Andy...if your listening? (1 Viewer)

[MarkeytMaker]

Im so very happy to have discovered such an exciting hobby...or I should rather say, Im so very happy the hobby has discovered me. I purchased a large lot of K&C from an estate and sold most all of it on Ebay. It wasn't until after the sale that I relised the significant value of the items. I hadn't much interest in them early on, though appreciated the detail. Once I sold most of the items and learned of just how much interest there was in soldier collecting, I then wanted some for myself. Yes! I regret selling alot of it. Interesting to me now is I kept the Krupp truck and figures because it was my favorite, even more interesting is I just bought another Krupp yesterday. So my point is...for me to become a collector it took me to see the value and interest in it. Im sure others see it soley as the historical meaning and of course the detail...I can relate to that now too!

IMO a nice marketing type strategy/slogan could be...(strategy) Mail 1000 Soldiers to selected individuals... (slogan) "If your lacking a hobby (which many are), your missing the fun of Toy Soldier collecting"....(literature) check out some of the examples of the enclosed brochures and see what can be built and displayed in your home or office....to order your new figures contact XXXXXX at XXX-XXX-XXXX...or go online @ XXXXXX.com . It would also be cool to make the 1000 figures with a limited production of 1000 which informs the person who recieved the item that they already own something significant with value that is uniquely special thats others who are into soldier collecting would love to own today...this may in turn lead them into selling the figure on Ebay which would bring a good penny. After the sale they would have the same exact expirence I had..."the what did I just sell feeling" which led me to become a new collector myself...the rest is history!

Markey

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Im so very happy to have discovered such an exciting hobby...or I should rather say, Im so very happy the hobby has discovered me. I purchased a large lot of K&C from an estate and sold most all of it on Ebay. It wasn't until after the sale that I relised the significant value of the items. I hadn't much interest in them early on, though appreciated the detail. Once I sold most of the items and learned of just how much interest there was in soldier collecting, I then wanted some for myself. Yes! I regret selling alot of it. Interesting to me now is I kept the Krupp truck and figures because it was my favorite, even more interesting is I just bought another Krupp yesterday. So my point is...for me to become a collector it took me to see the value and interest in it. Im sure others see it soley as the historical meaning and of course the detail...I can relate to that now too!

IMO a nice marketing type strategy/slogan could be...(strategy) Mail 1000 Soldiers to selected individuals... (slogan) "If your lacking a hobby (which many are), your missing the fun of Toy Soldier collecting"....(literature) check out some of the examples of the enclosed brochures and see what can be built and displayed in your home or office....to order your new figures contact XXXXXX at XXX-XXX-XXXX...or go online @ XXXXXX.com . It would also be cool to make the 1000 figures with a limited production of 1000 which informs the person who recieved the item that they already own something significant with value that is uniquely special thats others who are into soldier collecting would love to own today...this may in turn lead them into selling the figure on Ebay which would bring a good penny. After the sale they would have the same exact expirence I had..."the what did I just sell feeling" which led me to become a new collector myself...the rest is history!

Markey

Great idea. Put me on the list for all future 1,000 figure mailings. I will swear that I am a "selected individual".

Terry

 

[BigEars]

Wow.Im a new model soldier colllector to/.I wonder ifI can get 1000 soldiers?But wh ere will I put them?They wont alll fit on a dinner table will they
?What size are these soldiers?They would half to be very small to fit 1000 of them in a parcel.Can you imahine what it would bre like fro the Postma?>He would need a big bonus pay too deliver the parcel

Thank You
BE

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Great idea. Put me on the list for all future 1,000 figure mailings. I will swear that I am a "selected individual".

Terry

Me too! I bet if you send me a free figure, I'll purchase another one!

-Nicholas

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Wow.Im a new model soldier colllector to/.I wonder ifI can get 1000 soldiers?But wh ere will I put them?They wont alll fit on a dinner table will they
?What size are these soldiers?They would half to be very small to fit 1000 of them in a parcel.Can you imahine what it would bre like fro the Postma?>He would need a big bonus pay too deliver the parcel

Thank You
BE

Hi Harry. How are you doing? Hope all is well.

Terry

 

[MarkeytMaker]

Me too! I bet if you send me a free figure, I'll purchase another one!

