Pacific war. (1 Viewer)

[Simpson & his donkey.]

Hi guys just been thinking why the pacific war hasen't sold well.I have the US marines but no Japs in my collection.The yank soldiers are very very good and it seems the only thing I can think of is why did they not catch on.Maybe because they were only fighting the one battle between the Two countries.If K&C realeased a series with commonwealth troops fighting the Japs in differen't battles with the yanks maybe this will sell.Like the battle of Singapore we were all there .Andy you asked for ideas why the pacific was not a good seller at one time.Maybe if this gets enought interest on this thread it could be a idea for the future.Simmo.

 

[Rob]

I've always been surprised at why these didn't sell more.Could it be that the Pacific was was very traumatic for the Americans and maybe some people don't feel comfortable collecting them.However all theatres of war are traumatic so this might not explain it.I must say if i had enough dosh to collect everything i'd like i may collect the US Marines.But i have no desire at all to collect the Japenese,probably to do with their willingness to commit war crimes against captive Allied troops and civilians that turns my stomach.But hey thats just my opinion and i thought the Jap figures were well made and pretty realistic.

Rob

 

[jrsteel]

I think the reason Pacific War doesn't sell is because there were no Nazis in the Pacific. It seems to me the majority of people who collect WW2 are into Nazi armor, SS figures etc. It's a strange thing.

 

[Mister Dave]

Or, maybe more generally, the fact that relatively little armor or vehicle was involved in the island hopping campaign in the Pacific theater has some to do with it. The latest USMC figures done by K&C look excellent, but if you collect with larger displays and dioramas in mind, options can be a bit limiting I suppose. I'll admit if these sets become retired soon, I will be tempted to actually finally buy some, especially with the new Spielberg/Hanks miniseries coming out next year.

MD

 

[Rob]

Or, maybe more generally, the fact that relatively little armor or vehicle was involved in the island hopping campaign in the Pacific theater has some to do with it. The latest USMC figures done by K&C look excellent, but if you collect with larger displays and dioramas in mind, options can be a bit limiting I suppose. I'll admit if these sets become retired soon, I will be tempted to actually finally buy some, especially with the new Spielberg/Hanks miniseries coming out next year.

MD

Good point,armour always improves the popularity of a range.

Rob

 

[OzDigger]

Visual appeal plays a large part in display and there is only so much you can do with palms, sand and green uniforms and vehicles. German armor and uniforms exhibited a wide variety of color schemes which enhance displays.

 

[Col. Hesler]

Good point,armour always improves the popularity of a range.

Rob

Yes, tanks are always the center of attention in dioramas.

 

[fmethorst]

True. but if armor and German camo was all that is required to make a line popular why does the Soviet campaign do so poorly, or the Italian campaign?

Perhaps it's familiarty. If you mention Caranten, Villers Bocage, Bastogne, Tobruk, El Alamein etc. people might actually know what your talking about.

 

[Rob]

True. but if armor and German camo was all that is required to make a line popular why does the Soviet campaign do so poorly, or the Italian campaign?

Perhaps it's familiarty. If you mention Caranten, Villers Bocage, Bastogne, Tobruk, El Alamein etc. people might actually know what your talking about.

Maybe with the Soviet and Italian theatres there is so little interest in the figures that even the addition of Tanks would not raise its popularity?.

Rob

 

[desk11desk12]

Or, maybe more generally, the fact that relatively little armor or vehicle was involved in the island hopping campaign in the Pacific theater has some to do with it. The latest USMC figures done by K&C look excellent, but if you collect with larger displays and dioramas in mind, options can be a bit limiting I suppose. I'll admit if these sets become retired soon, I will be tempted to actually finally buy some, especially with the new Spielberg/Hanks miniseries coming out next year.

MD

IMO MD,

"You hit the hammer on the head", it's armor. The Japanese had an initial superiority with the "Zero" and their Navy. Neither has the popularity as Armor does with collectors. Japanese armor was rather antiquated.

There is an opportunity for Figarti or KC to capture the excitement and enjoyment from collector's generated from "The Pacific War" coming in 2009. It's very likely this production will be much more popular than "Flags of our Father" or "Letters from Iwo Jima" in part it because its a series that will be played over and over and secondarily it's Speilberg and Hawks venture.

However, more likely KC and Figarti will play it safe and stay with WWII Europe/ N. Africa theaters due to fears of the economy and the lack luster performance of past figure sets in genre.

Too bad for us,

Carlos

 

[Capitolron]

I have never understood the slow sales on the Pacific Range either ?

They are some great figures and the subject matter is cool - lack of Armor could be a factor. Andy - should done like additional figures like from Midway or Singapore, Malaya or even New Guinea. It might sparked more interest.

Pacific Ground crews for Midway and Pearl Harbor could have brought in more Naval Aviation Interest too.

 

[lancer]

I , for one, would not mind seeing a defense of Port Moresby series. Buna and the Kokoda Trail were terrible struggles for both the Aussies and the Japanese. Aussie figures in jungle unis would present a great diorama possibility. "Bless them all..." -- lancer

 

[desk11desk12]

I'm a huge Pacific War collector (me a two others apparently). Call me crazy (you're probably right) but I've had several figures and vehicles repainted to represent the theater. It's expensive but worth it for me.

