Open Letter (1 Viewer)

[tommy416]

It sadden's me to see that HB has decided to make a prodution run so small with its new figures. I do understand the way econmics plays into the way business is run. And its a shame that HB has to leave the market at this time with there gold edtion.( I own a winter tiger) But Why such a small run with the figures to come out. Were did this magic number come from? Does HB really think they have only 30 some odd people collecting there products. These set's have already sold out. That only means a huge mark up on the secondary market. Why screw the collector. Hell I came up with the idea of the radio / flamethrower / and mine detecting teams. I hope who ever get's these set's enjoy while the others get nothing. I guess thats all I'll get out of this.

Signed
A dishearted Collector

 

[Ana Donzino]

Tommy,

Thanks. I explained in the other thread where these numbers came from. I understand your frustration, and I hope you can understand our reasons.

About the sets, if you are still interested on the medic and the radio, I'm sure that dealers might have 1 or 2 left. Why don't you contact them and ask?

As for the flamethrowers and the mine detectors, they have not been released already, and we are planning to make them. Why being dishearted if you still can get those?

I enjoyed the customization process of your witer Tiger

Ana

 

[nasirkasmani]

i understand both sides of the argument, and my own guess is that as demand increases, HB will increase the number per set of future releases.

however, if number stays low, i can imagined the ethical issue if someone just sweeps a big number of each releases, in the intention of selling for big bucks.

 

[Rob]

Maybe if they do remain at the 35 limit the dealers could perhaps limit the amount of sets one person can buy,thereby giving more people a chance to own a set?.

Really looking forward to the first pics of the flamethrower team.

Rob

 

[Shannon Reuss]

Hi Rob,

I believe the 35 limit was based on previous sales and meant to test the waters. It may have seemed crazy-small but as the distributor for the US market I know what the previous demand was (for US dealers anyway) for HB sets and it was weirdly very low, maybe because the painting style was too subdued for many collectors. Then HB changed their painting style, people raved about it...but honestly I didn't really see much of a jump in demand then either.

If you're churned out a great product but people just aren't buying for whatever reason you have to reevaluate and try to adapt to the market demand. At that point you don't say, hey, let's make 200 sets and 'call' them limited and hope they sell. No, they actually made what they thought the market would bear, and if they were well-received they would continue to go in that new direction and end up with a win-win situation where both the collectors AND the manufacturers benefited.

Some people have voiced opinions that somehow Honour Bound is taking advantage of collectors in this new venture by making the figures so limited. I think HB has been more than fair. Here's why:

(a) The medic set is a 6-piece set. I would have charged more for a 6-piece than a 4-piece one. I asked Ana why the price was the same as the rest and she said she didn't want to upset collectors with all the changes Honour Bound is being forced to make to stay a viable company and so she make it the same price as a bonus to the collectors who believed in their products.

(b) Secondly, making figures is apparently getting more expensive across the hobby. If you make a limited edition of 35 sets of something I would imagine you could charge a much higher cost to help cover the cost of the sculpting and molds and what have you. Would people have balked at a higher price? Maybe. Maybe not. They are very exclusive sets. Ana chose to keep the same price as long as she could because again, she wanted to do what she could to keep them affordable for Honour Bound fans.

I won't be at all surprised to see a price increase at some point--even figures made in the less-expensive Chinese market are now equal in price to those in Argentina, but let's remember that the first 2 limited editions from HB stayed at the same price as their regular figure sets and cut Ana and Honour Bound some slack.

I hope this upsurge in interest in Honour Bound isn't a flash in the pan but is actually new loyal collectors coming on board supporting their products and their business. That's what they need. They want to build on long-term supporters, not value speculation for low production numbers.

I'm a distributor and a dealer. This is my take on the subject and I haven't run this post past Ana and the boyz for their approval. If she thinks I've said too much I'll be pulling this post with my apologies to her but I just want people to understand that Honour Bound is doing what it can to stay in the market and continue to bring us awesome figures. If you like their products show them. There are plenty of non-limited HB figures available on the market. If you think they are good and they fit your collection, buy them.

Ana is happy to hear your ideas on what you'd like to see them make. She is willing to answer questions and takes feedback gracefully. Work with her and I think we'll all be better off in the long run.

Regards,

 

[nasirkasmani]

Well written post Shannon.

For my part, i didn't purchase the previous HB figures because, you guess it, the skin tone.

