The Motor Pool – Blog – Page 22 – Pureveyors of Fine Diecast Collectibles

2023: Possible Pre-Order Policy Change

Over the last few months we have noticed a significant rise in the number of abandoned orders placed through our web site whereby the customer cannot be reached so that we can review their billing information with them. Usually, this issue arises with new customers, who seem to think that by placing an order at the time they see the item on our site, that they will get the product right away. Usually they do not check the anticipated date of availability of said item, which can oftentimes arrive several months after the fact, in some instances years later. Friends, as I’ve said before, these are collectibles, most of which are made in Asia, that can and oftentimes are adversely affected by global market conditions, weather, logistical issues, et al. We have no control over when the product finally comes to market and if you do not understand this then I would suggest taking up a different passion and looking into a different hobby.

We are going on our 23rd year of doing business and our stated policy has always been that the customer is charged at the time of shipment and not before. From our standpoint, walking away from an order is no longer acceptable. When we receive product, we are essentially laying out money on behalf of the customer with the idea that we will be reimbursed at some point down the road once the item comes in and is ready for shipment. If a customer prepays for an item using either PayPal or AmazonPay, then it is with the understanding that they are paying for the item well ahead of us being able to ship out the item to them. We do not encourage this type of behavior nor have we demanded payment at the time the order is placed. If a customer feels more comfortable pre-paying for an item (which means they are not sharing their credit card details with the merchant) then so be it.

However, we have run into more and more situations where a customer places an order using their credit card, and then disappears at the time we require them to provide us with their complete details so we can obtain a new authorization code from the credit card provider. Sometimes, the customer can be reached, who them hems and haws over why they must provide us with their billing information or swears that the item has already been paid for without so much as checking their credit card statement. I’m not certain why this occurs, but this too is unacceptable behavior on the part of the customer.

Right now, we are mulling over different policy options that can potentially include taking payment from EVERYONE at the time their order is placed. Another alternative is taking a substantial, non-refundable deposit at the time the order is placed so that we are at least covered for the wholesale cost of the item. Or we could adopt the physician’s model, whereby the customer’s billing information must be provided first before services are rendered in the form of accepting a pre-order.

Naturally, selling collectibles that oftentimes do not come in until a later date presents a bit of a problem in its own right but so too does this issue of order abandonment. Thus far, we are contacting anyone that refuses to pay for an order that not only is their order cancelled but so too is their account with us. When an account is closed, you will not be able to purchase anything else from us ever again, including through our marketplace sites. Why do we resort to such draconian measures as to close a customer’s account. It’s simple. We feel that if a customer is unreachable the first time we request his or her billing information, then they will likely be unavailable a second or even a third time, and that is unworkable for us or for any business for that matter. That said, in the next couple of weeks we will decide what to do to combat this growing order abandonment problem. Stay tuned…

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Hobby Master: As a Reminder…

**Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USAF Boeing F-15C Eagle Multi-Role Fighter – 85-0093, “Chaos”, 44th Fighter Squadron “Vampire Bats”, CENTCOM, September 2020 [Low-Vis Scheme]**

Per Hobby Master’s MAP guidelines, we are now able to remove any price restrictions on all of the August 2022 Hobby Master arrivals. The price for each item has been reduced to their regular selling price and you may now apply any discounts we offer towards the purchase of these items. This process will recur on the first of every month in compliance with their updated MAP pricing program. You can tell if an item is no longer MAP protected if the blue MAP seal that appears alongside its image and just below its price has been removed. In effect, a retailer is no longer bound by the 6-month introductory MAP restriction policy and can sell the item for whatever price they deem appropriate.

In other news, our distributor reports that the February Hobby Master container has arrived and that our shipment of new merchandise is well on its way to us. Oddly, we are still awaiting final imagery for several products, although these will likely be passed along in the coming days.

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The Forces of Valor Update: Shipping, Shopping, and Shape Shifting

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale US M4(105) Sherman Medium Tank with VVSS Suspension and Deep Wading Gear – “White 6”, 713th Tank Battalion, Okinawa, April-June 1945 [Bonus Continental (Wright) R-975, Radial 9 Engine]. **Currently set to storm the beach in early April…**

Today marks the opening day of shipping out the all-new 1:32 scale Sherman Jumbo Tank, “Cobra King”. Whenever we receive a heavily requested item such as this, we elect to ship out product in waves. So, wave one, as we like to refer to it, will be going out today and possibly into tomorrow, depending upon how quickly we can get the orders processed, labeled and ready for our USPS driver. Wave two will begin going out on Tuesday afternoon and lastly wave three will likely be wrapped up on Wednesday, perhaps into Thursday. Wave three usually encompasses orders where we have to contact the customer to go over their billing information or confirm quantities requested. Again we ask that you patiently await shipping information before contacting us to ask for an update. If you do not receive a shipping update by Friday, then you may contact us about your order.

