobby Master’s Den of Thieves for June

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Soviet Sukhoi Su-25 “Frogfoot” Ground Attack Aircraft – “Red 59”, 378. OShAP, VVS, 40th Army, Bagram AB, Afghanistan, 1986

Every so often we call attention to the monthly roster of Hobby Master products rolling in through our doors. June seems to be a particularly noteworthy month, since it contains a wealth of important subjects spread out across a number of scales, categories, and eras. Perhaps the most significant release is their first ever Suhkoi Su-25 “Frogfoot” ground attack aircraft (HA6103), the Soviet’s equivalent to our A-10 Thunderbolt II. Their first foray in the world of the Frogfoot is certainly memorable, bearing the Soviet’s trademark red star on its tail and representing a warbird that served in Afghanistan throughout the 1980s.

Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi A6M2 “Zero” Fighter – Tetsunzo Iwamoto, 201st Naval Flying Group, Rabaul, November 1943

Also in the hopper is Japanese ace Tetsunzo Iwamoto‘s Mitsubishi Zero, a 1:48 scale IJN fighter that was based at the Japanese fortress of Rabaul (HA8803). Other notable aircraft include a 1:48 scale Corsair from VMF-214 “Black Sheep” (HA8218), a huge 1:32 scale Dauntless dive-bomber (HA0209) and a pair of Soviet ISU-152 self-propelled guns (HG7053 and HG7054). Indeed, the June shipment should be of interest to a wide swath of collectors, cutting across the entire spectrum of diecast military products. Enjoy!

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The June Swoon: What’s Still on Tap for the Rest of the Month

Air Commander’s latest F-4 Phantom is still slated for a June arrival.

So, we received an update from our distributors regarding which items/ lines are still expected by the end of June, hopefully before we close for vacation from July 2nd to the 10th. Here is what is still on tap:

Hobby Master – en route to us and should be in stock by the third week of June

Air Commander – late June

Forces of Valor – late June

War Master/Solido – late June

Air Force 1 – late June

The Forces of Valor shipment includes several back ordered warships that we have been out of for awhile. Nothing new is expected, unless there’s a surprise in store that we aren’t aware of. We’ve pushed back Wings of the Great War, Modelcollect and Eaglemoss into July, and are on the fence regarding several Corgi releases. Keep in mind that the shipments may have to be delayed by several days if it appears as if they might arrive while we are away. We have instructed our distributors to hold our shipments until our return.

It’s been awhile since we received a handsome piece of WWII-era self-propelled artillery, particularly a US M12 GMC 155mm self-propelled gun clad in a flocked winter camouflage scheme.

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Tom Cruise, Eat Your Heart Out

With Top Gun 2 still a year off, you may want to bone up on the flight characteristics of the legendary F/A-18 Hornet Strike aircraft now before you sign up for the Top Gun academy. Eagle Dynamics, long a player in the flight simulation world, has just released an incredible module for their award-winning massively multiplayer online simulation, DCS World Steam Edition, entitled F/A-18C. DCS, which stands for Digital Combat Simulator, has been around for quite a number of years, enabling gamers to get their feet wet, free-of-charge, in the online air combat simulation world. However, if you want to get the full experience, and gain access to several aircraft modules and specific scenery packs, then you have to pony up some cash and purchase an ever growing array of add-ons. F/A-18C, which was released earlier this month, offers a near photo-realistic experience of the Hornet aircraft from the inside out, showcasing its many strengths, capabilities and characteristics as a naval aircraft. You can take off and land on a carrier, embark upon real-world missions, take wing with the US Navy’s Blue Angels and much more. Check out the video below.

 

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Where For Art Thou Dragon Armor?

Dragon Models recently updated their web site and it now appears as if several 1:72 scale Dragon Armor pieces — that had been pushed back for several months running — are no longer any where to be found. It’s not clear if they have been cancelled, postponed or delayed due to poor sales performance of several previous Dragon Armor releases, but the fact remains that it certainly doesn’t bode well for the category in general or the items in particular.

The pieces in question include:

DRR60697 – German Sd. Kfz. 161 PzKpfw IV Ausf. F2 (G) Medium Tank – 13.Panzer Division, Northern Caucasus, Russia, 1942 (1:72 Scale)

DRR60698 – German Sd. Kfz. 161 PzKpfw IV Ausf. F2 (G) Medium Tank – Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front, 1943 (1:72 Scale)

DRR60399 – German Sd. Kfz. 182 PzKpfw VI King Tiger Ausf. B Heavy Tank – “313”, schwere Panzer Abteilung 501, Ardennes, 1944 (1:72 Scale)

DRR60400 – German Sd. Kfz. 182 PzKpfw VI King Tiger Ausf. B Heavy Tank – schwere Panzer Abteilung 509, Hungary, 1945 (1:72 Scale)

We asked Dragon about their removal from their sites several days ago and thus far have not gotten a definitive response. So, we will leave them up on our web site for a few more days until we receive a final answer. If history serves as any indication, then Dragon has posted a number of Dragon Armor pieces in the past that never came to fruition.

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Job Posting: We’re Looking for a Lumberjack

As far as new product goes, there seems to be a logjam of sorts, delaying the arrival of a number of important lines and products well past their initial due dates. While Hobby Master has hit the mark time and time again, other manufacturers have seemingly succumbed to a June Swoon, continually getting pushed back on the release schedule month after month. We’re still awaiting word on when the following manufacturers are expected to get their product to market:

Modelcollect

PMA

JC Wings

Eaglemoss 

Walterson’s Force of Valor

Wings of the Great War

Corgi

Solido

Dragon

Come on guys, time to make the donuts and get your product in the pipeline in a timely fashion…

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Modelcollect Continues to Put its Best Foot Forwards

A US M26 Pershing tank turret set atop a quadraped chassis

Never one to shy away from a challenging project which some are saying has led to long-promised projects being left on the back burner, ModelCollect seems to be devoting more and more of its energy and resources into its sci-fi series, Fist of War.

Say hello to Helblar and Kaiserkafer, two 1:35 scale fighting mechs that seem to draw inspiration from the Battletech Universe

In fact, the Company announced recently that they plan to dabble in the 1:35 scale market, meaning some of the monstrosities they are dreaming up are going to be rather large and some what incredible when everything is said and done. Its not clear if the 1:35 scale projects will be offered as pre-assembled models given their size and no doubt higher price tag, so the jury is out for now to determine their fit within our product portfolio. Still, its always nice to think outside the box and applaud their efforts at taking things to new heights, depths and fields of battle.

And lest we forget Wotan, an ungainly 1:72 scale six-legged warrior ready to do the Nazi’s bidding, whatever that might be

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