Dragon - New Armor and Price Increases

[lightning2000]

Hello All,
Since many of you are Dragon 1:72 scale diecast collectors, it looks as if there's both good and bad news. First the bad news. Apparently, the line is undergoing some price increases albeit somewhat minor. New pieces being announced (including a Leopard 2A4 and Jagdtiger with Porsche turret) carry an SRP of $15.99, up $1 from $14.99.

Now the good news. Dragon just announced a 1:72 E-100 super heavy tank although they've priced it at $22.50. Again, it looks as if their Dragon Armor line is paralleling the development of their 1:72 scale kit line, hence the cross-market similarities so its a safe bet that what you see in the kit line will be ported over to the diecast line, eventually.

We're still keeping our fingers crossed that they'll be annonucing their oft-rumored 1:35 scale military diecast line at Toy Fair this February, which will certainly have a dramatic impact on the market, particularly if they decide to offer "factory fresh" vehicles as well as weathered ones. Anyway, food for thought as Toy Fair looms.

Panzers Vorwarts,

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com

[Mr. Football]

Saw it coming on the DragonModelsUSA.com site (price increase). Since the line began, they've steadily increased prices -- up nearly 60%. Makes me have to think about which ones I want now, as opposed to getting one or two of each.

The E-100 should be interesting. Does it have a target date?

I'm rather anxious to hear whether they'll be doing the 1:35 scale line of 'diecast' armor. Will it be true diecast or 70/30 plastic to metal? IMO, next to the detail, the paint jobs are one of the primary strengths of the Dragon line. I would like to see them do exactly as they've done with the 1/72 in their new 1:35 line. I'd like to see them just barely weathered without the mud and overly done crud that can be found on some FOV releases. Somewhere in-between Minichamps "Factory Fresh" look and FOV's "Through Hell and Back" look.

Thanks for the heads up Lightning!

[lightning2000]

Hello Mr. Football,
The Dragon USA site indicates a March release for the E-100. My guess is that they'll have a prototype at the Toy Fair Show next month, along with prototypes of other vehicles slated for release over the next six months or so.

As for the 1:35 line, this would be pure speculation on our part, but I believe they'll follow the same tact with the 1:35 armor that they adhere to with the 1:72 line. In other words, they'll probably opt to build a diecast/plastic vehicle (in what ratio, who knows) in an effort to keep costs down and perhaps standardize parts with their kit line. I'd think they'd want to go with metal tracks as opposed to vinyl, but that may be wishful thinking on our part seeing as how they tend to be the most expensive part on a 1:35 manufacture. I'd also imagine they'll go with factory fresh appearances and true unit insignia as opposed to nebulous unit markings typically found on some of the Minichamps vehicles, and they'll undoubtedly offer limited edition vehicles like a Michael Wittmann Tiger or Barkmann Panther. I'd think they'd want to shoot for a $49.99 price point point for the standard vehicles, but again that's conjecture if they plan to go toe to toe with Minichamps and FOV in the comparable size and scale category.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com

[hworth18]

This does look cool....

[Sgt. Stryker]

I was wondering if the Dragon 1:72 Armour with zimmerit is completely plastic? It seems like "grooving" the hull and turret must be very expensive to properly do for any scale, epecially the smaller ones. BTW, I think that the zimmerrit "coating" on the FOV 1:32 Tigers looks awful. Finally, does anyone feel that diecast armour is 2nd rate if the Turret and Gun are plastic? During battle, a tank's turret takes most of the hits, and the gun has thicker steel than any other part of the tank.
Stryker

[easy8]

I hear ya Sgt Stryker, I would like to see more metal in the newer Dragon releases, and I think the zimmerit Dragons are pretty much all plastic, I guess what hooks me is the paint jobs on them, they are very well done and look great on the shelf! Although I do like the "heft" of my mostly metal Matchbox tanks! I guess for me it all comes down to cost, if it looks good for a good price I can live without the metal.

easy8