First a look at the various offerings from Airfix in the 'mint' state, with the two Attack Force turret versions, carded and a boxed late type 'Readymade', the box is a bit tatty and I should have up-graded it by now, however I tend not to get too bothered by post 1970 packaging, unless it's something more ephemeral like Hong Kong carded stuff, there's still plenty of the big name's stuff around.Interestingly the two Attack Force cards are very different, the Pershing getting a higher, deeper card with the tab going over the whole model, rather than the deck. One should always be careful buying these 'carded', they are not as rare as some would have you believe, and there are a lot of very good fakes out there.
The three moving forward to contact, with the later flanked by the earlier efforts. The late version is basically an early production variant of the M60 , but missing it's return rollers. The running gear of the Attack Force models is quite accurate for the M26/47/48 family, but the hull, while having features of the M48 rear deck and M26 nose is a little fanciful, the turrets are an M48/60 hybrid (bottom) and some weird thing, which bares a less than passing resemblance to an M47, but is so common among toys of the period, it must be based on something trailed at the time, or released as a PR/Press image (top).
Airfix also released the Attack Force in a buff/sand-coloured plastic, here unloading from a Mighty Antar, while below; my purchase last weekend, a Jimson pirate (also issued by Fairylite), in approximately 1:48 scale of the Attack Force Patton.It has been copied to the smallest detail, with the hole Airfix used for mounting the SPG and APC superstructures crudely filled in with a bit of welding on the mould, after the original, with a hole, had been pantographed! It also has a push-and-go motor, making it a better toy - play-value wise - than the original...it was issued boxed, as this one on Moonbase Jimson Tank , and in a larger set with a Tank Transporter, but not - strangely - the Antar, rather a US prototype looking like something somewhere between an FMC and Pacific, suggesting the tank was copied from the Superior/T.Cohn versions along with another US makers transporter, rather than a specifically Airfix model?
7 comments:
Hi,
I'm living in Belgium and I am in search for the items you bought. Any tip where I could find them ?
Thanks,
Gunter
From the question I'm guessing you're a new'ish collector...so, the answer is; eBay, shows, and dealers.
eBay has everything eventually, and has everything cheap, every two or three 'eventually's'!
Shows are your best bet, and you have several in your own country, Brussels has a massif swap-meet twice a year (I think), and there are shows in another city, Amsterdam or Antwerpen? PB toys run a very good show in Herne, north of Koln, twice a year where you will find tons of vintage military plastic.
Dealers you will get to know by going to the shows and getting talking to them, by asking eBay sellers if they have other items, (obviously; check their history to see if they are regularly selling the same stuff, not just a one-off, and be subtle, it's against eBay rules to approach, still - people do!).
Then there's Google, there are several Jimson items for sale on the older, established vintage-sales websites right know, including this tank and the transporter, which I now think is a copy of a Tootsie-toy, indeed there's one on eBay in a 'shop', but it's a civilian Shell Oil petrol tanker.
Keep looking and you will find! Also being on the continent, you'll find it easier to use the Non-eBay auction sites, of which there are several in France, your own country and Germany. There is one covering Spain & Portugal as well I think.
Finally, join a forum such as Airfixcollecting, they have a large non-Airfix area, and do swaps, wants lists etc...
Good Hunting!
Airfixcollectinforum
PBToys show date
I just finished a Pershing by Ceasar very nice it was too
Yeh! It's got a flat front and the rear deck is all different, but what everybody did in the 60's was squish the turret, taking their lead from Roco? But I'm pretty sure there is one similar, or a mock-up, in one of the old-school books, the big Cris Ellis Tank encyclopedia? All my AFV library is still in boxes next door!
As one ex-grunt to another, I'd better link to you straight away, especially as you're doing a Beaufighter, my third favorite after the Blenhiem and Wirlwind.
There's something about that twin-engined Ground-attack/Fighter-bomber/Night-fighter family..."Humm, shall we have one engine and be a fighter, or shall we have four and pootle around at 25,000 feet getting picked-on...No! We shall have two engines and fly like Hells Angel's on speed!"
Me.110, Lightning, Black Widow....OooHHahhrrr...lovely!
Hugh , I have build alot of the Pegasus , same as the Trumpeter kit , And they are a great kit to build . And cheap here in the US , $10.00 per box. So do you have any of the Airfix one you want to part with , Let me know . Ken
Hi Ken, you on the wibbly-wobbly-way blogosphere now? I haven't got a spare, but I know a man who has, give me a week or two...might have paint on....
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