A truly new range (1 Viewer)

[Sans Culotte]

You want to see a new range? Check out John Jenkins' wonderful Jacobites. If only he had done Prestonpans, where we woke up British General Johnny Cope and drove him into the river in something under 15 minutes, instead of Culloden . . .

I guess that you have to start somewhere; nice thought to begin a new line with a defeat & then roll things back to better times for the Jacobites. You brought up Prestonpans, but don't forget Falkirk. Old Fort Oswego, in NYS, did some Jacobite re-enactments this past summer. I hope that they do this every summer. Keep in mind another thing; Geordie won the armed conflict, but he lost the musical one..... lots of people still sing the auld Jacobite sangs. Who remembers the auld Sassanach ones?

 

[jazzeum]

That is not much of a reason. The Franco-Prussian War is a lot closer to the ACW and the Crimea than WW1, which is only 21 years from WW2. Heck, Custer and Teddy Roosevelt were closer to WW1 than the 1870 war. -- lancer

Maybe not but it's his company and as he has said to me on more than one occasion "Andy makes what Andy likes!"

 

[nmrocks]

My Question is with the Sand Pabbles line, How do you expand it??? Seems very limited and also I'd be very suspect of the general popularity?
Ray

 

[Louis Badolato]

Ray, as a preface, let me say that I totally agree with you, and think this series might be a big mistake on Andy's part.

That being said, Andy explained his decision like this: He wanted to find a way to make Streets of Old Hong Kong more marketable outside of Asia. He thought the U.S. Navy and Marines from the Yangtze patrols were a popular subject which tied in nicely with the Hong Kong figures and diorama facades. This, in combination with the reference to a movie Andy truly loves and believes to be very popular with collectors, made Andy believe the series would sell, especailly if he could find a way to affordably retail the boat itself.

Personally, I think Andy miscalculated on this one . . . but then again, I thought polystone vehicles were a big mistake, so obviously, I'm a moron when it comes to the Toy Soldier marketplace.

 

[lancer]

I think we have to concede that KC knows what it is doing. Even if the new China sailor series is a bust, KC is still selling Lancasters at $2500 and WW2, Crusaders and what have you like ther is no tomorrow. KC is laughing all the way to the bank (or if things keep going as is), stuffing his matress with loot. More power to him. -- lancer

 

[noli-poli]

My Question is with the Sand Pabbles line, How do you expand it??? Seems very limited and also I'd be very suspect of the general popularity?
Ray

Watch the old movie "55 Days in Peking" You'll see the U.S. Marines in action. The story about the last Empress of China Dowager and how the international community banded together to protect their political and economic interest. Here you'll see soldiers of different countries such as the British, Japanese, Russians, Germans, French, etc. fighting the forces of Dowager. It is a good line, a lot of potential.
N-P

 

[noli-poli]

Ray, as a preface, let me say that I totally agree with you, and think this series might be a big mistake on Andy's part.

That being said, Andy explained his decision like this: He wanted to find a way to make Streets of Old Hong Kong more marketable outside of Asia. He thought the U.S. Navy and Marines from the Yangtze patrols were a popular subject which tied in nicely with the Hong Kong figures and diorama facades. This, in combination with the reference to a movie Andy truly loves and believes to be very popular with collectors, made Andy believe the series would sell, especailly if he could find a way to affordably retail the boat itself.

Personally, I think Andy miscalculated on this one . . . but then again, I thought polystone vehicles were a big mistake, so obviously, I'm a moron when it comes to the Toy Soldier marketplace.

His miscalculation is on the boat, not true to scale to the real river boats of the era plying the Yanntze. The model is more true to Tonka tradition. Persinally the line has good potentials. Watch the old movie "55 Days in Peking" (now Beijing), it is the U.S. Marines in action with the rest of the international armies fighting the forces of Dowager, the last empress of China.
Good line and plenty of potential IMO...except the boat which is, too Tonka'ish
N-P

 

[lancer]

The China sailor series is some 25 years after the Boxer rebellion that has been mentioned. If KC moves forward in time with the series the Japanese will soon be involved in a big way. That could be very interesting.-- lancer

 

[Mister Dave]

As far as the Sand Pebbles figures are concerned, I think it bears keeping in mind that us TF forum residents represent only a small fraction of the toy soldier buying population of the world, and....while clearly somewhat underwhelmingly received here, these figures may sell fairly well in fact. Time will tell of course.

