k&c price increase (3 Viewers)

It is always tempting to extrapolate our own experience to suggest that our views are indicative of a wider trend. People are obviously prepared to pay and if not there will be an adjustment relatively quickly. It is perhaps a question not just of feedback but of who is offering it. If you do not like the company and publically distance yourself from purchasing from it, your views will not carry much weight. The issue will be the response from customers and those actually buying the product. I am surprised at the view that customers of a non essential product are footing the bill. Collectors do not have to foot the bill one second longer than they want. Unhappy with a product or price, as consumers each individual is free to buy their apples and/or oranges elsewhere. Sometimes I think it is about wanting to encourage people to follow your lead because you bought an apple you didn't like and have never quite got over it.
 
That's not the question. Baymax raised the reason of why prices may have risen, theorizing the reason. Companies can raise it for any reason: increased costs or simply a desire for greater profits. This is a business, after all. The problem is many here don't see it that way because toy soldiers are the item being sold.

As far as Ford raising prices on a five year old car, automobile inventory turns over quickly so you wouldn't see a five year old car in inventory.
 
Some comments on the price list posted at Post 8. Speaking from my own observations.

That list shows all the price increases but does not show items that are not increasing. For example look at the MK series and only a few items are increasing. In other series you can see gaps in item numbers indicating the items not going up.

The way I look at it is those that are not increasing will have no further production runs where extra costs might be involved.

There are some high increases on some items. However the reality is that most current customers who wanted those items would probably have already bought them. New customers will obviously make up their own mind regarding purchases.

If you look closely at the list the vast majority of increases are :

Items from $35 to $44 going up to $45 (in relation to this I recall two groups of releases where next group ie. some FW wounded and some WW2 medical figures went down to $40 from previous releases at $45 - nobody on this forum commented on these decreases at the time).

Items at $79 going to $85

Somebody mentioned SOHK doubling. This seems to relate to 2 items. This series is quite intricate in terms of painting compared to say a WW2 German and in the past I thought some were a bargain for the work involved. If you are a keen SOHK collector you probably already have the items that are going up.

There are some items with big jumps and I suspect that this is due to cost of doing next production run after they may have been released as few years ago.
 
That list is 17 pages long, and the increases are different throughout the various ranges.
However, I skipped everything and only looked at the PnM line, since that's the only line I currently collect from K&C.
Single figures currently sold for $45.00 to $49.00 go up to $55.00.
The attractive 2-figure sets, currently sold at $79.00 go up to $99.00.
I really like that line, but am not pursuing future purchases.
There is always the exception to the rule, of course :), and that is if Milady De Winter comes out, to go along with the 3 Musketeers, the Cardinal, D'Artagnan and such, I will buy her.
If she looks good, that is ;-)
Cheers!
Konrad
 
I was rubbing my eyes while eating lunch in Shenzhen and looking at the price list forwarded by one of the forum members.

The increase per item will cost a nice breakfast for most of the military stuff. US$4-5 gets me a very decent breakfast.
The increase per item will cost a nice lunch and even a dinner for SOHK stuff. So, SOHK collectors must be of a different echelon. I tip my hat to them.

So what is the Demand versus Price curve for Collector Metal Miniatures looking like? Is it demand elastic or inelastic?

Initial response from collector friends at where I am now and from where I am from does not sound that positive. Anyway, expect a spike in demand for the next one and a half weeks. And then, we will know what is the real demand to the new prices is going to be like.

No other comments.

It is a business that manufacturers are running.
It is also your money, so you decide.

Rgds,Chris
 
From what I'm now led to believe, the price list hosted/posted by Treefrog relates to stock they hold/items they sell.
 
Vicknor said:
From what I'm now led to believe, the price list hosted/posted by Treefrog relates to stock they hold/items they sell.
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The list they have shown shows current US$ RRP and new US$ RRP wef 1 JULY for all dealers for that list of items. Nothing to do with TF stock holdings. Those prices should also apply in Hong Kong store.
 
The Military Workshop said:
The list they have shown shows current US$ RRP and new US$ RRP wef 1 JULY for all dealers for that list of items. Nothing to do with TF stock holdings. Those prices should also apply in Hong Kong store.
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They will apply. I asked today.

My poorly made (or unmade point) was that the list seems to not be representative of all KnC pieces.

Some of the much older pieces don't seem to be on the list.

I'm doing all this on a phone so I stand to be corrected
 
Jack said:
It is always tempting to extrapolate our own experience to suggest that our views are indicative of a wider trend. People are obviously prepared to pay and if not there will be an adjustment relatively quickly. It is perhaps a question not just of feedback but of who is offering it. If you do not like the company and publically distance yourself from purchasing from it, your views will not carry much weight. The issue will be the response from customers and those actually buying the product. I am surprised at the view that customers of a non essential product are footing the bill. Collectors do not have to foot the bill one second longer than they want. Unhappy with a product or price, as consumers each individual is free to buy their apples and/or oranges elsewhere. Sometimes I think it is about wanting to encourage people to follow your lead because you bought an apple you didn't like and have never quite got over it.
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I can tell you're on holidays. You have too much time on your hands and you've developed a cheeky mood.
 
