Is the ecomony hurting your collecting choices??? (1 Viewer)

I am not saying that model builders will flock to this hobby, but they are giving it a look....model building will remain a viable hobby, I am sure. All I can do is speak for myself ( And Nick agrees too) We were both 1/35th scale modelers for years (And we actually built them) Well I did sell about 50 unbuilt kits on Ebay that I had dreams of creating fabulous dioramas with.

Nick and I sort of have our hands in both hobbys now, as we are repainting and weathering figures and vehicles, besides doing our usual Battlescenes....We love where we are at.



A FL Stug we "Overhalued" at the BSP Shops !

...Looks like a 1/35th model.........Didn't have to build it Wheeeeew

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Currahee Chris said:
The more I think on the subject of this thread and where I stand collecting wise, I know for a fact that I have hit the ceiling as far as price points are concerned with me, irrespective of who the manufacturer is, these are the thresholds I really see as the upper limits for me:

individual soldiers- not to exceed $35/ trooper
Mounted figures- not a lot of experience in buying these though I would say not to exceed $90 or so

Vehicles- well, I have bought the figarti Abrams at $239. Collectors Showcase WW2 AFV price points are still in my league, everyone else is now out of it. Will be neat to see where TGM price points stabilize.

Going forward, I see myself getting 1 WW2 AFV a year and maybe enough troops for a squad, Modern forces, with the exception of a Bradlyer release, will just monitor ebay for troops. Otherwise, it's pedal to the metal with Romans. And with the influx of Romans this year, I really don't feel the pressure to buy like I have in the past.

I setup my WW2 table this past weekend with my dad and I have enough stuff to fill 2+ full size plywood sheets- really can't see the justification for more. I see the CS Jagdpanther and 88 settling in and 2-3 shermans over the next couple years but that is really it.

Essentially I have sort of run out of space- I don't do figures in "storage". I view myself as very fortunate to have started 12 years ago and could accumulate a sizeable army. I have to admit, I really think I can see the finish line and can envision the day when I won't be collecting anymore. Hard to believe but I have come to that conclusion.........
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I hear you on that one... We pretty much started collecting at about the same time (i.e. 12 years ago) however, this was my second time around from my childhood years! Prices have already exceeded my personal price points for figures for the most part.

I'm pretty close to calling it quits myself on most fronts as I have amassed a good-sized collection in the eras that I collect, and I'm not really interested in acquiring much more. I am currently just purchasing a few pieces here and there to fill in gaps when I feel the urge. I'm still debating whether to collect the Roman era. I've been taking my time to decide on this one. If I do, it will be exclusive to one manufacturer and I will stay focused just on this era. I'm starting to wind down and it's about time, I think... ^&grin
 
Even though I am retired I have not been overly concerned about the price points of the figures I collect (WB ACW and FL AWI). Where I am at mentally is the thought of "What's the point". I have two "collector" hobbies, one being toy soldoers/historical miniatures and the other is North American prehistoric artifacts ("arrowheads") and I find myself more and more saying to myself, "When is enough, enough? How many TS or artifacts do I really need?" Have I reached that point in my life, that age so to speak, when amassing a large material collection is no longer a need . . . . . ? In another 15 years it will all go to somebody else, either within the family or to someone outside the family. It is for this reason that I am becoming more and more selective with my purchases and am more inclined to seriously consider selling a figure set to another collector when I know they are looking for it. I do know this, if the price per figure increases too much higher I will stop adding to my collection and learn to be content with what I have . . . .
:) Mike
 
I don't know if it is the economy but I certainly have a price point and the new releases from most brands have exceeded it. In the last year most of my purchases have been off ebay. I have also bought brand new kits from Tradition. Although I mainly collect 18 century Britains I also have some interest in K&C WWII. However my venture into K&C is quite limited. At the end of the day when you have a family to support and bills to pay the little metal men which give me much joy are low on the priorities list. For me higher prices, a reality as they are means fewer purchases.
 
Collecting does have an inherent problem, money and space, both of which have very much come to light as of late. At a time when magnificent products are being produced by all manufacturers..

Just when you think your collection is fairly complete, someone comes up with a great new product.....But I think I am basically pretty well set.

What interests me right now.

The Collectors showcase Prisoners and Hitler in his limo. Very Unique

Figarti....... well everything

Thomas Gunn........ great bang for the buck

OK where do I stop

Despite some great offerings I am afraid K&C has to go, their price increase is not worth it to me.

