It doesn’t seem like only ten months since I started this site, and if you count it from when I really started to devote time to it seriously only eight months. I started at that time, in February of this year, as the Nuremburg Toy Fair was on and it seemed a good point on which to start, looking at what lay ahead for us in 2010.
Now 2010 is drawing to a close and in two months time the 2011 Nuremburg Toy Fair will be held in the first week of February. About the same time as the close off date for Model X 2011 sign-ups which I’m still trying to decide if I will attend as an exhibitor although I really want to lose the retail side of this as I feel that it undermines the independent credibility of opinions on kits.
But I’m looking forward to seeing what 2011 will bring us and I’m hoping that as far as releases go it will be another year of plenty of high points. Looking back through the News Releases of 2010 Dragon and their alter ego Cyber-Hobby certainly has been no slouch, and MiniArt haven’t been asleep either. Masterbox bought us some fresh ideas and look set to continue that in 2011.
For me the big surprise of 2010 has been the releases from Bronco, some really new and innovative kits coming from what until recently hasn’t really been a top producer, but that certainly looks set to change. It’s also been an eye opener to discover some of the smaller, lesser known outfits out there like Leadwarrior, Reality in Scale, and Bitzkrieg. It makes me think the hobby is in a growth phase to see so much new stuff coming out.
What 2011 will bring I have no idea, I do have hopes and a long wish list ( this is where DML and/or Bronco should start taking notes ). A new improved LRDG Truck, SAS Jeep, Willys Jeep and Krupp Protze. Some new British and American softskins, an Sd.Kfz.8 with of course the Bunkerknacker version to follow, and some late versions of the Sturmgeschutz III Ausf.G.
That’s to name just a few of the ones that seem possible. On the less possible side, a new Sd.Kfz.232 6-RAD, a 1/35 Bus or two, an 8.8cm Vomag, some of the larger German trucks and possibly a Bussing Nag with a 3-ton crane. Styrene kit versions of the Sd.Kfz.9 Artillery version and Sd.Kfz.9/1 recovery version. A civilian tractor ( you-hoo, Miniart and Masterbox, are you listening ? ). And daft as it sounds I really want a kit of styrene civilian furniture, baby carriage, piano, rocking horse and the like ( I put my money on Bronco if anyone were to do that one ).
Feel free to add your own wants and wishes, you never know. In the meantime we’ll all just have to wait and see what we get, but I’d love to look back at this post next December and see if I was able to tick any of it off.
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