Got an E-mail Today

"Hi
Bunkermeister,

I am a huge fan of your site. I also like to collect
Roco/Herpa Minitanks and I am not sure if you noticed their recent pricing
policy.

Under the link:
http://www.mo87.de/downloads/herpa-2012-05-06.pdf, you can see that they
increased prices above 10% without further notice.

Now another collector
friend and I have opened up a petition against their pricing policy as we do
observe that many collectors do abandon the range as their prices have become
unbearably. I would like to invite you to post about us, if you are also
concerned as we are and maybe you would like to join our facebook group and sign
our petition.

Both you can find under the following
links:

Facebook
group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/169813909793979/

The online
petition:
http://chn.ge/w9zUSp

Then, if we have enough reach would
like to make this coming up also in the media. Tomorrow, the 1st of february
2012, the Nuremberg toy fair opens and thus the media coverage with the concerns
of us collectors could really make a difference.

Thank you very much for
your support. Feel free to forward this e-mail if you think it's noteworthy to
other interested collectors, distributors or sellers.

Gordon-David
Filbry"

I visited the Roco catalog and the Facebook site. Seems like a good Joe. You might want to pay him a visit.

Wargame Rule

Sentry
Alertness

At
night one sentry is on duty in every piece of important territory in military
zones. In addition, every headquarters, company level and above, will have a CQ
duty staff, with one additional sentry, per command level. A company will have one sentry, a battalion
will have two, and a brigade will have three sentries. Sensitive areas, nuclear or chemical, may
have additional sentries.

In
garrison, units have sentries out from 2000 hrs, until 0600 hrs. Between the hours of 0700 and 1900 hrs, there
are sentries only at headquarters and sensitive areas. In war zones, sentries are out only from 2200
hrs, to 0400 hrs. After that, or when on
alert, normal conditions apply. One
sentry may be stationed per square foot from 2000 hrs to 0600 hrs, to watch for
intruders. Sentry alertness roll one six
sided die, 5% per number then add or subtract +- DM as per morale. Infiltrators skills roll one six sided die 5%
per number then add or subtract +-DM as per morale.

SENTRY
& INFILTRATOR

Sentry

Alertness each point +5%

Alarmed +35%

With a dog +35%

Within 1250m +35%

Infiltrator

Skill each point -5%

Stationary -35%

Out of line of
sight -35%

Noise muffled by
waves -35%

Martian Buildings

I have been primering my Martian city.

It takes a lot of parts to make a whole city.

We have had rain and high winds recently so it has limited my ability to paint.

Some of the golden parts ready for assembly.

It takes about four coats of primer and then two of gold to cover these items.

Soccor Players

I found a company that makes soccer players in 1/72nd scale.

sales@lpm-online.co.uk is the place to get them.

They come with big pins on the base that are easily clipped off.

There are at least three versions in these bags, but they honestly seem all about the same to me.

They played soccer in WWII in Nazi Germany, basketball too. I plan on using these guys with my Berlin scenarios.

Plastic People

The group of modern plastic people I got from eBay.

Posing here with one of my Automatons and a Revell US Army figure, all in 1/72nd scale.

The women are shorter, but that's to be expected the men are about the same size as the 1/72nd scale figures.

People

While on eBay I found a few people.

Modern civilians that were listed as 1/75th scale.

They were in a pack of 100 with ten poses.

Five male and five female poses, the seated male looks like a fighter pilot.

Not a bad group, most of the women look about 1970 or more recent since four out of five are wearing pants.

Berlin

I continue to work on my Battle of Berlin project. One of the things I am doing is setting up the embassies and legations for the friendly and neutral powers. Many maintained embassies there to assist their nationals during and after the battle. Here is some of what I am working on for embassy staff.

I use
Dapol, Preiser, and other civilians for the various staff and swap heads as
much as reasonable for a different look for the figures. I also use traditional clothing for the various
ethnic peoples, like Japanese and Chinese. Each embassy will have several staff people.