Now that HB has fixed that, i had already emailed Ana for the 2 winter figures sets in light black tone.

The new figures has fixed the black tone issue as well.

And i am working with Ana and my panzer commander (Frank) for another Tiger.

Another positive factor is that since HB has now concentrated on figures, there will be much more variety.

 

[wadepat]

Hi Rob,

I believe the 35 limit was based on previous sales and meant to test the waters. It may have seemed crazy-small but as the distributor for the US market I know what the previous demand was (for US dealers anyway) for HB sets and it was weirdly very low, maybe because the painting style was too subdued for many collectors. Then HB changed their painting style, people raved about it...but honestly I didn't really see much of a jump in demand then either.

If you're churned out a great product but people just aren't buying for whatever reason you have to reevaluate and try to adapt to the market demand. At that point you don't say, hey, let's make 200 sets and 'call' them limited and hope they sell. No, they actually made what they thought the market would bear, and if they were well-received they would continue to go in that new direction and end up with a win-win situation where both the collectors AND the manufacturers benefited.

Some people have voiced opinions that somehow Honour Bound is taking advantage of collectors in this new venture by making the figures so limited. I think HB has been more than fair. Here's why:

(a) The medic set is a 6-piece set. I would have charged more for a 6-piece than a 4-piece one. I asked Ana why the price was the same as the rest and she said she didn't want to upset collectors with all the changes Honour Bound is being forced to make to stay a viable company and so she make it the same price as a bonus to the collectors who believed in their products.

(b) Secondly, making figures is apparently getting more expensive across the hobby. If you make a limited edition of 35 sets of something I would imagine you could charge a much higher cost to help cover the cost of the sculpting and molds and what have you. Would people have balked at a higher price? Maybe. Maybe not. They are very exclusive sets. Ana chose to keep the same price as long as she could because again, she wanted to do what she could to keep them affordable for Honour Bound fans.

I won't be at all surprised to see a price increase at some point--even figures made in the less-expensive Chinese market are now equal in price to those in Argentina, but let's remember that the first 2 limited editions from HB stayed at the same price as their regular figure sets and cut Ana and Honour Bound some slack.

I hope this upsurge in interest in Honour Bound isn't a flash in the pan but is actually new loyal collectors coming on board supporting their products and their business. That's what they need. They want to build on long-term supporters, not value speculation for low production numbers.

I'm a distributor and a dealer. This is my take on the subject and I haven't run this post past Ana and the boyz for their approval. If she thinks I've said too much I'll be pulling this post with my apologies to her but I just want people to understand that Honour Bound is doing what it can to stay in the market and continue to bring us awesome figures. If you like their products show them. There are plenty of non-limited HB figures available on the market. If you think they are good and they fit your collection, buy them.

Ana is happy to hear your ideas on what you'd like to see them make. She is willing to answer questions and takes feedback gracefully. Work with her and I think we'll all be better off in the long run.

Regards,

Hi Shannon,

Your post is very nicely stated. And, I applaud your effort to provide additional understanding of and support for the actions being taken by Honour Bound.

I have always found Ana to be a very capable business manager, a patiently understanding listener, and an extremely skilled artist. I trust Ana to make sound business decisions and I would never attempt to second guess her actions. If discontinuing the HB fighting vehicles and limiting the figure production to 35 sets helps HB survive, then Ana has all my personal support. I have no doubt that if the need for HB figures exceeds 35 sets, Ana will adjust her production to accommodate the market demands.

Instead of telling Ana what she should do and how she should run her business, let us provide Ana with the support necessary for her and her team to continue to produce very a high quality product. I, for one, look forward to seeing more wonderful Honour Bound figures.

Warmest personal regards,

Pat

 

[Rob]

Hi Rob,

I believe the 35 limit was based on previous sales and meant to test the waters. It may have seemed crazy-small but as the distributor for the US market I know what the previous demand was (for US dealers anyway) for HB sets and it was weirdly very low, maybe because the painting style was too subdued for many collectors. Then HB changed their painting style, people raved about it...but honestly I didn't really see much of a jump in demand then either.

If you're churned out a great product but people just aren't buying for whatever reason you have to reevaluate and try to adapt to the market demand. At that point you don't say, hey, let's make 200 sets and 'call' them limited and hope they sell. No, they actually made what they thought the market would bear, and if they were well-received they would continue to go in that new direction and end up with a win-win situation where both the collectors AND the manufacturers benefited.

