BMC Toys Playset Planning: Spring 2024
Posted by Jeff Imel on
I'm working on some Civil War and WW2 playsets for the popular Classic Toy Soldier product line. We're trying to get at least some of these produced in time for the 2024 holidays, so I need to finalize contents ASAP. Please post your comments to let me know what you like and what could be better. I don't have projected prices at this stage and will aim to provide the best possible value for each set.
BMC Toys - Classic Toy Soldiers Collection:
These are the CTS boxed playsets I'm working on:
- BMC-67385 CTS Civil War Pickets Charge Shoebox Playset
- BMC-67386 CTS Civil War Battle of Atlanta Shoebox Playset
- BMC-67387 CTS Civil War Battle of Bull Run Shoebox Playset
- BMC-67377 CTS WW2 Battle of Saipan Shoebox Playset
- BMC-67375 CTS WW2 Battle of the Bulge Big Box Playset
A couple of notes on the playset flags:
- Merchandise that includes the Confederate Battle Flag is widely banned. I tried substituting the First National Banner flag in the BMC Toys ACW Battlefield accessory set as a less controversial yet historically accurate option, but it seems any flag relating to the confederacy gets caught up in the ban. The only solution I've come up with is including a white flag of surrender, which is both historically, and symbolically accurate.
- These projects are currently shown with the BMC American Hero flag and rock. The factory also has the CTS reproduction of the Louis Marx & Co. flag pole and square base. Lithographed tin was used for the flags originally, but this was discontinued in the 1970's due to safety concerns of sharp edges. Folded over paper or sticker flags have been used since then. I'll need to decide which option is best for this product line.
American Civil War - Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg
This configuration would be about 100 pieces:
American Civil War - Battle of Atlanta
This configuration would be about 70 pieces:
American Civil War - Battles of Bull Run
This configuration could be set up as 1st Battle of Bull Run with the round top wagons, or 2nd Battle of Bull Run with the square top ambulance wagons. The difficulties of transporting the wounded at the 1st Battle of Bull Run led to the design of the iconic Square Top Ambulance Wagon as part of major overhaul to battle medical care. One concern I have is this set could really use wagon drivers, but that mold is located in the US, so I may explore making a reproduction mold:
WW2 Battle of Saipan
This Pacific Theater set is around 75 pieces:
WW2 Battle of the Bulge
This is the 'everything and the kitchen sink' wish list, and may need to be downsized. The box would likely be the size of the BMC Toys San Juan Hill Playset:
BMC Toys - Classic Army Men Collection:
Here's pieces that could be included in a US made Pacific Theater playset. I'm considering both a large and medium set, or one set in between. I'm going to explore if we have any wagon wheels that work with the Tim Mee cannon. That might make better artillery for the Japanese and could also work for WW1:
Thanks for your help,
Jeff at BMC Toys
I would add more greenery to your battle of Saipan playset. Maybe the Marx palm tree set.
how about putting flag stickers in a small envelope that folks could affix themselves? if it wasn’t visible in the packaging, would that pass muster with the PC crowd?
These all look like great ideas. If you were to produce the US cannons in tan, you could do a desert version of your Battle of the bulge set. I think you already either have or will have shortly all the other items in tan.
And great work by the way on keeping the hobby going. Thank you for all your efforts.
PS – I had contacted you once before about potentially doing your new female soldiers in a male version. The exact same poses but male figures instead of female. I never heard anything back. I hope that you will consider that suggestion. Thank you
All of the playsets are looking pretty good to me. I’m excited for the idea of wagon wheels on the Timmee artillery. Since you mentioned that the Battle of the Bulge set may need to be downsized, I think the natural thing to remove would be the Churchill. It seems somewhat out of place to me.
Hi, Jeff, do you have plans for reproducing the complete MPC DUKW? Thanks!
Regards,
Whit Knight
PS, these sets look great!