Spotlight on figures: Atlantic's Export Series

Dated: April 10, 1998.

Introduction

The Export playset series is one of Atlantic's simpler playset series, no vaccuform bases or rules, just a big red box, snap together armored vehicles, figures and some highfalutin names. Despite it's name, this series is apparently quite unknown. I've certainly never seen this series before, either on the shelves or on lists until 1997. At that time, a plethora of Atlantic sets surfaced in a warehouse somewhere in the Middle East, amongst which were these playsets and made its way to some dealers, who were amazed as they had never seen these sets before. To date, the only two direct sources of these sets which I am aware of both admit that their stocks originated in that warehouse.

Description

These are modern series playsets, all the figures and armored vehicles are from the modern series. The box measures 19 ½ by 7 ½ by 1¾ inches. The measurements are exact, it is possible that Italy had not converted into the metric system at the time of production. If you take a box of new Italeri figures you will find that the box measurements are exact to the full centimeter. The primary color of the box is red (like the 100 series) with a large color photograph of the diorama on the front panel and small colored photos of the other sets in the series on the back and sides. Instructions for the assembly of the armored vehicles are shown as line drawings on the back. The boxes are very simply numbered 1 to 27. Based on the photos on the side there are apparently 27 different sets in this series.

The series

As this series is not in the Atlantic catalogue, we've only been able to compile a list of the sets we've been able to get our hands on. The contents of the sets are depicted on the front. They all have fantastic sounding names, there's certainly no shortage of imagination here!
• 01 Defended mobile bridge - 3 bridge layers, 2 armored cars and infantry
• 02 Armored Infantry - 4 troop carriers, command vehicle plus infantry
• 03 Tank Artillery - 4 SP howitzers, command vehicle plus infantry
• 04 Tank Patrol - 4 tanks, command vehicle plus infantry
• 05 Sappers section - 2 pontoons layers, 1 command vehicles plus infantry
• 06 Exploration section - 4 armored cars, 1 troop carrier and infantry
• 07 Armoured Pioneers - 1 bridge layer, 1 mine removal tank, 1 pontoon plus infantry
• 08 Missile ramp battery - 2 missile launchers, 1 troop carrier and you guessed it, infantry!
• 10 German V2 Rockets - anti-air rocket set with infantry?
• 12 Medical Centre and First Aid - 1 helicopter, jeep ambulance, first aid post and medics
• 13 Helitrans Artillery - Helicopter and guns?
• 14 Helitrans Missile Battery

  Set #1

  Here's the front and back:

  

  
  

  This particular set contains:

  Armoured Car COMMANDO V.200 (2 vehicles)
  Tracked Pontoon AVLB M60/A8 (3 vehicles)
  Infantry (2 large sprues)

  With so many sprues in the box, it is stuffed full and hefty to handle, it must have been an exciting buy for the contemporary youngster.

  Comments

  This set was one of several that had been purchased. Like many of the MIB Altantic sets the box has been buckled, but not by your local postal service. All the boxes that had been shrink wrapped had buckled due to further shrinkage of the plastic wrap over 20 years time. The worse buckling has occured when the shrink wrap had held. The shrink wrap on this particular box had broken and therefore the box remains in fairly good shape. Surprisingly, the boxes which were not shrink wrapped are almost pristine, only suffering some mild color fading. It may be a lesson for the collectors out there, you may consider getting rid of that shrink wrap. This box was also covered in a fine layer of dust, it is highly recommended that you wash your hands after handling the box. But it almost seemed regretful to wipe that dust off, the dust had accumulated slowly over 20 years time, possibly the same dust that Sargon or Nebuchadrezzar flicked off their books, made its way to Australia and then to Seattle, only to be ignomiously wiped off. If dust was collectible, this would certainly be collectible dust.

  There seems to be an insatiable appetite for the Atlantic sets. Collectors have been snapping up Atlantic sets since the company went out of business in the early 80's, that's almost 20 years worth of snapping. But Atlantic sets still go quickly whenever they appear on lists. What makes it interesting is when new finds like this crop up. This set is really nothing new, most collectors already have the components of the set, but for those collectors who have to have at least one of everything, this is a must.

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