New Year collecting resolutions (1 Viewer)

[nysoldiers]

Probably very few WWII purchases going forward. I have almost 100 tanks and vehicles (mostly K&C) and even more figures. Starting to lose their appeal and space is an issue as well.
Still collect most of what JJD produces and will buy Crusades and Napoleonics.
K&C will take the biggest hit next year.

 

[MapleLeaf]

Hey guys i'm in the same boat
Have to be selective from now on
Have KC RAF AK and the Bulge
Keeping RAF, no way the girls are leaving
Not adding another range. Started Battle of the Nile.
Gave up on Britains , no patience to wait half a year
Main collection is Beau Geste Durbar but prices are going up
Into FL Naps, Brits only. Quit smoking and putting cigs money into
a jar. Won't get as much for my money next year.
Got a few KC figures of WW1 and WW2, will add ???
Most companies are comming out with a new range next year
Gotta look in wallet before saying gotta have it.
Will stick with ranges i have and SPACE is a big factor in making decision.
What used to be a hobby for me is getting to be a budget factor.
Stop buying NO Selective O YES
Maple Leaf

 

[Rob]

Wow, pretty downbeat response so far guys. None of us relish a price rise I know, and I'll have to tweak my collecting here and there as a result, but my enthusiasm for this hobby is as strong as ever. I'm afraid the Hackensack fall out will not affect me at all, I couldn't imagine not enjoying the hobby I love because of what happened at that show. Am hoping 2011 is another great year from the house of K&C.

Rob

 

[Currahee Chris]

... I'm afraid the Hackensack fall out will not affect me at all, I couldn't imagine not enjoying the hobby I love because of what happened at that show. Am hoping 2011 is another great year from the house of K&C.

Rob

I can certainly appreciate that position Rob. Call me square, though my waistline might disagree but buying KC was such a tradition for me with one of the Hack dealers that it has just taken the wind out of my sale (pun intended ). I printed off my wantlist at lunch yesterday to review and got to my desk and just chucked it in the trash. Just doesn't feel the same anymore.

I'm actually impressed with the JJD admirers here- not surprising as it is good stuff.

No doubt the House of KC will continue to rock on. They release a Normandy 88 or jagdpanther I'll be on it but otherwise, can't see it in the cards. The house of KC will be built on other collectors money. Again, many variables- losing interest in WW2, cost of models, better competition in other areas I am more interested in, Hack, the space alloted for the KC collection is simply full. Just as many collectors have reasons for buying there are an equal amount of reasons not to buy.

 

[wwiibuff]

Rob, the consensus seems to be that most collectors will be cutting back some. The bad economy coupled with rising costs are not a good combination for lots of purchasing. I'm in the same boat. I'll be buying less "volume" and concentrating on those items that I feel are a true must have. No "impulse" buying for me.

 

[uksubs]

Wow, pretty downbeat response so far guys. None of us relish a price rise I know, and I'll have to tweak my collecting here and there as a result, but my enthusiasm for this hobby is as strong as ever. I'm afraid the Hackensack fall out will not affect me at all, I couldn't imagine not enjoying the hobby I love because of what happened at that show. Am hoping 2011 is another great year from the house of K&C.

Rob

Rob I think the problem is people have less money now & the price of living is going up as well but wages are not , where I work were having big pay cut to & a pay freeze for two years but I'm lucky I've still got a job , as well I do think 1/30 toy soldiers prices are over inflated I'm sorry to say

 

[Rob]

Guys,as always its good to hear all your viewpoints,after all its why I start so many threads!. Yes it sounds like a consensus of cutting back next year, must say I'm still looking forward to the next twelve Dispatches though

Rob

 

[UK_BOD]

For me, I'm going to concentrate on Britains Zulu/Nile and JJD's Sudan.

With the retirement of the Crimea, DDay British and RAF will be my periods of choice in terms of K&C.

Figarti will be probably just Russian WWII.

Space is my problem now.

Andy

 

[damian]

I do not wish to be a prophet of doom but this recession is not over by a long shot and we would be naive to think that it is not going to make folk reassess priorities and hobbies to a greater or lesser extent.

 

[marco55]

Going to finish up getting my kits painted.Nothing I really want on the toy soldier side.Was going to get Conte NWF as it's one of my favorite periods but I don't think so now.
Mark

 

[Panzer ace]

I got married this year so next year I plan on making up for the time I took away from the hobby. My wife encourages me to buy as much as I want but space remains the biggest issue for me, but with that said every time I say, "I am not going to collect this or that....", I end up collecting it. The best example I have of this is the new line of K&C planes. I swore I was not going to collect them because the boxes took up too much room. And sure enough I bought them anyway.

 

[villagehorse]

Nice feeling all my K&C series are update, have them all.....
Ancient Egypt, Market Garden, Sons of the Empire, Aust Light Horse, Life of Jesus, Desert village & French Bakery.
I think my bank account can rest for quite a few months as I do not see any immediate new items for these series thank goodness.
The resolution for the New Year is to keep on top of all these series and avoid falling behind.
Cheers, Robin.

 

[Cyber Field Marshall]

A decidedly negative thread. My enthusiasm for toy soldiers has not waned at all! The amount of money I'll likely spend hasn't changed much however that will buy me less items! That's not really cutting back though is it. K&C will still get my money as they are overwhelmingly my favourite choice, not too expensive but not too cheap. Yes there is competition but at the end of the day I still prefer K&C. Perhaps the rise in prices has only served to keep me loyal as I don't have any extra dough to play with on other manufacturers.
As far as tactics goes the retirement lists and limited items from the monthly dispatches will get my attention if something I want is on them. The RAF, Arnhem, Fields of Battle, D-Day, Waffen SS, Battle of the Bulge, WWI airplanes and perhaps the USAAF ( if we get a plane I like ) will be my focus. I'm afraid other areas like Napoleonics and Crusaders are very likely to be left out in 2011.
Lastly perhaps this will be the year when I very selectively "prune away" some of my collection to make way for new arrivals............maybe.

 

[maddadicus]

My business has been growing each of the last 3 years ,which has given me more play money than ever before. Having said that, I have always been careful about what I buy. Truth be told, I still buy more of any mfg. but K/C, anymore. I have always been a toy soldier guy and have felt that the label military miniatures, has become a excuse to run up the prices. A tank at $250 buys me 12 gloss figures, with extra to spare. It amazes me when I hear what other collectors are buying, do the quick math and figure out how little it gets them. The mfgs. themselves will blow up this hobby with rampant overlaps of historical eras and overproduction. It is as if they are putting out product in a vacuum ignoring that their competitors just released the same whatsajammer some 15 minutes ago. If we are really honest with ourselves, K/C became king of the TS market because of their limited runs, fair pricing and an active speculator/investor market. That market is gone and no more will the popularity of any TS line be driven by its future resale worth. Which leaves me and others wondering why do I need 3 Tigers, 5 Panthers and a whatsajammer from each different mfg. I will continue to cut back on WW2 and look for that unique release from whatever mfg. that might release it first. That's my rant of the moment..Michael

 

[6th Wisconsin]

I think this thread has become a little negative. Actually, there is a wealth of amazing products out there now. It has just become very difficult because we as collectors want a lot of these great items but don't have the money and/or space. Decisions, decisions, decisions... Actually there are so many nice products now that I have decided there are few must haves, and I don't go crazy if I miss a couple of things I really want - it will come again in some slightly different form, and I know I can't have it all anyway these days. WWII vehicles are getting way too costly though for many collectors; sometimes I wish I could stick to Civil War like I did for many years - they take up a lot less space - and no vehicles except for an occasional wagon.

 

[Njja]

The mfgs. themselves will blow up this hobby with rampant overlaps of historical eras and overproduction. It is as if they are putting out product in a vacuum ignoring that their competitors just released the same whatsajammer some 15 minutes ago. If we are really honest with ourselves, K/C became king of the TS market because of their limited runs, fair pricing and an active speculator/investor market. That market is gone and no more will the popularity of any TS line be driven by its future resale worth. Which leaves me and others wondering why do I need 3 Tigers, 5 Panthers and a whatsajammer from each different mfg. I will continue to cut back on WW2 and look for that unique release from whatever mfg. that might release it first. That's my rant of the moment..Michael

....................................................................................................