I am now spending my K&C money on First Legion, expensive but exquisite. Alex
 
So I guess we are all making decisions that are suitable to our defense budgets. My question to the forum would be- do we see prices stabilize or even go back down slightly? I'm thinking fat chance as far as prices going down though there are some scenarios, especially for particular makers, where I can see it would be very beneficial for them to lower prices.
 
Currahee Chris said:
So I guess we are all making decisions that are suitable to our defense budgets. My question to the forum would be- do we see prices stabilize or even go back down slightly? I'm thinking fat chance as far as prices going down though there are some scenarios, especially for particular makers, where I can see it would be very beneficial for them to lower prices.
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The only way I can see prices going down or even stabilizing is if the manufacturers can find lower cost production/wages in another country. But then collectors would probably complain at the initial quality.

Who knows - some production may even come back to the USA?

Terry
 
why would they ever come down?? Once you have prices that we have now and people are willing to pay they are only ever going one way. They would also stay the same even if the manufacturers moved to a location which, offered them cheaper manufacturer prices. my first point again relates to this.

Will prices stabalise?? I don't see it happening myself they will only stabalise or go down if collectors on mass stop buying and, thats just not going to happen. as long as people have money to buy sets at whatever price these manufacturers set they will continue to make them and, more than likely raise the prices again and again.
Mitch
 
Mitch said:
why would they ever come down?? Once you have prices that we have now and people are willing to pay they are only ever going one way. They would also stay the same even if the manufacturers moved to a location which, offered them cheaper manufacturer prices. my first point again relates to this.

Will prices stabalise?? I don't see it happening myself they will only stabalise or go down if collectors on mass stop buying and, thats just not going to happen. as long as people have money to buy sets at whatever price these manufacturers set they will continue to make them and, more than likely raise the prices again and again.
Mitch
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Think your spot on Mitch.
 
The market will determine if prices go up, down or stabilize where they are... The manufacturers will do whatever it takes to stay in business with regards to pricing and anything else that pertains to their business. It's only natural. For those that believe that they have missed the boat in this hobby, I would only suggest to look at alternatives. There are other scales to consider. 40mm or 28mm are other options. You can consider collecting glossy painted figures which seem to be less expensive than matte painted figures. If you are good at painting, castings seem to be very affordable and could be very rewarding. There are choices out there! You just have to seek them out! :)
 
Phantom Warrior said:
The only way I can see prices going down or even stabilizing is if the manufacturers can find lower cost production/wages in another country. But then collectors would probably complain at the initial quality.

Who knows - some production may even come back to the USA?

Terry
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The low wages paid in other countries is off set by shipping costs and the fact that items have to be ordered in bulk. It would make more sense to keep everything in house, make the figures, make the moulds and then produce as needed. It would also make it easier to correct mistakes such as the bearwalking guardsman recently produced by Britains. This is how the "cottage" companies manage to keep their costs relatively low. Trooper
 
While I respect what other cottage industries are doing its not really relevant to the collectors that collect matt figures and AFV's. This is the medium they want and, not glossy or casts to paint themselves whether or not they could paint them is another matter. I think when we bring in other issues like gloss and what have you it falls on deaf ears because they are not wanted in the collectors collections as its the newer matt realsim that they want.

This is why in topics like this, people like trooper get miffed when it seems to gyrate around certain manufacturers as sadly, the collectors in question really only care about those options. I don't think there would be any way that the large 1/30th manufacturers could make moulds etc and wait for requests to produce and survive. Without any disrespect the asset of cottage manufacturers is the cottage part of the title, that they can produce their wares in a shed in the back garden almost. so, basically no overheads. I have no idea how many collectors are out there in the world but, its seemingly forgotten that this forum is the smallest sample of collectors yet, believes what happens to them must represent the rest of the collecting population. How many on here have bought the giant sized dio's from K&C?? apart from a few, where do all the very expensive warbirds go?? for as many on here who are hit by the economy as many and, more have not been worldwide. The companies show no sign of floundering must prove to a certain level this fact.

is it not that lovely forum saying of apples and oranges. They are two different issues and totally different collectors on the whole I have found. In all of these discussions we here of cut backs but rarely do we here of absolute given up's or, many who have given up matt collecting completely and transferred to glossy or kits.

