Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Witty Wings 400, Panzerstahl, and Blitz72 Preorder News

WittyWings Preorder News and More

www.DiecastAirplane.com - July 31, 2013
Whew! It's been a blazing hot month both in terms of the weather and sales. We usually expect the summer to be a bit slower, but not this year. The new GeminiJets preorders are especially hot, so don't delay if you haven't preordered the August Gemini releases yet.
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Collection Sale: We've also been bringing in a lot of models from buying out old collections and dealer leftovers: mostly airliners, but some rare Corgi military models, and even Dragon tanks. Check here for aviation items. Check here for the tanks. Please note, in most cases we only have one of each of these models and they are sold on a first come, first served basis. All items are inspected to make sure they are in like new condition.
Witty Wings: Here are the October Witty Wings Airliner release models. There are two new molds in the same month. A 727-200 and a 787. I am excited to see what they have done with these.
Armor: 1 new release coming this fall from Blitz 72 and arriving this month, three new 1:72 figure sets from Panzerstahl.
url photo Item Name MSRP Sale Price
WTW-4-722-001 Libyan Arab Airlines 727-200 5A-DIB (1:400) NEW TOOLING! 37.95 33.95
WTW-4-738-014 Shandong Airlines 737-86N B-5561 (1:400) 34.95 29.95
WTW-4-738-015 Turkish Airlines TC-JFI "Star Alliance" 737-800 (1:400) 34.95 29.95
WTW-4-788-001 Ethiopian Airlines 787-8 Dreamliner ET-AOQ (1:400) NEW TOOLING 44.95 39.95
WTW-4-DC1-005 Swissair DC-10-30/ER HB-IHM (1:400 44.95 39.95
WTW-4-I76-007 Air Koryo Ilyushin Il-76MD P-912 (1:400) 44.95 39.95
PS89005 Panzerkampfwagen E-100 Heavy Assault Gun (1:72) 74.95 67.95
BL00001 German Armed Forces Figures (1:72) 17.95 15.95
BL00002 German Tank Crew Figures (1:72) 17.95 15.95
BL00003 German Combat Group Figures (1:72) 17.95 15.95

Friday, July 26, 2013

GeminiJets August Release Models

GeminiJets August Release Models

July 23, 2013 - www.DiecastAirplane.com
Are you ready for a fantastic lineup from GeminiJets. The orders are already coming in and I only posted the models a few minutes ago. There are lot's of highlights this month.
- A new plastic snap-fit series from GeminiJets. This should compete nicely with the Hogan Wings and Skymarks lines for beautiful big models and great prices.
- A 1:200 Qantas A380
- A release on the 1:400 Concorde in last colors flown
- A new 1:400 MD-90 mould. Sure to be a sell out for the first release in Delta colors
- A 1:400 American 777 in the new colors. A must have model.
- A nice version of the F-15E (like those tiger stripes)
- And even a 1:72 scale Cessna 172?!
What a lineup.
Save Money up to Three Ways
1. Get an extra 10% off of Herpa models with Coupon code 10inJuly
(good through the end of July)
2. Free shipping on orders over $100 to 48 US States, plus great prices on international shipping.
3. Collect Loyalty Reward Points on every order.
url photo Item Name MSRP Sale Price Coupon Price
Gemini 200 Plastics, new series
GPDAL001 Delta 737-700 N305DQ New Mould! (1:200) 37.95 33.95 34.16
GeminiJets 200 August Preorders
G2BAW341 British Airways ERJ-190 G-LCYO (1:200) 72.95 64.95 65.66
G2POE386 Porter Dash 8-Q400 C-GLQN (1:200) 55.95 49.95 50.36
G2QFA409 Qantas A380 VH-OQE (1:200) 155.95 139.95 140.36
G2UAL410 United 737-500W N16646 Current Colors (1:200) 72.95 64.95 65.66
GeminiJets 72 August Preorders
GAUSA7003 USAF F-15E Mountain Home AFB (1:72) 84.95 75.95 76.46
GGCES001 Cessna 172 N9560W (1:72) 54.95 48.95 49.46
GeminiJets 400 August Preorders
GJAAL1279 American Airlines 777-300ER N718AN New Colors (1:400) 42.95 37.95 38.66
GJAFL1131 Aeroflot IL-62M CCCP-86485 Red Flag (1:400) 35.95 31.95 32.36
GJBAW1233 British Airways Concorde G-BOAA Current Colors (1:400) 34.95 30.95 31.46
GJCFG1274 Condor 767-300W D-ABUB (1:400) 38.95 34.95 35.06
GJDAL1101 Delta ATR-72 N631AS Widget Colors (1:400) 30.95 26.95 27.86
GJDAL1302 Delta 747-400 N668US (1:400) 45.95 40.95 41.36
GJDAL345 Delta MD-90 N901DA New Mould! (1:400) 31.95 27.95 28.76
GJKLM1180 KLM A330-300 PH-AKE (1:400) 38.95 34.95 35.06
GJQFA1298 Qantas 747-400 VH-OJU Boxing Kangaroo (1:400) 45.95 40.95 41.36
GJQFA1301 Qantas 737-800 VH-VXG Bring it On Rugby (1:400) 31.95 27.95 28.76
GJUAE1292 Emirates A380 "2020 EXPO" A6-EDX (1:400) 51.95 45.95 46.76
GJUAL966 United Express Shorts 360 N360SE Saul Bass Colors (1:400) 27.95 24.95 25.16

Preorder News from BlueBox, Inflight and Hobby Master

Preorder News from BlueBox, Inflight and Hobby Master

July 26, 2013 - www.DiecastAirplane.com
ANA 747s from Blue Box. Selling fast.
Interesting models from Inflight 200 with very limited production. Limit of 1 per customer
Two additions from HobbyMaster to their November release lineup.
Save Money up to Three Ways
1. Get an extra 10% off of BlueBox models with Coupon code 10inJuly
(good through the end of July)
2. Free shipping on orders over $100 to 48 US States, plus great prices on international shipping.
3. Collect Loyalty Reward Points on every order.
url photo Item Name MSRP Sale Price Coupon Price
BBOXANA02 ANA 747-400D (1:200) 199.95 154.95 139.46
BBOXANA03 ANA 747-400 (1:200) 199.95 154.95 139.46
IF1540913 Syrian Air Tupolev Tu-154M YK-AIC (1:200) 99.95 79.95
IF747SP145 NASA 747P Sofia DLR N145UA (1:200) 179.95 154.95
HA2210 SB2C Helldiver, "White 80," VB-85, USN, USS Shangri-La, August, 1945 (1:72) 74.95 67.95
HA2211 SB2C Helldiver, "RR," VB-88, USN, USS Yorktown, 1945 (1:72) 74.95 67.95

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Aviation 200 and BlueBox Preorder News - GeminiJets Arrivals

Aviation 200 and BlueBox Preorder News - GeminiJets Arrivals

July 13, 2013 - www.DiecastAirplane.com
Newspaper Article on DiecastAirplane.com. Some of you saw the Facebook post to the article the local newspaper did on my business. In case you are not on Facebook, here is a link the article if you are curious.
Steve
Save Money up to Three Ways
1. Get an extra 10% off of Herpa models with Coupon code 10inJuly
(good through the end of July)
2. Free shipping on orders over $100 to 48 US States, plus great prices on international shipping.
3. Collect Loyalty Reward Points on every order.
url photo Item Name MSRP Sale Price Coupon Code Price
Aviation 200 Preorder
AV2733011 Garuda Indonesia B737-300 "Old Livery" ~PK-GHQ (1:200) 79.95 54.95 49.46
BlueBox 200 Preorder
BBOXDC100813 Sabena DC-10-30 ~OO-SLG (1:200) "101 Dalmations'" "Flying Together" 159.95 119.95 107.96
GeminiJets 200 New arrivals
G2UAE356 Emirates A380-800 A6-EDE (1:200) New Mold! 149.95 131.95 118.76
G2COA297 Continental 737-500W N14645 New Mould! (1:200) 72.95 65.95 59.36
G2DAL106 Delta 727-200 N542DA "Widget" Polished (1:200) 76.95 69.95 62.96
G2DLH368 Lufthansa A340-300 D-AIFC New Mould! (1:200) 127.95 115.95 104.36
G2USA406 US Air 727-200 N720US Piedmont Merger Colors (1:200) 74.95 67.95 61.16
GeminiJets 400 New arrivals
GJTRS1303 Airtran 717-200 N948AT (1:400) 31.95 28.95 26.06
GJDAL1309 Delta 777-200LR N704DK (1:400) 41.95 37.95 34.16
GJUAE1291 Emirates A380 A6-EEE "45TH Mauritius Anniversary" (1:400) 51.95 46.95 42.26
CEBA33 Cebu Pacific A330 RP-C3341 (1:400) 38.95 32.95 29.66
GeminiAce new arrival
GAUSN9002 US Navy A-7 Corsair II "Raging Bulls" USS Saratoga (1:72) 74.95 67.95 61.16

Article on DiecastAirplane.com in The Greenfield Recroder, July 10, 2013

July 10, 2013
By Diane Broncaccio
Recorder Staff
www.recorder.com


BUCKLAND -You could say the biggest "toy store " in Franklin County is tucked away in an office building, with most of its stock in boxes neatly stacked on metal filing shelves. But these toys are (mostly) not for children. And owner Steve Howland of Buckland hardly ever sees a customer.

