In recent months, we’ve noticed an uptick in eBay buyers placing orders with us only to cancel them within minutes. Oftentimes, this occurred with buyers who had little or no positive feedback and seemed to be relatively new to eBay. We wondered why this was occurring since the buyer can theoretically review the invoice prior to commitment and sending us their payment. initially we thought it was buyer’s remorse but have instead reached the conclusion that buyers were looking to get a positive feedback added to their profile to make them look better to other sellers.
Our policy has always been to block these types of buyers from placing further orders with us since they are essentially wasting our time and screwing with the system. To combat this growing problem, we decided to go one step further when it comes to leaving feedback. Going forward, we have changed our policy by leaving positive feedback only after payment has been made, the customer has received the item and they have first left us positive feedback so that they cannot game the system. Once they have done this, then eBay will automatically leave them a canned positive feedback on their profile.
If you are a legitimate buyer, I strongly suggest that you refrain from this type of behavior or at least notify us why you are looking to scratch your order before attempting to cancel the transaction. Once we hit the “Block Buyer” button, you can no longer communicate with us through eBay’s messaging system and we are not going to reinstate you unless you have a good explanation as to why you need to cancel your order. We’re sorry to have to make this change but quite frankly we aren’t here to play games with buyers since we are upfront with our listing and feedback history. We hope everyone understands why we have resorted to making this change but a few bad apples have made it necessary for us to keep up with these types of shenanigans by altering our feedback policy.
Takeaway: Expect to be permanently blocked on eBay if you submit an order only to cancel it within minutes of its being placed.
Hobby Master’s US Army Air Force Douglas A-20G Havoc Medium Bomber – “The Hell’n Pelican II”, 90th Bombardment Squadron “Pair-O-Dice”, 3rd Bombardment Group, Gusap Airfield, Papua, New Guinea, 1944 (1:72 Scale)
Ordinarily, commerce raiding is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt logistics of the enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging its combatants or enforcing a blockade against them. Privateering,, on the other hand, is a form of commerce raiding conducted by independent operators.
During World War II, elements of the United States Navy based in Brazil conducted operations in the Atlantic against German commerce raiders and blockade runners. In the Pacific, the U.S. Navy operated against Japanese merchant shipping, as well as engaging in offensive operations against ships of the Japanese Imperial Navy. The bulk of the Japanese merchant marine was sunk by American submarines. By the end of the war, only 12% of Japan’s pre-war merchant tonnage was still afloat.
The Indian Ocean raid was a naval sortie by the Carrier Striking Task Force of the Japanese Navy from March 31st to April 10th, 1942, against Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean. It was an early engagement of the Pacific campaign of World War II.
The staff of the Imperial Japanese Navy decided to send some raiders to Indian Ocean waters from December 12th, 1941 to July 12th, 1942. The Germans had already been operating in the area and conducted mutual aid with Japanese submarines, in the form of re-supply and military intelligence. The Indian Ocean was the largest operating area involving direct contact between the two Axis partners, in which their primary objective was to keep pressure on the shipping lanes. The Japanese Navy participated in some commerce raiding, but concentrated its efforts toward a “decisive battle” in the Pacific, which never took place.
While naval assets continued to play a pivotal role in World War II, commerce destroyers took on an added dimension with the introduction of military aircraft. One such aircraft that took on this task was the inimitable Douglas A-20 Havoc, an American light bomber, attack aircraft, night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II. The A-20G, as it came to be known, filled the role perfectly. Delivered from February 1943, would be the most produced A-20 variant, with 2,850 built. The glazed nose was replaced by a solid nose containing four 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano cannon and two .50 in M2 Browning machine guns. After the first batch of 250, the less-accurate cannon were replaced by more machine guns. After 750 aircraft had been built, a power-driven gun turret fitted with two .50 in machine guns was fitted, with the fuselage 6 inches (15 cm) wider as a result, and the ventral tunnel gun changed from a .30 in to another .50 in Browning. The powerplants were two 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) R-2600-23. Many A-20Gs were delivered to the Soviet Union. Notably, U.S. A-20Gs were used on low-level sorties in the New Guinea campaign.
