SCALE MODEL NEWS

Older readers may recall the smash-hit animated movie Yellow Submarine, released in 1968. Here’s a collectible from that hippy era, a Corgi Toys diecast model of the sub, complete with a ‘Fab Four’ crew, who travel under two folding hatches. More than four decades later, the Corgi Toys Yellow Submarine is not exactly made of unobtainium, as a steady trickle of the appealing model appears on auction sites, such as eBay. However, that hasn’t stopped prices for good examples easing gently upwards over the years, and there are several Yellow Subs currently for sale, at prices ranging from a highly affordable $30 USD to a wallet-withering buy-it-now price of $899.95 USD. At the top end, the ad claims, “Very rare original 1968 Beatles Yellow Submarine die cast corgi toy. No. 803. Small dent in top of plastic window, which is difficult to capture with the photos. But there are no holes in plastic window. As for the box, “Box discolored a bit and has tape on right side. The die cast model insi...

REPORT: DAVID JEFFERIS The Tobu Department Store is located at the Ikebukuro Station, Tokyo, and is one of the Japanese capital’s largest such stores - and is also venue for the Tamiya Tobu 2012 model contest. Importantly for Tamiya, 2012 is also the 50th anniversary of its first military model, so in the company’s words, “... epic tour de force gathered more than usual.” Well, that’s the Google translation, anyway! Diorama settings The models look truly excellent, and the mini-diorama settings really do add to their appearance. As you can see from the pix we show here, there’s been a wide variety of subjects - perhaps our favourite is the Beatles Abbey Road piece ( above ), mainly for the imaginative vinyl disc mounting arrangement, not to mention the lifelike figures and scooter-mounted music fan. Vertical format display The Bristol Beaufighter ( above ) looks good too, and again we like it especially for the diorama, this time in a curving vertical format, which is particularly nea...

Spring Fair report from David Jefferis: Another trade show that’s running this week is the UK’s Spring Fair, held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Birmingham. While not quite as massive as the Nuremberg Toy Fair, Spring Fair is still a major footslogger that attracts more than 70,000 visitors. It’s a mega-roundup of 300,000 offered products, ranging from goodies like coffeemakers and cooking gadgets, to art prints and jewellery. And neatly stirred into the mix are halls dedicated to toys and games, aka collectibles, hobbies, and models. Ready-builts to the front Companies I had expected to see were there - Hornby, Maisto, Revell, among them - plus distributors like Amerang and A.B. Gee. But the real eye-opener was the quality of the ready-made collectibles on offer. Seriously, if you don’t have time, skill, or interest to build a model from scratch, then you still have the chance - and usually at highly competitive prices - to build a display collection that need be second to n...

SMN report: The Round 2 model company recently acquired all rights to the leading model kit brands AMT, MPC and Polar Lights from Tomy, the Japanese toy, merchandise and entertainment name. Buying brands Round 2 has acquired the brands from Tomy after manufacturing branded model kits under license since 2008. “We’ve had a great relationship with Tomy International for a long time and it has been a pleasure working with them as a licensee and now as a buyer,” said Thomas Lowe, President of Round 2.  Iconic brands Lowe added: “These are some of the industry’s most iconic brands and our acquisition represents a significant strategic fit with our initiatives and where we believe the industry is headed, in the near and long term.” History of kit building AMT, MPC and Polar Lights have histories that go way back. AMT (Aluminum Model Toys) was founded in 1948 as a promotional toy company. MPC (Model Products Corporation) dates from 1963, focussing on creating automotive kits. The youngste...

David Jefferis reports: Looks like the Revell 1:24 scale London Bus is making good progress. These newly released pix should make any public transport model maker raring to go. It looks good, especially the engine detail under that lift-up cover, plus those seats, and lots of ’em. Details, details At the business end, there’s neat detailing to the diesel engine pipework, while the trademark steering wheel looks to be at the correct nearly-flat angle. Upstairs, vertical handrails are included as are the built-in grabrails on every seat back. The step-on step-off open platform at the back is there, complete with waste bin for ticket stubs, and the under-stair hole for storing prams and other paraphernalia. Ready and waiting The rear view shows a few problems remaining with fit on the roof, but doubtless these will be sorted before the model is cleared for production. All in all, it looks like a good one, and we can’t wait. More on the subject here and here . Have a look at Sun Star’s ha...