[chascbv]

Tigers! Still more Tigers coming!
By the way... Isn't it just about time that oversimplified parts (most notably sprockets) be brought up to current standards? Shouldn't the sprocket holes in these cats be... hmmm, let me see... hollow?

[tank nut]

Just think,by the time your old and grey dragon will have put out every tiger the german army had during the war and your kids still buying them. Not to metion every sherman, panther etc, etc.

[MoMo]

The more cats, the better!

Germany produced about 1,800 Tigers. How many have Dragon produced, so far? It must be a fair old number by now, if you include all those Cyber Hobby versions. To produce 1%, it has to be 18. Are there 18 versions of the Tiger 1?

What do you guys think of the Dragons due out over the next few months? ( look back through the thread )

[salazar]

Ahemmmm..

Seems that Cyberhobbys " Horst pause in Pavlograd" wasnt quite a sucess. The german figure painting the captured Firefly seems to me to be taken from that particular diorama... dont you think ?

[chascbv]

Well, I like cats, but I think they should be balanced with the rest of military vehicles history has to offer!

On the other hand, a definitive Tiger (I or II) is still pending in this scale, and most particularly a fine zimmerited version. Dragon is a hell of a manufacturer, and has provided us with many a masterpiece; however - let's face it - the "solid" sprockets on their Tigers are simply not acceptable any more, and their attempt at zimmerit is rather shoddy - in comes the zimmerit, out go the tools, hangers, tow cables, rivets, and other surface detail. I wish they would stick to their non-zimmerit versions until they work out the way of producing a zimmerit coat that will not mar the rest of the model!

Regarding MoMo's question, I think all upcoming additions to the range are fine, but I'd really like a more encompassing range - PzKpfw II, Crusader, Hellcat, Lee/Grant, BT-7, Italian and Japanese armour (they fought in that WW2, didn't they?), etc., not to mention post-war beauties such as an Israeli Centurion, an Egyptian IS-3, or a Jordan M-47, just to name a few.

Balance is I think what I'm missing here. Tigers and German subjects are fine, but all the rest are also fine to my eye (including some overlooked German types - giant FAMO half-tracks, Wespe SPGs, wheeled scout cars...).

[Legio LXXII]

Originally Posted by chascbv

Balance is I think what I'm missing here. Tigers and German subjects are fine, but all the rest are also fine to my eye (including some overlooked German types - giant FAMO half-tracks, Wespe SPGs, wheeled scout cars...).

You know about Altaya right? They make the balance you're talking about, though not as nice as Dragon or other diecast tanks in the same scale.

[chascbv]

Yes, Legio, Altaya offers great, comprehensive programs regarding AFVs, cars, taxies, vans, you name it! As far as I know all their models are manufactured by Ixo (Altaya is a publishing house, in fact), and while very good looking, these products are somewhat toy-like in that their accuracy is rather poor. They look the part somehow, but are intended for the non-demanding collector. Their range represents an excellent entry point for kids and newcomers to our hobby, though.
Let's dream the spirit of Altaya falls for Dragon/HM's quality, they get together, and... well, you know!

[Legio LXXII]

Originally Posted by chascbv

They look the part somehow, but are intended for the non-demanding collector. Their range represents an excellent entry point for kids and newcomers to our hobby, though.
Let's dream the spirit of Altaya falls for Dragon/HM's quality, they get together, and... well, you know!

Certainly no where close to Dragon, Hobby Master, and other top manufacturers, but collectors are not all the same to think it's just newcomers to the hobby that would buy them. It's almost the complete opposite I find. When in Italy last month I got the chance to talk to many of the newstand owners and even some of the collectors there that buy them and the same die hard collectors go back every other week just to buy the next Altaya release (not a kid among them). These are the same collectors that buy Dragon Armor and other 1/72 diecast tanks. They're so popular that it was irritating to me because I had to search all of Rome which has newstands on every corner it seems just to find the 5 or so Altaya tanks I bought while over there. I also get a few emails weekly from collectors in the US trying to locate Altaya because unfortunately they're not available here yet except on Ebay or unless you have someone that gets them locally and will ship them to you.

