How Many Collectors (1 Viewer)

[Asterix]

Are wargamers to be included or are they not "collectors?"

 

[katana]

A considerable number of collectors would be required to keep K&C, TCS, TG, JJD, FL and WB economically viable. Several manufacturers have fallen out in recent years i.e. Honor Bound.
Time will determine if increasing prices contract the market and result in a consolidation of manufacturers. I would be surprised if collectors of 1/30 Toy Soldiers exceeded 500,000 world wide.

 

[Vicknor]

A considerable number of collectors would be required to keep K&C, TCS, TG, JJD, FL and WB economically viable. Several manufacturers have fallen out in recent years i.e. Honor Bound.
Time will determine if increasing prices contract the market and result in a consolidation of manufacturers. I would be surprised if collectors of 1/30 Toy Soldiers exceeded 500,000 world wide.

I’d be amazed if it exceeded 50,000

Many years ago, people did not collect to the levels they do now (barring some famous ones).

From the Whatsapp groups we have here in Asia, I can tell you that it’s not uncommon for a good number of people to spend 10-30,000 USD per annum.

That’s a lot of ‘keeping afloat’ done by a smaller group of people.

 

[Oberstinhaber]

A considerable number of collectors would be required to keep K&C, TCS, TG, JJD, FL and WB economically viable. Several manufacturers have fallen out in recent years i.e. Honor Bound.
Time will determine if increasing prices contract the market and result in a consolidation of manufacturers. I would be surprised if collectors of 1/30 Toy Soldiers exceeded 500,000 world wide.

Who said anything about the numbers being restricted to 1/30 scale?

Clearly you agree with my point about the output of the "modern" makers.

There ate lots of us around the world who still collect 1/32 scale! And 30mm. They are still collectors. The guys who paint their own are still "collectors"

Sticking my neck out even further: I would say that collectors of 1/30 scale are a minority in world collecting. The scourge of the 1/30 figure has only been with us for the last 17, or so years. Thankfully there are parts of the world which have remained untainted. There are more manufacturers making 1/32 than there are making 1/30. Many of whom have been in business for a long time, and show no sign of folding.

Someone has to be buying all this stuff!

I suppose we will never know the real answer until all governments make it a compulsory question on the Census Form.

Oberstinhaber

 

[jazzeum]

A considerable number of collectors would be required to keep K&C, TCS, TG, JJD, FL and WB economically viable. Several manufacturers have fallen out in recent years i.e. Honor Bound.
Time will determine if increasing prices contract the market and result in a consolidation of manufacturers. I would be surprised if collectors of 1/30 Toy Soldiers exceeded 500,000 world wide.

Honour Bound ceasing to operate had nothing to do with the number of collectors but the costs of making items due to the Argentine economy. Even with more collectors, they would have lost money.

 

[katana]

Britains is the oldest Toy Soldier company and they established the 1/32 scale (54mm) figures.
The successor of Britains; W. Britains has even moved to 1/30 scale (60 mm). K&C moved from 1/32 to 1/30 as did Figarti and First legion started in 1/30. The upward trend in scale is well established. Toy Soldier makers that have stayed with 1/32 have failed i.e. Frontline or moved to 1/30 i.e. K&C, WB et.al. The current trend seems to be to even larger scales like 1/28 scale (65mm); which The Collectors Showcase established and which is approaching the old German Toy Soldier standard of 1/25 scale (70mm). Bigger seems to have become better insofar as Toy Soldiers are concerned, much like castings have increased in size from the traditional 54mm to 75mm, 90mm and 120mm!

I define Toy Soldier collectors in the modern sense as purchasers of prefinished Military Figures.
I paint castings and build plastic models; but those are hobbies not serious collections with resale value on the secondary market.

Who said anything about the numbers being restricted to 1/30 scale?

Clearly you agree with my point about the output of the "modern" makers.

There ate lots of us around the world who still collect 1/32 scale! And 30mm. They are still collectors. The guys who paint their own are still "collectors"

Sticking my neck out even further: I would say that collectors of 1/30 scale are a minority in world collecting. The scourge of the 1/30 figure has only been with us for the last 17, or so years. Thankfully there are parts of the world which have remained untainted. There are more manufacturers making 1/32 than there are making 1/30. Many of whom have been in business for a long time, and show no sign of folding.

Someone has to be buying all this stuff!

I suppose we will never know the real answer until all governments make it a compulsory question on the Census Form.

Oberstinhaber

 

[jazzeum]

The collecting universe is bigger than just the companies you have named. Moreover, you can’t limit it to painted figures. There are numerous collectors who buy castings and paint them.

 

[Ghostrider]

According to "Sheldon's Resource Book of Collectors", Toy Soldiers Collectors section, as of 9:01, Jan 30, 2018, there are exactly 3,653,982 and 1 in the oven.:tongue::wink2: