expanding the hobby (1 Viewer)

[Templar]

I really like all the posts in this thread, Thanks Mark for starting it. We can only try to share it with everyone, including friends, Kids, family members. And maybe start a flicker to start them.
As far as where its headed to, I just do not worry about it. I spend What I can. Because if I worry about what the future holds. Then this Hobby that I enjoy so much Has given me stress, And it becomes less fun. And that is not what a hobby is for. IMHO.

 

[Currahee Chris]

..As far as where its headed to, I just do not worry about it. I spend What I can. Because if I worry about what the future holds.

That's an excellent point- at the end of the day, we rant and rave about how expensive this is getting- why stress ourselves over whether or not KC or anyone else will be able to keep raking us over the coals for the next 15-20 years- great point.

As far as kids go- perhaps we are all just to proud to admit that they have more common sense than us and aren't shelling out 200 quid for a chunk of polystone. If I were 16-17 years old today and I had the choice of dropping 200 bones for a Tiger or taking a hot girl out on a date- yeah, that choice is ALL TOO EASY- DAD- GIMME THE KEYS!!

 

[damian]

Don't buy them.

In all fairness I know two young boys ages 11 and 12 (son's of colleagues of mine) and both are crazy about WWII and Spitfires and Tiger Tanks. They enjoy my collection when they do come round to visit. So there is hope.

 

[lancer]

That's an excellent point- at the end of the day, we rant and rave about how expensive this is getting- why stress ourselves over whether or not KC or anyone else will be able to keep raking us over the coals for the next 15-20 years- great point.

As far as kids go- perhaps we are all just to proud to admit that they have more common sense than us and aren't shelling out 200 quid for a chunk of polystone. If I were 16-17 years old today and I had the choice of dropping 200 bones for a Tiger or taking a hot girl out on a date- yeah, that choice is ALL TOO EASY- DAD- GIMME THE KEYS!!

LOL. A true no-brainer. -- Al

 

[Gideon]

This topic has been kicked around many times since the forum started.

There is a decrease in people collecting: culturally, economically, etc. It's been happening for a long time yet the hobby seems to hang on and adapt.

Fact is, this is a hobby for wealthier people. Kids are playing with other things and increasingly have a "what does it do" reaction when looking at something - anything.

The hobby will hang on and adapt further as long as there are people buying product in large enough numbers.

It's a niche hobby like many others.

I always thought that K&C doing a plastics range would be great but I just don't think there's a large enough market out there. If Andy was to allow a company to base a series of plastics on the metal figures, that could be a nice idea. Like Andy allowed a plastics producer to make a sherman tank based on the K&C dimensions. And you know what? I sold at least one thousand of them. It was by far the best plastic sherman out there and I used them to fill out larger displays as background and filler pieces.

I think that would increase some opportunity for Andy but really for an existing plastics market which wouldn't bring in new people - just provide some more options.

These price increases, well, when a cup of coffee costs $6 bucks and a set of three figures still costs $140 after four years staying the same price we'll think thats a deal.

There's lots of regular everyday things which cost much more than they used to. We don't really pay much attention to a .60 cent price increase on a pair of rubber gloves which used to cost .79 cents, we don't really notice a can of tuna costing $1.25 when they used to be on grocers specials for .89 cents per can. Some of these price increases are, in fact, much more than what we are seeing here.

 

[Vezzolf]

Mark excellent thread and post....Unfortunately I think that this hobby is definitely becomming a bit prohibitive for most.....I guess the majority of us will be "buying less"...We will need to be "selective" in our purchases...If you buy it...you better really want it and like it for a long time....because if you think you will be re-selling those products for retail or better at a latter date.......you may be sadly mistaken....Someone said this is a nitch hobby...very true...."More will exit" the hobby and "few" will enter if prices continue to rise at this pace.

 

[WWii addict]

I am only 15 years old, despite that I am collecting minatures, but I agree with your concerns, because I don't know anyone at my school that is into this hobby.

 

[ImRader]

I am only 15 years old, despite that I am collecting minatures, but I agree with your concerns, because I don't know anyone at my school that is into this hobby.

Same here. Im a young collector and i would never meet someone my age into miniatures.

