The Forces of Valor Update: Its 2026 – Do You Know Where Your Tanks Are?

Its been awhile since we last spoke about Forces of Valor and with good reason — there wasn’t much to talk about. With the Trump tariffs still in doubt and companies such as Waltersons reluctant to produce new items because of how it might affect them, the line has been on hiatus for some time now. Several new items have been hinted at but nothing has been formally announced. That said, we contacted the manufacturer over the weekend to find out what’s in stock and where we stand with the Company now that the Christmas stampede has run its course.

Thus far, only a handful of new items are said to be in stock and ready to be shipped. These include several of the new 1:64 scale military vehicles and a handful of accessories, many of which have been shown on their site for months on end. The balance of the line has strangely not come in as yet so we assume they aren’t too far behind. Because of this, we’ve elected to hold off ordering them for now, largely because we want to get things started with them slowly then open up the spigots to bring in a number of items that had been on back order for the better part of a year and now show as being in stock. So, we’ve placed an initial order with them for several back ordered items, which will hopefully be received and ready to head off to the diecast front early next week. We’ve listed them in our In Transit section and will continue to monitor the situation once we review their initial shipment then go from there. Keeping our fingers crossed that this will lead to bigger and better things for the balance of the year.

Takeaway: Waltersons, the owners of the Forces of Valor brand, has always been a questionable commodity ever since they opened their North American warehouse/offices in the US over two years ago. Much of their focus still remains on Greenlight Collectibles, so it’ll be interesting to see where and when the Company decides to place added emphasis on their military range. Thus far, things are quiet but that could change with Toy Fair right around the corner.

Update to the Update: It looks as if Waltersons has gotten their act together, having taken and shipped out our opening order without incident. So, we’re getting set to place our second and larger order with them, which will contain three of their 1:64 scale military vehicles, a few accessory packs originally produced by Unimax and a bevy of back ordered merchandise that have been out-of-stock for several months. Still no word on any of the new items hinted at on their own blog or any of the products they announced years ago that have remained in limbo for some time. Their Facebook page is still mum, having gone dark over three years ago so no public information is being disseminated. As I mentioned earlier, the Trump tariffs are still acting as a headwind and the Company could be withholding new product announcements until the upcoming Toy Fairs have run their course. To sum up, we’re working in the dark and hope to have more concrete information to work with by the end of January. Maybe…

In the meantime, we’ve prepped our web site to reflect these changes, and made several amendments to our eBay store page so we can plug in the quantities available once we ensure that all of our pre-orders have been accounted for. We’re holding off indicating that the second shipment is available until we review its receipt. I’d like to ensure, first hand, that there are no discrepancies, gauge the quality of the new items and get everything ready in case we get beset by loads of orders. We are accepting pre-orders and quite frankly aren’t sure how quickly the new and back ordered merchandise will be received. Bear in mind too that we are expecting large Hobby Master, Corgi and Panzerkampf shipments by the end of the month, so getting ahead of these will be our mantra for the next couple of weeks.

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Panzerkampf Steps Into the Ring with the Boxer

Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale Boxer A2 Multirole Armored Fighting Vehicle with Skyranger 30 Air Defense Turret – Digital Camouflage

As one Company fades into the sunset, it appears as if another rises like a morning sun to the east. Yesterday, Panzerkampf indicated that they were bolstering their armored vehicle collection with the addition of the Boxer armored fighting vehicle. Produced by Rheinmetall. The Boxer is family of armored fighting vehicles designed by an international consortium to accomplish a number of operations through the use of installable mission modules. The governments participating in the Boxer program have changed as the program has developed. The Boxer vehicle is produced by the ARTEC GmbH (armored vehicle technology) industrial group, and the program is being managed by OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation). ARTEC GmbH is based in Munich; its parent companies are KNDS Deutschland and Rheinmetall on the German side, (with Australian factory) and Rheinmetall Defence Nederland B.V. for the Netherlands. Overall, Rheinmetall has a 64% stake in the joint venture.

Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale ISAF Boxer A2 Multirole Armored Fighting Vehicle

As we’ve come to expect from this manufacturer, Panzerkampf doesn’t like to test the waters by offering up one or two iterations to see how sales go and whether or not they should commit additional resources by making more versions. Instead, they plan to roll out 10 different versions of the Boxer that include a command vehicle, standard armored personnel carrier and a vehicle equipped with the Skyranger 30 air-defense system. The turret is equipped with a 30 × 173 mm KCE revolver gun firing programmable ABM, two Stinger surface-to-air missiles, and a sensor suite. The latter will comprise a Hensoldt Spexer X-band radar with three panels each providing 120° azimuth coverage integrated into the turret and an electro-optical tracking sensor with a thermal camera, day camera, and laser rangefinder for target identification and tracking. The turret will also be equipped with Rheinmetall’s Rapid Obscuring System (ROSY) smoke grenade launchers.

Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale Dutch Boxer A2 Command Vehicle

While we applaud the decision to add the Boxer to their burgeoning 1:72 scale military vehicle line up, its not clear why the manufacturer continually needs to roll out so many iterations all at one time. Not only does it saturate the market, making it more difficult for collectors to choose which vehicles to purchase before they potentially run out-of-stock, but it makes it equally hard for the average dealer to order and stock what is, for argument’s sake, similar products when other items are coming to market. We don’t want to be seen as complainers, but the fact remains that a better business strategy needs to be adopted for everyone to be satisfied.

As an aside, this series is a bit problematic for us for several reasons. To begin with, Dragon snagged first mover advantage a few years ago by releasing several Boxer AFVs as part of their Neo Dragon Armor series. While the choices may not have been as prolific as Panzerkampf’s, they were able to sell them for far less and with no competition in the space. Panzerkampf’s releases come on the heels of the Dragon offerings and as such most collectors likely already have an example or two wedged into their collection. Moreover, our distributor sells the Panzerkampf range in case lots, meaning we have to make a considerable investment in money, energy and space to stock all of these iterations. If we do decide to stock the series, we may only bring in a few versions, perhaps the Skyranger variants and a couple of AFVs that aren’t so redundant in appearance and background. I’m sorry but our primary mission is to curate the line, any line, and bring in only those versions that will potentially sell the best.

Takeaway: As a retailer with over 25 years in the industry, our principal job is to curate each line and bring in only those items we feel we can sell within a reasonable period of time. While we applaud Panzerkampf’s efforts to release as many versions of an item as is possible, they really need to consider staggering their releases so that each segment of the industry, from distributor on down, can stock and sell their products at a meaningful rate without having to worry about saturating the marketplace.

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Tales of Transparency: Aggressive Buyers

Recently we received a negative feedback on eBay and the marketplace seems unwilling to remove it even though we fully explained our side of the story. The reason this buyer decided to leave a scathing remark was because he received a large Forces of Valor tank that he claimed was slightly damaged during transit. Apparently, he was able to repair the minor damage but in so doing sent us a message indicating his displeasure and, more importantly, that we didn’t respond quickly enough to his missive during the busy holiday season. He did not indicate that he wanted to return the model; nor did he ask for a partial refund as compensation. Instead, his note to us was vulgar, as if to say we had a hand in sending him a broken model. While we don’t open each model ahead of time to inspect a product for any number of reasons, we do shake it a bit to see if anything is rattling around prior to its packing and mailing.

We don’t often get negative feedback on eBay — in fact, if you read our overall feedback you’ll see most comments are quite positive. In some instances, models arrive damaged from a courier mishandling the parcel so we do our best to work with the buyer to resolve the issue. If the customer cannot repair the damage, then they are free to open a return, whereby we pay for the return shipping and promptly refund the customer the cost of the sale. What bothers me isn’t so much the negative feedback. What does strike a chord, however, is the recent trend of running into aggressive buyers on eBay and elsewhere, where they feel as if they can dictate terms, tell us what they are willing to pay for an item, and, if need be, tell the world that we didn’t buckle to their demands. Our policy is simple. This is what we sell and this is what we sell it for. I don’t go into a local fast food restaurant and attempt to barter or negotiate with the manager to get a burger or taco at a lower price, and this is the way we conduct our own business. If you do not like this approach to the running of our business, then I have only one thing to say — buy the item from someone else. We are not here to be talked down to as if we are some sort of misbehaving junk yard dog nor do we deserve the brunt of your misplaced anger if your day isn’t going well. In short, I will not cave to your demands under any circumstances and, if need be, will resort to legal action if you decide to take things to another level when our response is not to your liking.

A couple of years ago, we ran into a similar situation on our e-commerce web site where one buyer demanded we lower the price of an item and wouldn’t take no for answer even when we explained to him that the manufacturer increased the cost of the item well beyond its initial asking price. He did his utmost to destroy our reputation, but never once told the full story behind his anger. As if that weren’t enough, he then went on to attempt to break into our Amazon Seller account to do as much damage as possible to our operation. I know this because we received multiple notifications that someone was attempting to access our account. To make a long story short, he was unable to break into our account but to this day still attacks us online.

