Britains,Royal Amouries-Leeds-Retail Launch Weekend-26-27th April 2014. (1 Viewer)

[steveo]

Just a quick report on Britain's Retail Launch weekend this at the Royal Amouries this weekend.
I missed the Collectors club meeting on Friday 25th april due to work commitments unfortunately.So i cant comment on that?
So after putting in an unexpected night shift and 2hrs sleep travelled to Leeds,kill two birds with one stone.Toy soldiers and an excellent museum.^&grin
On arrival,no signage,no flyers puzzling?
I had a look round the museum its outstanding,free and well worth a visit.
One small table with the WW1 trench system and a small ikea cabinet with some figures in,nothing new?
No test sculpt of the Vickers Gun and Gunner,no Zulu war Ambulance it would have been outstanding to see it?
I Have no idea where this link up with Britain's and the Royal Amouries will lead?
I do hope its better than the last time,in 2002 i believe?
There is so much reference material to utilize at the Royal Amouries its such shame if Britain's don't use it.
English civil war or war of the roses wouldn't go a miss.
On the plus side it was nice to talk to UK brand manger Malcom Watson and his team and passers by showing a genuine interest in the figures.(show stoppers would have been great Nile Gunboat or a Zulu war set up.(yes i know it was mainly about WW1)

Steveo{sm4}

 

[Tiger]

Just a quick report on Britain's Retail Launch weekend this at the Royal Amouries this weekend.
I missed the Collectors club meeting on Friday 25th april due to work commitments unfortunately.So i cant comment on that?
So after putting in an unexpected night shift and 2hrs sleep travelled to Leeds,kill two birds with one stone.Toy soldiers and an excellent museum.^&grin
On arrival,no signage,no flyers puzzling?
I had a look round the museum its outstanding,free and well worth a visit.
One small table with the WW1 trench system and a small ikea cabinet with some figures in,nothing new?
No test sculpt of the Vickers Gun and Gunner,no Zulu war Ambulance it would have been outstanding to see it?
I Have no idea where this link up with Britain's and the Royal Amouries will lead?
I do hope its better than the last time,in 2002 i believe?
There is so much reference material to utilize at the Royal Amouries its such shame if Britain's don't use it.
English civil war or war of the roses wouldn't go a miss.
On the plus side it was nice to talk to UK brand manger Malcom Watson and his team and passers by showing a genuine interest in the figures.(show stoppers would have been great Nile Gunboat or a Zulu war set up.(yes i know it was mainly about WW1)

Steveo{sm4}

Unlike you Steveo, I had a decent nights sleep but did travel all the way up from London early on Saturday morning for a day out. Met some nice folks, one of which told me to get posting on treefrog, so here goes!

Agree with you that the shop display was dismal, as were the staff when I asked about the figures, stock and display, no help at all, bit of a concern when you don't know what you are selling in your own shop.
I was also surprised that the WW1 proof piece was not on show either, or the AZW ambulance set. I had hoped to see that at Islington in March after getting the new catalogue but it was not ready. In fact, the March show saw very little new stuff on the Britain's stand, hence why I had hoped for something at Leeds.

Like you, I had a good chat to Malcolm and also to Craig, what a sight he was with that Vickers! It appears that Ken let Malcolm down at the last minute with the WW1 piece and even more surprising was that even Malcolm has not seen the ambulance yet! Felt sorry for the chap actually as he is always friendly and helpful when you talk to him and I am sure he must be as frustrated as we are. The poor showing of stock at the shop was, he told me, down to the retail manager not wanting to risk too big a purchase! He did say that they would order pieces in for customers but, to the casual tourist such as myself, I will just go back to London and either go to the Guards or order off the internet. (I could go when I visit family in Halifax but can't see the point of making the effort now) It would have been nice to have had a few pieces from the opening, their loss I suppose but sadly, this will reflect badly on Malcolm and his team as people will assume that Bachmann have let them down. I can't see the shop selling much either as they have nothing much and the staff didnt have a clue!

Great museum though with some very nice displays and I agree, if Britain's can use them for research we could see some very nice figures coming our way.

10/10 for Malcolm and Britain's for trying 0/10 for the armories for their support. Lets hope that changes as, like the chap said to me who lived locally, there are no toy soldier shops in the area now due to the closing of Modelzone. How true must that be for everyone.

 

[PAXFORD]

Unlike you Steveo, I had a decent nights sleep but did travel all the way up from London early on Saturday morning for a day out. Met some nice folks, one of which told me to get posting on treefrog, so here goes!

Agree with you that the shop display was dismal, as were the staff when I asked about the figures, stock and display, no help at all, bit of a concern when you don't know what you are selling in your own shop.
I was also surprised that the WW1 proof piece was not on show either, or the AZW ambulance set. I had hoped to see that at Islington in March after getting the new catalogue but it was not ready. In fact, the March show saw very little new stuff on the Britain's stand, hence why I had hoped for something at Leeds.

Like you, I had a good chat to Malcolm and also to Craig, what a sight he was with that Vickers! It appears that Ken let Malcolm down at the last minute with the WW1 piece and even more surprising was that even Malcolm has not seen the ambulance yet! Felt sorry for the chap actually as he is always friendly and helpful when you talk to him and I am sure he must be as frustrated as we are. The poor showing of stock at the shop was, he told me, down to the retail manager not wanting to risk too big a purchase! He did say that they would order pieces in for customers but, to the casual tourist such as myself, I will just go back to London and either go to the Guards or order off the internet. (I could go when I visit family in Halifax but can't see the point of making the effort now) It would have been nice to have had a few pieces from the opening, their loss I suppose but sadly, this will reflect badly on Malcolm and his team as people will assume that Bachmann have let them down. I can't see the shop selling much either as they have nothing much and the staff didnt have a clue!

Great museum though with some very nice displays and I agree, if Britain's can use them for research we could see some very nice figures coming our way.

10/10 for Malcolm and Britain's for trying 0/10 for the armories for their support. Lets hope that changes as, like the chap said to me who lived locally, there are no toy soldier shops in the area now due to the closing of Modelzone. How true must that be for everyone.

Hi
I went to the the collectors club event on the Friday night. I enjoyed the night especially getting hands on with the WW1 weapons from the Collection and the talk on the Vickers Machine Gun, but there was not much from Britains in the way of a talk on new stock or displays of the range( just the trench display in the shop). I agree the display for the shop and the stock level was not great and if I had traveled to Leeds only for the Saturday launch I would of been disappointed. If you are in Leeds thou go to the museum as it is excellent and best of all free.
While speaking to people there they did tell me of an excellent dealer near Scarborough Maison militaire. I visited him on the Saturday and he had a great level of stock not just Britains. I managed to pick up a brand new W Britains WW1 British six horse gun limber team pulling an 18 pounder from 2008, a fantastic set. So in all a most enjoyable weekend.

 

[steveo]

Lets hope the Royal Amouries shows some confidence in Britains by stocking some more figures?
Puzzling to have a link up between the both of them if the latest figures aren't stocked?
Although probably small on the global scheme of things,Leeds and West Yorkshire has a population of 2.27 million that excluding the Royal amouries small display case,doesn't have a store or outlet that sells Britains or any other Toy soldiers for that matter?
Hope things improve