General Question to All!! (1 Viewer)

[gus123]

So i wanted to start collecting the ANCIENT EGYPT sets but notice that all the facades/main pieces are long gone.
My question is maybe to K&C also is this a way for the company to loss business? Well fo me i did some research n decide to not go ahead with it. I guess K&C allready made their money from all those AE 10-16 sets but i guess it will stop from new business. will it did for me cause without those pieces it just no point in getting whatever is left. U get my point.

 

[spartan71]

Well I can see your point, But at the same time. K&C can not keep going making items even though in the future someone else might get interested. Just because just to get a few more to buy. they have to make a lot more than what the need really is. and At the same time the collectability. Also perishes. And every King and Country collector will tell you its that reason why they buy K&C products. Having a piece that not every one has got. And if K& C. Does make a few thousand more than, what is needed. Then they can not justify, charging a hundred and fifty bucks for lets say, a sherman tank. so they have either an overabundance of shermans, or sell it cheap, And lower the price. And at the same time. they have wasted all this materials that, could have been used on something else. If you were them. you will do the same thing. you can never over saturate on your products.

 

[Njja]

So i wanted to start collecting the ANCIENT EGYPT sets but notice that all the facades/main pieces are long gone.
My question is maybe to K&C also is this a way for the company to loss business? Well fo me i did some research n decide to not go ahead with it. I guess K&C allready made their money from all those AE 10-16 sets but i guess it will stop from new business. will it did for me cause without those pieces it just no point in getting whatever is left. U get my point.

........................................................................................................

Andy (King & Country) has coved this many times, but that doesn't help the

new collectors so here goes. Warehouse space in HK is very expensive, so

everytime Andy produces a new product he needs room to store it before it

ships out to his dealers world wide. When his inventory runs down he has to decide to either produce another run or

discontinue it and use the space for a new release. It must be a difficult decision at times, but many collectors keep bugging him for new releases!

Andy has to decide to either run off more of a product with declining sales, storing the remainder, or issuing a new product with far more available

sales. Its strictly a business decision, when you consider the number of new items Andy has released since the begining it would be nearly impossible to

continue producing everything.

So jump in, buy what you can, and join the hunt for the items you would like to have! It adds to the enjoyment of the hobby! Remember with the

possible exception of one or two collectors everyone has items they missed and wish they could find.

I am very lucky I have some wonderful pieces including a Vietnam Firebase, Backlot Buildings, and a Diorama built by Andy

for his great Arnhem Figures release, but this is maybe 5% of the things I would like to have found!

But tomorrow is another day, and you never know what is going to turn up next!

 

[johno2412]

........................................................................................................

Andy (King & Country) has coved this many times, but that doesn't help the

new collectors so here goes. Warehouse space in HK is very expensive, so

everytime Andy produces a new product he needs room to store it before it

ships out to his dealers world wide. When his inventory runs down he has to decide to either produce another run or

discontinue it and use the space for a new release. It must be a difficult decision at times, but many collectors keep bugging him for new releases!

Andy has to decide to either run off more of a product with declining sales, storing the remainder, or issuing a new product with far more available

sales. Its strictly a business decision, when you consider the number of new items Andy has released since the begining it would be nearly impossible to

continue producing everything.

So jump in, buy what you can, and join the hunt for the items you would like to have! It adds to the enjoyment of the hobby! Remember with the

possible exception of one or two collectors everyone has items they missed and wish they could find.

I am very lucky I have some wonderful pieces including a Vietnam Firebase, Backlot Buildings, and a Diorama built by Andy

for his great Arnhem Figures release, but this is maybe 5% of the things I would like to have found!

But tomorrow is another day, and you never know what is going to turn up next!

njja
very well put,i couldnt have explained it better myself.
myself as a lot of people will know on this site iv'e been collecting k&c napoleonics for 18 months and in that time have picked up retired sets, its just a question of looking out for the rigth set to come along and more so being in the rigth place at the rigth time.

 

[King & Country]

Hi Guys,
Re GUS123’s point… Our good friends John (NJJA) and SPARTAN answered the query even better than I could.
Suffice to say that as we retire a specific item in any particular series we are usually working on newer items which may replace or add to the original series.
In the not-too-distant future you’ll be seeing some rather unusual display pieces which I believe (and hope) will work very nicely with our Egyptian range… And I don’t mean more naked dancing girls!!!
So, GUS123, take John and Spartan’s good advice and start searching or… hang around a wee while and see what’s in store…
Best wishes, good luck and good hunting!
Andy C.

 

[Humbug]

[QUOTE=King & Country; And I don’t mean more naked dancing girls!!!

Oh gee!!! That is so sad to read!!!

 

[jazzeum]

Hi Guys,
In the not-too-distant future you’ll be seeing some rather unusual display pieces which I believe (and hope) will work very nicely with our Egyptian range… And I don’t mean more naked dancing girls!!!

That's the final straw for me . No more dancing girls????? What is the world coming to?

