1/18 160th Nightstalker helicopter

[gouchy]

Sounds like they've managed to get the Blackhawk done and getting it shipped out before the whole of China shuts down for Chinese New Year from the 3rd week of January 2012

[gburch]

Having greedily picked up quite a few things in the BST forum over the last few months, and buying plastic like crazy for my V-2 project, I've pretty much depleted my 1:18 budget (and more) for now. I'm going to have to take a pass on this expensive bird for now . . . hopefully they'll still be around in a few months when I might be able to think about starting to spend some $ again . . .

[aferguson]

it still doesn't look black to me. Looks like a really dark olive. Why not make it black, since they're black?

[cjg476]

BBI posted more pics today on there facebook page.

[Foxhole Toys]

We received word today from BBI that they will be getting their initial shipment in next week! Then it's on to Foxhole Toys and others shortly thereafter.

West Coasters, such as Foxhole Toys will get theirs first as shipments will post from the BBI West Coast warehouse. For all our friends here, all your pre-orders will ship out within the same or next day of our receiving them.

As for testing the market to see what consumers will bear? There is a bit of truth to that as we were originally consulted about the price point for both the F-16 & MH-60. But I believe the real question was how our customers would feel if they brought out these high priced items not knowing how much more it really cost the company to produce these pieces in this new economy? Rising fuel prices and surcharges related to shipping, more and more red tape with paint test constraints (more costs & legal which delay shipments and incur more costs), higher factory worker's wages to compete with other manufacturing facilities that have been jumping ship to produce cars, military vehicles, parts, munitions, etc for the State. We're told there are fewer factories manufacturing toys as there were just a few years ago...ever since China's economy went gangbusters.

Please don't get me wrong, we long for the 'good 'ole days' of the early-mid 2000's too! It was a lot easier on our customer's pocketbooks as well as our own, so we feel you.

Happy New Year gang!...I've got a feeling 2012 is going to be a good one! (:
Matt

[aferguson]

This still represents a nearly 100% inflation rate and i don't notice the prices of most other items doubling. In fact the current inflation rate is under 3%.

They can try to rationalize it any way they want. But a gouge is a gouge.

I swore after i bought the JSI tomcat that i wouldn't buy anymore spotcats. With shipping this new blackhawk will cost me just over $200. About what i paid for the Tomcat. And it isn't half the size or detail or quality. And it's not all that accurate.

If BBI is going to start selling these as high priced collectibles, they better start making them like high priced collectibles. It's not even the right colour, for gods sake.

I think they're expecting 1/18 collectors to fork out ever increasing amounts of dough, like so many desperate heroine junkies.

[NWarty]

I think BBI already knows how I feel after my shotgun blast on their Facebook page.

[granch]

The pictures of the cabin inside shows that BBI didn't put any seats for the gunnerr and mission commander. I suggest to make first the Pickelhaube's kit Pavehawk, keep the removed 3-seats rows to make an add-on to this MH-60s. I saw a picture of a MH-60 with 2 rear facing seats, just behind the pilots seats. I think that it should have anough space to place the gunner's.

[granch]

Here is the pic: