The 150th anniversary of the American Civil War will be commemorated starting in 2011. This is a good time to start thinking about 1/72nd scale playsets that could cash in on this historical event.
Imex already makes a nice variety of ACW figures and wagons, and a few more could make theirs the premier range for 1/72nd scale. With HaT and other companies concentrating on other eras, this leaves Imex free to corner the market on the ACW, just in time for the publicity and events that will ensure from 2011 to 2015.
Re-packaging existing Imex sets combined with new sets or new accessories would also be a good idea. Several of the items in the Southwest Accessories would also work for the ACW too.
As I see it the main gaps in the ACW include:
A plantation set with Southern ladies and gentlemen, farm implements and even farm workers, and slaves. There could be instructional materials about the evil of slavery and the Underground Railroad too.
Heavy siege artillery, the Union defended many forts with very heavy guns and there are no models on them in plastic, they were used at Washington D.C. and Ft. Sumpter.
Berdans Sharpshooters, these were highly trained riflemen who wore green uniforms, used special rifles with telescopes on them.
Communications Soldiers, the Union and South used telegraph, signal flags, signal fires, and even observation balloons and cameras to send messages and record information. Matthew Brady was a famous photographer who took pictures of the soldiers of both sides.
Union Black Soldiers, the US Army fielded several regiments of all Black soldiers. This would be an excellent set for Imex to make.
Union Naval Landing party, the US Navy participated in several landings where the sailors fought as infantry. No one makes figures of these sailors.
The Imex Wagons are good but they suffer from having undersized mule figures to pull them. If the sets were redone with new mules and four mules per wagon they would be a much better set.
I know Imex also makes buildings as does Pegasus. Gettysburg has many historical buildings that were important during the battle. Most of them are still there today, preserved as monuments. I know they would also sell well.
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2 comments:
1] Berdan Sharpshooters
2] At least two sets of zouaves for each army
3] different artillery peices toe supplement the standard Napoleonics
[Parrot, Blakeley Rifles, Whitworths]
4] A US Gatling gun
5] The Agar Coffee Mill Machine Gun
6] The Confederate Williams Gun
7] Matthew Brady would be nice
8] Stand Watie's Confederate Cherokees.
Jim.
Nice list. The heavy weapons could be combined in one set. The Berdan Sharpshooters could be part of a set, four or five poses would be plenty. Matthew Brady could be included in another set too, maybe Mr. Brady, camera and assistant; three parts out of a larger set.
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