A Need for Improvement (1 Viewer)

[Dragoon]

While admiring the painting skills on the uniforms of K&C figures, I still find the flesh tones on the faces and hands sometimes to be poorly done or the color widely inconsistent from set to set. Looking over my collection of K&C I find there are a good number of figures with skin tones that would be more appropriate on a plum than a human. Since I live nowhere near a dealer where I can see the quality of the sets I'll be getting, it's always a bit of a crap shoot when I receive an order on whether the face painting will be up to the quality of the rest of the figure. I like collecting K&C military miniatures and always look forward to their new releases, I just wish the quality control on the painting of the faces would always equal to the rest of their product.

 

[Combat]

As the market goes right now, KC is probably the best bargain around. I agree that there is room for improvement, but if you want significantly better quality, you are going to pay a lot more than KC charges. The russian figures are top of the line and they can be 10 times as expensive.

 

[Njja]

I agree, King & Country produce a wonderful product for the price point.

Which is a very important figure for both the seller and the collector. I spent

a fair amount of time and money building a rather small collection of figures

before I discovered King & Country.

I am also quite pleased with the resale value of King & Country, a non-

existant feature of many other military miniatures.

Njja

 

[zup66]

yes is the best in the market for the price and realism of facial expressions, if you go on the russian figures you need to much money and forget this range of ww2 soldiers

 

[OzDigger]

While admiring the painting skills on the uniforms of K&C figures, I still find the flesh tones on the faces and hands sometimes to be poorly done or the color widely inconsistent from set to set. Looking over my collection of K&C I find there are a good number of figures with skin tones that would be more appropriate on a plum than a human. Since I live nowhere near a dealer where I can see the quality of the sets I'll be getting, it's always a bit of a crap shoot when I receive an order on whether the face painting will be up to the quality of the rest of the figure. I like collecting K&C military miniatures and always look forward to their new releases, I just wish the quality control on the painting of the faces would always equal to the rest of their product.

I agree Dragoon, King and Country aren't putting enough effort into the accuracy and quality control of their product. Facial tones and details are important on figures whether they are human or horses and there should be more effort made to get these details correct. I'm not sure what the cause is, maybe they subcontract the face painting out to finishers over which they have less control, or maybe they just don't care as people seem to keep buying the stuff no matter what faults they have - go figure.

 

[Njja]

Well you just can't please everybody it seems. Let me just state in my

opinion the quality of King & Country continues to improve. I eagerly look

forward to each new release, and appreciate all the hard work Andy C and

his team continue to put into their product.

Njja

 

[jazzeum]

Oz, no offense but I remember you a couple of weeks ago saying you were happy with the figures but not with the vehicles. So which is it: are you now happy with the vehicles and not the figures or just not happy at all with both of them?

 

[Dragoon]

Well as K&C continues to improve they can direct some attention to getting a consistent paint color in their flesh tones. They're using everything from a peachy pink to a purplish brown. They manage to be consistent with the uniform colors, why not the skin tones.

 

[indiana81]

I agree Dragoon, King and Country aren't putting enough effort into the accuracy and quality control of their product. Facial tones and details are important on figures whether they are human or horses and there should be more effort made to get these details correct. I'm not sure what the cause is, maybe they subcontract the face painting out to finishers over which they have less control, or maybe they just don't care as people seem to keep buying the stuff no matter what faults they have - go figure.

Oz,
Though I've been collecting for 4 months, I haven't seen many toy soldiers. Maybe my eye isn't as attuned as others with more collecting experience. But to say K&C isn't making enough of an effort with facial features, I dunno. I'd say they're giving it a good go. The skin tones may not be exactly perfect on every single figure, but to say that maybe K&C and fellow collectors don't care about these faults strikes me as untrue. I, for one, do care. If I'm paying $89 for a set of figures, I won't keep buying more if set after set there was such a glaring problem of uneven facial tones. I don't go with a brand name for it's own sake.
Dragoon said sometimes it isn't as good as it could be. Now that I can handle.
Justin

 

[Louis Badolato]

I have got to wonder Ozdigger, which companies are doing a better job than K&C on their figures (outside of the prohibitively expensive Russian figures)? I just haven't seen anyone else come close to K&C's recent production. Admittedly, in the past the K&C figures were often hit or miss, some briliiantly sculpted, painted or both, others average or even sub par, but in the last two years I defy you to show me a line of (non-russian) figures as consistently well sculpted or painted as Andy's.

 

[Cody]

After careful inspection of the faces of a majority of my collection, I would say that the skin tones are consistent with a more "personal" hand painted look, which I enjoy from King and Country, and the tones also give the figures a good shadowing from a normal view point (As opposed to inches from my face under a bright light). Imo a standardized skin tone would become drab, seeing how there is a wide variety of skin tones. Tank treads and horse heads are one thing, the figures are impressive and consistantly improving (I can't wait to get some of those new 8th Army sets).

 

[Pierre]

What I really don't understand is why some people are collecting K&C if they are not satisfied with their products.

How many other companies are making toy soldiers or military figures? How are their vehicules? How are the faces of their figures? Do they also have horses with camel's heads?

I'm sorry but when I do not like something, I don't buy it.

Also, some of you seems to forget that we are talking about miniatures. How are you looking at a Gaugin or a Monet? Art is art, not reality.

Pierre.