To sum up, if you do not like the fact that we stick to our guns when selling an item, then move on. From my standpoint, life is too short to worry about why you feel it necessary to take a piece of diecast memorabilia so seriously and whether or not you can deal with someone saying no to your demands. There are plenty of other dealers out there who I can only assume are more than willing to cave to your demands. I won’t.

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Panzerkampf Takes the Pave Hawk for a Spin

Panzerkampf’s 1:72 scale USAF Sikorsky HH-60G/MH-60G Pave Hawk Helicopters

What better way to usher in the new year than with a new set of models? On New Years day, Panzerkampf announced plans to release five different 1:72 scale Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters, all scheduled for shipping some time this spring. We’ve listed preliminary information for the quintet to our web site, although we’re still awaiting full descriptions and a better set of images for each model. Currently, we are still including the tariffs in their price, which could change should the US Supreme Court strike down the Trump tariffs in their decision expected by month’s end.

In a related development, reports are surfacing that Panzerkampf plans on tackling the US Air Force Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green II Combat Rescue Helicopter as their next rotary-wing subject. The HH-60W Jolly Green II is the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopter, built on the proven UH-60M Black Hawk air frame but significantly upgraded for long-range, high-threat missions, featuring enhanced fuel capacity, advanced avionics, integrated defensive systems, and improved survivability to replace aging HH-60G Pave Hawks for rescuing isolated personnel in hostile territory, as well as for other vital roles like medical evacuation and disaster relief. Its possible the HH-60W was involved in Operation Absolute Resolve, the recent combined arms mission to take down the Nicholas Maduro regime in Venezuela.

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Tales of Transparency: Late to the Party

Air Force 1’s USAAF Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber – “Man ‘O War II”, 323rd Bombardment Squadron, 91st Bombardment Group, Bassingbourn, Cambridgeshire, England, November 1944 (1:72 Scale)

We’ve got some especially good news for all of you collectors out there that didn’t mind waiting and likely have a fist full of cash from Christmas presents. There’s a bunch of new items that have either arrived this past week or in transit, most notably two months worth of Hobby Master products. These should be landing later this week, unless the holidays play havoc with the schedule or something else comes up that delays their arrival. Also headed our way are a number of Legion Models items, including a bunch of 1:72 scale Sherman tanks, a gaggle of Supermarine Spitfires and a squadron Curtiss P-40 Warhawks.

Air Force 1’s Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force Chengdu J-36 Deep Strike Aircraft – Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, December 2024 (1:100 Scale)

Over the weekend, we took delivery of several Air Force 1 aircraft, including their highly popular 1:72 scale B-17G Flying Fortress bomber (shown above) that was out-of-stock for over a month. We also received models of two PLAAF sixth generation aircraft. Bear in mind the actual jets are still undergoing rigorous testing back in China and will likely get deployed in the next couple of years. Both aircraft have been the subject of intense scrutiny and conjecture and will likely continue to evolve based upon test results.

Corgi’s USAAF Boeing B-17F-45-VE Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber – “Royal Flush”, Lieutenant Robert “Rosie” Rosenthal, 418th Bomb Squadron “Bloody Hundredth”, 100th Bomb Group, Bassingbourn, England, October 10th, 1943 (1:72 Scale)

In other news, there’s still quite a few models expected in January that have faced delay after delay and are supposedly now on their way to our distributor. These include a shipment of Panzerkampf models (which includes a number of back ordered items as well as new products) and Corgi aircraft, as well as another batch of Hobby Master military aircraft models (both new and back ordered items). Beyond that, its not clear what else is in store for January or even February, seeing as how several distributors are awaiting news on the Supreme Court ruling on the Trump tariffs before bringing in new shipments. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the tariffs, then we can guarantee that this Spring will be especially dry with very few products making it to market. For instance, the recently announced Panzerkampf 1:64 Abrams tank is currently pegged at $85, making it far too expensive to entice most collectors into purchasing it. If the Supreme Court rules against the tariffs, then it will likely get rolled back to around $69, still pricey but within range of most collector’s budgets.

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Century Wings Says Sayonara

While we haven’t stocked the line in several years, we’ve learned that Japanese-based Century Wings will be shutting down operations at the end of December. Citing declining orders and deteriorating molds as two reasons for the change of heart, Century Wings had been weighing their options for the better part of the year. The current trade war between the US and the PRC, which culminated in exorbitant tariffs for goods being brought in to the US, no doubt also factored into their decision to close up shop. The Company has been is existence since 2006, producing primarily SR-71, F-14, A-6, A-7 and F-8 models, so collectors probably felt as if they had enough of each subject and were looking for other types of aircraft to add to their collection.

