Figure Prices Rising AGAIN! (1 Viewer)

[uksubs]

It does seem that the market is shaking out into a 2 tier price structure with FL, K&C and Figarti in the upper tier and JJD, CS, TGM and Britains in the lower tier. I wonder if the price gap between the tiers will widen, stabilize or shrink over the next few years and whether the lower tier can keep price increases small? With many of the makers producing the same themes (WWII, NAPs) I am sure it will have an impact on what is being collected and provides some market niches for the lower price producers.

Terry

Your right that FL, K&C and Figarti are at the high price bracket but for me FL and Figarti have better detail to warrant a high price but K&C there been no improvement
to add for the extra cost

 

[ollie_drab]

I'd like to share an observation, for what it's worth. In the retail world as we all know, you encounter percentage store discounts, or mark-downs; or if you purchase multiple items of a given product, you may receive a price discount, as a reward for being a good customer, and because they want you to come back to spend more of your hard earned dollars on their products, in their store.

Not in this realm; and I'm not pointing to any vendor in particular. But I was part puzzled and part taken-back, when entering the exclusive niche' of K&C collecting, (still, retail concept in theory), upon discovering a price point matter-of-fact, a ubiquitous take-it-or leave-it, or the apathy in, "if you don't buy it, someone else will," sort of a quasi, "Seinfeld Soup-Nazi" price-fixed attitude. I guess that makes a piece more exclusive?

But wouldn't it be nice to have some kind of competitive price incentive offer, especially if you're going to drop some serious loot, or make multiple purchases? Another thought is "The Golden Rule," he who has the gold makes the rules!

 

[Gazza]

It does seem that the market is shaking out into a 2 tier price structure with FL, K&C and Figarti in the upper tier and JJD, CS, TGM and Britains in the lower tier. I wonder if the price gap between the tiers will widen, stabilize or shrink over the next few years and whether the lower tier can keep price increases small? With many of the makers producing the same themes (WWII, NAPs) I am sure it will have an impact on what is being collected and provides some market niches for the lower price producers.

Terry

Not so sure about that with regards to Figarti ….

WW2 soldiers KC - 2 figures £84; Figarti - 3 figures £84 !!!

KC RAF Bedford Fuel Browser £250; Figarti Tri-camo fuel truck £125 !!!!!!!

Gazza

 

[wayne556517]

Your right that FL, K&C and Figarti are at the high price bracket but for me FL and Figarti have better detail to warrant a high price but K&C there been no improvement
to add for the extra cost

Disagree with you mate as previously discussed (won't bring up the scale issue) Figarti make great vehicles but there figures i find are light,skinny and very delicate ive had heaps of probs with arms and legs falling off for no reason and paint flaking.
FL to small to got with anyone else so if you collect FL you can't mix and match and K&C many more release more variety,as for the detail they where already at a high level before China got there act together and have come leaps and bounds since the early stuff never had a problem with K&C and as stated before (won't get into that either)K&C have there reasons for the price increase.

 

[maddadicus]

I'd like to share an observation, for what it's worth. In the retail world as we all know, you encounter percentage store discounts, or mark-downs; or if you purchase multiple items of a given product, you may receive a price discount, as a reward for being a good customer, and because they want you to come back to spend more of your hard earned dollars on their products, in their store.

Not in this realm; and I'm not pointing to any vendor in particular. But I was part puzzled and part taken-back, when entering the exclusive niche' of K&C collecting, (still, retail concept in theory), upon discovering a price point matter-of-fact, a ubiquitous take-it-or leave-it, or the apathy in, "if you don't buy it, someone else will," sort of a quasi, "Seinfeld Soup-Nazi" price-fixed attitude. I guess that makes a piece more exclusive?

But wouldn't it be nice to have some kind of competitive price incentive offer, especially if you're going to drop some serious loot, or make multiple purchases? Another thought is "The Golden Rule," he who has the gold makes the rules!

All the vendors have had a no discount allowed pricing policy to protect the entire dealer network from the big boys from overwhelming the mom's and pop's. This prevents the " Walmart slash and burn the little guy scenario. " It also protects the profit margins of those little guys who cannot buy in the bulk that the big dealers might. Go to the other mfg.'s sections ,copy and paste your same statements and see how far you get. About as far as you will get here. BTW..if one cannot afford it, they are not meant to buy it..finance 101..Michael

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

Unfortunately allowing dealers to offer discounts in limted markets like collectables just does not work and eventually hurts the entire dealer network. I have witnessed this in the 1:6th world. I am constantly watching other dealers discounting new product below their costs just to have enough money to buy the next wave of new figures. Sometimes I can't figure out how they are even making any kind of profit. They must have good day jobs. As an example the new 1:6th Sherman tank Dragon is putting out in December. Not one dealer is even honoring the early order price. Numerous dealers are offering it so low that they are barely seeing a worthwhile profit. Plus it will be in short supply and probably end up being allocated to dealers.