Some people have voiced opinions that somehow Honour Bound is taking advantage of collectors in this new venture by making the figures so limited. I think HB has been more than fair. Here's why:

(a) The medic set is a 6-piece set. I would have charged more for a 6-piece than a 4-piece one. I asked Ana why the price was the same as the rest and she said she didn't want to upset collectors with all the changes Honour Bound is being forced to make to stay a viable company and so she make it the same price as a bonus to the collectors who believed in their products.

(b) Secondly, making figures is apparently getting more expensive across the hobby. If you make a limited edition of 35 sets of something I would imagine you could charge a much higher cost to help cover the cost of the sculpting and molds and what have you. Would people have balked at a higher price? Maybe. Maybe not. They are very exclusive sets. Ana chose to keep the same price as long as she could because again, she wanted to do what she could to keep them affordable for Honour Bound fans.

I won't be at all surprised to see a price increase at some point--even figures made in the less-expensive Chinese market are now equal in price to those in Argentina, but let's remember that the first 2 limited editions from HB stayed at the same price as their regular figure sets and cut Ana and Honour Bound some slack.

I hope this upsurge in interest in Honour Bound isn't a flash in the pan but is actually new loyal collectors coming on board supporting their products and their business. That's what they need. They want to build on long-term supporters, not value speculation for low production numbers.

I'm a distributor and a dealer. This is my take on the subject and I haven't run this post past Ana and the boyz for their approval. If she thinks I've said too much I'll be pulling this post with my apologies to her but I just want people to understand that Honour Bound is doing what it can to stay in the market and continue to bring us awesome figures. If you like their products show them. There are plenty of non-limited HB figures available on the market. If you think they are good and they fit your collection, buy them.

Ana is happy to hear your ideas on what you'd like to see them make. She is willing to answer questions and takes feedback gracefully. Work with her and I think we'll all be better off in the long run.

Regards,

Hi Shannon,thanks for posting this very helpful explanation.I appreciate you taking the time to do it.Its always good to get the view of the people on the 'front line' as it were.I very much look forward to whats coming next from HB.(and maybe placing an order for it with you!)

Very best wishes

Rob

 

[thebritfarmer]

Hi Shannon,

Your post is very nicely stated. And, I applaud your effort to provide additional understanding of and support for the actions being taken by Honour Bound.

I have always found Ana to be a very capable business manager, a patiently understanding listener, and an extremely skilled artist. I trust Ana to make sound business decisions and I would never attempt to second guess her actions. If discontinuing the HB fighting vehicles and limiting the figure production to 35 sets helps HB survive, then Ana has all my personal support. I have no doubt that if the need for HB figures exceeds 35 sets, Ana will adjust her production to accommodate the market demands.

Instead of telling Ana what she should do and how she should run her business, let us provide Ana with the support necessary for her and her team to continue to produce very a high quality product. I, for one, look forward to seeing more wonderful Honour Bound figures.

Warmest personal regards,

Pat

I couldn't have put it better myself Pat. I think people are getting there knickers in a twist way to early on at this stage. Time will tell.

 

[Flammenpanzer]

I think the 35 amount was just right, if they had to make more in the future I would think 50 sets as a max. I still see other sets for sale and can see why they do not want to make too many sets. It is hard for a manufacturer to decide how many sets to produce. K&C gets complaints for either making too many or too little of the Strictly Limited sets. Some of those sets are still availble for sale long after their release because they listened to the complaints of not enough pieces.

 

[OzDigger]

Personally I thought 35 was too low, but I wasn't aware of their previous sales numbers, so I guess it seemed like a reasonable figure based on that. Of course the improved painting style and better molds will lift sales numbers as more people buy HB figure sets as they are released.

I suspect HB figures have not sold to well in the past because they tended to have more realistic but duller colours compared to K & C figures which have more vibrant colours making them more visually appealing to the average collector.

 

[Vezzolf]

It sadden's me to see that HB has decided to make a prodution run so small with its new figures. I do understand the way econmics plays into the way business is run. And its a shame that HB has to leave the market at this time with there gold edtion.( I own a winter tiger) But Why such a small run with the figures to come out. Were did this magic number come from? Does HB really think they have only 30 some odd people collecting there products. These set's have already sold out. That only means a huge mark up on the secondary market. Why screw the collector. Hell I came up with the idea of the radio / flamethrower / and mine detecting teams. I hope who ever get's these set's enjoy while the others get nothing. I guess thats all I'll get out of this.

