Steven Chong
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2005
- Messages
- 1,365
Before I summarize Andy's talk, I want to again thank Peter and Shannon Reuss of Treefrog, Mike and Myszka Hall of Sierra Toy Soldier Company, Tim Tyler of Troops of Time, and Bill Sager of Sager's Toy Soldiers for sponsoring the dinner at the Chicago Show. Andy answered questions for about 0.5 hours.
A. Advertising? Advertising rates on History Channel are very expensive, so K&C is exploring other television channels and discussing joint ventures with dealers like Treefrog.
B. Warbirds? The planes from the Phillipines will remain very limited because the factory can only produce small batches. So far, Andy has been unhappy with the samples of more mass produced Warbirds.
C. Toys-R-Us and Walmarts? Several years ago, buyers from Toys-R-Us came to K&C. First, they stated they wanted 70% margins (i.e. K&C supplies sets at 30% of list price) and 180 days to pay invoices. Then they started to review the various K&C lines. Andy: "Well we can do cowboys and indians ... Toys-R-Us: "You mean "NATIVE AMERICANS" ... They continued to review all the lines that K&C made and could find nothing suitable. It is very hard to do business with big companies that only look at the bottom line.
D. Glossy? The answer now is "No" but who knows in the future.
E. Next releases.
1) Market Garden: 50% sets in Nov.: 3 figure set, 2 figure set, and lots of single sets. 50% of sets in Dec. (also 2 man PIAT team)
2) Have received master painted samples of ACW Confederate Action figures. Will do Union next.
3) For BOB, will do M5 High Speed Tractor. Will not do cannons like 155 mm or 8" howitzer because Andy feels 21st Century versions are very nice and collectors will use those cannons.
F. Number of sets usually made in a release? 500. For LAH, will order 2000 some times, then order 1000 more. For a Del Prado 1st issue, usually make 500,000 figures which Del Pradeo sells for introductory $1.99 (price was just an example), 2nd issue usually 400,000 sold at $2.99, 3rd issue 300,000 at $3.99 ... by the 8th issue, settle on 50,000 for remaining issues at $8.99. Over last 7 years, have made million and millions of figures for Del Prado.
G. Pacific Theater? IWJ did not do well so no plans to expand line -- it sold but not as expected. Will be doing four U.S. Navy Warbirds next year and may do some pilots, ground crew, and carrier crew figures.
H. Now that Figarti has done a E-boat, will K&C do a Nimitz carrier?
A. Advertising? Advertising rates on History Channel are very expensive, so K&C is exploring other television channels and discussing joint ventures with dealers like Treefrog.
B. Warbirds? The planes from the Phillipines will remain very limited because the factory can only produce small batches. So far, Andy has been unhappy with the samples of more mass produced Warbirds.
C. Toys-R-Us and Walmarts? Several years ago, buyers from Toys-R-Us came to K&C. First, they stated they wanted 70% margins (i.e. K&C supplies sets at 30% of list price) and 180 days to pay invoices. Then they started to review the various K&C lines. Andy: "Well we can do cowboys and indians ... Toys-R-Us: "You mean "NATIVE AMERICANS" ... They continued to review all the lines that K&C made and could find nothing suitable. It is very hard to do business with big companies that only look at the bottom line.
D. Glossy? The answer now is "No" but who knows in the future.
E. Next releases.
1) Market Garden: 50% sets in Nov.: 3 figure set, 2 figure set, and lots of single sets. 50% of sets in Dec. (also 2 man PIAT team)
2) Have received master painted samples of ACW Confederate Action figures. Will do Union next.
3) For BOB, will do M5 High Speed Tractor. Will not do cannons like 155 mm or 8" howitzer because Andy feels 21st Century versions are very nice and collectors will use those cannons.
F. Number of sets usually made in a release? 500. For LAH, will order 2000 some times, then order 1000 more. For a Del Prado 1st issue, usually make 500,000 figures which Del Pradeo sells for introductory $1.99 (price was just an example), 2nd issue usually 400,000 sold at $2.99, 3rd issue 300,000 at $3.99 ... by the 8th issue, settle on 50,000 for remaining issues at $8.99. Over last 7 years, have made million and millions of figures for Del Prado.
G. Pacific Theater? IWJ did not do well so no plans to expand line -- it sold but not as expected. Will be doing four U.S. Navy Warbirds next year and may do some pilots, ground crew, and carrier crew figures.
H. Now that Figarti has done a E-boat, will K&C do a Nimitz carrier?