Whenever this and other threads ask this question about the lack of offerings in this Theater come out, we hear the same thing. "It would great to see this or this". I agree with you all, but there is a difference between "it would be great to see" and "I'll buy them, and this many".

The latter is what motivates manufactures, the formal is just a nice discussion.

Just my opinion.

Carlos

 

[theBaron]

I'm a huge Pacific War collector (me a two others apparently). Call me crazy (you're probably right) but I've had several figures and vehicles repainted to represent the theater. It's expensive but worth it for me.

Whenever this and other threads ask this question about the lack of offerings in this Theater come out, we hear the same thing. "It would great to see this or this". I agree with you all, but there is a difference between "it would be great to see" and "I'll buy them, and this many".

The latter is what motivates manufactures, the formal is just a nice discussion.

Just my opinion.

Carlos

That's a good observation, Carlos, and it makes me wonder if that factor is behind the dearth of naval items. The Pacific war was fought in large part on and over water, after all (not to take away from the foot soldiers who fought on the continent or on the islands).

Prost!
Brad

 

[Capitolron]

Well if we can have a Sand Pebble Range - I would think we could expand the WWII Pacific Range ?

 

[Stryker II]

Carlos: I'm new to this forum, but I totally agree with you. Count me in on more Pacific--especially King & Country's fabulous Marine figures. Figarti has done some nice ones too, but having talked with both of them at Chicago, maybe there is some light at the end of the tunnel?? I do know this from what I have read and heard from both Hanks and Spielberg: This new series called the PACIFIC, will be the BEST series they have ever done. It will be more intense, costly, and great battle scenes concentrating on the lives of three real marines from WWII and thier experiences against the Japanese. Hanks was quoted as saying that it is MUCH better than BAND OF BROTHERS, and as good or better than Ryan--we shall see. I know thousands of veterans had complained that they had been forgotten in both of those productions, because they were fighting on the other side of the world.

I do agree that armor is probably the key as to why the manufacturers tend to stay in europe. Business sense is that the more vehicles we can make, the more we sell--so hopefully someone will go into the pacific more next year..............Stryker II

 

[lcdr1635]

The Ironic thing is that the pacific war had quite a variety of armor, and some of it quite as colorful as any German Ambush pattern.
Just off the top of my head the Marines used the M2A4, M3 and M3A1 on Guadalcanal, and both version of the M3 in later campaigns. They also used the M5A1 in the Marshals, and Marianas. They used M4A1s on Cape Gloucester (two color camouflaged), M4A2 mid production on Tarawa, the Marianas, Pelileu, and Iwo Jima; M4A2 late production in the Marianas and Okinawa and M4A3s on Iwo and Okinawa. The Marines also used 4 different varieties of personal carrying Amtrack (LVT-1 through -4) and 4 different fire support amtracks (LVT-(A)1 through (A)4). Also M3 Halftrack 75mm Gun Motor carriages, M7 and M7B1 Priests. Not to mention Jeeps, trucks, M29 Weasles and DUKWs.

The Army used the various M3 and M5 light tanks, M3 Lees on Makin, M4 (composite hull) M4A1 and M4A3 shermans, M4 (105mm) on Okinawa, M10 and M18 Tank Destroyers, and most of the varieties of LVTs.

I'm not an expert on Commonwealth forces but I know they used Matildas, Valentines, and Shermans(in Burma).

And the Japanese had an interesting variety of light and medium tanks, light artillery and self propelled guns, and is colorful camouflage.

No doubt there were few great clashes of massed armor, but there was still quite a variety.

As for Uniforms they could be as varied in the Pacific as in the ETO. Did you know that a substantial number of the Marines on Iwo Jima were wearing the Army khaki M41 field jacket over their green utilities. Both the Army and Marines had camouflage uniforms as well. And there were differences between the Japanese Army uniforms and those worn by the Special Naval Landing Teams ("Japanese Marines").

 

[Stryker II]

WELL SAID Icdr 1635, and a great posting. The different Shermans, halftracks, amtracks, plus all the british and aussie stuff along with japanese armor would be nice. There was a distinct difference in both color and insignia between the Jap army and Imperial Special Naval Landing Forces (japanese Marines) that were encountered in many of the pacific island campaigns. Not only our campaigns of island hopping could be done, but the many British and Aussie actions coulds also be highly represented with thier own distinct and varied vehicles.............Stryker II

 

[theBaron]

Since this is K&C we're talking about, I'm thinking of carrier deck crew for the appropriate Warbirds, and maybe a carrier deck base. How about a 40mm Bofors mount with crew? The navies are sorely underrepresented.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Eazy]

Well if we can have a Sand Pebble Range - I would think we could expand the WWII Pacific Range ?

I know i'd be interested in seeing a kind of War in the Far East theme - Gurkhas, Chindits, Anzacs etc.
My own opinion also was that the recent Japanese range were not all that exciting. The poses were nearly all prone figures with the occasional kneeler. even the Commanding General was sitting down.
Maybe some more dynamic poses would have helped it's popularity.