Small Scale Military Headquarters

Hi All, I dont think it looks anywhere near as bad as some of you are making it out to be. I think the images shown here are on the bright side, making the stripes stand out a bit much. I think you need to see it up close before making a decision. Then again, its not their nicest scheme, I'll give y...

Hello, Good intel Rowsdower. Call it strange, ironic, poor communication, or what have you, but I find it especially peculiar when its left up to the collector to research the actual identity of a plane, tank, etc., instead of the supplier. We had much the same problem with the Minichamps line of ta...

Hi StuG, Unimax is coming out with a line of modern 1:18 scale figures which I didnt examine all that closely since they're destined for mass merchants instead of the hobby dealers. Think a secondary line to the GI Joe range with articulated limbs and a lower price point. Its a great way for the typ...

Hi, I toured Toy Fair yesterday and didnt see much to warrant a discussion. A lot of past exhibitors werent even in attendance (21st, Minichamps, Dragon, etc.) and those that I did see, werent showing much of anything that hasnt already been discussed. Having said that, that doesnt mean toy companie...

Hello, I spoke with one of the principals of Unimax just yesterday at Toy Fair regarding the Pershing. The company claims that apart from the US market, there doesnt see to be much interest in bringing back this item for an encore appearance. German vehicles, on the other hand, seem to have no troub...

Hi,
At this point in time, the M26 Pershing is not scheduled for a rerelease. That should help to pump up the price of the ebay listing!

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

Interesting indeed. I just love it when an ebay seller takes our text to promote the item. Heck, there's a e-commerce web site in Europe that copied us verbatim for all our Unimax listings! :x Anyway, be interesting to see how much it fetches in this economic climate... Lightning2000 www.themotorpoo...

Hi, Part of the problem why LOST (Low Observable Stealth Technology) based replicas might not do as well at retail as comparable aircraft may have to do with their internal weapons storage, so you dont get to see much of the ordnance. Certainly, having snap open weapons bays will help somewhat so yo...

NHoggard12,
Both the new Tiger I (80604) and King Tiger (80601) are now in stock...

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

Hello All, Just received the Franklin Mint 2009 catalogue. While we havent had a chance to list any of the new introductions to our web site, I will pass along the following information I thought jumped off the pages: 1:48 scale F-35 Lightning II Fighter (new tooling) 1:48 scale PBY Catalina "Black ...

Hi, I posted a preliminary image of the KV-1 tank to our site. Its model #80056. Better images will likely be made available shortly, perhaps as early as next week... I'll finish up the new postings tomorrow. Time for bed, if my dog will be kind enough to shove over... Lightning2000 www.themotorpool...

Hello All, We just received notification regarding the 2009 FOV lineup. As Greycap already indicated, a KV-1 and Stug III with a short barrelled gun are in the offing. Also expected are a 1:32 King Tiger Ausf. A heavy tank with a Porsche turret, the reintroduction of the Abrams in sand camouflage, a...

Hello, I have to echo Corey's sentiments. Years past, attending Toy Fair was on a par with a religious trip to Mecca. Back in the 80's, when I was a buyer, it would take us several days to tour all the buildings and corridors, which were largely located around the Flat Iron district. Now that everyt...

<img src="http://www.themotorpool.net/v/vspfiles/images/F-22 Raptor Thumbnail.jpg" align="left"> <b>Is Century Wings Doing the Raptor Dance?</b><br> By the looks of things, <b>Century Wings</b> is getting set to unveil their next 1:72 scale aircraft - an F/A-22 Raptor. Shown on their own website und...

Hehe, you know what I mean...

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

Hello Gary, Reading between the lines, my guess is that going forward, Unimax, the makers of the FOV line, will be releasing products to fill a theme rather than a haphazzard shotgun approach. My guess is that they are reintroducing the 1:32 Abrams to serve as the focal point for either a Desert Sto...

Hi, Great recon report Greycap. Thanks for sharing. Personally, I think a KV-1 tank would make for an excellent addition to their 1:32 scale range. We'll likely see it in summer green, winter white, camoed, etc. I'd think a more robust KV-2 could be the next logical step, but then again, I've been o...

Hi, One of the reasons why you might find a particular line in one retail outlet and nothing in a similar outlet has to do with test marketing. Typically, a buyer will test market a new brand by putting product in their "A" stores to see how they do, rather than jumping in and purchasing tons of pro...

Hi,
Thanks. Keep in mind, we need your help to beat the bushes and locate these veterans, particularly if they have a fascinating story to tell. Photographs are certainly helpful, which go a long way to filling in the blansk when memories start to fade.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

PM replied to...

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

<img src="http://www.themotorpool.net/v/vspfiles/photos/UNI80005H-1.jpg" align="left"> <b>Forces of Valor Pays Tribute to the Abrams</b><br> In an unexpected but certainly welcome move, <b>Unimax</b> has decided to bring back the M1A1 Abrams tank as part of their 2009 lineup. Painted in a scintillat...

Thanks, Of course, we could use everyone's help to locate and persuade these veterans to come forward and share their stories. Moreover, we can turn anything into an entertaining read so these veterans shouldnt be afraid that their grammar or storytelling technique will be subpar. Trust me, when I w...

Hi Cornbread,
We're probably looking at an early to mid-Spring release for the first pair of P-26 Peashooters. Of course with Chinese New Year looming, this could very likely slip a bit...

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

<b>The Motor Pool: The Way of the Warrior Program</b><br> After concluding our interview with Lieutenant Commander Arnold "Mike" Granat, USN (ret), we realized that there were a great many veterans and fellow collectors who would like to share their military experience with the rest of the world. So...

Hi, I agree with the aforementioned comments. While a strategy based on producing models of aircraft/vehicles that no one else has replicated is sound, there will always be exceptions to the rule, particularly if previous efforts aren't up to snuff or there are liveries no one else has covered. Case...