This topic pops up every month. It is quite obvious that K&C has no intention of rolling back their pricing. If I were a betting man, which I am . I would say that prices will continue to steadly rise. I have made the choice too just not buy them anymore. I may buy an airplane now and then, but my K&C spending is down about 98% from where it was two years ago.

 

[ollie_drab]

Amid economic uncertainly, I can't help but be ambivalent about the exorbitant cost of collecting X,Y or Z's line across the board; approaching the cost of a monthly car payment, or home mortgage...thus seem absolutely ludicrous. I mean, how can I justify to my family, that I occasionally purchase a polystone airplane, tank and a few pewter troops, to the whopping tune of $600 USD? Therefore, I don't attempt to rationalize...but talk about buyer's remorse!

It's a slippery-slope when I question my own sense of ethics on these type of purchases; did I really get what I paid for? I mean, honestly; at prices we've seen, the cost kind of makes the little people, (me and possibly, the majority), feel a little more each day
"collector-disenfranchised"...just my 2 cents. Ollie.

 

[ollie_drab]

All the vendors have had a no discount allowed pricing policy to protect the entire dealer network from the big boys from overwhelming the mom's and pop's. This prevents the " Walmart slash and burn the little guy scenario. " It also protects the profit margins of those little guys who cannot buy in the bulk that the big dealers might. Go to the other mfg.'s sections ,copy and paste your same statements and see how far you get. About as far as you will get here. BTW..if one cannot afford it, they are not meant to buy it..finance 101..Michael

I disagree. This is a supply versus demand driven issue, more so than a Wallymart slash-and-burn, finance 101 cliche. Therefore, relationship between the quantity of a commodity that producers have available for sale and the quantity that consumers are willing and able to buy. Demand depends on the price of the commodity, the prices of related commodities, and consumers' incomes and tastes.

Supply depends not only on the price obtainable for the commodity but also on the prices of similar products, the techniques of production, and the availability and costs of inputs. The function of the market is to equalize demand and supply through the price mechanism. If buyers want to purchase more of a commodity than is available on the market, they will tend to bid the price up.

If more of a commodity is available than buyers care to purchase, suppliers will bid prices down. Thus, there is a tendency toward an equilibrium price at which the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied. The measure of the responsiveness of supply and demand to changes in price is their elasticity.

Kind regards,
Ollie.

 

[King & Country]

Re: Response to a Betting Man

Hi Guys,

No one (including me) will argue against the sad fact of rising costs and prices over the last 24-36 months. However I would like to make a more positive bet than my friend TSB… I would like to bet that many prices will stabilize and more than a few might actually reduce as a few new factories and suppliers come on line over the next few months…

Best wishes to one and all,
Andy C.

 

[marco55]

Re: Response to a Betting Man

Hi Guys,

No one (including me) will argue against the sad fact of rising costs and prices over the last 24-36 months. However I would like to make a more positive bet than my friend TSB… I would like to bet that many prices will stabilize and more than a few might actually reduce as a few new factories and suppliers come on line over the next few months…

Best wishes to one and all,
Andy C.

That would be good news indeed.{sm3}
mark

 

[Cyber Field Marshall]

Re: Response to a Betting Man

Hi Guys,

No one (including me) will argue against the sad fact of rising costs and prices over the last 24-36 months. However I would like to make a more positive bet than my friend TSB… I would like to bet that many prices will stabilize and more than a few might actually reduce as a few new factories and suppliers come on line over the next few months…

Best wishes to one and all,
Andy C.