-Nicholas

Only an idea for marketing...to clarify it was 1000 soldiers to be distributed to 1000 selected individuals.

 

[MarkeytMaker]

Great idea. Put me on the list for all future 1,000 figure mailings. I will swear that I am a "selected individual".

Terry

Terry, Your over qualified and would not receive one!

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Only an idea for marketing...to clarify it was 1000 soldiers to be distributed to 1000 selected individuals.

I got that part. But giving free figures to non-customers may not sit well with the current customers. The limited edition free figures given away at the K&C dinners are very much sought after, and you have to go to the dinner to get one. The last one may have been the excellent WW2 Polish soldier given away at the Chicago K&C Dinner last September.

Terry

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Only an idea for marketing...to clarify it was 1000 soldiers to be distributed to 1000 selected individuals.

Yeah...I got that...but hey...I am in favor of any marketing campaign that results in free stuff!!

-Nicholas

 

[MarkeytMaker]

I got that part. But giving free figures to non-customers may not sit well with the current customers. The limited edition free figures given away at the K&C dinners are very much sought after, and you have to go to the dinner to get one. The last one may have been the excellent WW2 Polish soldier given away at the Chicago K&C Dinner last September.

Terry

Terry...though wouldn't it be cool to have yet another highly sought after item?...depending on how the item is recieved and what they do with them makes it interesting...creating maybe 5 new collectors from 1000 people could just as well turn into a profit for Andy if a few of them turn out to be big spenders like myself!

 

[Warrior]

So your idea is to send 1,000 free figures with literature on other items available to 1,000 randomly selected people in the hopes that .005% of them turn into collectors?

A manufacturer is going to spend roughly fifteen grand (figure production cost, packaging, box, literature, shipping to these 1,000 people) in the hopes of finding new customers?

Not sure about that idea to be honest.............

 

[Spitfrnd]

I must be missing something here and I think I may be fortunate at that.

 

[SGT Rock]

From the ranks of the lowly Privates, I think it's a great idea. I'm in marketing and I know the positive effect of getting a product sample in the right hands. If I can't get my hands on one of the samples, so be it. More people in the hobby increases the value of each of our collections and benefits us all. The only question that remains is, who does Andy send the samples to?

 

[Phantom Warrior]

From the ranks of the lowly Privates, I think it's a great idea. I'm in marketing and I know the positive effect of getting a product sample in the right hands. If I can't get my hands on one of the samples, so be it. More people in the hobby increases the value of each of our collections and benefits us all. The only question that remains is, who does Andy send the samples to?

I have already volunteered to accept one as has Scarlet Pimpernel - only 998 to go. And if I receive a free figure, I promise to buy more K&C AFVs.

But seriously, how would the 1000 individuals be targeted? What are the right hands? And you would need a better success rate than 5 out of 1000.

Terry

 

[MarkeytMaker]

So your idea is to send 1,000 free figures with literature on other items available to 1,000 randomly selected people in the hopes that .005% of them turn into collectors?

A manufacturer is going to spend roughly fifteen grand (figure production cost, packaging, box, literature, shipping to these 1,000 people) in the hopes of finding new customers?

Not sure about that idea to be honest.............

So maybe your not a high spender? I have spent in excess of $15,000 in 3 months! Im sure Im not the first and only to spend this amount either...I have seen the dioramas built by others here...regardless if took years for them to do so...then you have the vidal sassoon therory...I tell some one and they tell some one and so on and so on and so on...

 

[MarkeytMaker]

From the ranks of the lowly Privates, I think it's a great idea. I'm in marketing and I know the positive effect of getting a product sample in the right hands. If I can't get my hands on one of the samples, so be it. More people in the hobby increases the value of each of our collections and benefits us all. The only question that remains is, who does Andy send the samples to?

SGTRock...I'm not sure right off who would recieve them...though Im a old car collector who collects old vintage hot rods...my vehicles are on display in my 9 car garage...adding the soldiers in display cabinets within the garage next to my cars is just another ewwww ahhhhh factor for friends to admire as well myself. This is sort of fun creating a market for Andy which he has no idea of at the moment, whether he disapproves or not...it is fun! I'd like to say sorry to Andy now for portraying myself as his marketing director!

