So does all this mean that we should be expecting a BergeHetzer coming along soon? They appear to have the hull and some innards and some of the external fittings on hand...

Bob

Interesting combo, thanks for sharing that one.

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So does all this mean that we should be expecting a BergeHetzer coming along soon? They appear to have the hull and some innards and some of the external fittings on hand...

Bob

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G'day Bob

Yeah, then think about how many years they've had most of the bits necessary for a Bergepanther, and we're still yet to see one of those. After all, they only made 300+ of them . . . .

Regards

Rob

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So does all this mean that we should be expecting a BergeHetzer coming along soon? They appear to have the hull and some innards and some of the external fittings on hand...

Bob

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G'day Bob

Yeah, then think about how many years they've had most of the bits necessary for a Bergepanther, and we're still yet to see one of those. After all, they only made 300+ of them . . . .

PS- I remember seeing two different developmental versions (different Gun Shields) of the Aufklarer 38(t) 7.5cm in one of my books. I forget which one... Can anyone clarify or comment?

Thanks...

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So does all this mean that we should be expecting a BergeHetzer coming along soon? They appear to have the hull and some innards and some of the external fittings on hand...

Bob

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G'day Bob

Yeah, then think about how many years they've had most of the bits necessary for a Bergepanther, and we're still yet to see one of those. After all, they only made 300+ of them . . . .

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Look, I really shouldn't be telling you this because I was sworn to secrecy, but you are probably never going to see a new Bergepanther. I was at a meeting a couple of years ago in Asia with all the players: DML, Tamiya, Bronco, Italeri, AFV Club, Trumpeter, Hobby Boss, Meng, and Takom, plus some small fry. Everyone agreed that it just wasn't worth the effort to release a new Bergepanther because Italeri had not done well with their release and had not met their agreed profit. They have the rights to the subject until 2052, so unless they sell a ton of their existing kits real soon, you have another 36 years to wait.

Sorry to have to be the one to break it to you,
KL

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So does all this mean that we should be expecting a BergeHetzer coming along soon? They appear to have the hull and some innards and some of the external fittings on hand...

Bob

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G'day Bob

Yeah, then think about how many years they've had most of the bits necessary for a Bergepanther, and we're still yet to see one of those. After all, they only made 300+ of them . . . .

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Look, I really shouldn't be telling you this because I was sworn to secrecy, but you are probably never going to see a new Bergepanther. I was at a meeting a couple of years ago in Asia with all the players: DML, Tamiya, Bronco, Italeri, AFV Club, Trumpeter, Hobby Boss, Meng, and Takom, plus some small fry. Everyone agreed that it just wasn't worth the effort to release a new Bergepanther because Italeri had not done well with their release and had not met their agreed profit. They have the rights to the subject until 2052, so unless they sell a ton of their existing kits real soon, you have another 36 years to wait.

Sorry to have to be the one to break it to you,
KL

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PS- I remember seeing two different developmental versions (different Gun Shields) of the Aufklarer 38(t) 7.5cm in one of my books. I forget which one... Can anyone clarify or comment?

Thanks...

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Cyberhobby did one sometime back. The upper hull / superstructure is a bit different if I recall. I know I have it somewhere in the stash...



EDIT: I was referring to this one

IRT Kurt

How can they get the rights to something like that?

Hear anything about an all-new M3 Lee/Grant, M3/M3A1 Stuart/Honey, or an M8 HMC..? I probably shouldn't even think about it...

Look, I really shouldn't be telling you this because I was sworn to secrecy, but you are probably never going to see a new Bergepanther. I was at a meeting a couple of years ago in Asia with all the players: DML, Tamiya, Bronco, Italeri, AFV Club, Trumpeter, Hobby Boss, Meng, and Takom, plus some small fry. Everyone agreed that it just wasn't worth the effort to release a new Bergepanther because Italeri had not done well with their release and had not met their agreed profit. They have the rights to the subject until 2052, so unless they sell a ton of their existing kits real soon, you have another 36 years to wait.

Sorry to have to be the one to break it to you,
KL

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IRT Kurt

How can they get the rights to something like that?

