"Cheap Russian Armour" Topic

"The Works chain of stores are selling 20mm die cast Russian AFV's at £2.00 GBP per vehcle ,they are originall from a Russian part works and some later appeared in an eaglemoss collection as well , and sell at between £8.00 GBP and £15.00 GBP each on evil bay so grabbed a few for different projects. Lots of different kit but all Russian but this included lend lease staurts ,grants and other bits of worth a look if WW2 or cold war 20mm is your thing"

From here
link

Amicalement
Armand

For anyone in the UK its a good cheap way of building up a WW2 or modern Soviet force quite quickly.

I bought around 30 IS2s and a smaller number of SU76s. The difficulty is trying to keep focussed on what you need rather than just buying adhoc as they are so cheap.I recommend that you visit a number of stores in your locality if using my "focussed" approach .

I must also mention that there are lendlease models as well in large quantities notabley the Lee and the British Matilda. I must have left over 40 examples of each of these at the stores I have visited .

I would go nuts if I stumbled on a deal like that in the US. There are a few moderns in there and that T-34/85 could go either way.

It's OK – all the panic buyers have thinned them out so no trouble deciding what to buy…

I wouldn't leave it too long mate as these are one off intakes .Once they are gone they are gone This is only the second time The Works have stocked these with the first batch being 2 years ago when they stocked Altaya in a similar deal. As well as fellow gamers you will be competing with traders looking to make a fast buck on the auction sites .

well if anyone wants to send 4 Lees and 4 Matildas 2 to Australia let me know :)

Just to give everyone an indication of the savings here. The very same IS2 as I bought is listed in Tank Zone UK as their FB02 which is £12.95 GBP .

So for my 30 IS2s I would have had to paid £388.50 GBP , instead I paid £60.00 GBP for them. I can't blame people for "panic buying" at those prices :)

What is the best way to re-paint these? I was thinking car primer and going from there with the original countries colours.

Dude!

Nothing in The Works at York, if they ever had any.

Its worth searching in the shop, I found then hidden away in a small compartment around the back at the bottom of a display stand inhabited mostly by my little pony, or somesuch.

speaking to my local works all the stores will have a selection sent to them over the next 2 weeks and if they sell a further batch will be sent to the stores that want them .

Oh, I recall the day the German department store Metro put out a big pile of 1/144 aircraft kits, for $.25 USD each. I bought as many as I could carry.

Sounds like that's the kind of deal this is.

@Trenchfoot

The way I will be tackling this project is to use the colour that they come in as your base. I was thinking of highlighting, applying paint to the details such as the spades etc.,then apply a light wash followed by a pin wash and then finally weathering. I am looking at ways to try and remove the number decals first.

As regards to the future , after speaking to a couple of the store managers it all depends on how successful the initial stock is sold. This could be a stumbling point as apart from us 20mm gamers and perhaps some traders , I cant think that many will be sold to passing trade especially as they are not designed to be sold to any one under 14 of which rules them out as being a toy .

Well… I have to understand you like them!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Happy to pay 4gbp EA FOR 4 MATILDAS AND 4 Lees plus postage, if anyone wants to send them to Australia.

Shame I missed your post Dentwist – I just cleared the Chippenham store of all the stuff I wanted and they have loads of Matildas left! If anybody in the Chippenham area is interested, they have loads of IS2s too, plus Dukws and SU85s, but that is all. On enquiry the very helpful manageress told me that was the last of their stock. And she didn't look at me as if I was weird, either.
I've got a fair few Fabbri kits in my collection and they are ideal for wargaming: just enough detail and quite robust. They also dismantle easily if you want to spray undercoat!

…and a big 'thank you' to Tango – you've saved me about £40.00 GBP!

A votre service mon ami!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Would someone be so kind as to tell me where to find these on the Works website please? Had a look but can't see them anywhere. Many thanks

Hi Malteser, I cant find them on their website either, they just seem to be in their shops,

Cheers Timbo

Just had a nice root around in the tray at my nearest Works and come away with some DUKWs, SU122s, just the one SU76 (could have done with more) and a T28 for the hell of it. Left a pile of JS2s behind.

I guess you won't find them on the website – it's just a way of shifting cheap remaindered stock.

Its interesting to note that my local Works has just restocked . The manager advised their head Office that they are a good seller and therefore more stocks were received.

Just wished that more SU76s were available. Got enough IS2s now with some slots left free in my list for commanders vehicles with opened commanders hatch . These will be S model or Pegasus.

Good news about the restocks – might be a way of stuffing the eBay dealers that just empty the stores. Who wants an £8.00 GBP + post model when Works still have them for £2.00 GBP?
I'm all for enterprise, but we could use this forum to identify cheap sources for each other or as a swap shop. The dealers just want to rip us off, so let's just leave them with piles of unsold IS2s…

So I wonder which vehicles they have altogether, an if they'll release different ones later on?

So far they definitely have
JS2
SU122
SU76
T34-85 snow camo
DUKW
Matilda 2
T35
Lee
T-80
mention of Stuart, some modern softskin, SU85 and T28?

I wonder if they'll have any green T34s, light tanks, trucks, katyusha or Shermans?

I picked up a Btr60, btr80, T55 and a BRDM1 in my little haul, so add those to the list!
I also saw a BA6, SU85 and Nona.
Not sure what the complete Fabbri list is, but captainshrapnel.com stocks most of them.

went into the rotherham store today and they had loads got some more T34's and su 122, and pt76 plus some T80's for my mate but the guy said they had loads in the back just didnt have room to display them so ask if you go in .

I have managed to get 2 T28s . They are there but not in many numbers. It must be noted that some stores havn't got any stocks at all . Avoid those stores that say "Closing down for refit" as they are trying to just get rid of existing stock of stuff. The IS2 is probably and thankfully for me the most common model available followed by the Matilda and Lee.

Still looking for Happy to pay 4gbp EA FOR 4 MATILDAS AND 4 Lees plus postage, if anyone wants to send them to Australia.

I managed to bag a DUKW, Matilda, KV2, JS2, T34/85, M3 Grant, SU 122, FB56 Armoured Car, BTR60, GAZ 2330, BRDM, T55, T80 and BMP3.

Has anyone found a complete list of all the models in the series yet?

Try this:
link

Spoke to a few managers and only one thought they wouldn't restock. Oddly, I got most info from him! They were given 16 different types which chimes with what I've seen. Considering the number of leftovers, I suspect that any restock may not include IS2s…

Just been into the Birmingham works and there are some M1 Abrams, Swedish S Tanks, a modern German SP gun all in the same range as before. Probably some others too but I only had a quick look.

Also for £10.00 GBP there were some WW2 diecast models, Sdkfz251 with the side mounted rockets, Puma armoured cars Souma 35 (I think) possibly some others. I think they are 1/48th but I can't be certain they were certainly larger than 1/56th.

Just found this. Then go to the bottom of the page to see similar products. Forgot there was a British Cruiser MK VI

link

There were piles of these at Triples, we loaded up on them then.

I gather The Works have been shipped the remaining oddments in extremely strange batch combinations, so if/what your local Works has will be an exciting mystery, but don't be suprised to find nothing but snow camo SU-122s.

Very interesting Sir Sid, looks like they've got the 1/72nd ones up on the website now link but it says 'small military tank' and has pic of FAI ? Armoured car so I imagine you might get a random selection if ordered online??

Just bagged 3 js2 at two quid each … Def needs repaint and not sure what to do about them rubber tracks

Finally found some of these whilst visiting Swindon. After all the comments here I expected better than what I saw. Truly dreadful and not worth £2.00 GBP to me. Left them where they belong, in the bin.

Quite surprised at that if being honest . As I know many people who collect 20mm , have Altaya models within their collections. In essence that is all these are but were targeted at Eastern Europe and Russian markets. Perhaps a little filling here and there and a repaint but I am certainly happy with mine especially at the price .

But hey ho, I dare say they won't appeal to everyone .

I bought t72's. I would describe them as amongst the best 20km models I have seen. To describe them as rubbish is very difficult to believe

I think a repaint and do something with the rubber tracks (any ideas anyone ? ) they should be ok

I suppose some people expect more for £2.00 GBP than I do.

I just spray everything black and slap on the paint. If I can dismantle them, I just take the tracks off and don't bother to paint them. Heretical I know, but they will spend most of their life in boxes in the loft and when they do come out they'll be handled by the pudgy fingers of assorted middle-aged men!

What I have found is the rubber tyres on all the 'magazine models' go very tacky when painted. I've cured this with a pre-coat of PVA glue.

I have nearly finished the paintjob on the three js-2s give me a couple hours

And rather than a big slating constructive cristism is more welcome as I have never painted a tank other than ww2 americans in olive drab and a brown wash over the top nothing else . SO i have tried some other methods i seen posted on TMP painting board

Ok so it went a little wrong i didnt let the turrets dry enough so the weathering stuck and smudged never mind

I know the turrets were still damp so the mud literally stuk to it

Look OK to me!
By chance, I was in Salisbury today and popped into the local Works. They've had a restock with some different vehicles, so you can add Abrams, S-tanks and big Soviet MA3 trucks to the list.
Also worth looking at the conversion kits Shaun has produced at S&S.

Whoops! Didn't realise the Abrams etc was old news!

Cheers mate :-) . My loal works have none at the moment but if there restocking still hopefully will deliver here

Just got some at my local Works including 2 Soviet FAI armoured cars – thought they were NBA20s at first but they've got the FAI hatches.