After laying low for several months, and still trying to figure out why they are having issues correctly shipping out orders to their retailing network, Waltersons has finally re-surfaced to share some news with us about upcoming projects. Apparently, a large re-stock shipment is expected to reach our shores in July, filled — according to their literature — with all sorts of relatively new items they ran out of earlier this year. According to the manufacturer, the following items will reportedly return-to-stock this summer:
1:32 scale US M24 Chaffee Light Tank
1:32 scale GMC 2-1/2-ton Trucks
1:48 scale USMC Bell AH-1W “Whiskey” Super Cobra Attack Helicopter
1:700 scale US Battleship Missouri (full hull)
1:700 scale German Battleship Bismarck (full hull)
1:32 scale German Initial Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – Hauptmann Herbert Oehme, “White 100”, schwere Panzerabteilung 502, Leningrad, Russia, February 1943
1:32 scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – Lt. Vermehren, “Alwin”, “121”, 1/schwere Panzerabteilung 501, Panzerarmee Afrika, Tunisia, 1943
1:32 scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – “Red 100”, schwere Panzerabteilung 505, Kursk, Russia, July 1943
1:32 scale German Early Production Sd. Kfz. 181 PzKpfw VI Tiger I Ausf. E Heavy Tank – “Red 100”, schwere Panzerabteilung 505, Kursk, Russia, July 1943
1:32 scale US M4A3(75) Sherman Medium Tank with VVSS Suspension – Training Vehicle, C Company, 10th Tank Battalion, 5th Armored Division, New York, 1943
1:32 scale US M4A3(76)W Sherman Medium Tank with VVSS Suspension – Sgt. Daniel “Buttons” Cardell, “Julia”, 761st Tank Battalion “Black Panthers”, Task Force Rhine, Germany, 1945
1:32 scale US M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo Assault Tank with VVSS Suspension – Lieutenant Charles Boggess, “Cobra King”, C Company, 37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division, Bastogne, Belgium, December 26th, 1944
Also expected are the following new items that have been shown on their web site for well over a year:
1:72 scale USMC AH-1Z Viper Attack Helicopter
1:700 scale HMS Invincible aircraft carrier (full hull and waterline)
To be perfectly honest, we will believe all this when we see it, based upon their past performance and mishandling numerous issues. Moreover, nothing was mentioned regarding new product in the pipeline even though we are quickly looking at the back half of 2024 and the all-important holiday season. To be blunt, they’re still having trouble getting their ducks in a row, one year after they acquired Greenlight Collectibles. Moreover, the sales sheet sent to us fails to include information about their upcoming 1:72 scale F4 Phantom II and F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, nor does it talk about any of the 1:64 scale military vehicles supposedly hitting the streets. So, if you plan to place orders for any of the items Waltersons says are expected in July, please do so with a grain of salt and understand we have no control over the situation nor do we guarantee that said items will actually materialize this summer. Its been an exercise in frustration that we wish was finally addressed to everyone’s satisfaction