**The first two F-16s to be produced by Waltersons in their long awaited 1:72 Modern Aircraft Series are these ROCAF Vipers.**

In other news, Waltersons debuted some of their new products for 2023 at the recently concluded Nuremberg Toy Fair. While we do not as yet have any photos to share, it appears as if the upcoming Sherman with wading gear as well as an all-white Tiger were being shown for the first time. Also unveiled was their first 1:72 scale jet – a F-16 Viper complete with lots of bells and whistles to help differentiate it from the competition. It also looks as though the Company is finally getting back into the 1:72 scale market by employing the same strategy they used so successfully with their interlocking 4-inch Flight Deck series. Based upon the image we saw, it appears as if they are developing an interlocking vignette set on a D-Day landing area. So, some of the display bases will feature a beach background while others will sport bunkers and other obstacles. There will be landing craft, tanks and other military vehicles included with each individual vignette, all likely tied to vehicles previously released under the Unimax moniker several years back. Should the strategy succeed, there’s a good bet other vignettes will be offered too.

Forces of Valor’s upcoming 1:72 scale D-Day vignette (as shown at the Nuremberg Toy Fair) looks to encompass 12 separate sections that, when fitted together, forms a sort of beachhead scenario, complete with vehicles, figures and obstacles. As a guess, the entire set will ship in the fourth quarter. Prices to be established

Lastly, the manufacturer has hinted at a number of projects still to come, such as more 1:72 and 1:48 scale helicopters, two iterations of the USS Enterprise, and several more 1:32 scale military vehicles that aren’t based upon either the Tiger I or Sherman vehicles. No word concerning their highly anticipated 1:16 scale tank that has been both privately and publicly discussed for some time. The Company could be waiting for the upcoming Shizuoka Hobby Show in Japan to formally announce and show these projects.

Update: Incidentally, we’re almost out of the initial batch of “Cobra King” Shermans. We ordered so many on the first go round that they had to be shipped via freight from California instead of a traditional carrier such as UPS or FedEx. We’ve already contacted the manufacturer to see if more are immediately available and will place our order shortly. But if you’re looking to nab a tank from the first batch and possibly avoid a delay in shipping, we have only two pieces left in stock as of the morning of March 1st.

Also, in case you missed it, Forces of Valor plans on coming out with a 1:32 scale model kit of the M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo. While no price or ship date has been set, modelmakers are free to depict any Sherman they like, perhaps doing away with the “First in Bastogne” sobriquet that adorns the side of “Cobra King” for something more commonplace. Sweet, huh?

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New Line: Heng Long

Back in the day we did a fairly respectable R/C business that encompassed both the Forces of Valor and Taigen Tanks ranges of military vehicles. When Waltersons purchased VS Tanks several years ago, we were under the impression that they would be folding in the line within their own range of R/C tanks then, after getting their ducks in a row, rolling out a slew of vehicles that would make everyone’s mouth water. Thus far, the company has remained silent as to their radio controlled plans so we’ve switched gears, so-to-speak, and will instead stock the Heng Long line of military vehicles.

When I say stock what I really mean is that we will be drop shipping these vehicles to our customers courtesy of our distributor who will actually do most of the heavy lifting, covering everything from shipping out the product to handling any issues that might arise afterwards should spare parts be needed or repairs be called upon. As of now, we are still awaiting the price list and barring any issues will start listing the entire range sometime next week once we have completed shipping out all of the new Forces of Valor merchandise. So stay tuned, flex your fingers and get ready to enjoy the R/C experience from one of the most reliable and trusted manufacturers on the planet.

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Did Someone Say Abrams?

**Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale US M1A2 SEP Abrams Main Battle Tank with TUSK II Survival Kit – 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Baghdad, Iraq, July 2008**

With talk of several dozen US-built M1 Abrams tanks being overhauled and/or constructed from scratch to aid in the Ukrainian war effort, Panzerkampf decided to seize the newsworthy opportunity by revamping its own line of M1 Abrams tanks. Several fan-favorites that sold out almost as quickly as they hit the battlefield will be brought back from the boneyard, most notably the TUSK II variant that was an instant hit amongst collectors. All told, Panzerkampf will have six different M1 Abrams tanks fitted out with either the TUSK I or II Urban Survival Kit, although it isn’t clear if these will be the types of Abrams tanks bound for Kiev in 2023. When combined with their best-selling M1070 tank transporters, these vehicles are, as they say, “evergreen” products that sell well year-in and year-out and should never be fully retired. Kudos to Panzerkampf for becoming the tip of the spear!

