Hobby Master’s Hero Pilots of Pearl Harbor


Hobby Master’s 1:48 scale USAAC Curtiss P-40B Warhawk Fighter – 160/15P, 2nd Lt. George Welch, 47th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group, Wheeler Field, Pearl Harbor, December 7th, 1941

Several months ago, speculation had it that Hobby Master would be delving ever deeper into the 1:48 scale aviation market with a rendition of a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. Turns out the rumors were true as the Company announced today their first foray into the early war fighter – a P-40 Warhawk that was flown by 2nd Lt. George Welch (HA9201). This particular warbird rose to meet the Japanese aerial forces as they were wreaking havoc at the US base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Following an extremely late night at the Squadron Christmas party the day previously, USAAF pilots George Welch and Kenneth Taylor woke to the sound of explosions and low flying aircraft. The date was December 7th, 1941 and the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor was under attack. Still wearing their mess dress from the previous night, the men rang ahead to Wheeler Field, where their Squadron had been deployed for gunnery practice and instructed ground crews to prepare two P40 fighters for flight.

Driving their Buick at high speed and coming under fire from Japanese aircraft, the men arrived at Wheeler and immediately made for their aircraft – taking off beneath waves of attacking enemy aircraft, the two pilots fought valiantly against overwhelming odds, even landing to re-fuel and re-arm, only to take off and fight again. During a frantic few minutes, Welch destroyed four enemy aircraft, with Taylor accounting for at least a further two. For their heroic actions during the Pearl Harbor attack, George Welch and Kenneth Taylor were both awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Look for Welch’s P-40 to meet the aviation onslaught head on some time this Spring.

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75 Years and Counting

Several years ago, we were asked by one manufacturer if the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings held any significance to the collecting community as a potential marketing opportunity. Frankly, I didn’t think it mattered all that much since one could claim that it was just as important as all of the previous five-year marks that occurred prior, save, perhaps, the 25th or 50th anniversary celebrations in 1969 and 1994. However, 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of the invasion of Western Europe by the Allies, certainly an epic event for those that took part in the campaign since many of these individuals are now entering their nineties and likely won’t be around that much longer to witness the next major milestone. It is also significant for historians, military enthusiasts and collectors alike, as the war to rid Europe of Nazi tyranny slowly starts to fade from memory and gets replaced by more contemporary conflicts.

Likewise, 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of both the Market-Garden and Battle of the Bulge campaigns, two pivotal battles that were designed to wreak havoc on the enemy and possibly shorten the war entirely, depending upon your standpoint.

Having said that, we have asked a number of important manufacturers within the diecast ranks to examine their plans for the coming year and, where appropriate, denote the anniversaries on their packaging or even come out with exclusive limited edition collections that reflect the importance of the events.  We hope that by promoting the importance of these campaigns, collectors will have a better sense of how they fit within the timeline of events of WWII and their critical importance on the path to victory.

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Modelcollect Moseys on in this October


Modelcollect’s 1:72 NATO M1014 MAN Tractor and BGM-109G Gryphon Ground Launched Cruise Missile (1:72 Scale)

Earlier today we received the October list of pre-assembled replicas from Modelcollect. The cache is both broad and deep, covering a number of categories, markets and military era. So, without further ado, here’s what we expect to arrive around the middle of the month:

AS72084 –  Russian T-72B3 Main Battle Tank – Moscow Victory Day Parade, 2017 (1:72 Scale)

AS72108 – Soviet T-64 Model 1972 Main Battle Tank – 1970s (1:72 Scale)

AS72098 – Soviet T-64A Main Battle Tank – 1980s (1:72 Scale)

AS72109 – German E-75 Jagdpanther Tank Destroyer with 128/L55 Gun – Tri-Color Camouflage, 1946 (1:72 Scale)

AS72095 – Russian T-80UD Main Battle Tank – Leningrad Military District, 1998 (1:72 Scale)

AS72113 – German Schwerer Plattformwagen Type SSYMS 80 Flatcar – 1943 (1:72 Scale)

AS72114 – German Schwerer Plattformwagen Type SSYMS Flatcar – 1943 (1:72 Scale)

AS72107 – NATO M1014 MAN Tractor and BGM-109G Gryphon Ground Launched Cruise Missile (1:72 Scale)

AS72110 – US M983 HEMTT Tractor and Pershing II Tactical Missile (1:72 Scale)

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Dragon Reemerges From its Slumber

Dragon Armor 1:72
German Sd. Kfz. 161 PzKpfw IV Ausf. F2 (G) Medium Tank – 13.Panzer Division, Northern Caucasus, Russia, 1942

