OzDigger
Colonel
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2006
- Messages
- 8,523
I think that should read: DD062 "Calling For Reinforcements"
New stuff on K&C website now! (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Rob
- Start date
I think that should read: DD062 "Calling For Reinforcements"
Capitolron
Lieutenant Colonel
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2007
- Messages
- 7,717
With all these new releases one thing is very clear.
KING AND COUNTRY Rules the Toy Soldier World !!
Outstanding Andy, Simply outstanding.
KING AND COUNTRY Rules the Toy Soldier World !!
Outstanding Andy, Simply outstanding.
steel wheels
Specialist
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2007
- Messages
- 379
I must say that the K&C Afrika Corp collection is so good, that it is hard to choose items for a diorama. I just finished a Figarti desert diorama with the British Honey and the desert Willy's jeep. I think I am going to do an Afrika corp dio, and include that magnificent howitzer and half track. I'm just undecided about the tank. I am leaning towards the new panzer, over the Tiger, because I think the Tiger will be overbearing on the Diorama. It is great, when a product is so good, you have to really think about what pieces you want. I like the olive drab Chaffee, but I wish they had made a different tank crew.
Gustavflyer
Specialist
- Joined
- May 26, 2007
- Messages
- 273
The Afrika Korps Panzer IV is nicely done in similar fashion to the tunisian tiger, and the two tankers hanging out the side , and the chain at the front are great touches
Figures wise favourite is the French Resistence esp FFI Demolition Team (will get them to work on the pontoon and burnside bridges
The three DAK guys sitting down are very nicely sculpted
happy about the retirements, give me a chance to defibrillate the credit card
Those are spare track links in the front, not chains
King & Country
Captain
- Joined
- May 23, 2005
- Messages
- 5,101
Hi Guys,
First of all compliments of the season to one and all and let’s hope for a peaceful, prosperous and… healthy 2008!
Secondly… many, many thanks for the deluge of kind, supportive comments about the January and February releases. It’s always nice to be appreciated. K&C and myself do take note (daily) of your comments, thoughts, ideas and general feedback on all aspects of our products in particular and the hobby in general.
If I may take a little space to address several important points brought up… Michael’s (Maddadicus) comment that prices are creeping up… Well, I certainly can’t deny that… The cost of manufacturing in China in the last 18 months has jumped dramatically (believe me that’s not creeping up). Fuel… Labour… Raw Materials have all risen by double digit growth. Also the continuing decline of the U.S dollar has not helped the situation!
However, I have to strongly disagree with M. that because NMA have disappeared… HB gone sky high… and Figarti putting out occasional releases somehow K&C is off the hook and there’s no pressure to keep prices down. Sorry Michael… there’s always competition around and if you really know me and K&C our business plan has always been to give our loyal customers as many choices as we possibly can at the best possible price we can make them for…
That brings me rather neatly to the subject of… choice. Michael, and I think one or two others, have suggested that by giving the collectors too much choice at any one time K&C can somehow “kill the golden goose”… Well my friends K&C is in the fortunate position of having a wide (and growing wider) base of collectors all over the world (not just America). These collectors collect a huge range of subjects (WW2 being the most popular). Not all collectors collect all subjects as M. himself admitted. So, do you tell the “Fields of Battle” collector he’s getting too much or the “Fallschirmjager” he won’t be getting any more? No, of course not, you (or at least K&C) look closely at your hard facts and real figures, sales reports, feedback from dealers, collectors and good, old fashioned “gut instinct” plus past experience over 25 years and make decisions “what we will release… when we will release it… and how many.”
Now it’s time for “what we release”. Our rule of thumb is deceptively simple… we release what we, in our humble opinion, hope will sell. K&C is a business and provides a livelihood for lots of other people besides myself.
Here’s a hard fact of life as well as business… don’t always let your heart rule your head! Some collectors love certain specific historical eras and campaigns (I’m one of them!) But, and it’s a very big BUT not every historical era or campaign SELLS! I personally love WW2 Eastern Front… I’m also fascinated by the war in Burma… I also like English Civil War… The Boer War and on and on I could go… I just love history.
Business however is about making considered choices and wise decisions… K&C does what it does and I believe, for the vast majority of worldwide collectors, gets it mostly right more often than not. Obviously we’re never going to be 100% correct or please 100% of the people out there… that’s impossible.
And that’s why I’ve taken the time to try to explain just a very small fraction of why we do what we do. That probably will not satisfy some of our critics (it seldom does) but for the rest of you I hope it helps.
Best wishes and… happy collecting in 2008… and beyond!
Andy C.
And other thing…
P.S. Making lists… is dead easy! Open a big book start at “A” and go all the way through to “Z”. Don’t worry about costs… production schedules… popularity… will it sell… won’t it sell… just write it all down and pop it in the post. Then sit back in your favourite armchair… put your feet up… and let somebody else do all the hard work… Simple! I do it all the time…
First of all compliments of the season to one and all and let’s hope for a peaceful, prosperous and… healthy 2008!
Secondly… many, many thanks for the deluge of kind, supportive comments about the January and February releases. It’s always nice to be appreciated. K&C and myself do take note (daily) of your comments, thoughts, ideas and general feedback on all aspects of our products in particular and the hobby in general.
If I may take a little space to address several important points brought up… Michael’s (Maddadicus) comment that prices are creeping up… Well, I certainly can’t deny that… The cost of manufacturing in China in the last 18 months has jumped dramatically (believe me that’s not creeping up). Fuel… Labour… Raw Materials have all risen by double digit growth. Also the continuing decline of the U.S dollar has not helped the situation!
