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Here's another line I must confess to not
knowing a great deal about. I first
discovered these 1:72 aircraft in 2002 when
an online retailer I frequent had a big fire
sale. I picked up four models, all part of the
Platinum Edition series commemorating
famous Allied WWII aces. (Current
offerings have expanded to include Axis
aces as well as Korean- and Vietnam-era
jets.)
Initially, I was less than impressed, but
after reflecting further these models are
actually a great deal. I got mine for $7, but
you can find the new releases at places like
Target for $12 or so (they don't stock much
or often, so grab 'em when you see 'em).
They're well built, have some high end
features like pad-printed decals and
display stands (no gear-down options,
though), spinning props, and pilots. They
can't hold a candle to Dragon's models, but
they hold their own against Corgi's much
higher priced models. They are an
excellent option for collectors on a
challenging budget. Ironically, they also
are very collectible, with retired models
commanding obscene prices on eBay (a
retired P-38 commanded an astounding
$360 in February 2005!). So this is a good
line to collect in twos!
Currently I only have nine Matchbox
aircraft, but I expect that number to climb
rapidly over the next year or so --
particularly as the rumor is the line is being
discontinued (August, 2005).
knowing a great deal about. I first
discovered these 1:72 aircraft in 2002 when
an online retailer I frequent had a big fire
sale. I picked up four models, all part of the
Platinum Edition series commemorating
famous Allied WWII aces. (Current
offerings have expanded to include Axis
aces as well as Korean- and Vietnam-era
jets.)
Initially, I was less than impressed, but
after reflecting further these models are
actually a great deal. I got mine for $7, but
you can find the new releases at places like
Target for $12 or so (they don't stock much
or often, so grab 'em when you see 'em).
They're well built, have some high end
features like pad-printed decals and
display stands (no gear-down options,
though), spinning props, and pilots. They
can't hold a candle to Dragon's models, but
they hold their own against Corgi's much
higher priced models. They are an
excellent option for collectors on a
challenging budget. Ironically, they also
are very collectible, with retired models
commanding obscene prices on eBay (a
retired P-38 commanded an astounding
$360 in February 2005!). So this is a good
line to collect in twos!
Currently I only have nine Matchbox
aircraft, but I expect that number to climb
rapidly over the next year or so --
particularly as the rumor is the line is being
discontinued (August, 2005).
Matchbox Collectibles, 1:72
