Our changing hobby-the decline of shows and possible alternatives (1 Viewer)

[OzDigger]

The Toy Soldier hobby certainly has changed and will continue to change, each year brings different challenges, and opportunities for stakeholders in the hobby.

For example the Covid Scare caused the demise of TS Shows but increased Online sales, since then TS shows have returned, some apparently bigger and better, which is good to know.

Toy Soldiers and Tanks etc continue to improve in detail, and price, nothing new there. Perhaps improvements in technology etc will reduce TS prices, allowing less affluent members to increase spending, time will tell. Personally I don't buy nearly as much as I used to, but that's mainly because I already have most of the TS I desire. That said I still enjoy the hobby and most of the people involved.

As for attracting new (younger) collectors that don't attend some type of Hobby show. The changes in our society, schools, media etc continues to make that less likely, however I still see some potential in online gamers. Have any Toy Soldier dealers sort to display their wares in Gaming stores?

 

[paxtoysoldier]

As for attracting new (younger) collectors that don't attend some type of Hobby show. The changes in our society, schools, media etc continues to make that less likely, however I still see some potential in online gamers. Have any Toy Soldier dealers sort to display their wares in Gaming stores?

I think it's worth a try. There is some interest in Military History there.
Paddy

 

[Warrior]

The Toy Soldier hobby certainly has changed and will continue to change, each year brings different challenges, and opportunities for stakeholders in the hobby.

For example the Covid Scare caused the demise of TS Shows but increased Online sales, since then TS shows have returned, some apparently bigger and better, which is good to know.

Toy Soldiers and Tanks etc continue to improve in detail, and price, nothing new there. Perhaps improvements in technology etc will reduce TS prices, allowing less affluent members to increase spending, time will tell. Personally I don't buy nearly as much as I used to, but that's mainly because I already have most of the TS I desire. That said I still enjoy the hobby and most of the people involved.

As for attracting new (younger) collectors that don't attend some type of Hobby show. The changes in our society, schools, media etc continues to make that less likely, however I still see some potential in online gamers. Have any Toy Soldier dealers sort to display their wares in Gaming stores?

Just curious; what shows are now apparently bigger and better than they were pre COVID?

And yes, COVID forced people to buy online, no other option and I've found once they figured that out, it became a habit and my online/Ebay/Facebook/Pinterest/other forms of online retail have proven that out.

And as others have stated, the only thing constant in life is change, that applies to everything including the toy soldier hobby/business.

When I started as a full time retailer almost 30 years ago (wow does time fly), I used to attend north of 20 toy soldier/wargaming/militaria shows per year from 1996 through 2019; since COVID blew up in 2020, I've been to a grand total of five shows in five years and guess what; business in total has never been better for me, 2020-2024 were very, very good, 2025 is starting out strong as well one month in.

Retailers/dealers who have embraced change vs fighting it/proving Einstein's definition of insanity (doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result) are the ones who will continue to thrive moving forward.

The sad reality is we lose collectors virtually every day; priced out/decide they are done and have had their fun/have to go into assisted living/sadly pass away, but there are and will always be new collectors who come into the hobby, maybe not through the way others did in the past, but they are coming into the hobby nevertheless.


Look no further than aside from retirement/sadly passing away, dealers are not going out of business in this hobby, nor are manufacturers aside from one here or there, all manufacturers still have skin in the game, the dealer ranks are still full, which are two good signs.

 

[OzDigger]

Just curious; what shows are now apparently bigger and better than they were pre COVID?

And yes, COVID forced people to buy online, no other option and I've found once they figured that out, it became a habit and my online/Ebay/Facebook/Pinterest/other forms of online retail have proven that out.

And as others have stated, the only thing constant in life is change, that applies to everything including the toy soldier hobby/business.

