Figarti 2015 Overview (1 Viewer)

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HobbyBunker

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So most of you have scene what was shown in Chicago. Figarti is in business and continues to develop new products. Rick Wang sold the company to Shi Yong at the beginning of the year. When the company change hands so did all the inventory, debts, etc. The growing pains are there and there is cash flow problems just like most businesses suffer at one time or another. Over the last few years Figarti(mainly Shi Yong) has built up a market in China. This new business and the support of Hobby Bunker(and of course all of you) will allow Figarti to continue. How will it continue? Well that depends on what is made and when it is sold.

Shi Yong and is English speaking Salesperson Jason (not the same Jason as before) visited Hobby Bunker last week. We spoke briefly on Thursday and gave them the tour. On Friday we had a lengthy meeting, lunch and plan to squash old lingering business from the past. We can now move forward and push for high quality products and especially products we all want in our collections. There will be no more "shock and awes" and "lemons: for now.

Pushed to the front lines. The Armoured trains and Tiger Recovery will be made first. I wasn't a big fan of the yellow, but it is historically accurate I was told. If you know of a better paint scheme let me know. With a little luck we should get these before Christmas.
Secondly I have moved the King Tiger's up to be next in line in the production schedule. West Coaster maybe.
Thirdly there will be a couple of US vehicles. You know what they are I just don't want everyone else jumping on them.
Next we will do a limited run of the 54mm and 60mm Rail Guns. Some in Camo and Some grey. Morser Karl. I am checking on the cost.
Panther Tanks...for some reason most got sold in China. I am looking into getting more done in a different paint version for those who got left out.
More was discussed but let's not spoil it.

We also discussed making more variations and perhaps shipping direct from China or cutting out the wholesale aspect of the business.

Figures...we will shoot more to match W.Britain's/Kronprinz scale.

any questions...ask. I probably left something out.
direct to matt@hobbybunker.com

Thanks, matt
 
Great news Matt ! Put me down for a king tiger and a rail gun for starters ^&cool
 
As a point of clarification, Rick told me that he had licensed the name and not sold the company and that he and his father still continue to own it so Shi Yong is in error or not being truthful.
 
Matt; I am pleased to hear that Figarti will continue producing quality armor and innovative artillery pieces. Please clarify your comment; that the scale will emulate W. Britians! 1/32 scale will be incompatable with previous Figarti vehicles except the early pieces, prior to the shift to 1/30 scale.
I certainly would not be interested in 1/32 vehicles or figures, as I collect 1/30-60MM. Thanks for the update.
 
Will the Reichsbahn be compatable with first legion figures??
 
Matt; I am pleased to hear that Figarti will continue producing quality armor and innovative artillery pieces. Please clarify your comment; that the scale will emulate W. Britians! 1/32 scale will be incompatable with previous Figarti vehicles except the early pieces, prior to the shift to 1/30 scale.
I certainly would not be interested in 1/32 vehicles or figures, as I collect 1/30-60MM. Thanks for the update.

From the pictures I have seen comparing the new Britains figures with FL and other manufacturers, they match perfectly with FL and KronPrinz figures. Same with the vehicles. They measure out to be true 1/30.

This means that the new Figarti figures will be compatible to scale-sensitive buyers, such as myself, with KP, FL and WBritains. If you consider other manufacturers to be compatible with these manufacturers, then they will be compatible with Figarti. If you don't, like I don't, then they will not match up with others not of this ilk.
 
Matt; I am pleased to hear that Figarti will continue producing quality armor and innovative artillery pieces. Please clarify your comment; that the scale will emulate W. Britians! 1/32 scale will be incompatable with previous Figarti vehicles except the early pieces, prior to the shift to 1/30 scale.
I certainly would not be interested in 1/32 vehicles or figures, as I collect 1/30-60MM. Thanks for the update.

FL figures are 1/30 scale and so are W Britains latest WW2 figures hope that helps
 
1/30 has become a catagory not a measurement. Within the catagory of 1/30 Toy Soldiers are found 68MM TCS, K&C and Figarti figures and 60MM First Legion figures. Now W. Britians has joined the legion of incompatable figures, abandoning the 1/32 scale they established as a standard for Toy Soldiers over 85 years ago!
The 1/18 scale plastc Toy Soldiers from 21st Century Toys, BBI, Unimax and Dragon have greater compatability in vehicles and figure scales. The 1/18 scale PAK 40, Sd Kfz 251 and Panther G, I have displayed in a diorama are every bit as accurate as their polystone equivalents and cost considerably less! The weapons are even the correct scale for the figures. The Dragon 18 Series Arnhem figures are very impressive. The 1/18 scale companies can maintain scale standards in pieces that cost 25% of polystone pieces. Why can't the polysone manufactures? The failure to do so is a diservice to their customers!
 