Here is a video of my daughter and I taking one of them Hot Rods on a nearby road trip. Oh by the way it's a hand held camera and I really am watching the road ahead!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee9rAruvHuk

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

So maybe your not a high spender? I have spent in excess of $15,000 in 3 months! Im sure Im not the first and only to spend this amount either...I have seen the dioramas built by others here...regardless if took years for them to do so...then you have the vidal sassoon therory...I tell some one and they tell some one and so on and so on and so on...

I thought that was Wella Balsam..but anyway, if you send me all 1000, I will distrubute them!

Seriously, though..it is a shame that Ebay has changed its auction history privacy policy, as it used to be easy to see who was bidding on an item and then how many auctions they had won. I'd be looking for buyers of metal figures in ranges I carried...bidders with few wins, and who are presumably new to buying military miniatures.

The first K&C piece I bought (NA020) was on an Ebay auction. I saw the photo, thought "that looks interesting" and by luck won the auction. Once I received the piece...had it in my hands...I was a committed K&C fan, now having purchased almost every piece in their Napoleonics range (and with several duplicates). There is no doubt in my mind, that owning one piece is enough to generate the excitement needed for a loyal collector base.

K&C has no problem designing and manufacturing some of the top of the line in their ranges. Capturing the right target market is always trickier, regardless of how fantastic your product is. I am sure I will take criticism for even mentioning Del Prado's business model, but in many ways they had the right idea. You don't have to give your product away, but if you can get just one piece in the hands of many "would-be collectors" inexpensively, you stand to increase sales by expanding your already satisfied and loyal collector base. I have no doubt that K&C's patrons will continue to expand...the question is whether it is at the rate they want.

One more thing to consider...the larger the customer base, the greater the demand for limited editions (I know some of you are still looking for NA88!), unless K&C increases the number of issues...then your piece is less valuable.

So what is the compromise for you as a collector? Anyway, just a few thoughts.

-Nicholas

 

[Warrior]

So your idea is to send 1,000 free figures with literature on other items available to 1,000 randomly selected people in the hopes that .005% of them turn into collectors?

A manufacturer is going to spend roughly fifteen grand (figure production cost, packaging, box, literature, shipping to these 1,000 people) in the hopes of finding new customers?

Not sure about that idea to be honest.............

I'm sorry, it's not .005%, it's actually .05%, so you might be on to something.

Andy reads the posts on this forum, so perhaps he'll read yours and take you up on your marketing idea.................

 

[MarkeytMaker]

I thought that was Wella Balsam..but anyway, if you send me all 1000, I will distrubute them!

Seriously, though..it is a shame that Ebay has changed its auction history privacy policy, as it used to be easy to see who was bidding on an item and then how many auctions they had won. I'd be looking for buyers of metal figures in ranges I carried...bidders with few wins, and who are presumably new to buying military miniatures.

The first K&C piece I bought (NA020) was on an Ebay auction. I saw the photo, thought "that looks interesting" and by luck won the auction. Once I received the piece...had it in my hands...I was a committed K&C fan, now having purchased almost every piece in their Napoleonics range (and with several duplicates). There is no doubt in my mind, that owning one piece is enough to generate the excitement needed for a loyal collector base.

K&C has no problem designing and manufacturing some of the top of the line in their ranges. Capturing the right target market is always trickier, regardless of how fantastic your product is. I am sure I will take criticism for even mentioning Del Prado's business model, but in many ways they had the right idea. You don't have to give your product away, but if you can get just one piece in the hands of many "would-be collectors" inexpensively, you stand to increase sales by expanding your already satisfied and loyal collector base. I have no doubt that K&C's patrons will continue to expand...the question is whether it is at the rate they want.

One more thing to consider...the larger the customer base, the greater the demand for limited editions (I know some of you are still looking for NA88!), unless K&C increases the number of issues...then your piece is less valuable.

So what is the compromise for you as a collector? Anyway, just a few thoughts.

-Nicholas

Nicholas...there is reasoning behind my username! It's not all about stocks! With that said a successful trader is one area that could be looked at...there are many names listed on any given stock which shows who the largest holders are??? These stock holders do have interests in other things too and have the money to support it.

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Nicholas...there is reasoning behind my username!

OK. Now I have to ask. What is the "y" for? Why not just MarketMaker?

Terry