Britains on the ROLL! (2 Viewers)

[bsager]

I am glad to see that the Britains guys a coming to plate on this froum. You guys are really starting to get things rolling. Your US rep has been busy answering questions and I think this will help a lot. Keep firing away with those questions and maybe the factory will start producing some of them.

I happen to be a K&C guy but would like to see Britains get going with some of these ideas from the collectors.

Bill Sager

 

[Buckomp]

G'Day Bill,

I agree, more of us Britains collectors need to come out in support of the tried and tested best toy soldier in the world, Britains.

I hope we can convert more of you K & C guys over to us; however, I do accept and appreciate that K & C are a good product and the themes they cover very relevant.

Happy collecting,

Antony Buckingham (buckomp)
Australia

 

[bsager]

Thanks for the reply. I am always happy to share my enjoyment with collectors of all makes. I look forward to the advance of the Britains line.

Bill

 

[VIRIATO]

I like K&C but I'm also a fan of Britains Metal. I collect WWII and in my opinion their WWII sets have a lot of quality. They also happen to be cheaper, lighter and more compatible with other companies and accessories than K&C ( 1/32 scale that is ). Now in the UK there are those that criticize Britains ( quite violently, check some collectors debates ) for going for matte, new style products instead of the more traditional ones. For my taste, new style is better than old gloss, especially for WWII. Sometimes, though, Britains looks like hesitating between more realism or more traditional toy soldiers: look at some of the WWII soldiers faces. Britains Deetail ( painted plastic ) also interests me a lot, mainly the older ones or recent reissues from DSG Argentina, the best ( just check out their many versions of the English «8th Army» ( Africa, Burma, Burma Australians ) or German Beret Troops ( Afrika Korps, snow troops ): immaculate painting.

Bye,
Paulo

 

[Gideon]

I really liked what Britains was doing when Richard Walker was with them. He seemd to lay a lot of ground work for what they are doing now.

But, I really have to say, that we had to stop carrying the range a few years ago because the quality, scupture and painting wise, just didn't justify the price. And, speaking of the price, I can't make any profit on them because they are so steeply discounted by other vendors with less overhead. Britains seems to not do anything about this in regards to price protection.

Price protection is important for many reasons and I applaude Andy from King & Country in making this an important issue. It helps to level the playing field and makes us more confident in our pricing. If you look around the web - we are all within $1-3 up or down on pricing. Britains on the other hand.......

 

[VIRIATO]

I really liked what Britains was doing when Richard Walker was with them. He seemd to lay a lot of ground work for what they are doing now.

But, I really have to say, that we had to stop carrying the range a few years ago because the quality, scupture and painting wise, just didn't justify the price. And, speaking of the price, I can't make any profit on them because they are so steeply discounted by other vendors with less overhead. Britains seems to not do anything about this in regards to price protection.

Price protection is important for many reasons and I applaude Andy from King & Country in making this an important issue. It helps to level the playing field and makes us more confident in our pricing. If you look around the web - we are all within $1-3 up or down on pricing. Britains on the other hand.......

As a consumer I'm all for free market, free prices, free sales and discounts, free competition between products and dealers. To me, price, though, is not the only factor: efficient, fast and safe service, combined with product quality can make me pay more. It's a balance you´ve got to make. Back to free market and competition, I admit things look a little different if you´re a dealer, company... or a chinese, english or american worker manufacturing toy soldiers...

Best regards,
Paulo

 

[Gideon]

Things are defineatly different on the business side of things. It's one thing to have competetive pricing and it's another thing to be constantly undercut to the point where you can no longer carry a product.

Eventually, it limits who can carry a product line and eventually hits the manufacturer. It drives the quality of the product down and makes a manufacturer beholdent to dealers whims due to the fact that fewer stores can buy the products at a price that they can cope with.

This is why Britains is in the state it's in. While they make some nice pieces, there is no depth to the range anymore, the quality is spotty at best and they have lost a large portion of that Britains name in the collecting field. THey have lost their direction. It wouldn't take much to put them back on track but that ain't happening with the current owner of the company.

 

[VIRIATO]

Gideon, thanks for your interesting insight on the business/industry side of the issue. I believe Britains still have some quality, but to me their WWII soldiers faces are, as you very well put it, spotty at best. I've been reading a few other opinions like yours about Britains, and I guess K&C has no such problems. As I said before, quality is sometimes more important than price alone, and that includes products.

Best regards from a convinced consumer,
Paulo

 

[Buckomp]

G'Day Viriato & Gideon,

I have just read your postings and agree - as a "die hard" Britains collector it is sometimes hard to stay "true" to product when u see some of the things that Britains have done and are doing. I agree that Britains needs a "back to basics" approach about thier toy soldiers and I beleive they can retain a lions share of the market. I have stated this before on this and other forums on this site. Sometimes I feel that Britains has lost focus on what they are trying to do; see the current catolog range to see what I mean - there is no continuity in the range and its getting harder to set up a display based around a range or theme of figures.

Ref from the dealers end - I sympathise with the dealers; however, as a consumer I will always shop where I can get the best price and I do not beleive that you should get screwed out of your right to sell a product at a fair and competitive price; however, that's the key - a fair and competitive price including service will get me back every time. This is why I choose Treefrog to buy from for this reason.

Happy collecting and I have that RC2/Britains gets our messages and reclaims Britains.

 

[Gideon]

Your points are well taken except on the competetive thing.

I offer a hold on items for months until a customer can pick them up, a brick & mortar shop location where my customers feel very comfortable "hanging out" and talking with us, we have a bit of storage (free of charge) for two ofmy better customers. Keeping this in mind, if I then had to get into an all out price war with competetors on something like Britains, it would make it very hard for me to allow for all those extra perks of being one of my customers.

As soon as the dollar alone dictates the nature of a relationship, the relationship is lost and the business is now just that, business. I recently lost a customer due to this. He had a lot of perks and then began taking advantage of me, like it was his right to tell me what I should take back after having bought it over a year ago at a discounted price. When I had to revoke some of the perks he was getting it became strictly about the money on his side. My point was about the relationship and he lost that. He still comes back from time to time but it's not the same for him. And, to be honest, we are usually talking about no more than 5-15% on many items (Britains can be 40%) so the amount of money being saved isn't all that great.

These folks who wheel and deal at toy shows: Do they really get to know you on a personal level locally? Are they around for you to stop by and BS with you about the latest and greatest of the companies they collect? Are they able to notify you of the latest news from these companies? Are they really truly there to help you out or do special favors or put holds on items for extended periods of time? Are they really there for the dedicated collector? For the most part no. And they don't have the rent and overhead we shop keepers have. They have a few hundred bucks for a table, a hotel room and the cost of gas to deal with.

I suppose it's all relative. I am fine with people looking and seeking out better prices but if that is what our relationship is then don't expect much from me. I have a business to run and mouths to feed. For me to be good, kind and understanding towards a customer, I need the customer to be good, kind and understanding towards me. Also, discounts, storage, extended holds on items, special orders without payment upfront and all of the other things I offer have to be earned and developed just as you would develop and earn a friendship.