During World War II, the 90th Bombardment Squadron operated in the South Pacific, flying A-20 Havoc and B-25 Mitchell aircraft. Their main mission involved highly-dangerous skip bombings. In an effort to improve the effectiveness and protection of the 3rd Bombardment Group’s pilots, Major Paul ‘Pappy’ Gunn, 3rd Bombardment Group engineering officer, devised a modification to the B-25C. The modification replaced the forward bombardier with four forwards firing .50 caliber machine guns, supplemented with two twin .50 caliber gun packages side mounted on the fuselage. The lower turret was discarded. The A-20s received similar modifications. The modified aircraft were first employed by the 90th and proved exceptionally effective, receiving the nickname ‘commerce destroyers.’ During the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, every aircraft in the 90th scored a hit on the Japanese convoy of 18 ships. It was the first sea-level attack by B-25 strafers in World War II and demonstrated that this tactic was extremely effective. The squadron also participated in the raids on Wewak, New Guinea, which were preemptive strikes that virtually ended the threat of enemy offensive air capabilities.
Expect Hobby Master’s newest A-20G to strafe the competition in late November.
The town of Velikye Luki in Russia was captured by German forces during July 1941. From the view of Heeresgruppe Mitte which was responsible for this sector, Velikye Luki was very important for several reasons. First, it formed a bridgehead across the Lowat River. Second, it was a major railroad junction, and third, it screened the vital Vitebsk-Leningrad railroad. The Red Army launched several attacks and partisan actions against Velikye Luki during the following 15 months, but failed to seize the town. By November 1942, Velikye Luki and the surrounding area was still in German hands, awaiting yet another storm of armor. While Velikye Luki would capture the attention of many on the eastern front, it was perhaps on the western front where it took on added meaning.
Legion’s British Sherman Firefly Mk. Vc Medium Tank – “Velikye Luki”, 3 Troop, A Squadron, Northamptonshire Yeomanry, Normandy, France, 1944 (1:72 Scale)
After being promoted to the rank of SS-Haupsturmfuhrer, legendary panzer ace Michael Wittmann was offered but refused a position as an instructor at an armored training school, instead returning to Normandy and his men on July 6th, 1944. His unit, sSSPzAbt. 101, took part in the Battle for Caen, which raged from July 3rd to the 10th. In August, Wittmann and his crew received a new Tiger Ausf. E tank, which was assigned the command identification number 007. Thereafter, Wittmann, along with the rest of sSSPzAbt. 101, was transferred to a region just outside Cintheaux, France. At the time, strong German forces attempted to recapture the crucial city of Caen, which had become completely destroyed by weeks of incessant fighting. On August 8th, 1944, a new battle raged near Cintheaux, which would later become Wittmann’s final engagement.
According to SS-Hauptscharfuhrer Hoflinger commanding Tiger #213, whose tank was positioned in the same field as Wittmann’s tank but towards the rear and to the right of Wittmann’s mount, at 12:55 AM he saw Wittmann’s tank explode as it sat near the road to Caen-Cintheaux, at Gaumesnil, apparently struck by a long-range tank round fired by a Sherman Firefly from the Northampton Yeomanry. Afterwards, Wittmann and his crew were laid to rest beside what was left of their burned out Tiger, sadly without any graveyard markings. The War’s most famous tank ace had paid the ultimate price in blood and iron, a fate awaiting many more tankers in the months to come.
We are currently expecting this vehicle, along with several other Sherman Fireflies, towards the end of November.
On Friday morning, Calibre Wings produced a YouTube video claiming their eagerly awaited B-58 Hustler strategic bomber has been delayed yet again and is now expected to ship out within the March/April 2026 time frame. Noel Lee, owner of Calibre Wings, claimed there were several quality control issues with the production run, more specifically paint spray problems and assembly misalignment, that plagued several of the models. He also pointed to the upcoming Chinese New Year, which typically slows things down even further as workers head home from the factories to see their loved ones and take a break from work.
