Hachette/k&c (1 Viewer)

[wellington]

Guys just noticed these new figures out from HACHETTE desinged by K&C....They are VERY nice and it appears that they are very similar in paint jobs...they are much better than Delprado..for a fraction of the cost....


Has any one seen these the new Napoleonic club figure is one of them can't tell the difference...anyone know of these figures??



WELLINGTON

 

[Capitolron]

I wish we had HACHETTE dealers in the United States - they are coming out with some great figures.

 

[kilted vampire]

I wish we had HACHETTE dealers in the United States - they are coming out with some great figures.

Anything has to be better than Del Prado. Their service stinks like death warmed over. Any body wanna buy a bunch of Napoleonics cheap?

 

[Capitolron]

Anything has to be better than Del Prado. Their service stinks like death warmed over. Any body wanna buy a bunch of Napoleonics cheap?

ME ME

 

[wellington]

They really look much nicer than DelPrado.......I know the sculpting is done by K&C but the paint work on the DelPrados are bad. Does anyone own any Hachette to confirm if the quality is there?


WELLINGTON

 

[OzDigger]

For some time I have been curious about the true relationship between King & Country figure issues and similar poses distributed later by publishing companies such as Hachette, Del Prado etc.

Can someone enlighten me/us about the matter?

 

[Steven Chong]

For some time I have been curious about the true relationship between King & Country figure issues and similar poses distributed later by publishing companies such as Hachette, Del Prado etc.

Can someone enlighten me/us about the matter?

Hachette and Del Prado are publishers of special interest publications that commission K&C to make provide painted figures for them. I understand that magazines with a free prize like a figure, die cast vehicle, doll, etc. are very popular in Europe. They do not pay much per figure, so the painting quality is not to K&C's usual standards. Since they commission the figures, Hachette and Del Prado retain the rights to the original figure with the particular paint work, and K&C cannot sell the figures under their own label. K&C did offer some Napoleonic calvary sets by altering the pose of some Del Prado calvary pieces and painting them as a different regiment ("KCS" sets), so they could do this with other commissioned figures. Within the last year, Michigan Toy Soldier bought the rights to the Del Prado figures and is currently offering them.

 

[OzDigger]

Thanks Steve, do K & C actually make the Hachette and Del Prado figures?

Or

Do they design them and have them made in bulk by a manufacturing company?

 

[Wraith]

There are a couple that seem to be the same mould as K&C, such as one of the AK 11 FJ figures and the US Airborne from the DD01 set (below). Not sure which came first though. Figures appear identical, apart from the bases, but there is a distint difference in painting standard, even when compared against these early K&C figures.

Simon

 

[maddadicus]

Is this an outlet for K/C to still use viable molds of retired poses? It would give a collector a chance to pick up, long gone poses, cheap, to fill in their K/C army............If retired molds are being used, it this OK with most? Michael

 

[Steven Chong]

Thanks Steve, do K & C actually make the Hachette and Del Prado figures?

Or

Do they design them and have them made in bulk by a manufacturing company?

Your second thought is correct. K&C does not produce any of its retail figures itself. After sculpting the figure and preparing master paint samples, K&C contracts with several companies to China to produce the figures.

 

[Steven Chong]

There are a couple that seem to be the same mould as K&C, such as one of the AK 11 FJ figures and the US Airborne from the DD01 set (below). Not sure which came first though ...

Louis would know better but I believe DD01 came before the Del Prado version. To save on some of the sculpting costs, K&C probably used some existing castings when Hachette and Del Prado commissioned the figures.

 

[Steven Chong]

Is this an outlet for K/C to still use viable molds of retired poses? It would give a collector a chance to pick up, long gone poses, cheap, to fill in their K/C army............If retired molds are being used, it this OK with most? Michael

K&C maximizing its capital investment ... just make a new mold from an old sculpted master.

 

[OzDigger]

Your second thought is correct. K&C does not produce any of its retail figures itself. After sculpting the figure and preparing master paint samples, K&C contracts with several companies to China to produce the figures.

Thanks Steve, do you know how many people there are on the K & C design team? (I understand Andy is in the artistic section at K & C but based on their output I assume they have several artist/designers.)

 

[kilted vampire]

The sculpts are laregely the same. The painting well let us just say that the painters are intraining

 

[Wraith]

Hot off the press, I've just finished repainting these 2 Del Prado figures in preperation for the British Para invasion. Not as good as some, but I think better than they were when they left the factory.

Simon

 

[kilted vampire]

Good for you. Great sculpts for repainting. I alway said.

 

[nmrocks]

Hot off the press, I've just finished repainting these 2 Del Prado figures in preperation for the British Para invasion. Not as good as some, but I think better than they were when they left the factory.

Simon

Very nice job, Kepp it up.
Ray

 

[Peter Reuss]

Andy responded to this question on another thread:

As most of you know K&C designed many, many figures for both companies...Occasionally, their own production teams either ran out of ideas or needed something in a hurry so would utilize one of K&C’s own designs or masters with minimal changes. That’s why on a rare few figures there is the similarity.

 

[Wraith]

KV, Ray,

Cheers for the comments. I'll keep attacking with more, time permitting.

Simon