First let me state flatly that I am a loyal Honour Bound (HB) collector and I enjoy their vehicles and figures very much. I am not saying anything now or in previous posts that should be taken as anything but constructive observations from a loyal customer. If I did not have such passion for their products, would my comments be otherwise? I believe that often the most vocal criticisms come from the most loyal of followers.
As stated by Shannon, if, HB is attempting to brand itself as the “St. Petersburg” of 1/30 WWII vehicles and figures, I would expect “St. Petersburg” detailing and painting from HB products as a collector. If HB is going to brand themselves as “better sculpting, better detailing, etc. than the other guy”, then I believe it is reasonable to expect certain quality features. Especially when I compare the Forces of Valor Amphibian Jeep, approximately $25 new, to the new HB Amphibian Jeep. Yea I know it’s not 1/30, but it is 1/32 and that is pretty close for most comparisons we have discussed on this forum. The FOV model is mostly metal diecast, except the wheels, the seats, the driver and a few other smaller items. The windshield can be in the up or down position and the front water deflector moves to the front or under the windscreen position. The spare wheel is detachable and it comes with a few other separate accessory pieces (gas can, etc.).
The Amphibian Jeep, priced at $170 would have, at a minimum, the following features that would conveince me of its value as a “St. Petersburg” style collectable:
1. The boat hook on the starboard side should not be a sculpted portion of the vehicle body. It should be separate and detachable.
2. The two rope fenders on both sides should be of a material similar to the real rope it is portraying. Yes, I know the rope wraps around a metal bar but it is still a rope fender.
3. The windscreen should able to be in the up, down, or anything in between position.
4. The driver should be detachable.
5. The accessories (the boat hook, helmet, jerry can, tarps, etc.) should not be a sculpted portion of the vehicle body, they should be separate individual pieces that can be positioned anywhere the owner wishes to place them, on the seats, on the front or rear panels, or off the vehicle all together.
6. The wheels should rotate freely and perhaps the front wheels could even be steered (although not necessarily by the steering wheel, but if they were, that would be another sign of excellent detailing.
7. The water propulsion system should be detailed (the propeller and the propeller guard, etc.) and accurate.
8. The instrument panel should be very detailed and accurate.
9. Foot petals for gas, brakes, and clutch and the gear and the motive shifter (land/water propulsion) should be present.
If the released Amphibian Jeep does not, at a minimum, have most of the aforementioned features, then is it really worth $170 or perhaps something less. Remember, this is not the same size as any tank and it only has one figure. It’s a jeep.
I do hope that HB is capable of surviving. Something tells me that for a company to have this kind of price increase and the way it was implemented, there may be some financing problems (cost of production greater than anticipated, etc.). I wish HB much success and like I said in a previous post, Yeah, I will keep buying HB.
