Small Scale Military Headquarters

Well, Benton Harbor makes the map! I came across a nice assortment of 1/32 planes: the Big Hog Corsair, the Blue 12 FW-190D9, and a few more North Africa Stukas. Plus 2 of the 3 known 1/48 armor pieces. It's a Christmas miracle!

>>> Found the neat Sdkfz. 4 Half-track (or) "Maultier" in my AO over the weekend. .... Had already found the M7 "Priest" here but it's everywhere you look now.

Made a stop at the Portage Avenue Walmart in South Bend today, to see if there was anything new and exciting. A couple Flying Undertaker P-51's (layway escapees?), the same Brummbars that have been there for months. And two brand new dogfight two packs that I have never seen: the 1/144 planes! Plus they had a couple 1/32 Corsairs (not Big Hog) and yellow nose Stukas. So kind of a bust for us 1/18ers, but some interesing 1/32 and 1/144 finds.

I found the new 1:144 dogfight packs at two of my local Wal Marts while on a hunt for more of the new 32x planes. They look pretty good! One store also had the second wave of repaints for the single-boxed 1:144 planes as well.

Found more of the 32x BF-109s at the north Fresno Wal Mart. This time it was the complete case, with has 4 BF-109Fs and 2 Bf-109Gs. The F's come in two schemes: "North Africa" and "Eastern Front" and the Gs were in the "Hackl" scheme.

I also found the new 32x model kits: the Zero and the Macci.

Plymouth, Indiana Walmart has snake scheme stukas, Big Hog corsairs, 109F's S1 and S2, and 109G S3.

Mt. Airy WM had the P-51 "Detroit Miss" and Me-262 "Red Nose" dogfight pack.

I found the 1:72 FOV ME-262, P-40, and Zero at a Fresno Target store today, along with the repaints of the Stuka and Hurricane that came in this series

Has anyone else seen these new FOV planes at Target? I thought they were only at the small retailers, though it would make sense to see them go to Target. I couldn't resist the ME-262 and may have to go back and get the P-40 as it had some very nice engine detail.

I found the FOV 1/72 Stuka and Corsair at my local Target last spring/summer, but since they sold out, I haven't seen any new ones come in... Just lots of armor and the figure sets in both 1/32 and 1/72.

Found them at both of the Targets in my area this week.

Well, at the current pace, I may need to rethink my choice of preferred scales... At least based on availability. A last minute trip of insanity shopping led me to my local Walmart (Benton Harbor, MI) this morning, where I found the 1/48 Iron Horse packs (AH-6 + Humvee, plus two paint schemes of open and closed back Humvees), as well as the 1/144 Dogfight packs, a pretty healthy restock of S1 1/144 armor, and the tiger stripe camo 1/32 King Tiger and Panzer III Ausf. L. And they still have the German 1/48 armor some Snake Stukas, Big Hog Corsairs, and #12 FW-190s.

Anyone wondering why they can't find the Snake Stukas or Corsairs in their AO? I believe I've located the Bermuda Triangle of Walmarts... This same basic phenomenon has occurred at three Walmarts within 10 miles of each other...

I can't complain - the same thing happened with the "Snake" Stukas and "Big Hog" Corsairs in my area in California! The display in my store looked nearly identical to that in yours The first few days, the planes were out on an endcap, then they got moved way up high. That was the most 21c products I'd seen in one spot until I came across the 60+ XD halftracks at another store.

I'd really like to know what the logic is behind all these massed aircraft and vehicles. Oftentimes, stores could barely sell the 6-12 planes they got in a normal shipment, so why do they think they'll sell 30 (besides preping for crazed holiday shoppers grabbing anything in sight way up on the top shelf)?

grunt1 wrote:Anyone wondering why they can't find the Snake Stukas or Corsairs in their AO? I believe I've located the Bermuda Triangle of Walmarts... This same basic phenomenon has occurred at three Walmarts within 10 miles of each other...

And I have only seen 1 corsair and 3 stukas (all the same) in my AO and at ONLY one Walmart.. The other 5 Walmarts don't have jack in 32x except dusty Macchis and Zeros..
Edit: we did get the desert Stukas and So African P-40's.. Oh woo hoo..

I've seen the Balkans and Libya(Wässer) in 32x here in Florida. South African P-40s have been floating around for awhile. Still got stocks of opels out there.

just saw the A6M and Macchi model kits...weird that the boxes are sealed like people have been saying.

After the Christmas rush, the majority of the 1/32 aircraft are gone at the Benton Harbor WM, just a couple lonely Snake Stukas and a Me-262/P-51 Dogfight pack. Still a couple 1/32 Panzer III and IV tanks. None of the above on sale. However, a bunch of Iron Horse sets (Hellcat/Tiger and Hanomag/222) are clearance priced at $19 each. Otherwise, lots of 1/48 and 1/144 stuff, so I suspect we may not see much new up here for a while--this stuff may take a few months to go away.

The 32x items at the 3 Fresno Wal Marts I visited today were picked over in some places and then not so much in others. Some of the Brumbars from last year are still there, but then there weren't any Zeros and Macchis left. One store had only about 6 Stukas and Corsairs left. I did find a new restocking of the 32x ME-109s that included the new silver ME-109G with the Erla-built canopy.

Great Cleopatra's mustache!! Now I know why none are in the Southwest!

Found the three new 109's at the Normal and Washington, Illinois Walmarts today.

Ray

The Normal, Illinois Walmart has loaded up with planes. More of the 109's and the Big Hog Corsair/FW190 assortment.

Ray

Found the FOV Lee and Grant tanks at a Fresno Target store. They weren't all that impressive and I think I'll stick with the S1 "Monty" M3 Grant I already have

Most Walmarts in my AO are "cleaned out" and awaiting spring re-sets.. I did find the South African P-40 and Desert Stuka at one "out of the way" Walmart, and the new 1/144 dogfight sets at another, but that is about it..

Ordinance Rd. WM in Maryland has new playsets (inlcuding the new Priest), old playsets, Iron Horse sets, at least 6 different pieces of 1/32 armor, a bunch of 1/32 AC (Macchi, Stuka, P-40) and a bunch of 1/48. The 1/18 is on sale so the 1/32 might be too but I got no firm intel on that.

More Iron Horse 2-packs for $19 at the Niles, MI WM, and the Mishawaka, IN WM had 1/32 Iron Horse AND Dogfight (Me-262 and P-51) 2-packs for $19. Mishawaka also had a handful of the Blue 12 FW-190, as well as several M7 Priest kits.

I found some new 32x armor model kits today: an M4 Sherman and the M7 Priest. Although I know not to trust the pictures on a 21c box, the Sherman kit showed the S1 OD Green Sherman and the Priest kit has the picture of the "Anamae" repaint.

Nothing else really new in this scale (save for some leftover ME-109F-4s), a few Iron Horse packs, some of the playsets, and a good selection of Brumbars from last year.