Is it too much? (1 Viewer)

[zup66]

1250,this quantity on the sl realeases is probably a request of the dealers, i think that: the best way is in the middle 800/1000 pieces for a sl release

the rommel 750 pieces sold out in 16 hours had push Andy to reconsidered this number, now we have more time to decide to buy or not a strictly limited realease,this sets stay available for two months on the market

i dont known if is good or not for the collectors, is a personal opinion

??????????????????????????????


max


very happy for hayden a little bit less for our valentino rossi

 

[boot51]

1250,this quantity on the sl realeases is probably a request of the dealers, i think that: the best way is in the middle 800/1000 pieces for a sl release

the rommel 750 pieces sold out in 16 hours had push Andy to reconsidered this number, now we have more time to decide to buy or not a strictly limited realease,this sets stay available for two months on the market

i dont known if is good or not for the collectors, is a personal opinion

??????????????????????????????


max


very happy for hayden a little bit less for our valentino rossi

Hi Max

I think 999, a la winter tiger, has a nice ring to it. Right now 1250 seems to be a stretch, but we'll have to see how the Sherman sells. There still appears to be plenty of Panzer Meyers available, but I'm sure they'll sell eventually as the collector base expands.

Fred

 

[Pierre]

Hi Max

...but I'm sure they'll sell eventually as the collector base expands.

Fred

Hi Fred-

All the items released by K&C are eventually sold, no matter the collector's base. Max is right, the dealers wanted more SL exampleries to siphon (my opinion) the money that may be possibly spent on the secondary market (like it happened for the AK29).

Pierre.

 

[OzDigger]

I noted on another thread that K & C needs to sell at least 1,000 examples of a set or piece to make it economically viable which may explain the increased price of Strictly Limited editions under 1,000. However when numbers get above 1,000 I feel you meet buyer resistance to pricing much above the standard set prices.

Further-more I believe the speculators amongst us are more likely to buy two or more sets of the SL issues under 1,000 as they can see a quick profit in a relatively short time.

Therefore with SL sets above 1,000 pieces. You get fewer speculators buying for resale and you also attract fewer guys that want to buy them purely for their collection because the SL price is so much above the standard tank set price.

Consequently I feel Strictly Limited sets should be between 500 and 750 pieces but not based on popular characters/vehicles which are more suited to higher production runs at cheaper pricing. Done this way the collector is happy because he can buy what he wants at a reasonable price, and the speculators will be happier paying more for shorter run sets. K & C and their dealers will be happy because they will see higher turnovers.

 

[boot51]

I like Oz's idea of making the SL's more generic and not attached to any one particular personality. The SL Stug IV and Winter Tiger can be used in multiples in the same display, how many Rommel, or Panzer Meyer vehicles can you have in same diorama? At least the Sherman will look good in multiples, but you still payed a lot of money for the duplicate tank just to have a couple of figures that you'll probably leave sitting in the box.

Fred

 

[Combat]

I've seen a lot of KC items gathering dust at various shops recently. Just an informal opinion, but either things have slowed down or the mass of new sets is creating a backlog of unsold items.

 

[CannonFodder1971]

I've seen a lot of KC items gathering dust at various shops recently. Just an informal opinion, but either things have slowed down or the mass of new sets is creating a backlog of unsold items.

I think a little perspective may be needed on this issue: it took K&C several years to bring the DD and WS ranges to say DD25 patrol or WS25 (2nd polystone Tiger). It took only perhaps a further 2 years or so to reach DD50 and WS50. It took about a further 1½ years to exceed DD75 and WS75. I think the increase in the number of releases must be a contributory factor, but it is also a statement of K&C's confidence in the future. However, it does mean that nowadays your 4 figure set is not just 1 of perhaps 500 but is possibly 1 of 2000 and there are 20 or 30 similar sets in the series (eg the revisiting of various themes and vehicles).

I also think that the distinction between K&C and other scales (lack of interchangeability etc) has led to specifically K&C-oriented collectors too, e.g. previously they were WWII buffs with some Britains, Conte etc but now they are K&C collectors with American Revolution, Ancient Egypt, SOHK, WWII etc all competing for their collecting dollars when all they intended to collect was WWII. I think that can be a factor amongst the existing collectorship too: K&C fans are not keeping up with the rate of new releases, and are becoming more selective in their purchases.

Inevitably there'll be a slowdown. However, I have no bricks-and-mortar outlets near me. You're in a major historical location, with plenty of souvenir and history-oriented retailers, many of whom stock K&C. If there's a slowdown you're bound to notice it. However, it should be borne in mind that many collectors only buy perhaps one or two sets per annum for a small display cabinet or the office desktop. Their collecting begins and ends with a visit to a shop when on holidays/pilgrimage to honour the dead, and they don't follow the forums. It's better for Andy to have items on the shelves (or on eBay) as advertisement rather than have a dealer guarding their Strictly Limited as if every potential customer was a shoplifter.

