How Does K&C Decide on Cost??? (2 Viewers)

[Rob]

Does it sometimes feel something akin to a Boxing Ref Brad?

Rob

 

[jazzeum]

Brad,

I also don't normally depict dead or dying soldiers (or civilians for that matter) unless its integral to the story I'm attempting to tell, as per a few shot French troops I previously posted in the Diorama section of this forum. The Heydrich set is a bit different IMO. It depicts a Nazi beast receiving his just rewards. I haven't quite made up my mind as to whether I'll get it yet although I'm being nagged constantly by the Missus - who really likes it (?) . I want to see it in the flesh, so to speak, before I'll finally make up my mind. I really like the look of the car. If I do purchase the set, I may not necessarily include the figures in any future display. Depends on what alternatives I might dream up, I suppose.

PS. Love the FoB & D-Day Display. Its what I was really meaning in my previous posts on this issue. For some collectors it would be blasphemy, for others (like me) the inaccuracies don't matter. Its the pleasure we get from displaying some nice figures and vehicles together that counts.
One of the many great aspects of this hobby is that its up to each individual what they want to buy and how he/she wants to display their collection. IMO.

Thanks on the display. Pictures are not one tenth as good as yours and I really love your SOHK displays. For my money, that is probably the best series K & C makes. Unfortunately, no room but it's a beautifully depicted and painted series.

If your wife wants the Heydrich set, well you know you'll be buying it

 

[jazzeum]

Och Brad - You love it really......

Does it sometimes feel something akin to a Boxing Ref Brad?

Rob

Yes, and I'm the punching bag. Well, it certainly livens it up. It's certainly much better when everything is placid. When I first saw this thread, I said to myself, "this one has potential for spiraling out of control."

 

[Harrytheheid]

Yes, and I'm the punching bag. Well, it certainly livens it up. It's certainly much better when everything is placid. When I first saw this thread, I said to myself, "this one has potential for spiraling out of control."

Seems to be calming down a bit now though.
Mind you, I don't understand how K&C can have the nerve and brass neck to charge an extra 2 bucks for a wee bit of blue paint. Shame on the Capitalist Profiteer.....Hang Him High say's I.

 

[jazzeum]

For some reason, King and Country seems to be, as I call it, "the Wild West" on this Forum

 

[Capitolron]

Is it safe to come out now?

 

[jazzeum]

Is it safe to come out now?

No, back under the covers!

 

[Capitolron]

OK, OK - I was just checking.....dang, cant get this door to the bomb shelter open again

 

[Rutledge]

I've seen much more entertaining arguements in this forum in the past

Wow, now I definitely have to take issue with this statement!

Kidding, kidding, kidding...although I must admit to finding my arguments the most interesting of all....

 

[Harrytheheid]

Is it safe to come out now?

It always was safe Ron. Just the usual "lively" discussions.....

 

[Harrytheheid]

Wow, now I definitely have to take issue with this statement!

Ho, ho , ho - Trust me Rutledge, there's been some pretty good "lively" discussions, even in the very recent past, that have had me howling with laughter. This has been one of the softer and more gentlemanly ones....Some of our friends tend to see a red rage before their eyes and post before selecting brain.....me included. But then again, I do happen to have an extremely warped sense of humour.....

 

[Rob]

Its like the rainstorms i experienced in St Lucia,for about half an hour it would absolutely pour down and then five mins later,all was sunshine again!

Rob

 

[Rutledge]

Trust me Rutledge, there's been some pretty good "lively" discussions, even in the very recent past, that have had me howling with laughter....Some of our friends tend to see a red rage before their eyes and post before selecting brain.....me included. But then again, I do happen to have an extremely warped sense of humour

Well darn it all, Harry, I guess I will just have to work on my posting skills in order to "compete" better here!

Did you catch my last long post before it was "moderated"? I thought it a well-crafted response, meant to entertain and make you "howl"...

 

[Harrytheheid]

Thanks on the display. Pictures are not one tenth as good as yours and I really love your SOHK displays. For my money, that is probably the best series K & C makes. Unfortunately, no room but it's a beautifully depicted and painted series.

Thank you for the kind comment. I have to admit that I've seen a vast improvement over my earlier efforts.
A big thanks also to those who've offered their experience and advise as to how I could improve the quality of my photos. It has paid off in spades IMHO.

 

[Harrytheheid]

Well darn it all, Harry, I guess I will just have to work on my posting skills in order to "compete" better here!

Did you catch my last long post before it was "moderated"? I thought it a well-crafted response, meant to entertain and make you "howl"...

Yes, I certainly did catch it in time. I've been following this thread with great interest and anticipation.
PS. There's no need to "compete". These type of "discussions" are entertaining enough without that.

 

[Rutledge]

I certainly did catch it in time. I've been following this thread with great interest and anticipation. PS. There's no need to "compete". Its entertaining enough without that.

Great H, hope you found it as entertaining to read as I did in writing it.

Dont worry, my non-blog life, between work and the golf course, is competitive enough. Just here for diversion - and maybe occassionally to defend truth, justice and the American way

 

[Harrytheheid]

Guys,

Lets all get together and do this in Chicago over drinks in Andy's room. Its a heckuva lot more fun that way, we're a lot less likely to take offense face to face (plus there will be cool new products and dioramas to drool over while we have our discussion).