1/30 has become a catagory not a measurement. Within the catagory of 1/30 Toy Soldiers are found 68MM TCS, K&C and Figarti figures and 60MM First Legion figures. Now W. Britians has joined the legion of incompatable figures, abandoning the 1/32 scale they established as a standard for Toy Soldiers over 85 years ago!
The 1/18 scale plastc Toy Soldiers from 21st Century Toys, BBI, Unimax and Dragon have greater compatability in vehicles and figure scales. The 1/18 scale PAK 40, Sd Kfz 251 and Panther G, I have displayed in a diorama are every bit as accurate as their polystone equivalents and cost considerably less! The weapons are even the correct scale for the figures. The Dragon 18 Series Arnhem figures are very impressive. The 1/18 scale companies can maintain scale standards in pieces that cost 25% of polystone pieces. Why can't the polysone manufactures? The failure to do so is a diservice to their customers!

Are the "new" W Britain figures bigger than there previous releases? Or is this just another "scale" thing? one mans 1/32 is often another mans 1/30 and so on....

I have not purchased any new WB product for over a year now so I cannot and have not put new to old side by side. If anyone can, it would be genuinely interesting, as a collector of all sorts and brands, to see if there is any difference. Maybe someone could photograph this for us all?

I recently photographed my own figures alongside some from my personal collection of WB / K&C / FL / JJD / TG / DP etc and the difference between some are very noticeable..... Between others, not so...

I genuinely would like to know.

Hope no one minds me jumping in here by the way.

Thanks,

Malcolm.:salute::
 
1/30 has become a catagory not a measurement. Within the catagory of 1/30 Toy Soldiers are found 68MM TCS, K&C and Figarti figures and 60MM First Legion figures. Now W. Britians has joined the legion of incompatable figures, abandoning the 1/32 scale they established as a standard for Toy Soldiers over 85 years ago!
The 1/18 scale plastc Toy Soldiers from 21st Century Toys, BBI, Unimax and Dragon have greater compatability in vehicles and figure scales. The 1/18 scale PAK 40, Sd Kfz 251 and Panther G, I have displayed in a diorama are every bit as accurate as their polystone equivalents and cost considerably less! The weapons are even the correct scale for the figures. The Dragon 18 Series Arnhem figures are very impressive. The 1/18 scale companies can maintain scale standards in pieces that cost 25% of polystone pieces. Why can't the polysone manufactures? The failure to do so is a diservice to their customers!

Hello,
1/30 is in fact a scale. W.Britain has been sculpting their matte finished figures in that scale for a decade now. I know as l have been one of the chief sculptors for that entire period.
Traditional gloss W.Britain have been 54mm in height, more or less, for a very long time. This is not a scale and select reproduction figures are still modeled to that esthetic.
Only the classic gloss Redcoats and Bluecoats over the past 10 years have been scaled at 1/32nd.
I would suggest we return this thread to discussing the fine Figarti products.
 
Are the "new" W Britain figures bigger than there previous releases? Or is this just another "scale" thing? one mans 1/32 is often another mans 1/30 and so on....

I have not purchased any new WB product for over a year now so I cannot and have not put new to old side by side. If anyone can, it would be genuinely interesting, as a collector of all sorts and brands, to see if there is any difference. Maybe someone could photograph this for us all?

I recently photographed my own figures alongside some from my personal collection of WB / K&C / FL / JJD / TG / DP etc and the difference between some are very noticeable..... Between others, not so...

I genuinely would like to know.

Hope no one minds me jumping in here by the way.

Thanks,

Malcolm.:salute::
This probably is not the section of the forum to ask this question. Let's keep this about the new Figarti products.
Ken
 
This probably is not the section of the forum to ask this question. Let's keep this about the new Figarti products.
Ken

Quite right and agree. New thread to discuss scale should be started and so I will kick it off.

Love the new, as well as the old Figarty ranges by the way and have several in my collection. In fact, I currently have one of the operation Jericho Mosquitos on a table top diorama with a stack of W Britain RAF figures and JG scenery.

Malcolm.
 
Quite right and agree. New thread to discuss scale should be started and so I will kick it off.

Love the new, as well as the old Figarty ranges by the way and have several in my collection. In fact, I currently have one of the operation Jericho Mosquitos on a table top diorama with a stack of W Britain RAF figures and JG scenery.