I'm right there with you hoping eventually we'll see these more rare vehicles made by some of the best manufacturers in this scale. I have the feeling it will be quite some time though.

[MoMo]

Certainly no where close to Dragon, Hobby Master, and other top manufacturers, but collectors are not all the same to think it's just newcomers to the hobby that would buy them. It's almost the complete opposite I find. When in Italy last month I got the chance to talk to many of the newstand owners and even some of the collectors there that buy them and the same die hard collectors go back every other week just to buy the next Altaya release (not a kid among them). These are the same collectors that buy Dragon Armor and other 1/72 diecast tanks. They're so popular that it was irritating to me because I had to search all of Rome which has newstands on every corner it seems just to find the 5 or so Altaya tanks I bought while over there. I also get a few emails weekly from collectors in the US trying to locate Altaya because unfortunately they're not available here yet except on Ebay or unless you have someone that gets them locally and will ship them to you.

I'm right there with you hoping eventually we'll see these more rare vehicles made by some of the best manufacturers in this scale. I have the feeling it will be quite some time though.
Legio LXXll

Dear Legio LXXll,

When I was in Poland a couple of months ago, I managed to get hold of an AMX tank ( AMX 30B of 1982 vintage ). I also nabbed a Folgore and an Me 262. The planes were well made and painted D'Agostini types whereas the AMX tank was metal with plastic details, but with a basic paint job. What did you manage to get in Italy?

I agree with chascbv that it is time that Dragon got on with producing some types to fill in some of the gaps. For example, we've never seen any of the German Mark lll types as intimated in their catalogue....has anyone ever seen them?

I probably don't notice the gaps as much as others because I have many 1.72 scale models which I have built over the years. This helps to pad out the Logistics areas : trucks, personel cars, recon vehicles, etc.

It's time that Hongwell made up sets of these for us ( dream on....)

MoMo

[chascbv]

Certainly no where close to Dragon, Hobby Master, and other top manufacturers, but collectors are not all the same to think it's just newcomers to the hobby that would buy them. It's almost the complete opposite I find.

I'm afraid you're right, Legio. This just has to do with the sort of collector you are, why you collect, and what you expect from models... It's all about the complex psychology of the collecting phenomenon, I guess.

Accuracy is to me the crucial point, while comprehensiveness, variety, wargaming, paint schemes, or simply a compulsive drive may underly other people's collecting behaviours. All such approaches to the hobby are equally valid, of course, as subjective happiness is often the ultimate goal in intrapsychic experience.

I also collect 1/43rd scale automobiles, and a few years ago Altaya was offering a dream of a program including a huge number of Spanish/European classics from the 50s-70s that manufacturers such as Minichamps or AutoArt are not likely to release. I then lived in downtown Madrid (a place, as Rome, with zillions of newstands everywhere) and bought some of my all-time favourite cars. I have the nasty habit of "reviewing" everything I purchase, so I carefully assessed those models and was deeply let down. Detailing was sparse and often wrong, but also the basic research of model-making was a complete failure: overall shape and proportions were absolutely off. "Images" merely ressembled, reminded you of, the real things in an approximate manner, but were far from being "scale reproductions" of the real objects. I've never trusted Altaya/Ixo ever since (in relation to my particular collecting approach, that is).

Tanks showed up when, having had enough of big cities, I had already left Madrid for a small village by the mountains, some 35 miles away from traffic jams, crowds, chaos, and newstand jungles. Here I've never come across an Altaya issue, and my only experience with Altaya tanks was a Königstiger that a friend's kid (aged 12; this is surely why I mentioned kids in my previous post) had bought while visiting his grand-parents in Madrid. I have to admit it really looked the part, just as those model cars a few years back, but some obvious oversimplifications brought back bitter memories and serious distrust...

What I don't quite understand is - why can't the brilliant ideas and programs by Altaya be mated to quality products? If Altaya/Ixo rarities sell, why wouldn't Dragon rarities sell?

My apologies to all those who, understandably, find this post long, boring, and unrelated to MoMo's thread.