MAC Forum

I've been watching Walmart for several months now after I noticed that their thin stock of Maisto products - last known as "Adventure Wheels" - was missing. Stock comes and goes and rarely is it very deep and again, rarely, does it include new releases. Maisto was sold about 5 years ago, which interrupted stock, but supply has been good since then.
Now there isn't even an empty rack showing "Adventure Wings" on the shelf; just cars, dinosaurs and dolls for boys.
Is this it?
I'll wait for some follow up from those of you that frequent this genre around the country, but in the meantime I'd like to thank Jim Galloway who had frequented the aisles of WalMart in years past. Jim - the thrill may be gone!
I'll put together a short history of Maisto airplanes and post it up after a bit.
Sadly, this leaves little in the general merchandise stores for little airplanes. Once upon a time the $1 was common in mass merchandisers, grocery stores, drug stores and other general market outlets. Sadly...even less now.
WalMart still carries the Disney planes, which have their appeal, but are not accurate miniatures and truly belong to the media tie in genre. Matchbox is still on the shelves but again, their offerings are mythical aircraft in toy schemes. Their recent Gee Bee - undoubtedly to suck market from Disney - was a welcome relief.
So - what so you? Any Maisto planes on the market?
Wishing you all a Happy 4th of July! (At least the US citizens here!)
Michael
Houston

Hey Michael-

I'm afraid it's all planes with faces on them now ... -but look at the bright side - we can still enjoy all the Maisto planes we've bought in the past!

A 777 in bogus airline livery is no match for a Cathay Pacific A300 or an Alitalia or Swissair 747!

Matchbox Sky-buster Gee Bee is still plentiful in several stores, and sells for $3.44-$3.99 now.

If Tailwinds is indeed gone, it's a sorry day for collectors...not just me!
And kids, too...although they have more choices in the "collectible" genre - for big bucks!
What did Matchbox and Dinky sell for in 1955?
MJB

Going to the Maisto home page reveals no mention of "Tailwinds" but a new name, same planes: "Fresh Metal". Exact same line up without an new metal, as it were.
Target is listed as a retailer, but I've never seen any from this line in the stores. Also, it looks like Amazon was selling them three at a time...their choice of three! Not such a good deal!
Until I found out better I'd say it's the end of Tailwinds as a line. I expect to see reissues over time from various names and vendors, but otherwise it buh-by! to this old name.
Again...I'll review the corporate history in due time.
Michael

The current Maisto catalog shows some news under the Fresh Metal range. There are two new castings. Boeing 777 in a silver livery and a Zivko Edge 540 aerobatic aircraft, of Red Bull air races fame, and a new color for the GB in yellow and red.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zivko_Edge_540
There are quite a few re-colors for their new range called Fresh Metal Forces. These are: Apache, F-4, Harrier, F-117, SR-71, F-22, MiG-29, A-10, F-14, UH-60, F4U, MH-53 and Seahawk.

Where to get them is a different story! Walmart dropped them from their shelves a little after they went for the more open, less crowded, look at their stores. I can only guess that the more crowded store look could carry a lot more product, some something had to give

Yeah, I saw those new colors but, again, I haven't seen anything on the shelf anywhere.
Historically speaking, toy aircraft sales are very poor at the mass merchandisers - cars/trucks/dolls sell...almost any other genre! - sells better than aircraft.
Ah...for the good old days when WalMart carried Dyna-Flites, Super Dyna-Flites, Skybusters and Maisto!
It seems like a dream sometimes...
Michael

As a follow up, I searched my local mega Target store to find any Maisto airplanes; I did not. No Tonka - no nothing except for variations on the Disney planes.
Maisto says that Target carries them and I bet I could find them on-line at Target, but that's not the aim of this endeavor. If kids can't impulse buy them in stores, then the future generations of MAC is in danger.

They are not gone. They may have reappeared after hiatus. I spied these yesterday in a store called "Ollie's, Good Stuff Cheap" that recently opened up near me. The cards are all marked 2015 but they are no cheaper than they used to be in other stores, when they could be found: $2.99 apiece.



They look as though they have been recolored, and I am not certain if the color schemes are realistic, but that is nothing new for this brand. We feel we got "spoiled" when they appeared in realistic color schemes, like those late 90s boxed examples.

"Fresh Metal Force", I take it. An excellent line, but I think when the new owner bought out Ming Fat they fulfilled their contractual obligations out and let the airplanes go.
You should buy one and scan the card back for a listing. And, yeah...2.99 makes them the most expensive Tailwinds ever!

One can see the new colors line up on the Maisto catalog:

http://www.maisto.com/index.php/pages/m ... resh-metal

no new castings