 

[OldDragon]

Hunbug

...them gals are moving over to the NAPs

OD

 

[Sans Culotte]

It's all very well & good for those with deep pockets and/or fluid incomes to say something like "buy it while it's available" or "catch as catch can." But, for someone like myself, on a very fixed income, the K & C inventory line doesn't work. I've found that, just when I have a few $ available to buy other K & C pieces to work toward completing something, the pieces are retired and/or already gone (except on Ebay, where I can't usually compete). For pieces like the temple facade or the French farmhouse, why can't K & C re-issue them when the orders reach a certain (profitable) number? It seems that in trying to be all things to all people in terms of collectible time periods, K & C is more like it has Attention Deficit Disorder, constantly making & then retiring items. Before the K & C loyalists come swarming out like fire ants, with if-you-can't-take-the-heat-get-out-of-the-kitchen advice, I'll save them the trouble & guess that I'll have to do just that. Sorry.

 

[jazzeum]

I think the problem with remaking something is that K & C, like most companies in any line of business, has a forecast and accompanying production schedule and taking out one thing upsets the whole apple cart. Many businesses, if they can't fit a product into their production schedule may just discontinue it or divest it.

There is also the problem of saving the molds, which takes up space, not to mention that most manufacturers want to look ahead and not behind as to what they make. Making exactly the same thing is necessarily something they want to do; "been there, done that."

I know this is frustrating for some newer collectors; I would have loved to have one of the old, old 88s (WS 20 or 23) but just got there a little too late. That was just the way it was.

 

[Njja]

It's all very well & good for those with deep pockets and/or fluid incomes to say something like "buy it while it's available" or "catch as catch can." But, for someone like myself, on a very fixed income, the K & C inventory line doesn't work.

First off lets forget about those with "deep pockets" as most of us are just
normal collectors with certain limitations. Most of us now have to pick and choose what we will add to our collections. Some of us develop a plan to help us keep up, but even then you have to make some choices.

Many years ago King & Country had a much smaller selection, and many of us
waited quite awhile for new items to be released to add to our collections. Today thanks to Andy's creations, and his loyal customer base he produces many more items then the average collector can keep up with. Instead of being upset that you might miss something, be happy you have such a wide range of items to choose from.

And don't feel like the lone ranger, we all have items we simply can't add to our collections. I once had the entire Napoleonic range but decided to sell it because I simply had no more room......(don't tell Capitolron) I still have a few pieces but thats all.

I'm glad to have the opportunity of always having something I just can't live without.......besides another harley davidson, or SSR.

 

[Capitolron]

I once had the entire Napoleonic range but decided to sell it because I simply had no more room......(don't tell Capitolron)

What ?

How could you ?

Oh forgive them Lord - they know not what they do ....

As for the situation of no diorama pieces being available - well, when these are produced - usually around 2,000 - I believe - No one knows for sure what will take off or not ?

Still today there are WWII bunkers, mortar pits, artillery bunkers available at great prices - everyone is looking past them at other things and the next thing that happens - they get retired - then everyone is scrambling for them. My point is buy what you can - prioritize your collection and think about what will be harder to pick up after its retired.

Do those things and you can avoid unhappiness. IMHO.

Everyone missed something when they started collecting - thats just the way it is - so plan your purchases and you will be ahead of the game !

Regards, Ron

 

[Panzer ace]

Like many collectors I started (or re-started) collecting K&C long after they started the company. With that said, obviously I missed out on quite a few pieces, many of which are back-drops or diorama bits. I love the new stuff, but I also enjoy going on the hunt for the retired items I want. Searching in itself is fun and not only leads to the things I want, but it opens up many other avenues as well, i.e. diorama ideas or meeting other collectors.

 

[Njja]

What ?

How could you ?

Oh forgive them Lord - they know not what they do ....

Regards, Ron

........................................................................................................

Ronnnnnn I did keep Nappy I just cut his army down to size......about

ten!

 

[APACHEJOL]

So i wanted to start collecting the ANCIENT EGYPT sets but notice that all the facades/main pieces are long gone.
My question is maybe to K&C also is this a way for the company to loss business? Well fo me i did some research n decide to not go ahead with it. I guess K&C allready made their money from all those AE 10-16 sets but i guess it will stop from new business. will it did for me cause without those pieces it just no point in getting whatever is left. U get my point.

You cannot get frustrated buy what is avaliable and build on that. Or wait until a new line gets started. Unless it is a tank that will be remade for the 18th time you could be in for a long haul. Be paitient and wait K@C always seems to come through and the best thing is they usually let you know when its coming and when its leaving cant ask for much more than that.

 

[spartan71]

Deep pockets, is the ultimate dream for any collector. To buy everything at a moments notice. and enjoy every piece that we realy like, gaze at it into almost infinite times.
And to those that we just like a little, to be shoved in some place. just seen from time to time. that is deep pockets.
But, in reality. Almost all collectors, almost all the time. Every piece we buy. Is thought of carefully ( if there is an abundance of it), or we are ready to strike, in a moments notice. On pieces, that we have been looking for quite sometime.
Almost a year ago, I found myself buying a King&Country tank, saying to myself. Just one. just to see the quality.
And Quality it is!! I now have all this tanks (20+), and Thirty two pcs.total
Plus 1 figarti (their pretty cool too)(except THAT they should put a layer of protective spray so the paint wont flake,For Figarti) ( K&C has no problems.)
Now, if you asked me If It took me years to buy this pcs.instead of a year. would I still have gone to this hobby. Then yes, even if it took me the rest of my life to have the same pieces.
So Buy one, every year, if you can buy two, if you can buy......... Every year. This hobby does make you smile.