When I started as a full time retailer almost 30 years ago (wow does time fly), I used to attend north of 20 toy soldier/wargaming/militaria shows per year from 1996 through 2019; since COVID blew up in 2020, I've been to a grand total of five shows in five years and guess what; business in total has never been better for me, 2020-2024 were very, very good, 2025 is starting out strong as well one month in.

Retailers/dealers who have embraced change vs fighting it/proving Einstein's definition of insanity (doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result) are the ones who will continue to thrive moving forward.

The sad reality is we lose collectors virtually every day; priced out/decide they are done and have had their fun/have to go into assisted living/sadly pass away, but there are and will always be new collectors who come into the hobby, maybe not through the way others did in the past, but they are coming into the hobby nevertheless.


Look no further than aside from retirement/sadly passing away, dealers are not going out of business in this hobby, nor are manufacturers aside from one here or there, all manufacturers still have skin in the game, the dealer ranks are still full, which are two good signs.

"Just curious; what shows are now apparently bigger and better than they were pre COVID?"

That's a good question George, I don't know, perhaps I was influenced by optomistic Show Promoters, please note I did include the term 'apparently' to indicate a personal reservation regarding that assertion.

As for the future of Toy Soldier Shows. Personally I believe they will continue to be part of the hobby, at least I hope so, perhaps not so many 'stand-alone' TS events, more likely to combine with other hobbies. Sadly, in Australia we don't have the population/numbers to warrant larger shows, and this is exacerbated by the greater distances between Australian cities compared to most other countries. And to clarify 'larger shows', I mean events that attract hundreds/thousands of people, not 50 or so.

Yes, there are new collectors entering this hobby globally. However when I started collecting Toy Soldeirs, sets were produced in larger numbers, as in the thousands. Production numbers have reduced since then for a variety of reasons, such as competition, demand for better detail, etc. However I believe it's mainly because of the reducing customer base. Yes, new collectors are entering the hobby, but IMO we need more new collectors to cover the increasing loses as the collecting base leaves the hobby due to age etc.

How do we do that? Well, I don't know exactly but I will say (again) that there's a huge potential customer base in Online Gamers. Anyone heard of 'World of Tanks'

In any case, Online Sales were a significant percent of TS soldier sales well before the Covid event, and will no doubt become more important going forward.

 

[Warrior]

"Just curious; what shows are now apparently bigger and better than they were pre COVID?"

That's a good question George, I don't know, perhaps I was influenced by optomistic Show Promoters, please note I did include the term 'apparently' to indicate a personal reservation regarding that assertion.

As for the future of Toy Soldier Shows. Personally I believe they will continue to be part of the hobby, at least I hope so, perhaps not so many 'stand-alone' TS events, more likely to combine with other hobbies. Sadly, in Australia we don't have the population/numbers to warrant larger shows, and this is exacerbated by the greater distances between Australian cities compared to most other countries. And to clarify 'larger shows', I mean events that attract hundreds/thousands of people, not 50 or so.

Yes, there are new collectors entering this hobby globally. However when I started collecting Toy Soldeirs, sets were produced in larger numbers, as in the thousands. Production numbers have reduced since then for a variety of reasons, such as competition, demand for better detail, etc. However I believe it's mainly because of the reducing customer base. Yes, new collectors are entering the hobby, but IMO we need more new collectors to cover the increasing loses as the collecting base leaves the hobby due to age etc.

How do we do that? Well, I don't know exactly but I will say (again) that there's a huge potential customer base in Online Gamers. Anyone heard of 'World of Tanks'

In any case, Online Sales were a significant percent of TS soldier sales well before the Covid event, and will no doubt become more important going forward.

Toy soldier shows will always be part of the hobby, just like store fronts will always be part of the hobby; both provide the opportunity to view items up close and personal, some things have to be seen in person to be truly appreciated.

As far as attracting new collectors; not sure what method will work the best, but anything is worth a shot.

I've tried a few things on my own that have had mixed results for me, for as long as I'm in the business, I will continue to look for new platforms from which to sell/promote.

Thanks for your input.