The Motor Pool – Blog – Page 78 – Pureveyors of Fine Diecast Collectibles

Hobby Master Closes Out September With a Big Bang

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale US Air Force Douglas B-26K Counter Invader Attack Aircraft – 609th Special Operations Squadron “Nimrods”, 56th Special Operations Wing, Nakhom Phanom, Thailand, 1969

We’ve learned that the September cache of Hobby Master products has arrived at our distributor and is now headed our way, slated to arrive the first week of October. The September diecast payload is critical from a number of standpoints, since it includes several heavily requested items that cut across the entire spectrum of Hobby Master releases. Certainly, one of the more notable issues is this 1:72 scale US Air Force Douglas B-25K Counter Invader Attack Aircraft (HA3225). A similar plane, released earlier this year, sold out the moment it arrived, which makes this second iteration just as likely to sell out the moment it lands.

Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale German Messerschmitt Bf 109E-7 Tropical Fighter – Black Chevron, Gruppen-Adjutant I/Jagdgeschwader 27 “Afrika”, December 1941

Another coveted aircraft is this 1:48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109E-7 tropical fighter, which was attached to Jagdgeschwader 27 “Afrika”, then flying in support of the Deutsches Afrika Korps (HA8704). All of the previous 1:48 scale Messerschmitts have sold out, so this version, slathered in a desert sand motif, will certainly go quick once word spreads that its in stock.

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale Ukrainian Air Force Sukhoi Su-25M1 “Frogfoot” Ground Attack Aircraft – 299th Tactical Aviation Brigade, Nikolaev, Ukraine, 2014

Also up for your consideration is this sleek-looking Ukrainian Air Force Su-24 Frogfoot attack aircraft, clad in a digitally enhanced scheme (HA6102) that takes the art of camouflage to an entirely new level. Inspiring to look and deadly in the hands of an experienced pilot, this undeniably handsome aircraft makes a welcome addition to anyone’s collection, even if it does fly for a foreign power.

Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale Imperial Japanese Navy Mitsubishi A6M2 “Zero” Fighter – V-173, Saburo Sakai, Tainan Air Group, Rabaul, June-July 1942

And last, but certainly not least, is this 1:48 scale rendition of famed Japanese ace Saburo Sakai’s Mitsubishi Zero, as it was painted and marked up during his stint at the island fortress of Rabaul (HA8805). Perhaps not as eye-popping as some of the other aircraft we profiled previously, collectors are all too familiar with its historical significance rather than its somewhat monotone scheme. Its a war winner if ever we’ve seen one, and we already have lots of pre-orders in-house to prove it!

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“Wongo Wongo” is on the Way Way!

Air Force 1’s 1:72 scale USAAF Consolidated B-24D Liberator Heavy Bomber – “Wongo Wongo,” 512th Bomb Squadron, 376th Bomb Group, 9th Air Force, North Africa, 1943

Say what you will about some of their modern era aircraft, the fact remains that Air Force 1 does a very credible job in the World War II category. We’ve sold oodles of their 1:72 scale B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers over the past couple of years so the release of their first ever B-24 Liberator bomber is certainly welcome news as the holidays approaches.

When last we spoke with our distributor, “Wongo Wongo”, their inaugural Liberator, is now winging its way to us and should be in stock for general sale early next week. Priced at just $115.99, this aircraft is certainly a bargain, especially when you compare it with similar aircraft released by Corgi over the past several years. Painted in a North African camouflage scheme, “Wongo Wongo” took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the famed Ploesti Oil Field Raid in 1943 which was intended to deliver a knockout blow to the Nazi oil refineries.

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The Motor Pool: 10,000 and Counting

Well before we started our web site, we began selling diecast collectibles on eBay back in August 1999. Nineteen years later, we’ve finally crossed the 10,000 positive feedback threshold, thanks, in large part, to our customers, many of whom have stuck with us through thick and thin over the years. Believe it or not, we have a handful of buyers that have been purchasing from us for almost two decades, a feat few could replicate but would certainly love to crow about in the digital era where virtually anything goes. Anyway, we just want to say a big thank you to all of our supporters, whether or not you have been with us from the beginning or have just learned about our store. Without you, we could never have lasted this long or have become this prosperous and we look forward to serving your diecast wants and needs for many years to come.

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Altaya Lifts Off with a Fleet of Helicopters

Long a player in the fixed wing aviation market, Altaya recently announced that 36 1:72 scale helicopters were in the hopper and headed to the North American market, just in time for the holiday season. The list of choppers is quite impressive, covering everything from attack helos to utility transports. All of the models have now been posted to our web site and we anticipate taking delivery by the end of September.

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What Happened to Eaglemoss?

For the last few months, we haven’t seen hide nor hair from Eaglemoss, which had been one of our monthly staples for several years running. We’ve heard all sorts of reasons why the line’s arrival has been delayed, covering everything from production issues to personnel changes. Frankly, we aren’t sure what the hang up is, since product seems to be readily available in Europe where the Company is based. We do know that the manufacturer has embarked upon a rapid series of expansions over the last twelve months, introducing new line extensions to their existing Star Trek starships range while also kicking off a couple of new series that include Battlestar Galactica and Aliens and Predator. Moreover, they tend to use this time to get ready for Comic Con, which is scheduled to open in early October.