Its not clear why Dragon seems to have slowed production of late of their Dragon Armor range or why they have opted to build replicas they have offered in the past while other manufacturers have taken a more riskier approach. Suffice it to say that another pair of 1:72 PzKpfw IV medium tanks  are in the offing, both scheduled for a mid-October release. The first is a German Sd. Kfz. 161 PzKpfw IV Ausf. F2 (G) Medium Tank – 13.Panzer Division, Northern Caucasus, Russia, 1942 (DRR60697) while the second is a German Sd. Kfz. 161 PzKpfw IV Ausf. F2 (G) Medium Tank – Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front, 1943 (DRR60698).

Dragon Armor 1:72
German Sd. Kfz. 161 PzKpfw IV Ausf. F2 (G) Medium Tank – Unidentified Unit, Eastern Front, 1943

We’re hoping that their long awaited pair of King Tiger heavy tanks and Sturmgeschutz assault guns aren’t too far behind, and that they are not giving up in the small scale sector.


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Eaglemoss Doesn’t Clown Around at this Year’s Comic Con

With Comic Con set to open tomorrow here in New York City, Eaglemoss unveiled some of the Star Trek collectibles they’ll be hawking at the show. Of particular note is this show-exclusive replica of the USS Grisom NCC-1030 drawn from the Star Trek Discovery cable series. Offered in limited numbers and roughly the same size as the USS Discovery NCC-1031, this snazzy little number will no doubt be snapped up the moment it drops out of hyperspace, so we’re a little envious of anyone that does manage to wrap their meaty little paws around this ship.

Presently, we aren’t sure if our distributor will be obtaining this highly coveted collectible since news regarding its release seems to remain mum for the moment and product originally slated to arrive months ago keeps getting delayed. We’ll certainly keep an eye on this one and formally announce its availability should it pull into our space dock in time for the holidays..

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Forces of Valor Picks Up Momentum for the Winter Season

Lets face it, if you’re a fan of Forces of Valor, and who isn’t, then you should be delighted to learn that the Company has started to pick up speed, both in terms of production as well as over the air waves. Earlier this week, they embarked upon a series of Facebook posts that explains some of the delays they have faced for 2018 along with some of the projects currently in development and nearing completion. While finished product images are still being held at bay, they have uploaded several shots showing some of the vehicles and accessories currently being created and discussed their philosophy regarding how they plan to take the line to new heights. For more information, click on the image above, which will take you to their Facebook page. You can even ask them questions if you so desire.

Barrel droop. This short video demonstrates some of the issues with the original Sherman Firefly tank. Note how the gun barrel has trouble remaining in a fixed position.
Utilizing a newly machined gun barrel and tighter tooling specifications, the updated Sherman Firefly has no trouble keeping its gun in either a firing or elevated position.
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In Memoriam

Anyone that has perused our About Us page over the years probably took note of the fact that it took two people to initially run this operation. Well, we are now down to one. Early on Sunday morning, after a long bout with dementia and suffering the prolonged effects of Type II Diabetes, my father-in-law and partner, Marvin Binder, succumbed to his combined illnesses. What follows is his obituary written collaboratively by several members of his immediate family.

Marvin Binder passed peacefully in his sleep on Sunday morning, September 23rd. Over his 88-year lifetime, he was happily married to his wife, Beatrice, and together they saw their daughter, Robin, marry Marc, her high school sweetheart. Robin and Marc gave Marvin two granddaughters, Linda and April, who were lucky enough to have Marvin in their lives for so many years.  Both received college educations and married their respective sweethearts, Samir and Jason. Through them, Marvin was fortunate enough to see three great granddaughters enter this world, Isabelle, Mia and Eliana.

Professionally, Marvin was perhaps best known as “Mr. Matchbox.” He worked to create display cases, sales programs and other important initiatives that made Matchbox a world renowned brand and respected toy company, the likes of which few companies have been able to replicate.

Most importantly, Marvin was the kind of guy that would give you the shirt off of his back, even if it meant digging into his personal savings or face hardships of his own to provide comfort and aid. He touched so many lives through his unwavering compassion toward others.  He was a kind, loving person that will be sorely missed by not only his family, but many friends, acquaintances and colleagues that knew him for what he truly was: a Mensch.

Marvin’s funeral is scheduled for Thursday, September 27th at 1PM at Schwartz Brothers Funeral Home. Even if you cannot attend, we know you join us in wishing him well in the afterlife where he will finally be reunited with his one true love, Beatrice.

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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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