Is our Hobby Changing? (1 Viewer)

[Charlie Brown]

Tongue in cheek I hope; in this day and age the manufacturer and dealer does come to your home but via the internet.

What's the difference between a catalogue and the internet? Just pictures.

As an example I buy my music directly from the artist when I attend gigs these days. Adds something when you can chat to the artist as well. Discuss their music. I've never bought a download in my life. Being a musician is a tough life as no longer mega record deals on offer. So gigging is their life blood.

Sitting on ones backside waiting for sales is the way of the Western world. Lazy.

 

[jazzeum]

Apples and oranges, I'm afraid.

 

[Charlie Brown]

Apples and oranges, I'm afraid.

If I cannot see the product in the flesh then my money will spent be on pears instead.

 

[Empire MM]

Perhaps it's manufacturers that need to rethink their retail strategy. Take the product to the customer. Akin to the old fashioned travelling salesman. Who literally toured the country. Even clubbing together to save on and share costs.

We kind of do that at the shows I think plus, as you know, I ran a dealer open day at Magpie last September. Sadly, very few people bothered to come along and a few people even complained to me that it was too far for them to travel!

I offer a full guarantee to people trying the brand for the first time too if they by from my web pages just to try and help.

Myself and other manufacturers always bring paint masters or pre production figures to shows too.

 

[Panzer ace]

I always like to see an item before I buy it. In my years of collecting I have learned that pictures of products can be extremely deceptive.

 

[jazzeum]

If I cannot see the product in the flesh then my money will spent be on pears instead.

Although that is preferable, not everyone can do that; I was talking to a friend today and the nearest dealer is five hours away.

 

[Jack]

Although that is preferable, not everyone can do that; I was talking to a friend today and the nearest dealer is five hours away.

I wonder how many people first saw toy soldiers online and then subsequently engaged in the hobby without leaving home to see a shop or a show.

I know people who mourn the passing of bookstores but in the last few years they used them to preview a release prior to returning home and purchasing online.

 

[Charlie Brown]

I know people who mourn the passing of bookstores but in the last few years they used them to preview a release prior to returning home and purchasing online.

No different to other purchases. A bricks and mortar store is the front end. Means that less cash is tied up in physical stock. With centralised stores.

 

[jazzeum]

I wonder how many people first saw toy soldiers online and then subsequently engaged in the hobby without leaving home to see a shop or a show.

I know people who mourn the passing of bookstores but in the last few years they used them to preview a release prior to returning home and purchasing online.

Jack,

In my case, I first saw EA 01 in a soldier shop in my town and that hooked me. Sadly, it's out of business. There are no toy soldier stores in the area so it's online for me. There are two New Jersey shows twice a year so I'm more fortunate than most in that respect.

Guilty as charged on the second one. Nonetheless, I still prefer to browse in a bookstore as you never know where that can lead to in terms of finding something new. The selections in toy soldier store tend to be more limited so online is not really a drawback.

Brad

 

[Jack]

Jack,

In my case, I first saw EA 01 in a soldier shop in my town and that hooked me. Sadly, it's out of business. There are no toy soldier stores in the area so it's online for me. There are two New Jersey shows twice a year so I'm more fortunate than most in that respect.

Guilty as charged on the second one. Nonetheless, I still prefer to browse in a bookstore as you never know where that can lead to in terms of finding something new. The selections in toy soldier store tend to be more limited so online is not really a drawback.

Brad

Brad

I think that is the concern. Once hooked people can find a way to pursue the hobby without ready access to a shop but it is getting people on the hook in the first place. One of my new and good friends here in Brisbane had that first contact in Hong Kong and then came back to Brisbane and was pleasantly surprised, after an online search, to find he had a local shop. He is now what I would term a 'big collector'. But ... no shop ... no online search ... no take up of a new hobby.

As for book shops, I think it has reached a point where I would much prefer to browse at a second hand book store than one selling new releases.

Jack

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Trust me. If there were no dealers, the price would not be reduced by one red cent. As proof, look at the special Arnhem figures K & C are selling direct and which the dealers can't purchase. The price is the same as other figures.

Frankly, I don't think it's appropriate for a manufacturer to compete with a dealer. Look at other businesses -- such as automobiles -- that use dealer networks. Do they compete with their dealers? By and large, no.

Maybe not reduced but look at the experience of First Legion. They started out selling direct only except for one dealer who attended many toy soldier shows and he was allowed to sell FL only at shows. After several years of direct sales, FL went with a full dealer network and their prices rose sharply because they could no longer keep the entire revenue. Why did FL switch to a dealer network.

Terry

 

[Desertkiwi]

We sadly don't have any toy soldier stores down here in New Zealand, other than a couple of tiny stores located in the lower North Island that sell NZ made 'glossy's' such as Imperial and Soldiers of the World.

So unless you're a dedicated glossy fan or enjoy painting plastic kits etc, the TS collector here relies solely imports and it's pretty much been like that for as long as I can remember. So you can appreciate how invaluable the internet is for the likes of us Kiwi's.

