Small Scale Military Headquarters

Hi All,
We unexpectedly just received the new 1:32 scale Hetzer and Marder III Ausf H tank destroyer well ahead of their supposed release date. In one word - wow! This manufacturer has really stepped up the replicating process, particularly in the area of entry level products, which we previously classified some of their products. With a price point between $20-$25, these are really fine-looking replicas even though they are devoid of any metal (zinc alloy) and no longer contain any accompanying figures. While I'm always loathe to take items out of their boxes so they can be sold instead of repackaged, these two vehicles really left me slack-jawed the moment we pulled them out of their shipping cartons.

Both vehicles have realistic-looking camo schemes and are quickly going to be snapped up by collectors. In the case of the open turret Marder, the crew compartment is complete and finely detailed, although a couple of tied-down rounds would have been a real treat. Likewise, the Hetzer is superbly painted, and even comes with a remote-controlled machine gun atop the turret, that we assume is packed within the product's carton.

Personally, I'd give both models a 9 out of 10, just missing the mark for omitting a figure or two. In an age where everyone seems to be raising their wholesale costs, its refreshing to see 21st holding the line yet upping the quality, even if they've stripped out the metal and removed the figures to maintain the same costs.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

Photos or can you please put a link on this thread to them?

a good solution to missing figures is canDo 1/35 scale "panzer Aces". I bought some and by chance placed them next to one of the better detail Forces of Valor Pz commanders and I will be damned if they were not the same size.
Only problem is the limited dress of the figures but I am hoping that cando makes are that are less specific and more anonymous as a subject, not just WHittman ect.

Wish my Bank hand no robbed me this week , or I would be ordering a hetzer and marder today.

Nice review Lightning, both flavors of Marder have already shown up at local TRU stores in my AO, but I'm still eagerly awaiting the Hetzer, hopefully it will be here shortly. Regarding accessories for the Marder, Verlinden makes a very nice 75mm Pak ammo set (unpainted) for anyone who wants to add some shells to their Marder... http://www.internethobbies.com/vrl-577.html These are 1:35 scale of course, but the size difference should not be too bad, at least until BAR or somebody makes a 1:32 set.

Thanks for the information lightning2000,just ordered 2 hetzers from the motorpool,been looking forward to this tank destoryer! can't wait until its in 1/18,

* Tamiya also makes 1/35 machined brass shells specifically for the Marder IIIM & 7.5cm equivalent. Which includes capped and un-capped rounds + empty shell casings. Comes in little individual packets of @ least 6-rounds ea. for about $11.00 @ your local hobby shop.

* They also make rounds for the M4 Sherman , Panther , Tiger I , Königstiger and Sturmtiger.


Mitch v MG

Thanks for the information Mitch!

Hi,
I'd take some photos but we're too busy shipping them out and dealing with the monsoon hitting NYC. If they're shown at Toy Fair this Sunday, I'll snap a couple of shots from the 21st Century booth. These will be out of the box and properly lit anyway, so the photos will look nicer.

Thanks for all the suggestions re: figures. Frankly, it was more of a nudge for 21st to offer the figs and accessories separately, seeing as how they did such a spectacular job on the recent wave of vehicles. Yes, they're all on the smallish size, and become even more noticeable since they're all packaged in the standard 21st box. That said, they are "miles" ahead of their previous efforts, such as the Pz IV H and last Panther. 21st must have changed their model making techniques (moving to CAD possibly) or hired a new model maker, cause these aren't your father's vehicles, to borrow a catchphrase. I think the recent step up started with the Opels and Maultiers, and have steadily gotten better along the way. Even the painting is much better and more realistic.

One final point. After sticking my paws in a shipping carton to yank 'em out for shipping to customers, I noticed that the Hetzer has opening hatches for the commander and gunner. Figures from 21st are a no-brainer as far as I'm concerned...

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

I've got a Hetzer coming today, and will post a review about it. Badcat has some nice pictures of one up on their site. Although not as fancy as the Marders with their fighting-compartment detail, it still looks awesome!

How much would be the postage fees for France for these two tanks, Lightning2000 ?

Thanks for the review lightning! Hoping to get mine soon.

They should just pack the thing in hundreds of my favorite Ultimate soldier crewmen!!!!!

Wanted to trade: FOV brick wall sections for 1/35 AFV crewmen.

Seriously, I could help out all of you brick wall army builders...

the recent 32x stuff is definitely nice, but i just can't get excited about them as they seem so darn small. Was a day i would have killed for tanks like that (i bought the first new ray shermans and king tigers back in '98, while on a cruise ship in the carribean of all places...i thought they were great but there was nothing else like them around (prefab in that scale) so i quickly lost interest). But after spending so much time with 1/18, 1/32 is just simply not satisfying.

A shame really....maybe as i get older and shrink a bit they will look bigger. Hmm..

Hi,
I'm of the opinion that large scale products (1:18 in particular) will always be a dicey category for any number of reasons that I've touched on previously. I can understand the 'bigger is better' mentality, but you really need a big box retailer like a WM, Target, etc. to lay down a large order, which will offset most of the costs associated with making and shipping it from the far east. Having said that, the larger items are a tougher sell at the retail level, as evinced by WM in recent years. Overstock just seems to stick out more than say a pile of comparable 1:32 scale vehicles. Retail is all about margin and turn rate, two things the 1:18 scale category dont have going for them.

Moreover, once you have a few in your room, its difficult to keep finding space for more. They dont sit all that well on the typical shelf, so you have to either hang the planes from a ceiling or put the vehicles along the baseboard or custom made shelving. Eventually, they get stepped on, fall from the ceiling (heaven forbid), get sold, etc. Its just a tougher sale from both the retailer and wholesaler's perspective.

Mind you we stock the larger category items, but with shipping costs continually on the rise, the shipping costs of a marked down plane could conceivably cost as much as the plane itself in the days to come.

Personally, I hope they continue to do well, but then again I'm still hoping for $.30 a gallon gas.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

Got the Hetzer today - its a beauty

Maybe now that my damn lazy ass TRU has finished the inventory and reset they were supposed to finish last month, I will get my Hetzer and Marder IIIM and FW-190 and P-51D...

Charades man! I've always wondered what he is supposed to be doing, now I know...

WM had 5 Marder IIIM's today. One had a broken barrel rattling around the inside of the box, the others has various issues. The main problem was on the right hand side they attached the bolt cutters in between two hull sections so the sections could not connect when glued. The other side is fine but the problem side has a big gap. Mine is perfect though.

Where's the machine gun on the hetzer?

Going to put it on?

Does it come with the MG and shield?

I sure hope it does. But something telling me it does not come with it. Even on bad cats toys they dont show it with the mg on top. But 21st pic has it.

It does not come with the gun

I searched the box, as usually the extra parts can be found underneath the tray in a little bag, but there was nothing. However, using a few FOV parts and accessories, I was able to make a suitable machine gun mount. I have not made the shield yet, but the results have turned out pretty good thus far

That makes me mad! I dont see why they couldn't include the machine gun whats up with that!!! ?? Thats cool t man, but still wonder what happen there.

It's not really a hetzer with out the mg mount.
O, well.