Embassy
Staff

Ambassador

Wife of Ambassador

Deputy Chief of Mission

Dean of the Diplomatic Corps

Diplomats

Attaché –

Military

Cultural

Economic / Business

Scientific

Envoy
Heads the Legation of Minor Nations

I am also planning on a building or at least a couple rooms for each of the nations. I am also giving most of them some sort of pet or mascot that is similar to their national animal. The Vichy French for example will have a French poodle dog. I will have pictures soon as I make more progress on this project.

Martian Buildings

This the my first completed Martian building.

You can see the small Twilight Creations figures on the balcony, they are 1/72nd scale.

I modelled them off several futuristic building from the Mars Attacks! trading cards and the Jetsons cartoon.

The buildings will be in copper, gold and nickel color, this is the gold building.

This building cost me $11 plus paint, for about $14 total.

Stuff

When buying stuff on eBay sometimes you get strange things.

This item is from a Marx 1/32nd size playset but the vehicle is about HO scale. The suspension is clearly a Sherman tank. After WWII the US used Shermans for many non-tank purposes, like watching atomic tests and space launches from close up. I think that's what this one will become.

I got this preacher from one of the Christmas buildings, seen here with a 1/72nd scale figure. He will be repainted as a statue and will stand outside one of my larger churches.

This little plastic Jeep is interesting. About the same size as a Roco Jeep. It will probably be repainted as a civilian Jeep.

Two of my slush cast artillery with a 1/72nd scale figure for scale compairison. I will probably use these as 8 inch artillery.

Slush Cast

Recently I have been buying slush cast models.

They were popular from about 1920 to 1980 when most of the companies went out of business.

They make a variety of guns and vehicles, intended as toys.

I find them rather pulp type and will use them for my 1930's US Army.

They will probably be crewed by WWI HaT US Army figures.

Martian Buildings

A couple old bar stools and a sheet of plastic corrigated board makes my spray painting area.

I purchased a group of bowls at the dollar store to make Martian buildings.

Using plastic spraypaint to cover the original red and white color bowls.

Even like this they look like a row of barracks.

But they are only one component that I will use to make Martian buildings.

Brewer Show

They have an Awesome Show planned for January 21st & 22nd 2012, and I am
tickled to invite you all to join us once again. That's right, you read it
correctly this will be a 2 DAY SHOW! I have attached the Flyers and Contest
Categories for your review. This Show will mark the Brewer
Brother's 5th year and "14th Model Kit & Hobby Expo entitled " History, Heros, and
Hobbies", and should
be the Biggest Show in the Industry in the last 10 years. They are hoping to have
an attendance of over 1,000 during the course of the weekend.

All Vendors
desiring Tables or Booth Spaces please contact Chris Brewer at: 562-569-2509

Here are some of the
Hi-Lights:

1) 140 Eight ft Vendor Tables Collectibles Show going on both
days featuring:
Model Airplanes, Ships, Cars, Tanks, Armored Vehicles, Jets, Helicopters,
Sci-Fi, Robots, Toy Soldiers, Referrence Books, Military Dvds, Diecast Cars and
Aircraft, 1/6 scale Figures, Tanks, and Vehicles, 21st Century Toys 1:18 scale
Aircraft and 1/32 scale Aircraft and Armor, Wargamming Miniatures, Militaria,
Uniforms, Pins, Patches, WWII Memorabilia, Sports Figures, Aviation Artist
Prints, almost all coming out of peoples personal collections with Vendors
coming far and wide from 3 different states CA., NV, and AZ.. Great Food Vendors
and Refreshment Vendors will be onsite as well for both days.

HaT Germans

One of the four bike riders has a SMG.

The four poses together. HaT WWII 1/72nd scale German bike riders.

Very good set! They stand up well too.

Tour de France 1940, the German team did really well.

Old and new HaT bikes, with HaT MP in the background.

German Bikes

Remember these guys?

A side by side comparison of the old Armourfast/HaT bikes and the new HaT bikes.

The new ones are much better.

The old ones appeared really clunky.

Despite the little single wheel they are very durable, the old Airfix men on bikes used the same system and I never had a problem with them breaking.

German Bikes

Hat is on the verge of releasing their new WWII German bike troops.

This bike set is totally different from their old bike set.

It is still 1/72nd scale but much easier to put together.

This is a pre-production set and the final contents may vary.

You can see it is flash free and it all fits together well.