Print media has also been important and it's how I first discovered the likes of King & Country with their big back page ad's on the popular TS magazine many moons ago, but it's via the internet that I really started collecting matte TS.

I've been collecting since the late 90's and it wasn't until 2011 that had my first opprtunity to walk into an actual TS store while visiting the US. This was a thrilling experiance and I managed to visit a couple of other stores before leaving.

I've now visited Brett's shop in Brisbane on two occucations and you really can't beat the whole shop experiance and being able to pick up and handle items and see things for your self. The chance to chat to other collectors is also priceless.

The point I'm making here is that you can start and grow a collection via the internet, but it's impersonal and as we all know it it has it's own risks.

If manufacturers are trying to encourage knew blood into the hobby, then I believe it's important to use a combination of good dealers and a very good website, preferable one you can interact with or at the least be able to get a 360 degree view of your products and see items in displays.

Price of course is also a factor.

Toddy

 

[hotel3alpha]

Gents,

Man, I did not realize how good I have it. I can shop on-line, go downtown (San Antonio, TX) to Kings X when I want to AND the Texas Toy Soldier Show is here every May!?! Plus, all the other bonus's of meeting up with fellow Texas collectors here are there during the year.

Wow...I am humbled.

John from Texas

 

[marco55]

We sadly don't have any toy soldier stores down here in New Zealand, other than a couple of tiny stores located in the lower North Island that sell NZ made 'glossy's' such as Imperial and Soldiers of the World.

So unless you're a dedicated glossy fan or enjoy painting plastic kits etc, the TS collector here relies solely imports and it's pretty much been like that for as long as I can remember. So you can appreciate how invaluable the internet is for the likes of us Kiwi's.

Print media has also been important and it's how I first discovered the likes of King & Country with their big back page ad's on the popular TS magazine many moons ago, but it's via the internet that I really started collecting matte TS.

I've been collecting since the late 90's and it wasn't until 2011 that had my first opprtunity to walk into an actual TS store while visiting the US. This was a thrilling experiance and I managed to visit a couple of other stores before leaving.

I've now visited Brett's shop in Brisbane on two occucations and you really can't beat the whole shop experiance and being able to pick up and handle items and see things for your self. The chance to chat to other collectors is also priceless.

The point I'm making here is that you can start and grow a collection via the internet, but it's impersonal and as we all know it it has it's own risks.

If manufacturers are trying to encourage knew blood into the hobby, then I believe it's important to use a combination of good dealers and a very good website, preferable one you can interact with or at the least be able to get a 360 degree view of your products and see items in displays.

Price of course is also a factor.

Toddy

With your remote location,even more remote than Australia are your shipping and custom charges extremely high?Where do you order your figures from mostly?
Mark

 

[waynepoo]

With your remote location,even more remote than Australia are your shipping and custom charges extremely high?Where do you order your figures from mostly?
Mark

Not so remote mate, Think about it a bit.....Oz is closer to HK than the States and the EU. We in Brisbane have a TS store which we can visit and view before buying.....the best of both worlds, the Hobby is going just fine here.
Wayne.

 

[jazzeum]

With the Australian Dollar doing as poorly as the Canadian Dollar, I doubt that. I believe even Robin commented on how much the Australian Dollar has fallen.

 

[Deitz]

Gents,

Man, I did not realize how good I have it. I can shop on-line, go downtown (San Antonio, TX) to Kings X when I want to AND the Texas Toy Soldier Show is here every May!?! Plus, all the other bonus's of meeting up with fellow Texas collectors here are there during the year.

Wow...I am humbled.

John from Texas

I too forget sometimes how great of a location I have for buying toy soldiers. My drive is less than 20 minutes for the OTSN, a Toy Soldier Shop in Milwaukee, the internet and the telephone.

Brian

 

[Panzer ace]

I have said it once and I will say it again, I have it made when it comes to shops and shows where I call home.

In San Antonio within a 20 minute drive I have Kings X and the Texas Toy Soldier show and then in California I have Sierra within a 10 minute drive and the Westcoaster within a 45 minute flight.

 

[Charlie Brown]

I have said it once and I will say it again, I have it made when it comes to shops and shows where I call home.

In San Antonio within a 20 minute drive I have Kings X and the Texas Toy Soldier show and then in California I have Sierra within a 10 minute drive and the Westcoaster within a 45 minute flight.

My choices are a 110 mile - 3 hour round trip to the nearest good toy soldier stockist. Or a trip to the London Show that costs me a $100 before I've even left the front door.

Both require planning. As not places I would go otherwise.

 

[Jack]

I have said it once and I will say it again, I have it made when it comes to shops and shows where I call home.

In San Antonio within a 20 minute drive I have Kings X and the Texas Toy Soldier show and then in California I have Sierra within a 10 minute drive and the Westcoaster within a 45 minute flight.

My shop is ten minutes away and the owner puts out drinks and nibblies!