We’re not certain why this problem is now bubbling to the surface, seeing as how they were probably halfway through the quality control process that was designed to ensure that the models were in top-notch condition prior to being shipped out. We recognize this is a major source of income for the diecast aircraft manufacturer so we hope that this delay will be the last and enable them to get back to business producing first class models. Needless to say if Calibre intends to produce a second B-58 Hustler, they will need to devote more time to inspecting each model before announcing a release date, particularly since these models are fetching what can best be described as a king’s ransom in today’s market.
Moving on to other matters, it appears as if 2025 will go down as the driest year for product releases on record, with many manufacturers either delaying the release of their merchandise or continuing to take a wait-and-see stance to gauge what happens with the Trump tariffs now being ruled on by the Supreme Court. Bear in mind that even if the Court strikes down the tariffs, it will be some time before manufacturers can ramp up production and tackle the new year. Workers were laid off or sought work elsewhere, meaning it will be awhile before they can ratchet up production and resume business as usual.
Earlier today, we learned that Corgi’s last set of 2025 releases are now slated to arrive in late December, barring any further delays. Likewise, the latest items from Hobby Master and Panzerkampf are supposed to arrive in late November, although nothing is set in stone. As we have indicated in our newsletters and web site posts, please do not hang your hat on the arrival of fourth quarter releases as gifts for the holidays. We don’t want to disappoint, but the fact of the matter is we are being as forthright as possible and aren’t going to field complaints when we have absolutely nothing to do with these endless push backs.
Takeaway: Manufacturers and distributors alike are feeling the impact of the Trump Administration tariffs. Product is being delayed and prices are being increased to reflect the additional import charges.
Try as they might, the US Air Force has been unable to retire the venerable A-10 Warthog from its air armada. Essentially, Congress has consistently blocked previous attempts to retire the close attack aircraft, citing a lack of a viable replacement for its close air support (CAS) role and concerns about local jobs. While the Air Force views the A-10 as outdated for peer-to-peer conflict due to its lack of stealth, Congress has previously intervened to prevent its retirement by blocking budget requests and adding provisions to National Defense Authorization Acts. However, the Air Force has recently gained more permission to start retiring the fleet, with a plan to phase them out by 2028/2029, though this process was paused until a replacement was ready and has been subject to ongoing congressional debate
USAF Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II Ground Attack Aircraft – 76-0530, 47th Tactical Fighter Squadron “Termites”, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 1990 (1:72 Scale)
On October 7th, 1996, the 47th’s mission changed from combat to A-10 pilot training. Since that time they have participated in Operation Century Eagle 1999 & 2001, Saguaro Patriot 2001, Patriot Claw 2001 and Patriot Buccaneer 2002. During the first tactical and conventional gunnery competition open to A-10s, Hawgsmoke 2000, and the 47th took First Place for Top Hawgsmoke Tactical Unit, Top Overall Pilot and Top Overall Tactical Pilot. Then during the next Hawgsmoke competition in 2002, they won top A-10 Squadron in the world.
The school graduated approximately 45 active-duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve students per year.
In June 2003, the squadron deployed to Combat Readiness Training Center, Gulfport, Mississippi for Operation Patriot Pursuit.[2] In April 2004, the 47th hosted Hawgsmoke 2004 at the England Air Park (former England AFB), Louisiana. There were 18 A-10 teams from all over the world deployed to participate in the biennial A-10 bombing and tactical gunnery competition. The 47th deployed to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida for Operation Patriot Gator the end of July through the first of August 2004.[2] In 2005, the 47th deployed to McChord Air Force Base, Washington, for Operation Patriot Lightning, a close air support training exercise in conjunction with the Army National Guard.
In 2006 pursuant to a Base Realignment and Closure decision, the 47th gained eight A-10 aircraft and a number of full-time and part-time positions. In March the 47 FS won third overall out of 17 teams in Hawgsmoke 2006 at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. Also in March, they participated in Operation Atlantic Strike III, a joint training exercise held at Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida with the squadron operating from nearby MacDill AFB.
