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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Looks as if we are closing out the month of August in particular and summer in general with a couple of eagerly anticipated helicopters – one from Air Force 1 and the other from Hobby Master. Shown here is Hobby Master’s first look at the AH-64 Apache helicopter (HH1201), an attack helo that has served the US Army well for over thirty years. Also inbound is a Sikorsky HH-60M MEDEVAC Black Hawk helicopter from Air Force 1, which provided crucial casualty recovery and transport to US forces operating in South Korea back in 2007.
A number of other aircraft should be arriving shortly from Hobby Master, geared towards both the 1:72 as well as the 1:48 scale markets. For instance, a pair of F-111 Aardvark fighter-bombers (HA3019 and HA3020) are earmarked for a late August fly-in, both of which are already sold out at the factory and distributor’s level.
Also in shorty supply is this USMC Boeing Harrier II AV-8B jump jet (HA2622), which was operated by VMA-311 “Tomcats”. As the economy heats up and a potential blanket tariff could be imposed on all incoming products from mainland China, its very possible that these and other higly sought after diecast collectibles will become increasingly harder to come by should a trade war with China show no signs of abatement.
Atlas Editions is finally making available their esteemed 1:72 scale Fighters of World War II collection to the North American market. Similar in scope to Oxford’s budget-minded line of military aircraft, the Atlas range showcases fifteen different pilots who made a direct impact on the war effort on both sides of the ledger. Featuring diecast construction, retracted landing gear, spinning propellers, authentic markings and insignia, and a stenciled display stand, these aircraft are a perfect way to introduce new collectors into the diecast military space and a fitting tribute to the men and machines that fought valiantly in the skies over the battlefields of the Second World War.
Typically, war planners like to give military operations names that help to convey the spirit and intent of the exercise in question. Overlord for the Allies’ invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe in the summer of 1944, Barbarossa, for the German invasion of Russia in 1941, and Market-Garden, the supposed breakthrough to the Rhine and beyond by Allied forces struggling to bypass the morass of northwest Europe in the autumn of 1944, all come to mind.
In the summer of 1948, three years after the conclusion of war in Europe, Soviet forces decided to close the major supply corridor into Berlin and bring it into the Soviet sphere. The Berlin Blockade, as it came to be known, (June 24th, 1948 – May 12th, 1949) was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War. During the multinational occupation of post-World War II Germany, the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies’ railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control. The Soviets offered to drop the blockade if the Western Allies withdrew the newly introduced Deutsche mark from West Berlin.
The Western Allies, under the guise of Operation Vittles, organized the Berlin airlift (June 26th, 1948 – September 30th, 1949) to carry supplies to the people of West Berlin, a difficult feat given the size of the city’s population. Aircrews from the United States Air Force, the Royal Air Force, the French Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and the South African Air Force:338 flew over 200,000 flights in one year, providing to the West Berliners up to 8,893 tons of necessities each day, such as fuel and food. The Soviets did not disrupt the airlift for fear this might lead to open conflict.
By the spring of 1949, the airlift was clearly succeeding, and by April it was delivering more cargo than had previously been transported into the city by rail. On May 12th, 1949, the USSR lifted the blockade of West Berlin. The Berlin Blockade served to highlight the competing ideological and economic visions for postwar Europe.
Corgi’s 1:72 scale take on a C-47A Skytrain is special for several reasons. Firstly, its big and beefy, a far cry from a 1:144 scale version of the same aircraft released way back in 1998. Secondly, its the inaugural product in their all-new 20th Anniversary Aviation Archive series, which commemorates many of the aircraft models they first offered to the public some twenty years ago. Now in stock, the “Fassberg Flyer”, as it came to be known, is an important piece of civil and military history, and a worthy addition to anyone’s diecast aviation collection.