Signed
A dishearted Collector

I am sure you are not alone regarding your dissatisfaction with these production numbers......my suggestion is to REFUSE to purchase these items on all secondary markets(E-Bay).....unless the original retail price is offerred and even given that,I personally would not make the purchase in protest.....Just because only 35 sets are made does not "automatically" make them more valuable.....My advise to whomever will heed it; is to not fall prey to these marketing ploys......IMO.....Regards

 

[OzDigger]

I am sure you are not alone regarding your dissatisfaction with these production numbers......my suggestion is to REFUSE to purchase these items on all secondary markets(E-Bay).....unless the original retail price is offerred and even given that,I personally would not make the purchase in protest.....Just because only 35 sets are made does not "automatically" make them more valuable.....My advise to whomever will heed it; is to not fall prey to these marketing ploys......IMO.....Regards

This is going to far imo. HB have said a number of times that they only made 35 because that is what they calculated would sell based on previous sales. They did NOT make 35 as some sort of Strictly Limited ploy.

 

[Vezzolf]

This is going to far imo. HB have said a number of times that they only made 35 because that is what they calculated would sell based on previous sales. They did NOT make 35 as some sort of Strictly Limited ploy.

Oz, If you re-read the thread entitled "Honour Bound Figures" post#1.......There is reference that the low production numbers were established to maintain the "exclusivity" of these products....IMO this is a way to "create demand".......nothing sells a product more quick than telling collectors they will miss out.......I can understand a manufactuer producing short runs and then waiting to release more of the "same item" in the next run based on its popularity and demand......That in my opinion is not manipulative,just good business and does not pressure people to make a hurried purchase.....This is how I interpret this.......regards Vezzolf

 

[OzDigger]

Oz, If you re-read the thread entitled "Honour Bound Figures" post#1.......There is reference that the low production numbers were established to maintain the "exclusivity" of these products....IMO this is a way to "create demand".......nothing sells a product more quick than telling collectors they will miss out.......I can understand a manufactuer producing short runs and then waiting to release more of the "same item" in the next run based on its popularity and demand......That in my opinion is not manipulative,just good business and does not pressure people to make a hurried purchase.....This is how I interpret this.......regards Vezzolf

Fair enough, but I think they have had a rethink since that post.

Btw, something to keep in mind is that limited numbers doesn't mean a thing if the set:
1) Doesn't appeal to collectors.
2) It is priced to high.

 

[fmethorst]

It seems to me that the biggest loser from underproducing a set is Honour Bound through missed sales so all this conspiracy talk doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[Njja]

Conspiracy talk.......how silly. Ana herself explained her position, I'm sure

she would be happy to make what ever sets were paid for in advance. She

just doesn't want to make sets she might not be able to sell.

Am I missing something? I don't exactly remember people paying big money

for their retired pieces.

I certainly hope everyone obtains what they want, and I assume now would

be the time to contact Ana to pick them up.

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

I get the idea that doing business in Argentina is incredibly expensive. But the cost of living must be dirt cheap Just crunch the numbers 35 sets produced at 125.00 each equals 4375.00 USD and THAT'S RETAIL. I just don't see how you can possibly even recoup your manufacturing costs (materials, design, advertising, packaging, payroll, and shipping costs) with numbers like that. If I'm off base someone please enlighten me.

 

[Vezzolf]

I get the idea that doing business in Argentina is incredibly expensive. But the cost of living must be dirt cheap Just crunch the numbers 35 sets produced at 125.00 each equals 4375.00 USD and THAT'S RETAIL. I just don't see how you can possibly even recoup your manufacturing costs (materials, design, advertising, packaging, payroll, and shipping costs) with numbers like that. If I'm off base someone please enlighten me.

you sound quite enligthened already......numbers don't lie.....

 

[gk5717]

I was not happy about HB,s decision to produce just 35 sets because I have bought every figure set HB has done.
So here I was putting my money there all along and now I have to deal with newbies jumping on the wagon because of it,s limited availability.
I have been assured by my dealer he has my sets and also have received info from Ana that as interest grows in HB,s figures, a larger production run will be made to meet the demand. Hopefully this stratagy will work in keeping HB profitable, as competion is good for us collectors.
Gary