Every so often I get the bug to write about something, particularly if it happens to apply to a facet of the diecast industry at-large, or a specific company that we deal with. Recently, we conducted an interview with Noel Lee, the owner and operator of Calibre Wings, who gave us valuable insight into his operation. We’ve also been in contact with several other manufacturers, one being Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand. They have graciously agreed to sit down with us as well, which, in-and-of-itself, is important since the Forces of Valor brand means a lot of things to a lot of people. So, keep your eyes peeled for our next interview, which should appear some where around the end of this month and just prior to the release of their first static models.
USS Enterprise (CVN-65), complete with its own embarked air wing and display plinth
Every so often, we speak with the manufacturer directly to get a sense of what collectors can expect in the coming months. We’ve been particularly keen on finding out how Walterson’s, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, plans to pick up where its former owner, Unimax, left off. We’ve already seen some evidence of where they are headed with the receipt of their four 1:24 scale radio controlled tanks, which will be augmented by several dozen new vehicles as we move further down the road.
IJN super battleship Yamato, flag ship of the post-Midway Japanese navy
In the case of their 1:32 static military vehicles and 1:700 scale warships, what some consider to be the cornerstone of their business, we’re starting to get a sense of how Walterson’s plans to proceed in 2017, and likely how they will handle themselves and each individual sub brand for the foreseeable future. Several legacy warships are expected this April, among them the USS Arizona, USS Missouri, USS Enterprise, and IJN Yamato, with several new molds not too far behind. In a previous blog post, we discussed how they have improved both the outer and inner packaging for each warship, thereby making it easier for the collector to remove and display their models, and take pride in their purchase. Yesterday, we received several images for each of the upcoming warships, demonstrating the newly-designed display plinth, name plate and repainted workmanship.
Iowa Class battleship USS Missouri (BB-63), currently berthed behind the USS Arizona Memorial, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
In regard to their 1:32 scale static vehicle line, many of the vehicles will not only feature better weathering, painting and, where needed, corrected improvements to bring them up to their correct historical standards, but will also come with more “useful” bonus pieces instead of the standard fare accoutrements that seemed to have no correlation and or redundancy with the vehicle in question. For instance, with their first Tiger I tank, the vehicle will come with a stand-alone Maybach engine, while the Sherman Firefly will be bundled with a Chrysler V-12 engine. Other vehicles might come with similarly conceived extras instead of “wine bottles, cats and road signs”, perhaps including transparent cutaways, vehicle crews or other more critical extras that should enhance the overall product and demonstrate they are listening to the consumer.
USN Pennsylvania Class USS Arizona (BB-39), decked out in its pre-war paint scheme and glory
Perhaps, most importantly, Walterson’s has moved into their own manufacturing facility, which reduces the overall cost for each product rather than having to subcontract each product to a third party manufacturer, which would build, assemble and paint their products with little in the way of quality assurance. Moreover, Walterson’s has a dedicated team of graphic designers and engineers devoted to each individual sub brand, thereby ensuring consistency across the entire spectrum of their product portfolio and guaranteeing a more uniform approach towards bringing new product to market. We expect big things from this Company and thus far they haven’t disappointed.
Waltersons brand-new Forces of Valor 1:24 Scale Tiger I Heavy Tank which now boasts a 2.4GHz FHSS radio system
We are pleased to announce that the first quartet of 1:24 scale radio controlled military vehicles from Forces of Valor are now in stock and ready for immediate shipment. Unlike the previous set of vehicles released by Unimax several years ago, the all-new Waltersons lineup utilizes a 2.4GHz FHSS radio system with a minimum coverage of 60 meters, making them more reliable, feature-rich and capable against other vehicles. Moreover, the new system allows up to 16 players to go at it in battle mode, facing off in either head-to-head fashion or team-based play. We’ve uploaded .pdf files for each of the new vehicles as part of their product details, which discusses the merits of the system as well as some background information for each vehicle portrayed.
Keep in mind, Waltersons has big plans for the new series, largely due to their ties to the radio controlled business. According to a recent sales brochure, several dozen new vehicles are planned for the near future, which run the spectrum from a British A41 Main Battle Tank to a Japanese Chi-Nu Heavy Tank. Other plans are also being developed that should make their approach to the hobby more versatile, appealing and current with today’s advances in computer science. Stay tuned for more details in the months ahead.
For several weeks, Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, has been hinting at what they plan to release in 2017. From radio controlled military vehicles to warships, battle tanks to dioramas, the proud new caretakers of the multi-faceted Forces of Valor range is approaching things from a bride’s perspective, offering something old, borrowed and blue to whet the appetite of collectors world over.
In terms of old, several legacy molds were shown to the public at the Nuremberg Toy Fair, including a reworked 1:32 scale Tiger I heavy tank that “borrows” from its Extreme Metal range in that a separate tank engine will be included as an added bonus. As for blue, their highly coveted warships range now comes in handsome new packaging that makes the ship look as if its cutting through the surf to join up with its brethren.