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Well, you know it's all a big cartel. The model companies get together in secret a couple of times a year to divide up the world market and set release plans, to make sure everybody gets their fair share of the money. It's like OPEC, but with more of a Mafia vibe. If someone steps outside of their assignment they can suffer an "accident" like the ship carrying kits to North America sinking or a train carrying molds being derailed. The company being punished never pushes for police intervention because they know that will only make things worse.

The really sad part is that the companies DO read boards like this and they don't react well to the moaners and crybabies demanding that they release this or that kit. (*) That's likely to get that subject blacklisted rather than released, or released with deliberate errors and problems just to get back at the whiners. ("Black Label" was chosen as a sub-brand name for a reason . . .)

In the meetings I've attended (since 1991, but the Cartel goes back to the 1950's) I've heard the names of some of the people on this and other groups being mentioned as particularly troublesome for their "demands" that this or that "historically significant" subject be released. I can tell you, the more people cry, the farther down the blacklist it goes. And this isn't just about tank models, it's everything. Have you ever wondered why there was never a kit of a visible cat to go with the visible dog, horse, and fish? Ever noticed that the last model of a protoceratops dinosaur came out in the early 1960's? Too many people with big mouths.

Be careful what you say,

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Hear anything about an all-new M3 Lee/Grant, M3/M3A1 Stuart/Honey, or an M8 HMC..? I probably shouldn't even think about it...

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. . . and what you think. Especially what you think.

KL

(*) Surprisingly, they don't give a whit about bad reviews complaints about what IS released, only about what ISN'T.

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Look, I really shouldn't be telling you this because I was sworn to secrecy, but you are probably never going to see a new Bergepanther. I was at a meeting a couple of years ago in Asia with all the players: DML, Tamiya, Bronco, Italeri, AFV Club, Trumpeter, Hobby Boss, Meng, and Takom, plus some small fry. Everyone agreed that it just wasn't worth the effort to release a new Bergepanther because Italeri had not done well with their release and had not met their agreed profit. They have the rights to the subject until 2052, so unless they sell a ton of their existing kits real soon, you have another 36 years to wait.

Sorry to have to be the one to break it to you,
KL

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FINALLY somebody who knows what is really happening with Bergepanthers!!! Many thanks Kurt. Now I can go back to my major conversion effort safe in the knowledge that it's highly unlikely that someone will bring out a kit of the Berge just after I've finished the conversion.

Mind you, if Italeri had done a better job of their kit, maybe they would have met their profit target, who knows?

Thanks again mate.

Regards

Rob

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IRT Kurt

How can they get the rights to something like that?

---

Well, you know it's all a big cartel. The model companies get together in secret a couple of times a year to divide up the world market and set release plans, to make sure everybody gets their fair share of the money. It's like OPEC, but with more of a Mafia vibe. If someone steps outside of their assignment they can suffer an "accident" like the ship carrying kits to North America sinking or a train carrying molds being derailed. The company being punished never pushes for police intervention because they know that will only make things worse.

The really sad part is that the companies DO read boards like this and they don't react well to the moaners and crybabies demanding that they release this or that kit. (*) That's likely to get that subject blacklisted rather than released, or released with deliberate errors and problems just to get back at the whiners. ("Black Label" was chosen as a sub-brand name for a reason . . .)

In the meetings I've attended (since 1991, but the Cartel goes back to the 1950's) I've heard the names of some of the people on this and other groups being mentioned as particularly troublesome for their "demands" that this or that "historically significant" subject be released. I can tell you, the more people cry, the farther down the blacklist it goes. And this isn't just about tank models, it's everything. Have you ever wondered why there was never a kit of a visible cat to go with the visible dog, horse, and fish? Ever noticed that the last model of a protoceratops dinosaur came out in the early 1960's? Too many people with big mouths.

Be careful what you say,

Quoted Text

---

Hear anything about an all-new M3 Lee/Grant, M3/M3A1 Stuart/Honey, or an M8 HMC..? I probably shouldn't even think about it...

---

. . . and what you think. Especially what you think.

KL

(*) Surprisingly, they don't give a whit about bad reviews complaints about what IS released, only about what ISN'T.

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The truth is out there Scully....the truth is out there.