Huh.....Spoilsport....

 

[Canadian Samurai]

As far as your name goes, where or how you derived it is really unknowable to the rest of us. All we know is, Samurais were warriors. Thus the Aggressive reference.

Darn, you’ve got me pegged – every morning I sip Japanese tea before practicing my ancient katana sword technique in the backyard by slicing up inaccurate K&C figures, in anticipation of holding up the mailman and looting him of any figures he may be carrying.

I’d be intrigued to hear your judgments of other board members based on their forum name/avatar…. do you think Shannon is really a former princess turned treefrog?

And then there was old "Adolph from Austria", who was really Andy (or associate) in disguise - though I'm not convinced Rutledge that you are not also someone on the inside, or another member of this forum, in disguise.

Ummmm, I would not agree Toy soldiers are for collecting and consuming -- not investing. Shareholders, investors and lenders have money at stake. The K&C dealers may actually have money at risk. We just have a bad habit that Andy keeps feeding.

First of all I only buy K&C sets to keep, not to sell, but some do invest in them, and that's their choice to make. Second, when I get a set in the mail and two of the four gun barrels are bent or broken, then yes, my money is at stake, because I felt like I got less than what I thought I was paying for, no different then someone on the stock market getting lowers returns then they thought on their investment. Last time I checked, the economy exists ultimately to improve the welfare of the vast majority of the consuming populace for whom $100 is a lot of money to throw around lightly, not investors or lenders who already have plenty of money to spare on dubious investments like the housing bubble.

Unless perhaps you provide the same "service" to other businesses that you patronize?

Yes I do, in many hobbies. It is the wave of the future in business, and I think it is a very positive development, thanks largely to the internet. I only wish more companies would realize this fact and make direct communication with them easier. That is one major kudos to the toy soldier industry, including Andy - the heads of companies listen directly to what you say rather than isolating themselves in ivory towers shielded by automated call-answering defences. Now if only the rest of the corporate world would follow suit, imagine how much better our world could be.

Its more when someone challenges basic business practices -- like how pricing is determined. That, to me, is on the verge of questionning someone's integrity - which is over the line, if you ask me.

If you’re really so keen on talking business/economics, sure, let’s dance.

Personally, I cannot find much to fault about K&C pricing (though the StuG is creeping up a bit high IMO) – when they’re done right, which is most of the time, I think K&C products are an excellent value for the money.

With that said, while I can see where you're coming from regarding questioning integrity (overpriced goods could rightly or wrongly be construed as implying that a business is "cheating" the customer), overall I really don’t see a major problem in discussing the merits of a company’s pricing strategy, and Andy didn’t seem to mind either. After all, if you’ve taken any economics, you know market equilibrium price is achieved by the intersection of the supply curve (producers) and demand curve (consumers). Therefore for a price-elastic, luxury good (certainly toy soldiers qualify here), consumers have as much role in setting prices as a business does and therefore they have the right to question and make judgments about prices wherever and whenever they choose. By trying to suppress the demand side of the business equation (Spick's post) you set off this whole debate in the first place. Attempting to stifle dissent only makes it stronger.

Like I said before, this gets back to whether you believe philosophically that business should be driven by a top-down or bottom-up approach. I would argue that top-down, “producer knows best” mass production is an anachronistic relic of the 20th century, slowly being usurped in the new internet/e-commerce age by product conceptualization and personalized consumption that is driven first and foremost by the preferences of consumers. If you’re interested in reading more about this aspect of business theory there is an emerging body of literature available. Cheers.

 

[Wraith]

If you’re really so keen on talking business/economics, sure, let’s dance.

Personally, I cannot find much to fault about K&C pricing (though the StuG is creeping up a bit high IMO) – when they’re done right, which is most of the time, I think K&C products are an excellent value for the money.

With that said, while I can see where you're coming from regarding questioning integrity (overpriced goods could rightly or wrongly be construed as implying that a business is "cheating" the customer), overall I really don’t see a major problem in discussing the merits of a company’s pricing strategy, and Andy didn’t seem to mind either. After all, if you’ve taken any economics, you know market equilibrium price is achieved by the intersection of the supply curve (producers) and demand curve (consumers). Therefore for a price-elastic, luxury good (certainly toy soldiers qualify here), consumers have as much role in setting prices as a business does and therefore they have the right to question and make judgments about prices wherever and whenever they choose. By trying to suppress the demand side of the business equation (Spick's post) you set off this whole debate in the first place. Attempting to stifle dissent only makes it stronger.

Like I said before, this gets back to whether you believe philosophically that business should be driven by a top-down or bottom-up approach. I would argue that top-down, “producer knows best” mass production is an anachronistic relic of the 20th century, slowly being usurped in the new internet/e-commerce age by product conceptualization and personalized consumption that is driven first and foremost by the preferences of consumers. If you’re interested in reading more about this aspect of business theory there is an emerging body of literature available. Cheers.

Did anyone else leave school with a qualification in woodwork, or is it just me?
I was with you up until 'let's dance', but headed to the bar after that...
Simon

 

[jazzeum]

Simon,

I took wood shop in junior high school and sad to say, I failed with a big fat F

I did like print shop, though. That was fun.