However, the lifelike die-cast replicas of military and commercial aircraft go flying off the shelves daily, to customers in 40 to 50 countries, thanks to the Internet.

Pilotwear & Diecast Airplane fills between 30 to 40 orders a day for accurate models of the latest aircraft to vintage models going back to the days of the Wright Brothers, in 1903. Over the years, Howland has also seen "celebrity models " - replicas of presidential airplanes, and even a replica of pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's Airbus 302-214, which the pilot safely landed on the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 aboard.

'"The Hudson River Special" sold out very quickly," said Howland. "Everything we sell is in limited editions, in which between 300 to 1,500 (copies) are made."
"In a way, it's sort of a niche market," he said. "There aren't that many people interested in aviation; when people think of die-cast metal stuff, they usually think of miniature cars. But those who collect die-cast metal planes are very serious about it."

Howland is a third-generation aviation enthusiast; his grandfather was an airplane mechanic during World War I, his father is a pilot and Howland himself has a pilot s license.

I can't afford to fly," he said. "Instead of flying real planes, I get to play with the toys. And I like to talk to the collectors.

Howland doesn't make the detailed die-cast planes, but markets and distributes new airplane models made by companies from all over the world. Because buying them online is easier than traveling to the relatively few shops that carry them, Howland fills orders from Australian customers wanting certain Quantus Airline model planes, which might have even been made overseas.

"Most international customers want models of their own airlines," he explained.

Before Pilotwear & Diecast, Howland was a self-employed website designer and computer repair person.

In 1998, he began selling aviation-related gift items on a small scale on the Internet " - T-shirts, mugs, greeting cards "and only a few die-casts," he said. "But I was getting die-cast requests, and it wasn't very long before die-cast models became the major part of the business."
Howland says he has about 10,000 models in stock.

"I like doing the business on the Internet because it allows me to run a business in a rural area but services customers around the world."

"I would say this business could not exist without the Internet," he added. "I couldn't have started this business without my prior experience as a web designer.

He noted that, for the first five years, Howland couldn"t pay himself a salary, but had to supplement his income with part-time jobs. Now he works full-time and employs five part-time workers.

"I watched it grow in the first few years, and I could see the potential existed. For me, that hard work has paid off, but it could have easily gone the other way."

Howland says his customers include pilots and mechanics who worked for the airlines.

"A model came in with a pilot's name on it, and I actually got a call from the pilot who flew it in World War II," Howland said. "He wanted to buy it, and I said: you don't have to buy it, I'll just send it to you. We had a nice talk.

"World War II models and military models have been the most popular, but there is a growing market for Korean and Vietnam War-era aircraft," says Howland.

Although few customers actually come to his office, Howland gets to see some of them at collectors - conventions in New Jersey and in Chicago. Howland also has a personal presence on his website with a blog and through videos he makes about die-cast topics and posts on YouTube. One year, Howland and his son traveled to aviation museums all over the country and blogged about their experiences on Howland s website.

Beyond commercial and military planes, the company carries die-cast spacecraft models, a few models of experimental cars, and models of commemorative decorated planes.

"Because they're limited editions, I often get calls for models that I had five years ago - a lot of the models won't ever be made again," he said. "This is what collectors want, because they want their models to go up in value. I certainly have collectors who buy two of everything they want - one to own and one to sell."

Howland also carries miniature terminal buildings and miniature runways, for those who like to create a setting for the models.

With all the Internet marketing, blogging and video-making, Howland says the old-fashioned telephone is the least-efficient use of his time. "But it's also my most important time with some of my customers," he said. "There are aviation lovers who don't have anybody to talk to around them - and they just want to talk airplanes. They become regular customers."

For more information, visit the website:
You can reach Diane Broncaccio at:
dbronc@recorder.com
or 413-772-0261, ext. 277
dbronc@recorder.com