Odds Ends MPC Tin Litho Speira Miniatures, we start off with a look at MPC two playsets that had tin litho buildings. These photos and others are and will be from Lynn J. Graves, who first showcased them on Facebook. Next, we are back to Speira Miniatures and look at some new figures and some that will be coming in the future.
Odds Ends MPC Tin Litho Buildings
Speira Miniatures Update
Is the guy in the cloak supposed to be “The Shadow?”
“Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men…” I remember listening to the old radio shows on Armed Forces Network Radio (AFN) as a kid overseas before there was TV. Loved The Shadow.
Yes, it is, but they do not have rights. I am a fan of Shadow too. I listen to the Shadow when they reran some of the shows. I met Walter Gibson and know Steranko, who has done some great covers.
I’m interested in some of the Speira 54mm Western figures, but I won’t buy anything from out of the United States until shipping gets straightened out. I bought some items from Germany on November 21. The parcel was “Accepted” by the German postal service on November 25 and “Processed Through Facility” on December 1, 2020. No idea where it might be?? Maybe the boat it was on hit and iceberg and sunk? Maybe it was captured by pirates who are playing with my vintage Timpo and Preiser figures on a desert island? Better yet, maybe it’s still sitting on a dock somewhere? I used to get shipments from the same merchant in 7 days before this pandemic crap!! I knew better before I ordered and I only have myself to blame. BUT, no more foreign orders for me for a LONG time!!
Yes mail service to overseas destinations from Germany is totally messed up.
Little box I did send over to admin on Dec 10th left German Postal Service on Dec 16th and is still on waiting list at USPS tracking. Think they keep it either as surprise delivery for Eastern or Independence Day (300th in 2076????). Confederate blockade runners made it over more reliable if “Gone with the wind” is right. Not to mention Pony Express or Union Pacific. To add up to the ice berg theory maybe there are still some Kaisers uboats run by 4th generation crews or Fuehrers run by 3rd generation crews sinking German postal vessels that joined the enemy.
At least my boxes to Paris and England made it over in 5 resp. 15 days. Stagecoach service plus fisherboats with extra postal load seem to make it through the European woods and over the English channel.
What a shame. Can recall the good ol’ days in the 90s when big boxes made it over within a week for a fraction of todays shipping coast.
Stay save and lets all have our vaccine shots fast to bring back life to normal. Germany limping behind on that point too…
After checking with USPS, I am advised that The legendary Kraken attacked the clipper ship carrying the shipment that included my package and is holding all parcels for a ransom of one million tons of pickled herring. They are currently seeking an Administrative Order from President Biden directing the sea monster to release all US parcels under threat of the IMPEACHMENT of THE KRAKEN!! The Kraken will be given 10 years to comply with the Presidential Order.
I agree with AJ. Not the right time for items from outside US. I’ve made a big list of figures to buy, when the clouds finally part. Speira already mentioned a Postal increase.
Figure prices are holding. Their Surgery set, hand-to-hand sets, and the casualties are amazing. New WW2 figures are very good poses. I’ll get some GI’s. Did he mention whether the coming cavalryman and mount are separate? Stay well all.
The American figure throwing grenade looks like the matchbox one.
I have been told the problem coming from Europe is due to a limited number of flights being available.
I have emailed Speira several times in the past year but still haven’t received a reply. Am I the only one having this problem??
So far i had not have any issues in communicated by email with them ..
Issues with mail services had been affect by lack employees, many sick ,other on leave and unemployed ,also the lack flights because same reasons and restrictions and all create an inflation in shipping cost as companies struggle to recover losses .UPS,FEDEX,DHL and other are increasing prices too. So Covid definitely is main culprit on this too .We have to deal with it regardless as not choices .
The Speria figure has toy rifle bellow ?
I have always received prompt replies to my emails to Speira Miniatures. Also, I have ordered two fairly large shipments from them in the past few months and received them in about a month after ordering – very reasonable for ordering from overseas.
Kind regards,
Jon
What state do you live in? Maybe I’m just screwed up in Connecticut.
I placed on order with Speira on January 25th and received it February 13th. Also have been receiving parcels from Russia within 3 weeks of ordering, even when the shipper held-off or warned me about mail disruptions. When there is tracking only the parcels seem to get through, but when there is insurance our own USPS will send them back or hold them at the post office after two failed in-person delivery attempts. Sorry for those who didn’t receive theirs but there is hope. I got one package from Russia after 5 months.
I had not got any issues with any my orders from Speira or EXF ,they use economic shipping and arrive as I post here first time within less 10 days ,same with EXF using HK shipping or DHL and from Russia within 2 weeks .Orders inside US had taken a bit longer in last week December and early January but now seems be fine as far I know and I had ship- mail several sales order abroad and all arrive fine within reasonable time now.
Is the MPC bldg the same dimensions as a Fort Superior/Comanche bldg?
Your pictures of the MPC buildings jogged a long-buried memory of a playset I received for my birthday in 1964. I received an MPC playset with a tin litho building (perhaps the same design as the picture); it had the same missiles and some of the usual vehicles. It may or may not have had the colorful ringhand figures – I know I still have some in a container somewhere but the gold “space” equipment is long gone. I know there were some silver 45mm GI figures included in the set for Air Force security I guessed. I remember them showing up in a number of my sets around that time. Green were Army and I received the set with their guided missile destroyer (wish I’d been able to keep that) had the same figures in blue for Marines.
Had to hand it to MPC, they’d put a set together. I remember getting one set (Christmas 1966?)where they had the 45mm GIs up against their Germans. Talk about David v. Goliath. And their 45mm cowboys against their 60mm Ringhand Indians. Loved ’em anyway.
Update on package from Germany which went DHL to USPS:
made purchase from a regular vendor of mine in Germany on 11/21/2020;
shipped on Sunday 11/22/2021;
received it today, 2/27/2021, 68 days from purchase date.
I used to get parcels from this vendor within 10 days.
I guess the “new normal” from Germany to CT is at least 2 months.
No first hand experience with the UK, but I hear they have quite a shipping mess over there.
At least, the box arrived in good condition with no broken vintage toys.
I am relieved it arrived, but still reluctant to make any international purchases
for a while. The most disheartening part is that it is almost impossible to track parcels, even with tracking numbers. My vendor was told that it takes too long to track and locate parcels and it just slows down the delivery!!
YIKES!!!!!
I got a package from a German friend 73 Daya after he shipped it.
the postal system is a mess.
Well looks like I’m far more lucky I could say ,I just got one pack from UK in less than 10 days and one from Italy same .While I got 3 from Russia ,one took very long other less 3 weeks .Speira miniature and EXF have very fast service repeatedly .So it may depend in region and port entry custom storage facility processing for some areas faster than others more likely .HK economic mail services is very fast too .