That is most welcome news because my collecting has slowed to a trickle! I trust that someone that the industry revolves around would know.{bravo}}{bravo}}

 

[uksubs]

That would be good news indeed.{sm3}
mark

In UK someone else already IS...some recent comparisons

ME109 - KC £225 and JJD £155

2 WWII soldiers - KC £84 and TG £49

A mounted figure - KC £93 and TG £55

Tank – KC Stug £226 with one ½ figure and Figarti Sherman Calliope £240 includes two full figures

Gazza

I can't Belive there a £ 125.00 price difference between the two Me 109 ^&confuse

 

[uksubs]

Disagree with you mate as previously discussed (won't bring up the scale issue) Figarti make great vehicles but there figures i find are light,skinny and very delicate ive had heaps of probs with arms and legs falling off for no reason and paint flaking.
FL to small to got with anyone else so if you collect FL you can't mix and match and K&C many more release more variety,as for the detail they where already at a high level before China got there act together and have come leaps and bounds since the early stuff never had a problem with K&C and as stated before (won't get into that either)K&C have there reasons for the price increase.

That the good thing about the forum it all about opinions mate.

 

[wayne556517]

In UK someone else already IS...some recent comparisons

ME109 - KC £225 and JJD £155

2 WWII soldiers - KC £84 and TG £49

A mounted figure - KC £93 and TG £55

Tank – KC Stug £226 with one ½ figure and Figarti Sherman Calliope £240 includes two full figures

Gazza

I can't Belive there a £ 125.00 price difference between the two Me 109 ^&confuse

Neither can i as the K&C one is cheaper than JJD one in the US.....................^&confuse

 

[uksubs]

I am picking just my favorites as figures go and looking more towards vehicles as they give a better bang for the buck,with an occasional aircraft thrown in.

I'm doing the same mate {sm2}

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

I always play the "Don't Pass Line"

 

[Phantom Warrior]

In UK someone else already IS...some recent comparisons

ME109 - KC £225 and JJD £155

2 WWII soldiers - KC £84 and TG £49

A mounted figure - KC £93 and TG £55

Tank – KC Stug £226 with one ½ figure and Figarti Sherman Calliope £240 includes two full figures

Gazza

Not so sure about that with regards to Figarti ….

WW2 soldiers KC - 2 figures £84; Figarti - 3 figures £84 !!!

KC RAF Bedford Fuel Browser £250; Figarti Tri-camo fuel truck £125 !!!!!!!

Gazza

I don't know where these prices are from, but they are much different in the US and Canada. You have a huge price difference ME109 - KC £225 and JJD £155 but here they are almost identical in price K&C $229 vs JJD $238 The K&C Stug is $229 vs the Figarti Calliope at $299

Rather than compare price differences of one or two items which can be misleading, I split the manufacturers into two tiers based on their prices in general. Figarti fits the upper tier because they have a lot of expensive models and are more expensive in general than the lower tier companies which do not have expensive models.

Terry

 

[Gazza]

I don't know where these prices are from, but they are much different in the US and Canada. You have a huge price difference ME109 - KC £225 and JJD £155 but here they are almost identical in price K&C $229 vs JJD $238 The K&C Stug is $229 vs the Figarti Calliope at $299

Rather than compare price differences of one or two items which can be misleading, I split the manufacturers into two tiers based on their prices in general. Figarti fits the upper tier because they have a lot of expensive models and are more expensive in general than the lower tier companies which do not have expensive models.

Terry

Terry

As I stated in my first post these are UK prices.

As to where the prices are from - all the prices quoted are taken from authorised UK dealer websites. The KC prices are taken from KC UK, Figarti’s from their UK dealer Grey Goose, JJD from JJD UK and CS from one of their dealers.

I used these examples because they are recent releases and in some instances comparable products like the ME109.

I do not think it is misleading but a fair reflection of wider pricing. If you look at WW2 infantry, which I suspect is a big seller in UK, for c.£85 you get 4 TG figures, 3 Figarti and only 2 KC.

Now they are all made in China and so it can not just be as simple as increasing costs in China to account for such a differential in overall prices and recent increases.

For me, it is these price differentials that appear so out of tune that has seen my spending on new KC items drop to next to nothing in the past 18 months.

Gazza

 

[jazzeum]

This discussion seems to be focused on WW II. Well, there are other ranges (and companies) out there besides WW II. It's not the end all and be all of toy soldier collecting. I've cut my WW II purchases to almost nil and quite enjoying checking out other ranges as well as glossy. I know some others like Lancer and Louis have done that as well.

 

[Mitch]

Terry..

They are all valid accurate prices. We in the UK do have the worst or best prices according to where one sits as compared to other countries. Its why so many buy from overseas paying all the additional costs and, still paying less than UK prices.

Its a killer to many who collect from all the main manufactures

Jazzeum...

It is when you collect WWII if it is your preference. It would be like saying to a nap collector whose facing higer prices collect WWII
Mitch