We’re not surprised by Century Wings’ decision to throw in the towel, which will certainly be taken into consideration by other model makers if the Trump tariffs aren’t rolled back to an acceptable level. As it stands right now, there’s only so much a manufacturer can charge for a new aircraft, tank or warship, before the collector balks and walks away to pursue other interests. It would be a sad way to say goodbye but one that is both logical and foreseeable given the current set of circumstances affecting both nation’s intransigence and reluctance to give in.

From a personal standpoint, part of the problem for their closure was self-inflicted. While I don’t have an excel spreadsheet that lists every model they’ve produced to date, the fact remains that most collectors do not need or want the same items over and over again. Sure, there are some collectors who would like nothing more than to show off every single Tomcat Century Wings ever built; a like number of Blackbird enthusiasts who can display every Mach 3 jet in their oversized glass cabinets. But the fact remains that most collectors are on a budget and will buy an example or two of any given subject before moving on to other models. By bombarding the hobby with the same aircraft type ad nauseum is, at best, a poor business plan that will come back to haunt any model maker.

As it stands right now, Century Wings decision to ring down the curtains could be a precursor for other diecast manufacturers that have largely halted production to see how the US Supreme Court would rule on the Trump tariffs. Should they be overruled, then many will likely resume production and look back on 2025 as an aberration. Should they be upheld, however, then you can expect more manufacturers, distributors and retailers to follow suit and call it a day, unable and unwilling to sell product at inflated prices that few can afford. Guess we’ll have to see what the Court decides to do when they take up the matter in January. In the mean time, it may already be too late for several companies to await the decision.

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Hobby Master Puts the “P” in Production

Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi A6M2b “Zero” Fighter – Lieutenant Junior Grade Tetsuzo Iwamoto, 253rd AG, Rabaul, January 1944 (1:48 Scale)

In a race to flood the market with diecast aircraft while other manufacturers sit back on their laurels, Hobby Master announced a bunch of new models for a June/July release. While no new toolings were unveiled, their most recent marketing literature did feature a number of favorites, including a pair of 1:48 scale Mitsubishi Zero fighters, demonstrating they are still supporting mid-twentieth century warfare platforms that seem to have fallen out of favor with other manufacturers. Here now the list of aircraft models we plan to bring in this coming summer:

Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi A6M2b “Zero” Fighter – 261st AG “Tiger Corps”, Kagoshima, Japan, February 1944 (1:48 Scale)

USAF North American F-100 Super Sabre Fighter – FW-871, The National Museum of the United States Air Force (1:72 Scale)

USAF North American F-100D Super Sabre Fighter – 55-2950, 81st Tactical Fighter Squadron “Panthers”, 50th Tactical Fighter Wing, Toul-Rosieres Air Base, France, 1958 (1:72 Scale)

USAF Lockheed-Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – 22-5696, 176th Fighter Squadron “Badger Air Militia”, 115th Fighter Wing, Truax Field Air National Guard Base, Madison, Wisconsin, August 2004 (1:72 Scale)

US Navy Lockheed-Martin F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter – 169034, VFA-125 “Rough Raiders”, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), 2022 [Low-Vis Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

USAF General Dynamics F-16C Viper Fighter – “J-20 Aggressor” [Aggressor Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

USAF Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II Ground Attack Aircraft -“Maryland Farewell”, 104th Fighter Squadron “The Fightin’ O’s”, Warfield Air National Guard Base, Middle River, Maryland, September 2015 (1:72 Scale)

French Dassault-Breguet Mirage 2000N Multi-Role Fighter – 4-BJ, EC 2/4 “La Fayette”, Luxueil, France, July 1992 (1:72 Scale)

US Navy Grumman F-14A Tomcat Fleet Defense Fighter – 160658, VFA-124 “Gunfighters”, October 1978 (1:72 Scale)

USAF Northrop/McDonnell Douglas YF-23 Air Dominance Fighter – “Blue 065”, 65th Aggressor Squadron, 57th Operations Group, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada [Notional Scheme] (1:72 Scale)

All of these new introductions have now been listed in our product portfolio and are available for pre-order.

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Legion “Ups” Its Game with the SH-3 Sea King

US Navy Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King Helicopter – HS-1 “Seahorses”, USS Hancock (CV-19) (1:72 Scale)

We’ve learned that Legion Models plans on tackling the Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King as the basis for its next helicopter subject. Its been reported that six different models will be offered although thus far only information pertaining to three models have been unearthed. While the three may look similar in appearance, each is based upon a different helicopter squadron and naturally a different seaborne platform upon which they operated.

