Where the hobby going ? (1 Viewer)

[uksubs]

Just been looking at my collection 1/35 Dragon & 1/32 FOV armour & just thinking there a lack of soldiers to buy to go with them , most of the soldiers are 1.30 scale but the high price of the armour & the lack of detail for the money put me of
I'm just thinking this hobby is for people with loads of money to burn , I was collecting K&C Market Garden range but when you think they want £139.95 for a jeep is it money well spent

 

[Leadmen]

What about Dragon and Tamiya 1/35 figures for your armor? Dragon has a large selection of figure kits. If you do not paint figures then maybe you could use San Diego or Conte 1/32 plastic figures. When I don't feel like spending big bucks on a tank I will build a 1/35 model of what I want. Little more work but just as enjoyable.

 

[marco55]

There are a lot of 1/35 figures out there but you have to put them together and paint them.
Mark

 

[Rob]

Yes I think it is.Its not a cheap hobby but you do get quality products for your cash,its very rewarding to sit back and look at what you've built up over a period of time.Once you've accepted you can never afford everything and that you can only collect certain ranges,it becomes easier to remain focussed.I certainly do not have any money to burn so every single purchase is thought about and considered before hitting the order button.

I've been collecting K&C for something like seven years now,my enthusiasm still grows but my outlay is limited,but in a way this is a challenge and I therefore know that every item I purchase I really want for my collection,it makes it all the sweeter when that box arrives at the door.

Its a great hobby still in its Golden age,I just have to pick and choose a bit more is all.

Rob

 

[wayne556517]

ONE reason i collect is that i couldn't build/paint a model to save my life so those of you who can,and ive seen some great work on this forum are lucky.If i had the skill of some on here i would spend alot less on K+C etc and buy and build my own the variety is amazing.

 

[uksubs]

ONE reason i collect is that i couldn't build/paint a model to save my life so those of you who can,and ive seen some great work on this forum are lucky.If i had the skill of some on here i would spend alot less on K+C etc and buy and build my own the variety is amazing.

I'm the same as you Wayne & that why I like my tank already made

 

[VIRIATO]

I tell you how I view it personally: less and better, probably going First Legion's way...

Paulo

 

[MarkeytMaker]

Just been looking at my collection 1/35 Dragon & 1/32 FOV armour & just thinking there a lack of soldiers to buy to go with them , most of the soldiers are 1.30 scale but the high price of the armour & the lack of detail for the money put me of
I'm just thinking this hobby is for people with loads of money to burn , I was collecting K&C Market Garden range but when you think they want £139.95 for a jeep is it money well spent

I think that if it were affordable than it would be too easy to achieve a collection and would end the fun too soon?

 

[lancer]

I think that if it were affordable than it would be too easy to achieve a collection and would end the fun too soon?

Gotta disagree with this statement. Would love to see a more affordable price structure for each and every aspect of this hobby. I would buy tons more if it were more affordable, and enjoy every bit of it. To h*** with secondary market considerations! -- Al

 

[Go for Broke]

Every now and then, I question why I keep on buying toy soldiers. I have plenty. They're expensive. Yet I'm still here buying away. I try not to spend more than $170 for an AFV. So the KC Tiger is a big question. On the other hand, Figarti's AA gun half track is a must for me. I've been waiting for this baby for a long time. I wish thinks would be cheaper, so I could spend money on destroyed buildings, bunkers and the like.

 

[trooper]

There are two types of manufacturer. those who outsource their work to China, where there is cheap labour, and those who produce in house. the latter commission a master figure, make a mould and then cast and produce as needed. the former order a container load and have a limited amount of each figure. Strangely it is the "China" companies whose figures are the most expensive. There are plenty of companies producing reasonably priced figures and accessories, all you have to do is take the time to study their websites and compare their prices.

 

[uksubs]

Every now and then, I question why I keep on buying toy soldiers. I have plenty. They're expensive. Yet I'm still here buying away. I try not to spend more than $170 for an AFV. So the KC Tiger is a big question. On the other hand, Figarti's AA gun half track is a must for me. I've been waiting for this baby for a long time. I wish thinks would be cheaper, so I could spend money on destroyed buildings, bunkers and the like.

The reason why I'm collecting 1/32 /1/35 armour + figures is I can then still spend the money on diorama items witch for me make the item come to life

 

[maddadicus]

There are two types of manufacturer. those who outsource their work to China, where there is cheap labour, and those who produce in house. the latter commission a master figure, make a mould and then cast and produce as needed. the former order a container load and have a limited amount of each figure. Strangely it is the "China" companies whose figures are the most expensive. There are plenty of companies producing reasonably priced figures and accessories, all you have to do is take the time to study their websites and compare their prices.