 

[Panzer ace]

When I was 15 and collecting toy soldiers none of my friends collected them. And now, many years later the hobby is still here.

 

[Njja]

Interesting thread, I believe many collectors find the economy, and rising costs associated with the hobby reasons to be concerned. I think the market has become saturated with products (as usual) and until the situation corrects itself we will continue to see this topic discussed.

Many of us have seen this coming for awhile now, I hope its just a bump in the road and things improve. Its really up to the manufacters at this point.

 

[Private Ryan]

...If I were 16-17 years old today and I had the choice of dropping 200 bones for a Tiger or taking a hot girl out on a date- yeah, that choice is ALL TOO EASY- DAD- GIMME THE KEYS!!

I agree, but Gideon is right, unfortunately, the everlasting battle between Green Army Man #1 and Green Army Man #2 just isn't appealing to kids anymore, they today have less of an imagination. Now kids just sit in front of a screen playing Call of Duty on their Xbox 360 and they are just told (for lack of a better word) what happens.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

You know...I don't think kids have any less imagine today than we did...or our parents...or any other generation. Have the times changed? Sure. Have trends in children's toys and collecting changed? Absolutely. Has the toy soldier market changed...good heavens, we all know the answer to that.

But I think there are a few things to keep in mind. We call them "toy soldiers," but let's face it, they are far from that: "not for children under the age of 14 or without a trust fund to afford them." It's a hobby for established adults with significant disposable income.

Now, is it that we as collectors learned to appreciate and love our "toy" soldiers as kids? Of course...that is when there was such a thing as real toy soldiers...for children. One of the reasons that children don't play with toy soldiers today is that there aren't any...not good ones anyway. Like many of you, as a child I loved going to the toy shop with my grandparents to pick out my next Britains Deetail confederate trooper...or Foreign Legionaire...I was playing with those Waterloo figures before I had the faintest idea what Waterloo was, or even that we were supposed to hate the French. It didn't really matter...they were beautiful, and I could let my imagination run wild and create all the drama that a seven year old does when he plays with toy soldiers.

Now I have a seven year old nephew whom I see twice a year. He has all the typical 21st century children's toys, and plays video games like the rest, but when he comes to visit me, he is always enchanted by the toy soldiers, and of course wants to play with them. I keep a few sets of plastics around so that he can, and he is satisfied. This past Chistmas I went out to spend the holiday with him and his family. You can guess what I brought him. He and I spent hours on the floor playing with toy soldiers...for him, because he loved it...for me, because I am old and couldn't get up. But let me tell you, when I made the decision to buy him some toy soldiers, I went to a few toy stores. What did I find? Not a single "toy soldier." Yes, there were action figures, and yes you can still get a bucket of green men, but no quailty children's pieces...very disappointing.

I agree that the hobby is in long-term trouble because I think for most of us these are the years that you really begin to develop a love for nicely made figures. I had a bag of green men in about 1968. I never played with them. Why would I if I had Britains Deetails? I could never get past the fact that they had green skin...that's just not right...and don't accuse me of having no imagination as a kid. There aren't many of you out there who aren't also looking for more detail, more realism...or at very least flesh colored skin! The trend in the industry didn't happen by accident.

The problem is...children's toys just aren't as profitable as "adult" pieces now that children have so many options...but toy soldiers can be an option too...if you make it available. I can understand the decision to move in the direction of the adult market, for some manufacturers, it is all that kept them alive. But the industry also requires a long-term strategy if it is to survive, and that means including young people in the hobby. The only way to do that is produce economical alternatives. There is no rule that a company can only produce high end collector's pieces. You may be exclusively a metals collector (I am), but that doesn't mean that your kids won't appreciate playing with some nicely crafted plastics. Don't sell them short: kids are just as creative and imaginative as they ever were, but they are also the product of those things with which we surround them....which is why (if I had kids of my own) they would be scotch drinkers by the age of 12.