 

[maddadicus]

Am I the only K/C collector left that actually still enjoys the feel of totally resin/polystone vehicles and actually would rather not have as much metal as the newer vehicles or artillery seem to ,now ? As to figures, I have no gripe whether early period stuff or current. Since I am more of a armor head, the army men stuff ,in my collection, always seemed to be just a fill in for cannon fodder....Michael

 

[vandilay]

Hi
I like the mix of the two materials ,although i,m probably at the other end of the collecting spectrum as i prefer the figures and use the armour as a back drop to the soldiers.

 

[boot51]

Am I the only K/C collector left that actually still enjoys the feel of totally resin/polystone vehicles and actually would rather not have as much metal as the newer vehicles or artillery seem to ,now ? As to figures, I have no gripe whether early period stuff or current. Since I am more of a armor head, the army men stuff ,in my collection, always seemed to be just a fill in for cannon fodder....Michael

You're not alone, Michael, I love the polstone vehicles, the look, the feel, the weight of them, I see them as individual sculptors and works of art, ready to be proudly displayed, not as "toys", but art. Could the tracks and road wheels stand a little more detail and a little less mud and vegetation, sure, but from what I've see of some of earlier pieces, there's been great improvement in just the last couple of years in the detail of the AFV's. AS for the figures, I don't see how you can do much better than K&C, they're on their game and besides, how much detail and facial expression can you squeeze on such a small surface? Now as for those "blue" windows, well I don't want to end this post on a negative note so let's just say I love the new Desert Transport with the clear windows.

Fred

 

[OzDigger]

To many questions for me to answer individually, enough to say that people buy what they want for a variety of reasons which include collecting and or investment opportunities, eBay sales etc. I have my personal tastes and expectations and I only buy for myself. We are all free to express our opinions provided we don't get over personal. I do have some King and Country figures and vehicles but I also realise they have their negatives and I will continue to point these out in the hope that improvements will be made.

Early King and Country figures left a lot to be desired but improved in general over the years. However there is still a degree of variation and lack of accuracy that I dislike as a long term collector and someone with a keen factual historical interest.

The King and Country figures issued over recent years usually exhibited a high standard. However there continues to be a variety of errors and changes in terms of finishing, historical accuracy and other production values such as packaging. Sadly I don't have the time to enumerate all the inaccuracies of the King and Country figures.

Suffice to say the recent Rommel in the Greif Set doesn't look like Rommel, or James Mason for that matter. While the recent Rommel AND Eisenhower AND Macarthur from Patriot Models look exactly like the people they are meant to look like, and are in 1/30 scale and cost only $18 each. Btw, based on the pics I saw, I said I didn't like the over green/yellow brightness on the bases of these new Patriot figures and my comments were noted, without any sarcastic remarks I might add. I feel they will achieve better sales if the bases were less in your face but of course in the end it's entirely up to a company to issue them as they want.

 

[Rob]

Everyone on this board is of course entitled to their own opinion and has the perfect right to say whatever they feel.But i gotta say this. When i hear the constant moaning about stuff,:this is wrong,that is wrong why didn't he release this why didn't he release that,he doesn't listen to his customers bla bla bla,i think one of these days he may just throw up his hands and say "You know what, stuff it!,i've had enough".And that would be a crying shame.

Just a thought.

Rob

 

[Shannon Reuss]

To many questions for me to answer individually, enough to say that people buy what they want for a variety of reasons which include collecting and or investment opportunities, eBay sales etc. I have my personal tastes and expectations and I only buy for myself. We are all free to express our opinions provided we don't get over personal. I do have some King and Country figures and vehicles but I also realise they have their negatives and I will continue to point these out in the hope that improvements will be made.

Early King and Country figures left a lot to be desired but improved in general over the years. However there is still a degree of variation and lack of accuracy that I dislike as a long term collector and someone with a keen factual historical interest.

The King and Country figures issued over recent years usually exhibited a high standard. However there continues to be a variety of errors and changes in terms of finishing, historical accuracy and other production values such as packaging. Sadly I don't have the time to enumerate all the inaccuracies of the King and Country figures.

Suffice to say the recent Rommel in the Greif Set doesn't look like Rommel, or James Mason for that matter. While the recent Rommel AND Eisenhower AND Macarthur from Patriot Models look exactly like the people they are meant to look like, and are in 1/30 scale and cost only $18 each. Btw, based on the pics I saw, I said I didn't like the over green/yellow brightness on the bases of these new Patriot figures and my comments were noted, without any sarcastic remarks I might add. I feel they will achieve better sales if the bases were less in your face but of course in the end it's entirely up to a company to issue them as they want.

Okay Oz, now tell us what you LIKE about King & Country figures and vehicles .

 

[gk5717]

Oz, I believe if you won the lottery you would find some fault. CHILL!
Gary

 

[sceic2]

Come on guys, everybody (including OzDigger) is entitled to their opinion, even if that opinion is depressing and always judgmental. Everyone has a right to express that opinion, even if that opinion is repeated with regularity about almost every item made. And everyone has the right to try to change our minds about our opinions even when they are completely wrong, wrong, wrong.

At this point OzDigger can either (1) get pissed and write some sort of response chastising the others and me for chastising him, (2) quit the forum out of disgust and anger, or (3) laugh at the joke I am making at everyone’s expense, including me.

I thought that the forum was a place where we could express our opinions concerning our passion and I thought OzDigger was doing just that. Perhaps we need to look at our responses to him and figure out why we disagree and then write a response back on the forum. I don’t know, call me crazy, but I thought that’s the way this thing is supposed to work. Unless your not PC that is (I just had to get a dig in somehow).

OzDigger should continue to express himself as he wishes. If we disagree, disagree with the premise not the commentator. Just my opinion, but you know about opinions, they are like your butt, everyone has one and they all stink.

Michael