However, I have to strongly disagree with M. that because NMA have disappeared… HB gone sky high… and Figarti putting out occasional releases somehow K&C is off the hook and there’s no pressure to keep prices down. Sorry Michael… there’s always competition around and if you really know me and K&C our business plan has always been to give our loyal customers as many choices as we possibly can at the best possible price we can make them for…
That brings me rather neatly to the subject of… choice. Michael, and I think one or two others, have suggested that by giving the collectors too much choice at any one time K&C can somehow “kill the golden goose”… Well my friends K&C is in the fortunate position of having a wide (and growing wider) base of collectors all over the world (not just America). These collectors collect a huge range of subjects (WW2 being the most popular). Not all collectors collect all subjects as M. himself admitted. So, do you tell the “Fields of Battle” collector he’s getting too much or the “Fallschirmjager” he won’t be getting any more? No, of course not, you (or at least K&C) look closely at your hard facts and real figures, sales reports, feedback from dealers, collectors and good, old fashioned “gut instinct” plus past experience over 25 years and make decisions “what we will release… when we will release it… and how many.”
Now it’s time for “what we release”. Our rule of thumb is deceptively simple… we release what we, in our humble opinion, hope will sell. K&C is a business and provides a livelihood for lots of other people besides myself.
Here’s a hard fact of life as well as business… don’t always let your heart rule your head! Some collectors love certain specific historical eras and campaigns (I’m one of them!) But, and it’s a very big BUT not every historical era or campaign SELLS! I personally love WW2 Eastern Front… I’m also fascinated by the war in Burma… I also like English Civil War… The Boer War and on and on I could go… I just love history.
Business however is about making considered choices and wise decisions… K&C does what it does and I believe, for the vast majority of worldwide collectors, gets it mostly right more often than not. Obviously we’re never going to be 100% correct or please 100% of the people out there… that’s impossible.
And that’s why I’ve taken the time to try to explain just a very small fraction of why we do what we do. That probably will not satisfy some of our critics (it seldom does) but for the rest of you I hope it helps.
Best wishes and… happy collecting in 2008… and beyond!
Andy C.
And other thing…
P.S. Making lists… is dead easy! Open a big book start at “A” and go all the way through to “Z”. Don’t worry about costs… production schedules… popularity… will it sell… won’t it sell… just write it all down and pop it in the post. Then sit back in your favourite armchair… put your feet up… and let somebody else do all the hard work… Simple! I do it all the time…
damian
1st Lieutenant
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2007
- Messages
- 4,951
Jim5615
Specialist
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2007
- Messages
- 377
Andy,
In my humble opinion, you are doing great work. Thanks for all you do. The sculpting is getting better with each release and each figure is fantastic. I consider it my responsibility to tone down my buying habits not yours to curtail the selection. You keep the stuff coming, I'll keep up some how. It's become a little war in and of itself, "how to outflank Andy", --- so far I'm not winning, but the continued battle is where all the fun is. Hopefully the dollar will rebound sometime soon.
In my humble opinion, you are doing great work. Thanks for all you do. The sculpting is getting better with each release and each figure is fantastic. I consider it my responsibility to tone down my buying habits not yours to curtail the selection. You keep the stuff coming, I'll keep up some how. It's become a little war in and of itself, "how to outflank Andy", --- so far I'm not winning, but the continued battle is where all the fun is. Hopefully the dollar will rebound sometime soon.
Capitolron
Lieutenant Colonel
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2007
- Messages
- 7,717
I have always believed it is better to have too many choices than none at all !
Andy:
Thanks for producing a "de-iced" Chaffee. Now I am not limited the BoB diorama. The Patisans are great, but it limits diorama making in France...without the "FFI" arm bands, those guys could be any partisan groups in Europe. I hate to re-paint the insignia, but it will lessen the value of the pieces. I will beg off for now on the "partisans."
Long Live the KING & Country
N-P
Thanks for producing a "de-iced" Chaffee. Now I am not limited the BoB diorama. The Patisans are great, but it limits diorama making in France...without the "FFI" arm bands, those guys could be any partisan groups in Europe. I hate to re-paint the insignia, but it will lessen the value of the pieces. I will beg off for now on the "partisans."
Long Live the KING & Country
N-P
Gustavflyer
Specialist
- Joined
- May 26, 2007
- Messages
- 273
Andy,
PLEASE, PLEASE do a late war Panzer IV. The AK beast is awesome!!!!
Long live the KING!!!!!!!!!
PLEASE, PLEASE do a late war Panzer IV. The AK beast is awesome!!!!
Long live the KING!!!!!!!!!
S
sceic2
Guest
Well at least Andy did not say that K&C was not going to produce a DRAGON WAGON or a BEDFORD LORRY. Now if he would just do it. Simple isn't it. Just do it. Yeah I know, it's not simple, but I will keep asking. At least my wish list is short, ie John's.
Andy,
I don't know if i should put a disclaimer before all my contrary discussion points but, truly, thats all they are, discussion points. Not ment to be criticism, just rolling it over on the forum and in my mind and listening to other peoples takes. Kinda helps me sort things out in my own head.
I still like the idea of onesy, twosy sets on new lines to test the waters on more risky themes without a major commitment.
As for lists, I think they stink in general, a good idea for some particular piece is fine but, to rattle off endlessly is mindless prattle.
Ray
I don't know if i should put a disclaimer before all my contrary discussion points but, truly, thats all they are, discussion points. Not ment to be criticism, just rolling it over on the forum and in my mind and listening to other peoples takes. Kinda helps me sort things out in my own head.
I still like the idea of onesy, twosy sets on new lines to test the waters on more risky themes without a major commitment.
As for lists, I think they stink in general, a good idea for some particular piece is fine but, to rattle off endlessly is mindless prattle.
Ray