Breaking up sets? (1 Viewer)

M

Mr Man

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I thought that dealers weren't supposed to break up the sets but, I ran across a site that is selling King & Country sets as sets or, the pieces of the sets as individuals. Is that kosher?
 
Most of the major dealers are doing so. It has turned out to be a good thing for those collectors that prefer to cherry pick certain poses, mostly action. The only drawback would be the lost investment worth for a complete set upon retirement and beyond. At least it offers choices, depending on how you wish to collect. I understand K/C Central would prefer that this does not happen...Michael
 
Most dealers do not do this. The only ones I know of are Cavalry in Tennessee and Marjorie (she's a quasi dealer). Duke Marketing does a lot of this but he's not a King and Country dealer. And, yes, Andy doesn't like this. This was re-emphasized this weekend. If I've missed anybody, then I'll stand corrected.
 
jazzeum said:
Most dealers do not do this. The only ones I know of are Cavalry in Tennessee and Marjorie (she's a quasi dealer). Duke Marketing does a lot of this but he's not a King and Country dealer. And, yes, Andy doesn't like this. This was re-emphasized this weekend. If I've missed anybody, then I'll stand corrected.
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:eek: I stand corrected. I had been measuring a dealer, by the volume of his e-bay offerings in their store. I did not know Duke Marketing was not an official dealer and till this weekend, had thought Marjorie was also regular dealer. Thanks for the correct scoop..Michael
 
The web site for Toy Soldier Gallery in Montana does offer to break up sets on request. I am ambivalent about this issue. Michael
 
Gentle friends,

Like Michael, I, too, have mixed emotions about this practice. Under normal circumstances, I would never purchase anything less than a complete set, so I am not sure the practice has any impact on me personally. While I understand that there can be advantages to both dealer and collector, it just seems a shame to break up a complete set.

Warm regards,

Pat
 
I can assure you that K&C UK and other top dealers (i am sure Shannon would agree) that it is not best practice and not in the benifit of dealer and or the collector to break sets up.

To the collector / collectors it makes the item less collectable (granted not what every collector is after)

To the dealer it COULD render the rest of the set unsellable. We do have the odd enquiry about this but we have for the last eleven years said no, and as fastly taking up the rains with Bob will not be something we will be doing going forward.

Also what about packaging and do you get the single figure in a loose single box? or wrapped in bubble. but not in the correct box again rendering its value to a collector reduced.

e-bay............dont you just love it.

Tony Neville
K&C UK
 
As someone who used to buy singles from Duke Marketing and Marjorie's Treasures, I can see the value of individual pieces to someone who is not interested in this hobby as a money maker and only seeks to add to their own personal enjoyment.

When building a diorama certain choices are made concerning the population of the layout. Sometimes one or two figures make sense and the others in the set may not. I was making up a convoy of the Gimmy Trucks. Duke Marketing had the truck and the driver only, infact I bought seven of them from him. I also had five of the complete sets. I did not want to have so many of the other men who went with the set. 12 guys carring a jerry can just looked weird to me and since I was loading the trucks with supplies, the guy sitting with the gun across his lap just was an extra I did not want, no place to put him. These were decisions I made that worked for me and what I was attempting to do with the diorama.

Now that time has passed and I have changed, I would hope that we all are willing to change, I would not do that anymore (buy individual pieces). I have come to appreciate the set as it is released. Each piece complements the entire grouping. So, I no longer am buying individual pieces. If I do not want to display a portion of a set, I just keep the "extra" pieces in the box. I think its all up to the individual and I don't like to judge others on these kinds of decisons (they really don't affect me anyway).

And for those of you who are looking at value, wouldn't breaking up sets make the value of the complete sets increase as there are fewer of them? Just a guess. Michael
 
I've never bought a single figure of K&C, I always buy the complete set. I can understand when a piece of the set is broken, you want to replace it with an intact figure. But breaking up sets is breaking the harmony of the set as well. So Michael is right about that.

Though it occured that I didn't want to buy a set because it contained a figure I didn't like at all. But experience has learned that I got rather fond of the set, particularly that figure that I did not like...
 
Have any of you drop a KC figure and the arm carrying the bazooka flue off after hitting the hard floor. You pick the arm and notice that even the bazooka arm is bend up with paint chipped off.

Or, you like the figures that come with the Hetzer set but not the tank itself? Has that ever happened to you? Well, both have happened to me, especially dropped figures and I’m very happy to get replacement figures all fresh and clean from someone.

BTW, any one have a DD34 bazooka guy, I dropped him yesterday afternoon?

Carlos
 
This practice is good for the collector on several levels. Replacement of damaged pieces and value of complete sets. When a dealer breaks up a set, it removes it from the market as an item of collectible value so, those remaining complete sets go up in value as the number drops due to the broken up sets, damage and other natural disasters that befall collectibles over time. The issue is more one of honoring your word. When a retailer get his dealership, he agrees to sell the product according to King & Countries terms. If the dealer violates those terms then, they risk the loss of their dealership. So, the issue isn't about collectors, it's about dealers. Dealers also lose when they break up sets because, they wind up with the figures that no one wants and take a loss in the long run with alot of junk collecting dust. The set of the 2 Volkstrum tank hunters with the Soviet SU-85 is the perfect example of a set that cries out to be broken up. People want the 2 figures but not the vehicle but, that is the exception.
 
I always prefer to buy complete sets in their original boxes. The only time I buy singles is to replace a broken item in one of my sets. I have even bought a second complete set because one of my original set's figures had a broken rifle tip or bayonet. I then attempt to sell, at a discount, the "flawed' set.
 
Single figures are great as you can just buy the pose that you want, and because people have different preferences in poses there are rarely any 'orphan' figures left over after a set is broken up.

Break-ups also generate a bit more money for the dealer as the single figure sells for more than one quarter of a four piece set. This is fine with me as everyone wins.

I also feel the single figure aspect is another reason the LAH range is so popular.
 
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I usually buy complete sets, but I've found that splitting sets can be useful for making another set complete. I just purchased the AK24 but it didn't come with the two infantry soldiers. But Duke Marketing had them for sale individually. Set integrity maintained and a collector is satisfied. :D
Now if there is someone who is on the fence, thinking of taking the plunge, $25 is not as much of a risk as $100. And odds are that the person will like what they see and become one of the converted. It can open the door to new collectors. I didn't start out buying a single, but knowing they were out there made me think that I could build a collection slowly but surely if circumstances demanded it be so. I'm sure that this situation can apply to someone, somewhere. If you like the taste, you'll probably buy the meal, right? :)
Justin
 
desk11desk12 said:
Have any of you drop a KC figure and the arm carrying the bazooka flue off after hitting the hard floor. You pick the arm and notice that even the bazooka arm is bend up with paint chipped off.

Or, you like the figures that come with the Hetzer set but not the tank itself? Has that ever happened to you? Well, both have happened to me, especially dropped figures and I’m very happy to get replacement figures all fresh and clean from someone.

BTW, any one have a DD34 bazooka guy, I dropped him yesterday afternoon?

Carlos
Click to expand...

Got my DD34 Bazooka guy yesterday from International Toy Soldier Gallery yesterday.

Carlos
 
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