Small Scale Military Headquarters

1:18 scale Pak-40 was just purchased from my local Wal-Mart! Rocky Mountain area Recon unit checking in!

Nice. My Walmart will never get that one.

tko211 wrote:1:18 scale Pak-40 was just purchased from my local Wal-Mart! Rocky Mountain area Recon unit checking in!

Now that's news, you lucky dog Over the past couple days, I just visited a few Wal Marts in my area with nothing really new in 1:18 and I'm not expecting anything for quite a while. I can hold my breath, though this is a piece I really want! You have got to post pictures!

tmanthegreat wrote:

tko211 wrote:1:18 scale Pak-40 was just purchased from my local Wal-Mart! Rocky Mountain area Recon unit checking in!

Now that's news, you lucky dog Over the past couple days, I just visited a few Wal Marts in my area with nothing really new in 1:18 and I'm not expecting anything for quite a while. I can hold my breath, though this is a piece I really want! You have got to post pictures!

Wow! The PAK has been released?! It would be cool if someone could post some pictures. Is it only the PAK, or is there an exclusive figure included?

The below pics have been posted in the Pak 40 thread. The figure is not exclusive:

Thanks digger! Somehow I've missed this PAK 40 thread. This thing is great!

The Olympia,WA WM has 1 of the Mutts with TOW ans 1 Navy seal jeep 3 pegs of BOB2 figs 1 FW190 Black 12 2 Avengers and 1 hard top Humvee.
Kurt

Well, I hit the new Oberlin WM today and they have 4 Ridge Runner P-51 & BoB series 2 that was it for 1/18 scale. Very disapointing for a just opened (yesterday) store.

ogravl wrote:Well, I hit the new Oberlin WM today and they have 4 Ridge Runner P-51 & BoB series 2 that was it for 1/18 scale. Very disapointing for a just opened (yesterday) store.

Thanks for the recon, ogravl! You've saved me time and gas to go from Strongsville to Oberlin.
I'm glad I have Corey to depend on! I think I'm going to stick to my new idea from now on..."If I can't find it online, I'm not buying it!"

Last night I stumbled across 2 each: Black 12 190, Black Chevron 190, and 109E Nightfighter. This gave me the opportunity to pick up the funky Blue/Black 12. The best part? They were clearanced at $25. That has got to be the first time I've ever seen a deliberately discounted 1/18 aircraft.

Went out this weekend and nothing new in the Walmarts around here in Tampa. The toy departments in ALL of the stores are being dismantled and moved to different parts of the store. I'll make another run-around tomorrow and see what's out there.

As for the Mig and the Sabre, in what order were they built? What I mean is other than the paint job are there "significant" differences between the different series? What I'm hoping to avoid, as I'm sure has happened to us all, is we go out, find an plane we like, buy it and then find yet a better version of the same plane sitting on the shelf a few months later. My understanding of the Mig is primarily the paint job no? Any info is appreciated.

Nothing in Ocala FL area Walmarts but one Luftwaffe Starfighter, some Japanese and MG carded figures and various 1/32 armor and aircraft. The last vehicle I've seen is the Hanomag I bought two weeks ago.

The XD future looks very bleak for my area.

From my Point of view it's always a little bit difficult to judge how good XD is selling in the states, because I live in germany. But when I read all your postings I wonder about the fact that XD is still available at all. You have huge problems finding figures, vehicles and planes, the new PAK shows up in ONE store and everyone else can't find it. And then the fact, that there aren't any release dates. We don't know if the PAK 40 is available now, and when the new halftracks and the figures will show up. When you collect Star Wars you always know which figures will be included in a new wave, when this wave will be released and where you can find the figures then.
21st Century Toys is a little bit strange. Why can't they tell any release dates?
Don't get me wrong - I like 21st and I love the XD line. In my opinion XD is the best action figure line is this size. The quality, articulation and the paint jobs of the entire line are amazing.
But when I think about all these facts you are writing here, I wonder whats the problem is and how long will the XD line stay alive?

Don't compare Star Wars toys to anything else. It is a beast - it has made Lucas richer than he already was, and it sells on an entirely different level than 1:18 military. In fact, I think even Hasbro has stopped giving release dates on some of their smaller lines - any ideas when the new DTC Joes will arrive?
We all know there are distribution problems. I think the companies are reticent to give dates because problems arise that keeps those dates from getting met, and people grow angry. We just get mad (as do the retailers) when there are delays. I see now the AT 262 is pushed back again to late November - stuff happens. This is a small market and we are stuck with the dynamics of a small market. When the stuff gets here, it gets here and we will buy it. Thanks to the good people on this board there is nothing out right now that I want and can't get with the exception of the Pak-40 which is just starting to show. I am confident when it sees wide distribution I will have the chance to get one.

Thanks digger. Somehow I've no luck. I've collected the new Masters of the universe line in 2002 and Mattel cancelled it after a short run. I'm always afraid this could happen again with one of my favorite lines. Even the cartoon shows and TV series I like always get cancelled. When I look at my XD collection at home I always think about how big this collection can grow. From the consumer point of view it's always hard to tell how sucessful a product is. But there are indicators you can look at to find out. And when I look at those indicators - I'm afraid XD isn't a cash cow for 21st. I hope I am wrong and the line will stay for many years to come.

As far as Star Wars goes (assuming we are all talking about the 3 3/4 lines), keep in mind that Hasbro has an exclusive deal with Lucas so there is _no_ competition.. That and the fact that no matter what they make it sells like crazy pretty so they can take their time, predict product way in advance, all without worries.

The 1:18 and 1:32 OEM's have competition and as we've seen with several releases lately, some of them aren't shy about it. Better to stay quiet and let the stuff magically appear on the shelves. At least until they go George Lucas on us.

Another thing to keep in mind is that even though we are a vocal and influencial group, the membership of this forum pales in comparison to the "silent majority" that purchase the bulk of these products.

If I set my profit target at selling 1000 units and they vanish before reaching Digger's area, even though I would have preferred that Digger and the folks in his area get a shot at the item, I still nailed my goal. Aka Avengers.. Plus you can always make another batch. S1 Japanese anyone? So you may see someone post in frustration that they can't find something in one of 1000 stores, but it doesn't mean there aren't a 1000 other happy customers.

He can always get one on ebay if he really really wants it, right?

Much better to do that than make 10,000 and have them clearance out everywhere and then have to put up the for sale sign.

(Thanks Digger for serving as an example in this exercise. )

Ok, guess I had a long day at the office there. Sorry bout that..

Found three full sets of BOB II at an out of the way WM that had clearly been restocked.

Funny thing was they had several ancient Motorworks FW's and Spitfires on the shelf with a bunch of Avengers. Guess they never go the clearance route at this WM.

I found a Smoke II inside a Spitfire box at a local WM in IN.

Razor17019 wrote:I found a Smoke II inside a Spitfire box at a local WM in IN.

Thats the kind of stuff i've been seeing around here lately.

wrong spot sorry all moved to the 1/32 and smalled forum

Central N.J. Walmarts are still very lame. The only new item(if you could call it that) which has showed up is the 1/18 P-51 Ridge Runner. Yeh, I know big deal! Nothing else to report.

no big deal!! Out here in the Northeast haven't seen anything. No p 51's, avengers, pak 40s. its still a lil early for the PAK. but i guess we don't get anything because they don't sell very well so the toy managers don't order them.

Ditto for Northern Ca. Haven't seen the MIG, Avenger, or any of the P-51's. Not holding too much hope that we'll see the new Pak-40 and the halftracks too although I'm hoping those two items will show since they're not planes.

Found one avenger other then that nothing new in northern nj.