The two are seperate and have distinct benefits and disadvantages but, trying to merge ideas would disadvantage both IMO
Mitch
 
I thought the economy would result in some companies going under but I seem to have been proven wrong.
Obviously this is a niche luxury market and many collectors seem to be sheltered from the ravages of the economy.
The frenetic pace of releases shows no sign of slowing. Nile Gunboat, Typhoon, P-38, Beau Geste elephant etc etc.
Obviously some collectors are cutting back but it is obvious others are not.
I like the cottage guys and support them but agree that the cottage model probably will not work for the bigger matt type producers.
 
trooper said:
The low wages paid in other countries is off set by shipping costs and the fact that items have to be ordered in bulk. It would make more sense to keep everything in house, make the figures, make the moulds and then produce as needed. It would also make it easier to correct mistakes such as the bearwalking guardsman recently produced by Britains. This is how the "cottage" companies manage to keep their costs relatively low. Trooper
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Good point! But what do you mean by "bearwalking"?
-Sandor
 
damian said:
I thought the economy would result in some companies going under but I seem to have been proven wrong.
Obviously this is a niche luxury market and many collectors seem to be sheltered from the ravages of the economy.
The frenetic pace of releases shows no sign of slowing. Nile Gunboat, Typhoon, P-38, Beau Geste elephant etc etc.
Obviously some collectors are cutting back but it is obvious others are not.
I like the cottage guys and support them but agree that the cottage model probably will not work for the bigger matt type producers.
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I agree completely! However, I do think the forum is a pretty good cross section of collecting, and that opinions here represent around 80% of the market. However, there are the (I'm not going to step around this) moderately to very to extremely wealthy collectors, who tend not to participate in forums, and tend to be the ones who buy the initial K&C dios, or the larger things.
-Sandor
 
Mitch said:
why would they ever come down??
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In general I would tend to agree with you of course, but there are reasons, in my mind at least, as to why companies might try to either contain costs or decrease them to a degree. Just because I can afford to go out and pay $50 gallon of gas doesn't mean that is a good idea. I find that when visitors and friends come over and see my collection they enjoy it but eventually questions like "what did you pay for this" come up and I skirt around the question. I can honestly say I cannot look at people and tell them an honest answer to that question anymore. If one were to look at the price increases you could almost make an argument of hyperinflation. With the amount of consumer goods manufactured in Chine and purchased here in the US, I cannot undertand why we don't see the massive price increases of other goods like toys, cosmetics, electronics, etc. I understand that this is a luxury hobby but at some point you gotta step back and put it into context.

Obviously this is a decision that everyone has to make. I am certainly not banging the drum saying the reaper is lurking for this hobby, as the evidence is clearly there that things are going very well- of course, that's what Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were saying pre 2008!! {sm4}{sm3} A fool and his money are soon departed as the old saying goes and it's well beyond the point where I am starting to feel the fool. I work pertty doggone hard for my money and watching more of it go out the door and into the pockets of these toy soldier manufacturer's is getting harder and harder to do. No offense to KC, but since they release monthly dispatches, it seems like over the course of the last 12-18 months, the collector focus has been less on the products they release and more on the price increases. It's like waiting for a root canal when you know it's coming at the end of each month.

Look, all apologies for sounding like a wet blanket but I know I have set my ceiling amounts. Sure, I will indulge once a year on a guilty pleasure like a Roman painted by a Russian artist, but I know I have set my price ceilings and once those ceilings are exceeded, this trooper is cleaning his M16, and checking it back into the armorer and calling it a day.
 
Chris...

Last time a big price thread issue was on I was pilloried by some of the so called established members for saying that it was a warning the amount of collectors saying they were cutting back or stopping collecting. I agree with most of your comments.

I just don't see any reason for manufacturers to reduce costs whatever the reason as on the whole everyone on here who made a issue is still buying, less, maybe but still buying. I think this is where I disagree with Sandor as to this forum being an accurate representation of the collecting world as, many must be buying in large amounts.

Each collector knows his point where it becomes to much. I am fortunate that I am not one of these people who feels a bond to any manufacturer or, gets all emotional about the releases. If the hobby ended tommorow I would resort fully to my book collecting and model making. They are what they are toys at the end of the day.

I do think K&C takes a lot of this on the chin rightly or wrongly as they produce every month and, its more noticable in their products when the prices go up each month. Looking across the board they are all pretty much aligned to each other in price with the exception of TG and CS. without saying people should paint their own castings or similar as its not really an alternative for many collectors do have the opportunity to decide where they spend their hard earned cash
Mitch
 
At the end of the day, say the prices get too high, I'll just sell my crap on evil bay, pack my ruck, lace up my boots and get lost for a month or two in the Arizona outback. Nothing wrong with that!! {bravo}}{bravo}}
 
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