As a training unit augmenting the active duty A-10 Formal Training Unit (FTU) squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB, the 47th graduated about 45 active-duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve students per year.
1 October 2011, the 47th Fighter Squadron converted from a training unit to a combat coded unit. January 2012, the 917 Wing was inactivated. The wing’s B-52 squadron, the 93d Bombardment Squadron, was assigned to the 307th Bombardment Wing and the 47th was assigned to the 917th Fighter Group, which became part of the 442d Fighter Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, MO.
In September 2013, the squadron relocated to Davis-Monthan AFB.
In September 2024, the 47th Fighter Squadron won the biennial Hawgsmoke bombing, missile, and tactical gunnery competition.
While they may be retired sooner rather than later, you can still nab the latest rendition of the A-10 from Hobby Master in late November.
You heard right! We’re celebrating 25 years of doing business online by kicking off our once in a lifetime “25th Anniversary” 25% Off Sale! From now until December 1st you can deduct 25% off the price of any in-stock item in our vast inventory. This sale does not apply to pre-order or back order merchandise.
Please enter discount code “TMP285” in the coupon box (see red circled region within the shopping cart as shown below) just prior to final checkout.
Sale ends midnight, Wednesday, December 1st, 2025, at 12:00 AM. May not be combined with any other sales discount. Note: Please be aware that we do not retroactively enter sales discounts if you forget to apply the coupon code so please make sure you enter it correctly at the time you check out. Also, there are no longer any restrictions concerning which lines may not qualify for this discount.
Products Eligible for Discount: In-Stock Merchandise Promotion Duration: November 23rd-December 1st Classification: Sale Discount
Takeaway: You can save some hard-earned coin — 25% — by placing an order during our 25th Anniversary Sale for any in-stock item(s).
Ever since Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022, several neutral nations have petitioned to join NATO, seeing the alliance as a bulwark against Russian aggression. Sweden and Finland joined the alliance in 2023 and 2024 respectively, leaving little doubt that they could better fend off a Russian invasion by being backed up by the rest of Europe and the US.
Over in the Pacific, Japan has witnessed the PRC become ever more aggressive in recent years while North Korea has repeatedly fired intercontinental missiles over parts of the island chain. While they are a member of a Pacific-based alliance with Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and the US, they recognize that additional allies are always welcome should a shooting war erupt over Taiwan or the North Koreans decide to invade South Korea for a second time. Despite being hampered by its own constitution regarding military endeavors outside of its own borders, Japan recently conducted and concluded its first ever exercise with several European nations, embarking on what they have termed Operation Atlantic Eagles.
According to the Japan Times, “Japan completed its first-ever fighter jet deployment to Canada and Europe on Wednesday in an unprecedented display of support for NATO partner countries as well as a demonstration of the Air Self-Defense Force’s long-distance operational capabilities amid growing concerns over the international security situation.
Named “Atlantic Eagles,” the mission involved four F-15Js from Chitose Air Base, accompanied by two refueling and two transport aircraft from various bases across Japan. The contingent, which also included 180 personnel, first landed at the U.S. Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. From there, they proceeded to Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay in Canada, RAF Coningsby and RAF Brize Norton in England, and Laage Air Base in Germany.
The ASDF said the Sept. 14th to Oct. 1st deployment was meant to deepen cooperation and exchanges with fighter squadrons from partner countries in North America and Europe. But experts such as Sebastian Maslow, an associate professor at the University of Tokyo, go further, arguing that the move also highlights the growing momentum of Japan’s security cooperation with NATO partners as Tokyo appears increasingly willing to take on a more proactive role in international security affairs.
Atlantic Eagles comes as several NATO member states have increased their own deployments of military assets to Asia, including Japan, particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Defense Minister Gen Nakatani highlighted this when talking to reporters ahead of the mission. “In recent years, European countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany have been steadily strengthening their engagement in the Indo-Pacific region, regularly dispatching fighter jets and naval vessels to areas surrounding Japan,” he said on Sept. 12th.