It is not about Hobby as that seems an excuse for some especially those on holiday to allow whatever happens to be accepted. Manufacturers are in business.

This is nothing more than increasing profits which must be dropping and making more from less and the remaining demographic who buy fork out. we know people gripe and will buy less but, maybe they actually are buying less and some folks are going to have to get used to paying a whole lot more for the fact they are.

This has zero to do with anything other than wanting more profit. The fact that the last several monthly dispatches have seen rises per one has slipped buy some. I cannot understand applauding and defending price rises just for the sake.
 
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larso said:
I can tell you're on holidays. You have too much time on your hands and you've developed a cheeky mood.
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No - working hard in fact. I shouldn't join in because I am no super hero nor do I have experience running a business in China and I do not have access to the profit/loss statements from companies that I do not purchase from. Anything I say would just be speculation - or the politics of envy. An apple by any other name is still an apple! K&C could just close down, reinvent themselves and open again under another name!
 
Baymax said:
It is not about Hobby as that seems an excuse for some especially those on holiday to allow whatever happens to be accepted. Manufacturers are in business.

This is nothing more than increasing profits which must be dropping and making more from less and the remaining demographic who buy fork out. we know people gripe and will buy less but, maybe they actually are buying less and some folks are going to have to get used to paying a whole lot more for the fact they are.

This has zero to do with anything other than wanting more profit. The fact that the last several monthly dispatches have seen rises per one has slipped buy some. I cannot understand applauding and defending price rises just for the sake.
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Your post sounds so familiar my good friend, I can think of similar comments you have made repeatedly over the years using the same rhetoric. Funny how nothing changes.
 
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Baymax said:
This has zero to do with anything other than wanting more profit. The fact that the last several monthly dispatches have seen rises per one has slipped buy some. I cannot understand applauding and defending price rises just for the sake.
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Spot on post
 
uksubs said:
Spot on post
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I'd disagree to a certain extent and as a business owner with a number of offices in HK I'd say that, although I feel that the price increase in old models is an incorrect even self-immolating exercise, it's an exercise in maintaining current/historical profit/income levels.

The costs of office/retail space in HK are freely available on the Internet and the Pacific Place store alone most likely requires a TURNOVER of 150k USD a month to achieve less than basic margins
 
Baymax said:
It is not about Hobby as that seems an excuse for some especially those on holiday to allow whatever happens to be accepted. Manufacturers are in business.

This is nothing more than increasing profits which must be dropping and making more from less and the remaining demographic who buy fork out. we know people gripe and will buy less but, maybe they actually are buying less and some folks are going to have to get used to paying a whole lot more for the fact they are.

This has zero to do with anything other than wanting more profit. The fact that the last several monthly dispatches have seen rises per one has slipped buy some. I cannot understand applauding and defending price rises just for the sake.
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Yes I totally agree. Why bother to justify prices when we have experts like you to explain it all.

I particularly like this line of yours "little worker in China needs shoes, mammy needs a prada bag to buy chip sticks and just shut up and raise them". You are clearly an expert on China labour practices and Andy has made a massive error in not hiring you as a consultant.
 
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Baymax said:
It is not about Hobby as that seems an excuse for some especially those on holiday to allow whatever happens to be accepted. Manufacturers are in business.

This is nothing more than increasing profits which must be dropping and making more from less and the remaining demographic who buy fork out. we know people gripe and will buy less but, maybe they actually are buying less and some folks are going to have to get used to paying a whole lot more for the fact they are.

This has zero to do with anything other than wanting more profit. The fact that the last several monthly dispatches have seen rises per one has slipped buy some. I cannot understand applauding and defending price rises just for the sake.
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And so says the all knowing great oracle, such boundless wisdom........:salute::
 
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Jack said:
No - working hard in fact. I shouldn't join in because I am no super hero nor do I have experience running a business in China and I do not have access to the profit/loss statements from companies that I do not purchase from. Anything I say would just be speculation - or the politics of envy. An apple by any other name is still an apple! K&C could just close down, reinvent themselves and open again under another name!
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C'mon now Jack, take a break from writing the book, marking those papers, planning the annual event, preparing the next dio venue, and coordinating the menu for 100 guests. Too much work, and you're allowing laissez faire to take hold in the global marketplace...er, apparently...anyway, as useless as it is, it can be fun at times to just bay at the moon. 😃
 
Fitzgibbon said:
C'mon now Jack, take a break from writing the book, marking those papers, planning the annual event, preparing the next dio venue, and coordinating the menu for 100 guests. Too much work, and you're allowing laissez faire to take hold in the global marketplace...er, apparently...anyway, as useless as it is, it can be fun at times to just bay at the moon. ��
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The book is well and truly out. I am now officially an expert on WW1 ... ask the ten people who have bought one! I lent Waynepoo one of the author's copies. He has neither read it ... or offered to pay for it!

I should pick your brain when next we meet. I am teaching a philosophy unit this semester!
 
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