US Navy Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King Helicopter – HS-4 “Black Knights”, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) (1:72 Scale)

Near as we can tell, all three shown here are expected in early 2026 and its quite possible the remaining three will face a delayed takeoff thereby hitting the streets mid year. We will certainly post information about the second trio of SH-3s as soon as we learn of their existence.

US Navy Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King Helicopter – HS-12 “Wyverns”, USS Midway (CV-41) (1:72 Scale)

We’ve listed all three helos in our Legion rotorcraft section and are now accepting pre-orders.

Update: We’ve learned that LEG14055LE will be available in extremely limited numbers, although no reason was given for its shortfall in availability. Its doubtful that we will list it on any of our marketplace sites and it will probably sell out prior to its arrival once word spreads regarding its availability. So, if you want one, we advise submitting a pre-order ASAP.

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Panzerkampf Asks, “At What Price Glory?”

US M1A2 SEP Abrams Main Battle Tank – 1 Battery, 16 Cavalry Regiment, Fort Knox, Kentucky, USA, 2002 (1:64 Scale)

Back in November, we posted a video to our blog on the development of the next-generation M1E3 Abrams main battle tank, kind of hoping that someone would get the hint and offer up the first diecast rendition of the tank in ANY scale. So, earlier today we were surprised to see that Panzerkampf was tapping the elderly M1 Abrams tank for its 1:64 scale series. Don’t get me wrong — its welcome news that a new Abrams is hitting the battlefield, just a little war weary, if you know what I mean, when newer more capable tanks are on the drawing board.

According to Panzerkampf, two versions of the illustrious M1 will roll out in early 2026 — one painted in the traditional tri-color scheme and the other in a desert sand pattern. Interestingly, both tanks will feature movable tracks and sport a working suspension, making them a bit more realistic for fans of the venerable Abrams platform. Some information, such as their SKUs and ultimate price point, weren’t discussed, so we’ve pegged them at $69.99 apiece, given their size difference as compared with a smaller 1:72 scale tank, not to mention the current trade war still being waged between the US and the PRC. We will update the listings as soon as we learn more information about the pair of vehicles.

US M1A2 SEP Abrams Main Battle Tank – Company Commander’s Tank “Beast Master”, B Company, 3-67 Armor (1:64 Scale)

Given the paucity of new product announcements coming about because of the trade war, we’re grateful that someone, nay anyone, is stepping forward to produce new product for the diecast marketplace. And, with their history of producing a multitude of variants, we can presume that several different versions of the Abrams are in the hopper, featuring up-armored hulls, different unit insignia and some of the different upgraded vehicles that could run the gamut up to and including the M1A2 SEP enhancements.

Footnote: Based upon the size of these vehicles relative to their 1:72 scale brethren, we had expected this item to weigh in at around a $69.99 price tag. We were shocked to learn today that the MAP has been set at $84.99 making them far more expensive than their 1:72 scale counterparts. Obviously, the Trump tariffs are being taken into consideration for the bump up in price. Frankly, if the Trump tariffs aren’t rolled back when the US Supreme Court takes up the matter of tariffs in late January, then I’m not certain we will be bringing in these vehicles. Mind you, the 1:72 scale Abrams have sold very well over the course of the last couple of years so we were eager to stock and sell these vehicles even if they were tagged at a slightly higher price. But at $85 apiece I’m just not certain how they’re going to move at retail unless they are heavily discounted. Food for thought in 2026.

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The Art of War: Meet the K3

While they aren’t exactly known for producing cutting edge armored fighting vehicles, South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem is looking to change that equation by developing and building a next generation battle tank known simply as the K3. As explained in the accompanying video, the K3 is intended to both grapple with the latest drones and loitering munitions that have plagued tanks in recent years, but is looking to go things one better by incorporating an AI-enabled fire control system to seek out and destroy threats before the enemy even knows the K3 is operating on the battlefield. Boasting a clean, stealth-shaping configuration, hydrogen-powered engine, three-man crew, embedded sensors to detect ground and airborne threats, 130mm smooth bore gun, and both noise-quieting and heat-dampening systems to hide the vehicle from enemy detection, and other cutting edge features not previously seen in a main battle tank, the K3 is seeking to become one of the first next-generation tanks to both defend South Korea from a potential invasion from the north but also serve as an export option for those nations that border Russia should the latter decide to attack the eastern flank of NATO. Its not clear how much each vehicle will cost or when the first batch of vehicles will roll off the production line and demonstrate its prowess. Nevertheless, several nations are examining the vehicle for possible inclusion in their own armed forces.

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