Malcolm.

New thread started within the general matte discussion section.

Malcolm.
 
A new thread on scale is fine; but the question as to wheather Figarti is again changing scales remains unanswered! Figarti started with1/32 scale and changed to 1/30. The stated compatibilty with W. Britians indicates a reduction in Figarti's current scale which has been compatable with K&C and TCS. The W. Britians website states that matte figures are 1/30 scale or 58mm tall. W. Britians would than be a true 1/30 scale equivalent to the First Legion WWII figures and incompatable with K&C and TCS figures.
 
A new thread on scale is fine; but the question as to wheather Figarti is again changing scales remains unanswered! Figarti started with1/32 scale and changed to 1/30. The stated compatibilty with W. Britians indicates a reduction in Figarti's current scale which has been compatable with K&C and TCS. The W. Britians website states that matte figures are 1/30 scale or 58mm tall. W. Britians would than be a true 1/30 scale equivalent to the First Legion WWII figures and incompatable with K&C and TCS figures.

My understanding of what Matt said on the Hobby Bunker forum is Figarti is moving to true 1/30 in both vehicles and figures. More compatible with FL and WB than K&C and TCS.
 
Thank you Bradley for clarifying what Matt said. The Figarti vehicles have been an accurate as measured 1/30 scale. They would work well with the First Legion figures and possiby the W. Britains matte figures as described on their website. Like K&C, Figarti figures have been oversized for the vehicles and actually look more realistic with the 1/28 scale TCS vehicles. The Figarti move to true 1/30 scale figures will split the WWII Toy Soldier manufacturers between K&C, TCS & Thomas Gunn and First Legion, Figarti & W.Britains. Perhaps the overscale figure makers will redesignate their figure size correctly as 1/28 scale and increase their vehicle size as, TCS has; in the interest of realism. Realism rules as validated in the sucess of First Legion who has maintained scale accuracy in both figures and vehicles/artillery.
 
Thank you Bradley for clarifying what Matt said. The Figarti vehicles have been an accurate as measured 1/30 scale. They would work well with the First Legion figures and possiby the W. Britains matte figures as described on their website. Like K&C, Figarti figures have been oversized for the vehicles and actually look more realistic with the 1/28 scale TCS vehicles. The Figarti move to true 1/30 scale figures will split the WWII Toy Soldier manufacturers between K&C, TCS & Thomas Gunn and First Legion, Figarti & W.Britains. Perhaps the overscale figure makers will redesignate their figure size correctly as 1/28 scale and increase their vehicle size as, TCS has; in the interest of realism. Realism rules as validated in the sucess of First Legion who has maintained scale accuracy in both figures and vehicles/artillery.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.

I'm sure the toy soldier market for WWII is so badly fractured for scale with so much product already mismatched for scale in collectors hands that not even K&C could put things right even if they took the lead..

Terry
 
Thank you Bradley for clarifying what Matt said. The Figarti vehicles have been an accurate as measured 1/30 scale. They would work well with the First Legion figures and possiby the W. Britains matte figures as described on their website. Like K&C, Figarti figures have been oversized for the vehicles and actually look more realistic with the 1/28 scale TCS vehicles. The Figarti move to true 1/30 scale figures will split the WWII Toy Soldier manufacturers between K&C, TCS & Thomas Gunn and First Legion, Figarti & W.Britains. Perhaps the overscale figure makers will redesignate their figure size correctly as 1/28 scale and increase their vehicle size as, TCS has; in the interest of realism. Realism rules as validated in the sucess of First Legion who has maintained scale accuracy in both figures and vehicles/artillery.


I wrote something similar on the HB forum. I think we are seeing either a shift or just another aspect to the hobby. For me, the manufacturers are starting to also split down the generic*/representative market, and the specific/highly historical accurate market. FL really seems to focus on very specific battles for some lines (Alesia, Stalingrad, Acre, Borodino, etc.) Others are more representative such as Imperial Romans, Greeks, Imperial Praetorians. K&C does the same, where some lines are generic and some are specific (Market Garden comes to mind.)

I think the hobby needs both, and could see manufacturers choosing to go down one road or another. For smaller manufacturers such as Figarti, it will be interesting to see if they pick one or another.

*Sometimes a negative connotation is implied when using the term generic, but that is explicitly not implied here. I think it is a perfectly valid strategy and market, as well as an important option for manufacturers to produce widely applicable products as well as very specific vehicles that can be tied to a specific battle or engagement. K&C stated this with their classic Germans and the recent Marder. These are intended to be used in as wide a fashion as possible, which is great.
 
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