 

[Sgt. 403]

While I can understand the concern of some of the collectors on here, I don't think anybody needs to start showing up at shows with "The end is near" signs anytime soon. Times are changing, but they've always changed. I grew up in the 80s playing with plastic cowboys and Indians, soldiers, etc. In high school in the early 90s I saved my paychecks from the local grocery store and ordered Jack Scruby toy soldiers through the mail, at I believe $9 each. I put them on a shelf, before they eventually ended up in a box. In 2008, after looking for a year or so, I finally got back in the game and got my first K&C. So basically a 20 year break from the first purchases to now. Of course, in that time, I got married, got a job, etc, finally reaching a place with disposable income to be able to buy toy soldiers.

I guess my point is, toy soldiers will survive as long as there are people who love history and have disposable income. So the kids today are playing video games. For a percentage, those World War 2 games are either evidence of their interest in history, or will spark an interest in history. And every year around the world, there's a group of people who reach the point where their disposable income will match their interest and they'll start collecting toy soldiers.

 

[Panzer ace]

While I can understand the concern of some of the collectors on here, I don't think anybody needs to start showing up at shows with "The end is near" signs anytime soon. Times are changing, but they've always changed. I grew up in the 80s playing with plastic cowboys and Indians, soldiers, etc. In high school in the early 90s I saved my paychecks from the local grocery store and ordered Jack Scruby toy soldiers through the mail, at I believe $9 each. I put them on a shelf, before they eventually ended up in a box. In 2008, after looking for a year or so, I finally got back in the game and got my first K&C. So basically a 20 year break from the first purchases to now. Of course, in that time, I got married, got a job, etc, finally reaching a place with disposable income to be able to buy toy soldiers.

I guess my point is, toy soldiers will survive as long as there are people who love history and have disposable income. So the kids today are playing video games. For a percentage, those World War 2 games are either evidence of their interest in history, or will spark an interest in history. And every year around the world, there's a group of people who reach the point where their disposable income will match their interest and they'll start collecting toy soldiers.

Great points all around. I could not agree more.

As a side note, I know many toy soldier collectors who play videos etc. This hobby reaches out into history through all types media, from books to DVD's and everything in-between.

 

[6th Wisconsin]

In about 3 minutes, my daughter, son, and I will be playing Xbox, shooting at each other on Call of Duty. We do that a lot these days. My son loves coming in and looking at the soldiers I have, and he plays with lots of green army men on the floor - I wish I had all those vehicles when I grew up. I took them both to a show last year. I am doing my part, but certainly there is still a lot of truth to saying that kids are not entertained by the simple things anymore like playing with army men. They are definitely good at technology though. My sone is 7, and he usually kicks my butt in COD.

 

[10TH LA.]

You don't need to be young to try and meet some one else who might collect toy soldiers ....i live in a city with over 100.000 and at least another 50.000 in the surrounding area ...and I believe I might be the only K&C collector around......I have even asked my dealers if they know someone close by......but there seems to be no one else close by....maybe some day ????

 

[thebritfarmer]

You don't need to be young to try and meet some one else who might collect toy soldiers ....i live in a city with over 100.000 and at least another 50.000 in the surrounding area ...and I believe I might be the only K&C collector around......I have even asked my dealers if they know someone close by......but there seems to be no one else close by....maybe some day ????

Us Canadian collectors are few and far between, although there is a collector in my city (about 215,000) I just heard about recently so they are out there.

 

[marksable]

Thanks to everyone for responding to this. There were a lot of good points here, too many to respond to.

Chris, sorry if I wrote a manifesto...as a writer I should know that brevity is the soul of wit and all that, but sometimes I run away with my thoughts on the internet.

I don't think the end is near by any means. But "near" is relative, and I for one would still like to be collecting in 15-20 years, and I'm not sure that happens unless there's new blood. How to bring that new blood in is a different matter, and K&C might not be the manufacturer that needs to do it.

 

[ecuriel]

Thanks to everyone for responding to this. There were a lot of good points here, too many to respond to.

Chris, sorry if I wrote a manifesto...as a writer I should know that brevity is the soul of wit and all that, but sometimes I run away with my thoughts on the internet.

I don't think the end is near by any means. But "near" is relative, and I for one would still like to be collecting in 15-20 years, and I'm not sure that happens unless there's new blood. How to bring that new blood in is a different matter, and K&C might not be the manufacturer that needs to do it.

I agree, K&C cannot be everything to everybody. I think as long as each company stays committed and have fun, the hobby can still bring pleasure for years to come.