 

[Rob]

First off lets forget about those with "deep pockets" as most of us are just
normal collectors with certain limitations. Most of us now have to pick and choose what we will add to our collections. Some of us develop a plan to help us keep up, but even then you have to make some choices.

Many years ago King & Country had a much smaller selection, and many of us
waited quite awhile for new items to be released to add to our collections. Today thanks to Andy's creations, and his loyal customer base he produces many more items then the average collector can keep up with. Instead of being upset that you might miss something, be happy you have such a wide range of items to choose from.

And don't feel like the lone ranger, we all have items we simply can't add to our collections. I once had the entire Napoleonic range but decided to sell it because I simply had no more room......(don't tell Capitolron) I still have a few pieces but thats all.

I'm glad to have the opportunity of always having something I just can't live without.......besides another harley davidson, or SSR.

Wise words.Almost Every collector has things he'd wished he'd got but had to pass on,this hobby is very addictive and its easy to become a completist.However i find this hard these days so have to make hard decisions,however this does have a benefit in that you know the stuff you do buy is really what you want and just what your collection needs.Since giving up the attempt at being a completist across all ranges i find i am enjoying my collecting even more.Since concentrating on ranges that mean the most to me i am finding that i am starting to have much more depth to those series as opposed to a smattering across the board.I now have the full Arnhem collection large Bulge,D Day and FJ collections.

As Njja said,try and concentrate your efforts on what you can get as opposed to worrying over retired items,its much more rewarding.

Rob

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Wise words.Almost Every collector has things he'd wished he'd got but had to pass on,this hobby is very addictive and its easy to become a completist.However i find this hard these days so have to make hard decisions,however this does have a benefit in that you know the stuff you do buy is really what you want and just what your collection needs.Since giving up the attempt at being a completist across all ranges i find i am enjoying my collecting even more.Since concentrating on ranges that mean the most to me i am finding that i am starting to have much more depth to those series as opposed to a smattering across the board.I now have the full Arnhem collection large Bulge,D Day and FJ collections.

As Njja said,try and concentrate your efforts on what you can get as opposed to worrying over retired items,its much more rewarding.

Rob

So it is true - you are a completionist! Well so am I. When it is rampant, I often end up with pieces I do not want and get into series I should not. If I bought one piece of Napoleon, I would buy them all - I am a big fan of the Sharpe books. But I have been able to limit myself this time to WW2 armour and soldiers focused on D-Day, Waffen SS, the Bulge, Afrika Korps and 8th Army and Fall of Berlin and Fields of Battle. With a few "special to me" LHA, FJ and Iwo Jima pieces.

When I began collecting K&C, my plan was to get glass shelf cabinets and show every piece, but I ran out of room. The completionist cure was to buy only pieces that I really liked and/or were important for a diorama. Now instead of just lining up the vehicles 2 wide along the shelves, I am beginning to fit them into scenarios with some uneeded pieces going back in the box and possibly onto e-bay. Putting the pieces into scenarios has greatly increased my enjoyment of them and the visual impact is not blunted by a clutter of unnecessary pieces.

Terry

 

[Cyber Field Marshall]

I and many others on this forum can appreciate your frustration with being on a limited budget for this hobby especially when there are so many wonderful things we'd love to purchase. Big picture, this is just a hobby, a luxury and like most hobbies it can be expensive so just enjoy the fact you are participating in it in whatever way you can. The last thing a hobby should bring you is bad feelings and frustrations, a hobby should be a way of escaping those feelings!
Myself personally I got into the game a few years ago and ofcourse have missed many awesome pieces. I also can't afford everything I want so I pick and choose. I tend to focus on some specific ranges ( semi-completist ) like Arnhem and cherry pick individual pieces from other ranges that really speak to me like MK 052 the Bishop of Tours from the Crusader range. Ofcourse I've had to make do with pictures of many pieces that I'll probably never have such as the original Pz. II WS 041 and I'm O.K. with it. However if I win the lottery.............

 

[Richard Tree]

I to can not have everything that's on offer. But hé, that is also the fun part of collecting. Trying to get a piece that is long retired or missing. Buying a new model fresh from the shelve. It also made me travel a lot in the real and virtual world, meeting many nice people on and off the net.

It is nice to find a thing you want on the net, in a shop or at a show. Some times you pay a lot, but then and again you are lucky and have the find of your live.

Furthermore I like the decission making. Should I buy it or leave it? Pick up just one piece of a range or buy them all. Just K&C or others?
And as others say it's a luxery and a choice. at least we have a choice.
I enjoy every piece I have and dream of more, and that is also a pleasent part of this hobby.