I cannot really think of an entirely new range to consider, but would really like to see new things develop in a number of existing ranges. I would love to see some late WWI stuff at some point, you know, the Somme, Verdun, Vimy Ridge, Bellau Wood, Meuse-Argonne, etc....Also, would love to see the Guards Brigade looking all massive and bearded in their bearskins storming the heights of Alma in the Crimean War range. Sorry I cannot think of anything more original to offer to this thread.

MD

 

[Mister Dave]

Also forgot to add I'd love to see somebody revisit the Sudan campaign(s) in matte. Again, not entirely new, but you could do Nile River gunboats and everything with this one.

MD

 

[marco55]

I was also thinking of the retreat from Afghanistan in the First Anglo-Afghan War.You could have some very dramitic poses in that one.Actually you could expand that range into the wars the British fought in the 1830's-1840's in Asia.
Mark

 

[lancer]

Last stand of the 44th ft. at Gandamak in 1842, eh? That would look good.-- lancer

 

[marco55]

Last stand of the 44th ft. at Gandamak in 1842, eh? That would look good.-- lancer

That's what I was thinking of Lancer.With the types of uniforms the British wore at the time it would be unique.
Mark

 

[Mister Dave]

Sure, and the Sikh Wars around the same time frame roughly, and a little later on nobody has done anything really comprehensive with the Indian Mutiny, although Britains did a really nice little gloss range recently.

MD

 

[nmrocks]

The China sailor series is some 25 years after the Boxer rebellion that has been mentioned. If KC moves forward in time with the series the Japanese will soon be involved in a big way. That could be very interesting.-- lancer

Thank you Lancer, reading the other post about 55 days in Peking confused me, I also thought this was a later period. 1920's?? Can't see much expansion there?
(55 days in Peking was a great movie, Charlton Heston, Ya Man!!)
Ray

 

[noli-poli]

Thank you Lancer, reading the other post about 55 days in Peking confused me, I also thought this was a later period. 1920's?? Can't see much expansion there?
(55 days in Peking was a great movie, Charlton Heston, Ya Man!!)
Ray

I guess I got you guys confused. I was referring to the possible series Andy can make from 1899 (The Start of the Boxer Rebellion) through 1941. The defeat of the Ching Dynasty brought about the Open Door policy in China until the outbreak of WWII in 1941. During this period, the U.S. was enjoying its newly acquired territories (ceded by Spain as a result of the Spanish American War)...The Philippines, Guam/Marianas Islands, Puerto Rico etc.
The U.S. Navy (Asiatic Fleet which later became the U.S. 7th Fleet in WWII) as a result maintained /operated the largest Naval base (outside of U.S.), Sangley Point and Subic. During this period the U.S. flexed it muscle in the China Sea and maintained its sphere of influence in mainland China.

BTW, USS Panay was named after an Island in the Philippines. It was bombed by the Japanese in 1939 in China. Other gunboats named after Philippine islands include USS Luzon.

 

[lancer]

I would find expansion of the China series interesting but I do not think it will happen. The Japanese occupation of China is a sore subject where the manufacturing would be taking place. The Sino-Russian conflict of Nomonhon would be very interesting from an armor and aircraft point of view but would probably not fly financially either. KC knows it's business. -- lancer

 

[marco55]

I would find expansion of the China series interesting but I do not think it will happen. The Japanese occupation of China is a sore subject where the manufacturing would be taking place. The Sino-Russian conflict of Nomonhon would be very interesting from an armor and aircraft point of view but would probably not fly financially either. KC knows it's business. -- lancer

That was Russo-Japanese conflict wasn't it and I don't mean the 1904-05 war.
Mark

 

[OzDigger]

I can't see much future for The Sand Pebbles range, if you can call it a range, as few Western nor Eastern collectors are likely to be interested in it apart from hard core fans of the movie.

As for the Jacobites, it was largely a religious fueled argument between rival claims to a throne rather than a fight for independence. Are there many collectors into that scene? I guess we will have to wait and see.

Either way I'm not concerned about either as I'm not considering buying much variation in World War Two based product let alone venturing into other eras.

 

[damian]

Sand Pebbles that is new. The 45 is quite a well established niche theme in the toy soldier world. I think Tradition have done sets as have Tommy Atkins. Culloden Battlefield is well visited and there are quite a few period novels on the whole era. The figures look interesting and well done. A welcome break from yet more WWII cammo so maybe it will take off. The FIW was also a bit of a niche type market until JJ got into full swing a couple of years ago