In this context, the ASDF deployment was meant to embody the “shared recognition that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific regions is inseparable and interrelated,” Nakatani added, as the ASDF gradually expands the scope of its overseas activities.
Japan, which earlier this year launched its first dedicated mission to NATO, already has one of the closest relationships with the Western military alliance among nonmember partner states.
But Japan has been aiming to take things a step further by boosting joint activities and increasing defense-industrial cooperation, with the latest development seen as symbolizing Tokyo’s commitment to strengthening ties with NATO.
The geostrategic rationale behind these steps is to “reinforce deterrence” against China and Russia while offsetting uncertainties over NATO cohesion and U.S.-led security alliances in Asia through the development of new security partnerships, Maslow said.
Another objective, he said, is to signal readiness and resolve as the scope of military cooperation continues to expand and a new security architecture emerges that increasingly connects the European and Indo-Pacific theaters.
The ASDF deployment took place after elements of the U.K. Carrier Strike Group 25, led by the Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, docked in Japan between Aug. 12th and Sept. 2nd.
The warships’ arrival in Japan had been preceded by naval exercises with the Maritime Self-Defense Force, some of which included the first landing and takeoff of a British F-35B fighter aircraft from a Japanese carrier — a move designed to enhance interoperability, flexibility and operational capacity between the partner navies.”
Look for this JASDF Boeing F-15DJ Eagle multirole fighter to land this December.
As we discussed in several previous blog posts, there’s a strong chance that we may not receive many of the 4th quarter releases we had expected, due in large part to the current trade war occurring between the US and China. Furthermore, even if we do receive some of the products listed in our November and December Upcoming Release sections, there’s a better than average chance that the prices will have escalated exponentially, well above the asking prices we had expected to sell them for prior to the current trade imbalance and ensuing tariffs.
So, to augment our current inventory we have decided to enter the market and look for deals on previously released lines that we once sold but are no longer available to us through our normal channels. Bear in mind that we intend to purchase items on a piece meal basis and in limited quantities based upon what is available for sale and their asking price. Over the weekend, we came across several of the older Minichamps 1:35 scale armor being sold on eBay and decided to snap them up and make them available for sale to devotees of the range that may not have access to the ‘Bay. Needless to say, all of these items will be sold at premium prices well above their original selling price and will be sold on a first come first served basis. If we see additional deals pop up, we’ll explore what’s available to us and go from there.
All of the items that are returning to stock are listed as new by the seller although we will inspect them closely to ensure they are as advertised. So, even though they were once part of someone else’s collection, they can still be considered new, much like a proof Morgan silver dollar may have languished for years on end in multiple collections since they were first introduced well over a hundred years ago. Please bear this in mind should you question their condition or where the stock came from. Anyway, we should have the first batch of vehicles in stock by the end of this week.
Takeaway: To augment our inventory for the holiday season, we’ve resorted to purchasing some stock in after market sales venues such as eBay. These items are being listed as new by the sellers and are being carefully inspected for defects before being listed on our web site.
Please note that due to the ongoing trade war between the US and China, items expected from November 1st onwards may be subject to increased tariffs above and beyond what was originally indicated. Therefore we will not guarantee the pricing of these items until we know — with certainty — what our costs will be based upon what our distributor/manufacturer charges us at the time the item is ready for shipment to us. If the price of an item increases, we will contact each customer and ask if they still want the item at the revised price. If they do not want the item, we will cancel their order and refund any pre-payment they may have sent us.
We are sorry to have to take this extraordinary step, but we are not here to sell products at a loss based upon a trade war between the US and China and the resultant whims of our executive branch. We hope you understand but no retailer can survive this situation which seems to change on an almost daily basis.
Naturally, we’re not sure where all of these tit-for-tat measures will lead now or in the future. Take this video, for instance. The host discusses a number of issues that are coming to the fore for both the US and the PRC, not to mention the rest of the world. If China is attempting to clamp down on the export of refined rare earth metals then a number of countries are affected, not just the US. In response, the Trump Administration is supposedly considering a 500% tariff against the PRC. If true, then all bets are off concerning any present and future shipments from China to the US, both in terms of rare earth metals as well as a wide assortment of finished goods that China manufactures. Short of a kinetic war, which many believe is coming in 2027 over Taiwan, then this pre-emptive economic strike clearly indicates that at least a trade war is brewing between the US and the PRC, much like the stance the US took against Imperial Japan in the lead up to war in the Pacific.
Well, the week ended with a big bang. Early Friday, President Trump announced on social media that the latest tariff talks with the PRC had broken down for various reasons and that he would be taking punitive action against China for failing to live up to their end of the bargain. According to his post, Trump would impose a further 100% tariff increase on China, purportedly to take effect on November 1st or perhaps sooner if he decides to play hard ball with the Chinese delegation. Needless to say, Trump was supposed to meet with President Xi of China in South Korea later this month, to discuss matters and hopefully bring a resolution to this trade war. In a separate matter, the US Supreme Court isn’t set to take up the matter of tariffs until November, which is far too late for most manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to take action for the upcoming holiday season.
There was a number of Chinese-made products expected to arrive in early November, which are obviously now affected by the recent rash decision by the Trump Administration to increase the tariffs to unassailable levels. Right now, we are in a quandary as to what to do, and waiting to hear back from our suppliers to see if further adjustments are warranted regarding both dates of availability and pricing. Its entirely possibly that these goods won’t even make it to our shores for the holiday season and could be placed on indefinite hiatus until something is worked out between the world’s two largest economies. Obviously, we can no longer guarantee pricing or release dates for said items and its entirely possible that these products will never materialize now or ever.
As the holidays approach, we strongly recommend that you place your orders for only those items marked as already being in-stock rather than pin your hopes on products slated for arrival in either November or December. To reiterate, the manufacturers that are affected by these increased tariffs include Air Force 1, Calibre Wings, Corgi, Dragon, Forces of Valor (Waltersons), Legion and Panzerkampf. Many of the remaining manufacturers we deal with are still affected by the original tariffs, so there is no guarantee that they are free-and-clear of these added tariffs either, particularly if the Trump Administration feels the need to impose across-the-board changes to their “Liberation Day” plans. We certainly don’t want to disappoint, but hope you understand that these circumstances are completely out-of-our-control.
In response to his threats, China, on Sunday, has vowed countermeasures against Washington if US President Donald Trump makes good on his threat to impose new 100% tariffs on Chinese imports.
Trump’s latest threat came after China unleashed a raft of export restrictions on rare earth minerals last week. The escalating tensions threaten to derail months of progress in trade talks.
“Resorting to threats of high tariffs is not the right way to engage with China,” a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said Sunday, in Beijing’s first comments on the threat.
“If the US persists in acting unilaterally, China will resolutely take corresponding measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests,” the spokesperson added. “Our position on a tariff war remains consistent – we do not want one, but we are not afraid of one.”
From a business standpoint, we are entering the holiday season with the leanest inventory level we’ve ever seen in our twenty five years of existence. While our balance sheet is pristine and our credit rating has never been higher, we’ve had to raise the prices on many newly-received items in compliance with the MAP policies our distributors have had to implement and enforce due to the Trump tariffs. Additionally, many of the items we had expected to take possession of in the fourth quarter have either been delayed, cancelled or pushed back indefinitely, making it increasingly difficult to replace out-of-stock merchandise with fresh inventory. Consider too that we pared back our purchases largely because we weren’t sure what effect the Trump tariffs would have on end-user demands. Lastly, many customers are keenly aware of these collective issues and have shopped early for the holidays, recognizing that many items they had hoped to purchase won’t be available or may be negatively price-adjusted to take into account these escalating tariffs. All of this has accelerated sales, making it harder to keep product in-stock while the eye wall of the holiday shopping season approaches. Once again, food for thought if you plan on ordering something this holiday season that may or may not arrive.
