IXO Musings
Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 2:43 pm
Hi All,
As many of you already know, IXO will be releasing their first batch of 1:144 bombers into the North American marketplace sometime in March, if all goes according to plan. That said, I thought it interesting to highlight some of the latest auctions occurring on ebay for the Altaya bombers, from which the IXO bomber range is being drawn:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Heinkel-HE-177A-5-G ... .m63.l1177
http://cgi.ebay.com/Kawanishi-H8K2-emil ... .m63.l1177
Obviously, as these planes become available here in North America and other parts of the world, the demand for the first Altaya versions will wane, but it does go to show how much pent up demand there is for a range of aircraft no other maker has attempted thus far. Yes, they're on the smallish side as compared with their 1:72 scale fighters and yes, the line has been criticized for some occassional problems. That said, collectors seem to be willing to bite the bullet until more high-grade versions eventually make it to market.
Anyway, with prices this high right after the holiday season, it bodes well for the line, despite what some critics have said. Hopefully, they'll expand their efforts to a Cold War series, Secret Weapons series, and quite naturally, a modern-era collection. Then, of course, there are reconniassance birds, gliders, helos, etc. all begging for pre-assembled renditions at affordable prices. With Toy Fair right around the corner, we're hoping to see lots more on the horizon from any number of sources.
Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net
As many of you already know, IXO will be releasing their first batch of 1:144 bombers into the North American marketplace sometime in March, if all goes according to plan. That said, I thought it interesting to highlight some of the latest auctions occurring on ebay for the Altaya bombers, from which the IXO bomber range is being drawn:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Heinkel-HE-177A-5-G ... .m63.l1177
http://cgi.ebay.com/Kawanishi-H8K2-emil ... .m63.l1177
Obviously, as these planes become available here in North America and other parts of the world, the demand for the first Altaya versions will wane, but it does go to show how much pent up demand there is for a range of aircraft no other maker has attempted thus far. Yes, they're on the smallish side as compared with their 1:72 scale fighters and yes, the line has been criticized for some occassional problems. That said, collectors seem to be willing to bite the bullet until more high-grade versions eventually make it to market.
Anyway, with prices this high right after the holiday season, it bodes well for the line, despite what some critics have said. Hopefully, they'll expand their efforts to a Cold War series, Secret Weapons series, and quite naturally, a modern-era collection. Then, of course, there are reconniassance birds, gliders, helos, etc. all begging for pre-assembled renditions at affordable prices. With Toy Fair right around the corner, we're hoping to see lots more on the horizon from any number of sources.
Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net
but as you say, it's all about demand. I've been after an IXO/Altaya 1:72 IS-2 Stalin tank for a long time now... they are not sold on the US domestic market, just in Europe (mainly Spain I believe) however they do show up on ebay occasionally, but I have yet to be able to snag one at a reasonable bid, they usually end up going for around $50 and that's just more than I'm willing to pony up for one at this point. 