Phantom Warrior
Major
- Joined
- May 1, 2009
- Messages
- 6,881
It would be nice if we could just enjoy an offered model as a stand alone piece in the flotsam and jetsum of a war ,several years in the making and ending of it. It is nice to note the historical content of a particular paint scheme or other detail but it does seem to me ,that some collectors actually regret a purchase, postpone a purchase or never purchase some great offerings from any number of mfgs. out there, just because a historically more knowledgeable forum member might point out, that your favorite last buy " never existed, never belonged, or should not ever be in your display case, never mind any diorama". Thank goodness, I collect vehicles because of their pretty colors, fantasy camo schemes and improbability of existing in any war theater of my choosing. When my plastic Marx marines were battling it out with my D Day plastic Germans, it seemed OK then and it should be OK now.. mICHAEL
Collectors have different degrees of demand for authenticity. Some just want an AFV that looks good and some would like historical accuracy down to the unit insignia and vehicle numbers. A high level of historical accuracy can limit the use of a piece in a diorama. And all of the manufacturers take artistic liberties with their AFVs, or occasionally just plain get it wrong. Whitewashed Panthers with zimerit did exist on the eastern front but not at the Battle of the Bulge. Just because a manufacturer says his model is from a particular battle, doesn't mean it can't be used somewhere else. Or buy the Panther with no zimerit and no whitewash to more accurately depict a Panther at the Bulge. There are many ways to go.
For me, it's only a problem if an AFV is depicted which never existed i.e. a grey Panther in 1940 France.
Terry