I agree. 2/3 of my collection are homecast or in house mfg. I am more a collector of artistic style than rivets and detail. Mulberry for Nappys, Edmunds for ACW, a homecaster for WW1, Hocker and others for Sudan/Zulu..I can still find some of the great glossy mfg. sets for inexpensive..K/C and CS for vehicles..( I tend to sell the extra figures to keep my initial investment down..) Michael

 

[Cyber Field Marshall]

It was mentioned on another thread somewhere that our hobby is going to slowly die out because there will be fewer collectors in the future. I'm not so sure about this. When I was a kid everyone had a few toy soldiers. Now ofcourse very few kids do however the interest in history is still there. Witness all the history majors in school and specialty channels. Maybe not every neighbour has toy soldiers however there are more people in the world so in aggregate I don't think the numbers of collectors will decrease, they might even rise. People more than ever in other parts of the world that were not traditionally toy soldier markets are now starting to have discretionary incomes and are entering the market, this is a really exciting development. I really believe the internet has saved our hobby by linking us together despite our geographies to keep interest alive.
I think the biggest danger to the hobby is the exponential price increases we are witnessing. Case in point, a few years ago the industry leader sold a tank for around $100, now they push $200-300! A group of four soldiers was under $100, now each one is $33! All this in a few years whereas before it was stable for over a decade. Something has to give. If anything it backs up my previous point that more people are in the hobby and driving demand up and therefore prices. O.K. my crystal ball is clouding over, I can't see the future anymore!

 

[Spitfrnd]

There are two types of manufacturer. those who outsource their work to China, where there is cheap labour, and those who produce in house. the latter commission a master figure, make a mould and then cast and produce as needed. the former order a container load and have a limited amount of each figure. Strangely it is the "China" companies whose figures are the most expensive. There are plenty of companies producing reasonably priced figures and accessories, all you have to do is take the time to study their websites and compare their prices.

Well I guess in this context I am a rivet counter because to me there are very real differences in the quality and detail of the results from these various China based companies and I have yet to find a better alternative, regardless of the price. The Russian produced figures are as good or better in certain areas but they are much more expensive. Every consumer would prefer lower prices for the same quality but there are fundimental cost based reasons why that cannot always happen.

 

[jazzeum]

Regardless of the item, whether it's a new car, a new refrigerator or toy soldiers, the decision is up to us. No one is forcing us to buy an item. If we think something is too expensive, then we shouldn't pay for it. I know I posted elsewhere that manufacturers may have good reasons for charging what they do, e.g., profit margins and what they think they can charge us, however, that doesn't mean we have to pay what they would like us to pay. If we don't like a price, don't pay it. If consumers act together, sooner or later they will be forced to reduce prices. Why do you think department stores have sales: people aren't buying at high prices, the retailers can afford a lower but still decent profit and they don't want to be stuck holding excess inventory.

 

[Spitfrnd]

Regardless of the item, whether it's a new car, a new refrigerator or toy soldiers, the decision is up to us. No one is forcing us to buy an item. If we think something is too expensive, then we shouldn't pay for it. I know I posted elsewhere that manufacturers may have good reasons for charging what they do, e.g., profit margins and what they think they can charge us, however, that doesn't mean we have to pay what they would like us to pay. If we don't like a price, don't pay it. If consumers act together, sooner or later they will be forced to reduce prices. Why do you think department stores have sales: people aren't buying at high prices, the retailers can afford a lower but still decent profit and they don't want to be stuck holding excess inventory.

I think in part that depends greatly on the shape of the demand curve, which in fact will change with a number of factors in this market. Presently, it seems that the market for relatively detailed figures is relatively inelastic at the current price levels but increasing elastic as you increase prices significantly. This is rather different that the average consumer product for which demand is relatively elastic. Thus the prospect of demand lowering price at current levels seems remote. Of course one must also consider the supply curve which if the prices are substantially cost based will become a supervening control. Thus if the prices fall below the cost to produce them, in a reasonably short time, such products will simply become unavailable, which in turn will raise the price of those that have been produced. In any event, whether any one person buys or not is totally up to them and I agree that if you think a product is not worth the price to you, you should not buy it. For example, I think the Russian pieces are beautiful but they are simply too expensive for my utility function for such items.

 

[HistoryfortheAges]

It's hard to say what will happen to this hobby in the future... I do think that the manufacturers may have to seek lower cost facilities to produce their product in order to keep this hobby affordable to reach the greatest number of collectors as possible. With recent talk of Chinese currency revaluation, China may no longer be the place to manufacture these collectibles. The manufacturers that produce the finest product at the lowest cost to the collector will continue to thrive. The rest may find themselves squeezed out of the business altogether...

 

[damian]

It's hard to say what will happen to this hobby in the future... I do think that the manufacturers may have to seek lower cost facilities to produce their product in order to keep this hobby affordable to reach the greatest number of collectors as possible. With recent talk of Chinese currency revaluation, China may no longer be the place to manufacture these collectibles. The manufacturers that produce the finest product at the lowest cost to the collector will continue to thrive. The rest may find themselves squeezed out of the business altogether...

Maybe the industry will relocate to South Wales.

 

[Peter Reuss]

I think in part that depends greatly on the shape of the demand curve, which in fact will change with a number of factors in this market. Presently, it seems that the market for relatively detailed figures is relatively inelastic at the current price levels but increasing elastic as you increase prices significantly. This is rather different that the average consumer product for which demand is relatively elastic. Thus the prospect of demand lowering price at current levels seems remote. Of course one must also consider the supply curve which if the prices are substantially cost based will become a supervening control. Thus if the prices fall below the cost to produce them, in a reasonably short time, such products will simply become unavailable, which in turn will raise the price of those that have been produced. In any event, whether any one person buys or not is totally up to them and I agree that if you think a product is not worth the price to you, you should not buy it. For example, I think the Russian pieces are beautiful but they are simply too expensive for my utility function for such items.

Oh no...suddenly I feel like I'm back in Economics 101 (the class that ended my desire to be an economics major!)