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Hobby Master Feels the Need for Speed

**Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Navy Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornet Strike Fighter – 165796, NAWDC, Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, “Top Gun 50th Anniversary” [Anniversary Scheme]**

If you’re a fan of the movie Top Gun: Maverick then you’ll be delighted to learn that images were finally debuted for Hobby Master’s tribute to the blockbuster film. The twin-seat F/A-18 shown here was the type used in the filming of the movie even though action sequences depicted in the movie showed the more common single seat version. The reason is fairly simple – the actors portrayed in the film sat in the rear seat while the actual pilots flew the aircraft from the front seat, much like the filming sequences for the original film Top Gun. Lets face it — Tom Cruise may be talented, a huge box office draw and a pilot in his own right but he was never trained as a Hornet driver and for good reason. He’s paid to put movie goers in theater seats not defend our nation’s interests and risk his life in the process.

The fully assembled model differs in certain respects from the aircraft depicted in the movie, with no mention of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell stenciled on the sides of the fuselage and an oversized “Top Gun” moniker adorning the refueling pod slung underneath the aircraft. Moreover, the seated pilot figure is standard fare with no attempt to portray Cruse’s likeness for fear of offending the actor and potentially getting Paramount, the film’s maker, from getting all riled up.

Hobby Master was careful to get the model approved while avoiding licensing fees and a lawsuit from landing on their doorstep. Nevertheless, the upcoming Top Gun Hornet model will likely sell well despite the aforementioned dissimilarities with the filmed version of the aircraft largely because of the manufacturer’s reputation for producing highly accurate models right out-of-the-box without the need or assistance of a master model maker to put the whole thing together. Flying right up to the edge of the envelope, if you were, without dangling over it.

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Florida Seems to be Agreeing with Us

After leaving the cold winter behind us in New York on January 2nd, we arrived here in Florida on the 5th and began setting up shop on the 9th. It wasn’t until the 15th that we felt we were ready to resume operations even though there were still some facets of our business that needed to be addressed such as purchasing and building a new desk and ordering some other office furniture, as well as other responsibilities such as visiting the DMV, changing doctors, and dealing with home ownership in a brand new community. Since then we’ve been on an upswing and, quite frankly, haven’t looked back. In fact, this morning we noticed that our eBay sales alone have risen by over 500% since re-opening for business, and we haven’t even listed some of the more crucial new products such as the new Forces of Valor 1:32 scale Sherman “Cobra King”. We’ve seen a similar rise in both traffic and sales on some of our other marketplace sites as well as our main web site.

In other eBay-related news we have successfully transitioned from their Global Shipping program to their new International Delivery Program. As a result, we can now ship anywhere on the globe without fear of fraud or incompatible/antiquated postal systems that may have prevented all parties from tracking the progress of the package. After a sale is made, products are first shipped to eBay’s point of aggregation in Illinois, inspected and then sent on to the customer wherever he or she may be located. Again, any customs or VAT due are paid by the customer freeing us from explaining these restrictions to the would-be customer.

As always, we thank you for your patronage and look forward to serving your diecast needs for the foreseeable future. Panzers vorwarts!

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New Line: Militaria Diecast

Militaria Diecast’s 1:72 scale USAF North American F-86F Sabre Jet Fighter – Major John Glenn, “MiG Mad Marine,” 25th Fighter Squadron “Checkertails”, 51st Fighter Group, Suwon AB, South Korea, 1953

We’re pleased to announce a new line of diecast combat aircraft known as Militaria Diecast. Produced by the same company that gave us the Warbirds of World War II series of military aircraft, Militaria Diecast will move the ball forward, so-to-speak, and examines some of the most iconic fighters arising in the aftermath of World War II. Three models are being offered at inception although we have decided to stock only two. The third, a Portuguese A-7 Corsair, has limited appeal here in North America, but if they decide to do a US version we will readily add it to our product roster.