 

[Njja]

I've seen a lot of KC items gathering dust at various shops recently. Just an informal opinion, but either things have slowed down or the mass of new sets is creating a backlog of unsold items.

Bingo!

Notice the last "Strictly Limited" Set still lingering with dealers?


No matter how many times it happens before.... manufacters just cannot

resist producing items until the market is saturated.

Who could ever hope to keep up?..........And once that point is reached

Bingo.......there goes the marketplace.


Oh, yeah I realize the current market base is thousands and thousands of

collectors as I was once advised......how come WS77 is still available?

Keep production at a level that keeps the customer base satisfied &

looking for more.

Just my thoughts.

Njja

 

[Combat]

Bingo!

Notice the last "Strictly Limited" Set still lingering with dealers?


Keep production at a level that keeps the customer base satisfied &

looking for more.

Just my thoughts.

Njja

We have three stores here that sell KC and other toy soldier products - probably more than anywhere else in the US. When I ask what is selling the general response is "not much" or "nothing". That could just be a seasonal thing in that the tourist trade slows down here after summer, but it is an interesting contrast with the gangbuster impression I sometimes get on the board. I really don't have any explanation since the new product looks great to me. I could also be wrong since my opinion is formed just on casual observation. No one else has mentioned it. Maybe the internet based dealers are having a different experience? Personally, I have passed on a number of new sets because of competition from HB and others. But I may still pick them up eventually.

 

[Shannon Reuss]

Hi Fred-

Max is right, the dealers wanted more SL exampleries to siphon (my opinion) the money that may be possibly spent on the secondary market (like it happened for the AK29).

Pierre.

Have to respectfully disagree. It was the dealers at the '06 New York Symposium who suggested no more than 999 produced for Strictly Limited items.

It does make sense though that the number continues to creep up as more and more people begin collecting King & County.

Regards,

 

[Warrior]

Combat,
I find your points interesting yet misleading.

The town you speak of that has three stores in it that sell toy soldiers just happens to be Gettysburg, a town of what, 9,000 people? Forget about the tourist influence there. I can just see it now, Mr and Mrs middle America and their 2.5 children come to Gettysburg to see the battlefield, wander into one of the three stores you mention, and what, daddy buys a limited edition WS 77 Panzer Meyer as a souvenir of the family trip to Gettysburg? Nope, how about two 5.00 bags of BMC ACW figures instead. Tourists don't buy 200.00 vehicles and 90.00 figure sets, end of story.

I think the problem with the lack of sales has more to do with the number of dealers in the town (three, which is two too many) and the consumer base that goes there................just my .02 for what it is worth........

 

[jazzeum]

For crying out loud, this is just a debate that goes on and on and on and on........

I mean how times have we debated this until we've beat it to death. All you have to do is recycle old posts.

 

[boot51]

For crying out loud, this is just a debate that goes on and on and on and on........

I mean how times have we debated this until we've beat it to death. All you have to do is recycle old posts.

Yeah, you're right Brad. I think we'd all be much more interested in reading another thread begging for Monty's M3 Grant, Italian blackshirts, an Opel Milkshake, EA Sherman, MKIII Crusader, yada, yada, yada...

Fred

 

[Combat]

Yeah, you're right Brad. I think we'd all be much more interested in reading another thread begging for Monty's M3 Grant, Italian blackshirts, an Opel Milkshake, EA Sherman, MKIII Crusader, yada, yada, yada...

Fred

You forgot warbirds.

 

[jazzeum]

You forgot warbirds.

Won't have to be beggin' come 2007

 

[boot51]

You forgot warbirds.

Oh yeah, thanks Doug, and how about repetive threads on warbirds too. Like we have room for them or the $300 or $400 to spend on each one of them! C'mon Brad, we let you whine on and on about "please Andy make me some warbirds", if we belly ache about SL's not really being SL, that's just equal time.

Fred

 

[Louis Badolato]

Did anybody mention British Paras?

 

[jazzeum]

C'mon Brad, we let you whine on and on about "please Andy make me some warbirds", if we belly ache about SL's not really being SL, that's just equal time.

Fred

Will that be red or white whine?

 

[boot51]

Will that be red or white whine?

Are we having steak or fish? I might just be eating crow with humble pie if and when the warbirds come out and I have to find room and money because there's no way I can't own one... or two...or

Fred

 

[Njja]

Will that be red or white whine?

Why don't you choose?

Njja