Right now, we aren’t sure when the line is supposed to resurface nor do we know where it will pick up from since its been several months since we last received a shipment. For all we know, everything we have been waiting for could arrive all at once, which is both good and bad news depending upon how you look at it. If everything does show up all at once, we are going to need several days to go through it all and marry up the new arrivals with our existing list of back orders. Obviously, we’re going to need ask for everyone’s patience if that occurs and we will do our best to update our web site where applicable. Keep your fingers crossed that we see some material movement later this month.

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Tales of Transparency – September is Upon Us

Now that summer has come and gone, we’ve taken several steps to get ready for the upcoming holiday season. Our Calendar of Events, for instance, now shows the cutoff dates for both domestic and international shipping. Please make sure to review it if you plan to wait closer to the holidays before placing your orders.

We have decided to temporarily delay the spinning up of our Walmart and Jet.com marketplace outlets. Originally scheduled for a November opening, a Walmart spokesperson recently announced that they understood the deficiencies of their present software program and were taking steps to offer a more user-friendly set of selling tools that is both more intuitive and more in line with systems employed by other marketplace venues. By delaying their roll out, it also gives us more time to investigate and deploy a stock balancing software program that is aimed at keeping inventory levels correct across all of out sales venues in real-time. We will likely roll out both stores in early 2019 once we have had time to better analyze their intentions.

We were recently awarded a Store Loyalty badge from Yahoo Commerce which signifies how often our customers’ return to our store after checking out the competition. The badge appears in the lower left hand corner of our web site.

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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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Should Hobby Master Re-Introduce a Past Favorite?

Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale USN McDonnell Douglas A-4E Skyhawk Attack Aircraft – John McCain, VA-163 “Saints”, USS Oriskany (CV-34), Vietnam, 1967

With the passing of Arizona Senator, John McCain, we’ve noticed that a lot of people have been taking a gander at Hobby Master’s 1:72 scale replica of his A-4 Skyhawk attack aircraft produced way back in 2007 (HA1403). Obviously, many people would like to lay claim to this model now that this American hero has been laid to rest. The question, therefore, is should Hobby Master re-release this overnight sensation? The Company has had a longstanding tradition of refraining from re-releasing a fan favorite, largely because they believe it would have a direct impact on the original model’s value. However, we thought the time was right that they re-consider their position, and possibly offer the model in a different scale, say 1:48, so that it doesn’t step on the value of the original 1:72 scale model, thereby enabling thousands of would-be collectors a chance at paying homage to this warrior turned statesman. What say you? Should Hobby Master make a second batch of the 1:72 scale Skyhawk, consider offering it in a larger 1:48 scale, or let the subject lie so that they can get on with other more pressing replicas?

One of the A-4E Skyhawk’s destroyed in a blaze aboard the USS Forrestal

One potential course of action, as a blogger pointed out, is to portray the A-4E Skyhawk he piloted while aboard the USS Forrestal a few months prior to his fateful mission off the Oriskany. His plane was destroyed while aboard the Forrestal in a blaze caused by a Zuni rocket inadvertently fired from an embarked F-4 Phantom. Afterwards, McCain was asked to join VA-163 “Saints”, which was undermanned and in need of experienced pilots. The rest, as they say, is history.

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Hobby Master’s Pictures at an Exhibition for September

As September rolled in this past weekend, there were several items slated to arrive this month from Hobby Master that were still lacking final production pictures. Fortunately, that issue has now been remedied thanks to some hard work put in by the folks at Hobby Master Collector.

Key among the latecomers is this handsome 1:48 scale rendition of a Mitsubishi Zero flown by legendary Japanese ace, Saburo Sakai (HA8805). We did a profile on Sakai a couple of months back so we were waiting with baited breath to see how his particular model came out. Obviously, we are thrilled with the results and know this will be a highly coveted model by collectors world over.

Also in the hopper is the gorgeous 1:48 scale replica of a German Messerschmitt Bf-109E-7 tropical fighter (HA8704), which was pressed into service to support the Deutsches Afrika Korps during its campaign to wrest control of North Africa away from the Allies. This particular model is already sold out at the manufacturer and distributor level, so if you’re interested in obtaining one you might want to act fast before they are all gone.

A number of other eagerly expected models will make up the next shipment, which should hit our receiving doors around the third week of September.

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Tales of Transparency: August Updates

So, as we close out the summer and head into the 2018 holiday season, we thought it a good time to discuss some of the recent changes we’ve made along the way. For starters, our fledgling Amazon store is now up-and-running and doing quite well. In fact, we were invited to become an Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime operator last week and we dutifully agreed. This means you can now enjoy free standard shipping for domestic orders for those items we have listed in our Amazon store. Obviously inventory levels will vary over the course of the year as will our product selection, so we cannot guarantee that every item you see on our web site will be featured on Amazon.

Second, our Walmart store is scheduled to go live later this fall, although we are still working out some kinks as well as deploying the latest in inventory balancing software that will work in the background for all of our retail venues.

Next, we have decided to use ShipStation as our primary means of mailing, tracking and overseeing orders placed on our web site. ShipStation offers an elegant means of addressing all of our shipping needs and we recognize its value as we continue to grow. You will no doubt notice that shipping notifications will look somewhat differently going forward, but should contain all of the requisite information to track your deliveries.

Other improvements and upgrades are in the works but we aren’t as yet prepared to discuss them in detail. Rest assured we are working diligently to remain the preeminent supplier of diecast military products anywhere on the globe.

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