Michael I believe you make excellent points. Its going to be interesting to

see who is still around once the economic situation improves, and who can

say when that will happen?

 

[jazzeum]

The WW II market, as we see from the responses, is oversaturated and sometimes too much of a good thing is not a good thing. It's been a long time coming but I've lost the taste for WW II and it doesn't excite me as it once did.

I've become more interested in the traditional toy soldier such as the glossy K & C, Little Legion, Somerset and Trophy and expect to make more purchases in that area. I also think interest in this area has grown among collectors and you see that reflected in the Trophy secondary market.

I will be slowly starting to sell off K & C to fund these purchases. However, the real old stuff, which has more charm than the newer stuff, well, those are keepers.

 

[HistoryfortheAges]

I will only be purchasing select figures/figure sets from various manufacturers under a strict budget next year and beyond... I pretty much have all I want in the periods that I do collect and space/cost is getting restrictive for anything new. For me, the top priority was always the history and not the toy soldier hobby per se. The toy soldier hobby was only there to complement my interest in history and to recreate a 3-dimensional visual of it. A good Roman range is the only major period that still escapes me and that I will be on the lookout for...

 

[uksubs]

My business has been growing each of the last 3 years ,which has given me more play money than ever before. Having said that, I have always been careful about what I buy. Truth be told, I still buy more of any mfg. but K/C, anymore. I have always been a toy soldier guy and have felt that the label military miniatures, has become a excuse to run up the prices. A tank at $250 buys me 12 gloss figures, with extra to spare. It amazes me when I hear what other collectors are buying, do the quick math and figure out how little it gets them. The mfgs. themselves will blow up this hobby with rampant overlaps of historical eras and overproduction. It is as if they are putting out product in a vacuum ignoring that their competitors just released the same whatsajammer some 15 minutes ago. If we are really honest with ourselves, K/C became king of the TS market because of their limited runs, fair pricing and an active speculator/investor market. That market is gone and no more will the popularity of any TS line be driven by its future resale worth. Which leaves me and others wondering why do I need 3 Tigers, 5 Panthers and a whatsajammer from each different mfg. I will continue to cut back on WW2 and look for that unique release from whatever mfg. that might release it first. That's my rant of the moment..Michael

Well said Michael

 

[Rob]

A decidedly negative thread. My enthusiasm for toy soldiers has not waned at all! The amount of money I'll likely spend hasn't changed much however that will buy me less items! That's not really cutting back though is it. K&C will still get my money as they are overwhelmingly my favourite choice, not too expensive but not too cheap. Yes there is competition but at the end of the day I still prefer K&C. Perhaps the rise in prices has only served to keep me loyal as I don't have any extra dough to play with on other manufacturers.
As far as tactics goes the retirement lists and limited items from the monthly dispatches will get my attention if something I want is on them. The RAF, Arnhem, Fields of Battle, D-Day, Waffen SS, Battle of the Bulge, WWI airplanes and perhaps the USAAF ( if we get a plane I like ) will be my focus. I'm afraid other areas like Napoleonics and Crusaders are very likely to be left out in 2011.
Lastly perhaps this will be the year when I very selectively "prune away" some of my collection to make way for new arrivals............maybe.

Thanks CFM, you have helped restore my faith in this thread!

Michael raised a point about resale etc. I must say its always interested me how many of you guys sell and buy stuff all the time and make a mini industry of it all. I never sell anything to be honest and from day one have purchased stuff I really like and want to keep,when I kick the bucket my wife can have a big old sale and reap the rewards, or if some serious financial disaster came along then maybe, but apart from that they are keepers.

I don't see my interest in the WW2 range waning to be honest, K&C keep producing stuff I don't have in my collection.In the early days I mainly collected German and American stuff as there just wasn't as many British releases, but in recent years D Day,Arnhem, North Africa and most recently Battle of Britain/RAF have exploded with figures and vehicles I've wanted since I was a kid.

So like the rest of us I too will be doing a bit of belt tightening (including the result of too much Christmas Turkey and stuffing) in 2011, but I won't be giving up, I just enjoy it too much.

Merry Christmas everybody

Rob