While some of the old favorites were on display, it appears as if the PLAN Liaoning aircraft carrier was also in the booth, meaning it is likely just a month or so away from an actual launch. We hope to have final pricing concerning all of the new warships coming to market and will likely receive an update in May concerning the Company’s new 1:16 scale Extreme Metal Tiger tank, 1:72 scale military vehicles and multi-scaled fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.
Perhaps drawing inspiration from the Beach Boys classic, Waltersons showed off the new and improved packaging for their relaunched 1:700 sale warships series. Besides opening differently, making it far more easier to remove from its outer box, the new design features a wave-like blister in which the warship sits, which will differ markedly from ship-to-ship to signify the changes in wakes formed by each warship as it passes through the surf.
Look for the first squadron of warships to set sail later this winter. We are still awaiting pricing and dates of availability for some of the new toolings announced earlier this month.
In related news, the Company also posted several images of the new display stand being developed for each warship. Each ship will sit atop twin diecast metal pillars, that will be finished in chrome rather than gold, and attached to a wood-like display plinth, thereby making them much more attractive as potential conversation pieces on desks and credenzas.
We’re just a few days into 2017 and several weeks away from the opening of the all-important Nuremberg Toy Fair, yet already several companies are looking to get the ball rolling early and announce their 2017 line ups ahead of their competition. Earlier today, Waltersons posted a Forces of Valor brochure to their Facebook page which showcases their first and second quarter 1:32 scale diecast military vehicles as well as their 1:700 warships series. Currently, we are in the midst of adding all of the new introductions to our product portfolio, and will address pricing for several of the new warships once they are made official. For now though, you can ogle some of their soon-to-be-released products, and place pre-orders, where appropriate for items that show a retail price. We hope to add any new imagery, where applicable, once they are unveiled by the manufacturer.
Lately, it seems as though most of the new product announcements we are posting have one thing or another to do with Waltersons’ resurgent look at the Forces of Valor brand. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, particularly if their intent is to resurrect some of the oldies but goodies in the Forces of Valor product portfolio. Earlier today, as part of the run-up to the Nuremberg Toy Fair, the Company floated the idea of bringing back the deluxe diorama sets that were a part of their initial product mix way back in 2003, when the line was first introduced. I fondly remember ogling the sets at the American International Toy Fair held here in New York City, remarking to the distributor and owner how lifelike they looked and the degree they were prepared to support the hobby across all market segments.
Fourteen years later, and it now appears as if the new owners feel the same way, showcasing one of the now sold out scenics with an accompanying Tamiya 1:35 scale Challenger II main battle tank. If they do indeed move forward with the re-release of the dioramas, they will likely make some minor tweaks and improvements along the way, which may or may not affect the retail price, weight, packaging, etc. For now, we’re just happy that they are looking to bring them back in full force, which will no doubt be supplemented with additional dioramas featuring several of the new vehicles they’ve already hinted at coming to market in 2017. Enjoy!
Mum for some time regarding their soon-to-be-released range of static military models, it now appears as if Waltersons is releasing information to the public on a day-by-day basis. Yesterday the Company posted imagery of their upcoming 1:32 scale Tiger I tank. Earlier today, they revealed pictures for the warship series, which explains how the vessels will come packed when “shipped out.”
Rather than using a plastic blister to keep them in place, the Company developed a new locking nut mechanism that permits the buyer to easily take the ship in and out of its packaging. Moreover, the outer packaging features an open tabbed fifth panel, which is designed to make it far easier to remove, and, if necessary, replace the item in its box, thereby reducing the likelihood of damage.
As an Easter Egg of sorts, it appears as if the French Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle (R91), will be joining the growing Forces of Valor fleet in 2017, as well as some other unidentified warships. We’ve also re-categorized our Forces of Valor 1:700 scale subsections into a Battleship and Aircraft Carrier Series to correspond with the changes shown on the back of the aforementioned packaging.
As a special holiday gift, Waltersons, the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand, has debuted images of their upcoming 1:32 scale Tiger I heavy tank. Posted to Facebook earlier today, the up-close photos demonstrate some of the principal differences between the Tiger I tank produced by the former owners, Unimax, then contrasts them with some of the enhancements made by Waltersons, all of which are intended to correct certain deficiencies and make each vehicle more realistic. In the case of the Tiger I tank, five new molds were produced, among them a new chassis, new road wheels, swing arms, torsion bars, new sprocket & new idler wheel, new engine details, and new caterpillar tracks. You can see all on the improvements and follow the progress of some of the other vehicles still under development on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/fovhobbies/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED. A new web site is also reportedly under construction.
Perhaps as a fitting tribute to the 75th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Waltersons posted images of their resurrected USS Arizona battleship, an integral part of their reinvigorated Forces of Valor warships range (FOV86013). As you can see, Waltersons has been making adjustments to each of the former models where deemed necessary, all designed to bring them up today’s standards. In the Arizona’s case, Waltersons states that “the colour scheme had been revised to the 1941 Pearl Harbour version, with bright red turret roof and medium blue colour on the hull body.” The model sits atop a wood-like display plinth with metallic rods and, when completed, will boast a metallic nameplate featuring the name of the warship. Look for the first warships to set sail some time in early 2017.
