[Legio LXXII]

Altaya just released their Stug III.

[MoMo]

Thanks LegioLXX11,

I can't find anyone who stocks Altaya on this side of the pond. Do you have any information on :

• stockists
• price
• release dates
• all metal?
• etc.

I like the look of this one.

MoMo

[tankguy]

The Altaya to me look like 1:72 equivalents of the 1:35 New Ray. I think they have at least the superstructure in metal, but quality wise I'd put them 4th after Dragon-Easy Models-Admiral, though they do have a lot of neat subjects otherwise unmade. Go check out diecast72.com for pics of them all.

Supposedly there will be a US release next year of the line.

[djjeffhall]

Tankguy,
Are the tread movable like a Forces of Valor, or are they fixed like a Dragons? If the treads are movable and the price is about the same as a FOV then these would make nice additions. (Yeah, I like to see the treads on my tanks move. Silly, but true.)

[tankguy]

Tracks don't move and are ugly and crappy. The tanks have metal turrets, too, but the details aren't there and they're just overall rough compared to something like FOV, which is a superior product for less $ at Target. But they do have some nice subjects, though I have a feeling that will change as this scale heats up over the next year or two. I only have a couple, and wouldn't shell out the dough they are going for on ebay if I were you, because you'll only be wanting to toss them out when nicer stuff comes out later.

[Legio LXXII]

Below is a link comparing an Altaya King Tiger with a Dragon Armor King Tiger.

http://www.diecast72.com/review1.asp

They have a very interesting range of 1/72 diecast tanks not found any where else which is a good thing. However, the detail is less than other manufacturers. Currently there is an Altaya King Tiger being sold in the US on Ebay for $29.99. I'm not sure who would ever want to pay that amount when you can get a Dragon Armor King Tiger for half that amount and has much better detail.

Altaya is currently available in 3 or 4 European countries and will be eventually in the US so it's not as if they're limited edition.

[MoMo]

Thanks for the intel, LegioLXX11.

Whenever I'm on the continent I always check out the Magazine stores and Newsagents which carry the part series in which you find Altaya and Del Prado, etc. I have come away with several interesting die-casts from France, Italy, Belgium, Spain and Holland.

Some were autos some were soldiers and some were planes. I would love to come across a store which was selling the first edition of 1.72 metal armour. The first edition of any series is always sold at a fraction of the price. Imagine what you would do if you came upon a store selling the first edition of the magazine and the first item in the series was a Hannomag 251. The cost $1.50. How many would you buy?

MoMo