**Militaria Diecast’s 1:72 scale USMC McDonnell Douglas A-4C Skyhawk Attack Aircraft – VMA-242 “Bats”, Cuban** **Missile Crisis, Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West, Florida, October 1962**

Based upon the pictures provided, it doesn’t appear as if the series will come with pilot figures although each of the aircraft can be posed in-flight on a display stand or on a set of tricycle landing gear. Lastly, the outer cases are very reminiscent of the type that accompanies the Warbirds of World II line, complete with a sturdy five-panel box, clamshell packaging and clear interior viewing pane so collectors can see the model without having to take it out of the box and possibly risk losing some of the parts.

No price has yet to be established for each of the new aircraft and a ship date is probably pegged for early spring, although no definite date has been set. For more information on this new 1:72 scale range, click the following link or either of the images shown above.

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The Motor Pool Update: February Deals and Steals

Of the four recently received M1083 cargo trucks, this one seems to be the most popular, outselling the second best-selling version by nearly 2 to 1. Frankly, I would’ve thought the ones with the gun and armored shield would sell the best but I guess I backed the wrong horse! We will re-order it shortly, now that all of the pre-orders have been dealt with…

We’ve gotten all of the pre-orders out-the-door for both the recently arrived Panzerkampf and JC Wings lines. We’re actually out of one of the M1083 cargo trucks, and will likely have to re-order it shortly to maintain availability. All of the other versions are currently in stock as is the Russian Pantsir S-1 air defense system.

Our Forces of Valor shipment is slated to arrive at the tail end of the month. We will start reviewing our pre-orders several days ahead of time to ensure that we get out the bulk of the orders as quickly as possible. If you placed a pre-order by credit card, it may make sense to touch base with us to see if we have your current details on hand so we can get a new authorization code tout de suite. It will likely take us a few days to process all of the pre-orders so we again beg you not to contact us asking about your order other than to provide us with your current credit card information. Stopping to respond to any other queries simply slows us down. Again, we will be processing the oldest orders first, so if you placed an order for the soon-to-be-received Sherman over the last couple of weeks please hang in there because we need to address all of the orders that came in ahead of yours.

Lastly, we’re not certain as yet if the February Hobby Master shipment is still expected this month or if it has been pushed back into March. We are currently awaiting updated shipping information from our distributor that handles the line and will make changes to our web site the moment we learn of its disposition. That’s about it for now and we hope you’re having a splendid winter. I know we are now that we are based in sunny Florida!

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The Forces of Valor Update: At Last, Shermans March

Forces of Valor’s 1:32 scale US M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo Assault Tank with VVSS Suspension – “Cobra King”, C Company, 37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division, Bastogne, Belgium, December 26th, 1944 [Bonus Ford GAA V-8 Engine]

So we finally have some news to share regarding Forces of Valor. With the 2023 Nuremberg Toy Fair fast becoming a distant memory, the principals at Forces of Valor have indicated that they are ready to begin shipment of their latest 1:32 scale Sherman tank, “Cobra King”, along with their 1:700 scale replica of the IJN Yamato battleship and their trio of 1:72 scale P-40 Warhawks. We don’t have a definite date as yet for their arrival but we are tentatively looking at around the fourth week of February for them to be rolling in. Some back ordered items will be hitching a ride on the shipment, including their latest Tiger I tank and the 1:700 scale take on the USS Arizona.

That said, we implore that you take a seat and relax as we start to process orders around the middle of next week. Please do not contact us saying “I placed my order back on such-and-such date” or “I Paid you by PayPal and you’ve been sitting on my money ever since”. These were YOUR decisions, not ours. We never asked for payment up front and we are the last link in the supply chain. So, just because a manufacturer announces a new item, they have to make it, ship it overseas, pass through customs and lastly stock it with a distributor before it heads our way. We’ve explained this countless times before so this shouldn’t be new to anyone.

Once our shipment arrives, we will start by processing the Sherman tank orders, looking at the oldest orders first then the latest in chronological order. So, if someone placed an order back on March 2021, their order will be reviewed first before an order that was submitted say in October of last year. Sorry, but that’s the fairest method we regularly use when it comes to shipping out orders for a highly requested item. If you cannot wait, then contact us to cancel your order and you are certainly free to place your order with another vendor. If this becomes a habit be forewarned because we will cancel any remaining orders you have with us and close out your account. I don’t want to wake up each day and read all sorts of missives that either talk down to us as if we were intentionally sitting on your order or hear how important it is that you be moved to the front of the line and get this item immediately. That’s not going to happen and we will continue to do things at our own pace to avoid mistakes, favoritism or anything else you can throw our way.

On a positive note, we hope you enjoy FOV’s latest 1:32 scale combat vehicle once it does arrive. We likely will only have a handful available to be listed across our marketplace sites until we are prepared to submit a re-order.

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