Price Increases (2 Viewers)

[Northgate Woods]

Rob mate,
Outstanding Post cobber. You said it all. I for one have increased my buying as the quality, consistancy, on time delivery and range of K&C gets better and better.
Cheers Howard

 

[wwiibuff]

For me the price issue is not a new one, ever since I started collecting K&C I've never thrown money around in great abundance, I've always had to have some self discipline and now is no different. Price rises are I'm afraid a fact of life across the board, food,petrol, clothes etc, so its no shock prices are going up. For me the quality,range and depth of K&C's releases every single month is what keeps me a loyal and happy customer.

Rob

Rob, I still consider myself a loyal K&C customer as well, the happy part is debatable though because of the accelerated pace of the price increases. I'm certainly not questioning that goods in general don't go up over time (except lately for my house I guess and a few other things) but it's the amount of the increase over the last 5 years that concerns me. I've heard it said that the $89 tanks in 2006 were a bargain and I guess looking back now that would seem to be the obvious, but back then $89 was the price and I doubt K&C was selling them to me for that price just because they wanted me to have a bargain.

 

[IONA]

And another thing!
Has anybody else noticed that the BBG016 Henschel turret KT is $239 compared to $229 for the Snow Tiger?

Your lucky mate its dearer than that in UK
Scott

 

[Rob]

Rob mate,
Outstanding Post cobber. You said it all. I for one have increased my buying as the quality, consistancy, on time delivery and range of K&C gets better and better.
Cheers Howard

Hey Howard,

I've collected Toy soldiers of one sort or another since I was about six or seven years old. I have finally found the scale,era and producer that I enjoy so much I doubt I will collect any other. So for me although like everyone else I don't want to see prices going up, I feel all the plus points of K&C make it well worth the dosh. Just my view mate,all the best

Rob

 

[lancer]

And another thing!
Has anybody else noticed that the BBG016 Henschel turret KT is $239 compared to $229 for the Snow Tiger?

Is this the new price increase? Was not BBG016 issued at $225? -- Al

 

[Rob]

Rob, I still consider myself a loyal K&C customer as well, the happy part is debatable though because of the accelerated pace of the price increases. I'm certainly not questioning that goods in general don't go up over time (except lately for my house I guess and a few other things) but it's the amount of the increase over the last 5 years that concerns me. I've heard it said that the $89 tanks in 2006 were a bargain and I guess looking back now that would seem to be the obvious, but back then $89 was the price and I doubt K&C was selling them to me for that price just because they wanted me to have a bargain.

Hey Duke, I'm the same as everyone else on here mate, price rises are a pain.What I've had to do is cut back on other hobby spending to keep my collecting TS's on track. I also remember the days of four figures for £71, yes I'd love those prices again, but i'm afraid they've gone. I just love this hobby and am totally hooked I'm afraid

All the best

Rob

 

[IONA]

Hey Duke, I'm the same as everyone else on here mate, price rises are a pain.What I've had to do is cut back on other hobby spending to keep my collecting TS's on track. I also remember the days of four figures for £71, yes I'd love those prices again, but i'm afraid they've gone. I just love this hobby and am totally hooked I'm afraid

All the best

Rob

Rob
I know what you mean about being hooked mate
Scott

 

[_FLYNN_86]

Im just worried that once the price goes to high i wont be able to afford to collect k&c. wheres it going to stop for a single figure?? in a year or two it might be $40-$45.

 

[lancer]

Im just worried that once the price goes to high i wont be able to afford to collect k&c. wheres it going to stop for a single figure?? in a year or two it might be $40-$45.

A legitimate worry. The price increases have far outstripped the rate of inflation and any rate of increased income. -- Al

 

[wwiibuff]

Hey Duke, I'm the same as everyone else on here mate, price rises are a pain.What I've had to do is cut back on other hobby spending to keep my collecting TS's on track. I also remember the days of four figures for £71, yes I'd love those prices again, but i'm afraid they've gone. I just love this hobby and am totally hooked I'm afraid

All the best

Rob

Yeah, I'm hooked too Rob to a certain extent.

Let me clarify something from my other post that you might not have picked up on. I didn't mean that I thought K&C should be selling today's tanks for $89 when I said that I doubted they were selling to me for that price just because they wanted me to have a bargain... what I meant by that was that $89 was the price back then, and since that was the price they set on those items, they were probably making a profit, and for now 5 years later basically the same set costs $199? That just seems like too much of an increase for the amount of time elapsed.

 

[IONA]

Yeah, I'm hooked too Rob to a certain extent.

Let me clarify something from my other post that you might not have picked up on. I didn't mean that I thought K&C should be selling today's tanks for $89 when I said that I doubted they were selling to me for that price just because they wanted me to have a bargain... what I meant by that was that $89 was the price back then, and since that was the price they set on those items, they were probably making a profit, and for now 5 years later basically the same set costs $199? That just seems like too much of an increase for the amount of time elapsed.

Couldnt have said it better myself
Scott

 

[Rob]

Rob
I know what you mean about being hooked mate
Scott

Its easily done mate!

Yeah, I'm hooked too Rob to a certain extent.

Let me clarify something from my other post that you might not have picked up on. I didn't mean that I thought K&C should be selling today's tanks for $89 when I said that I doubted they were selling to me for that price just because they wanted me to have a bargain... what I meant by that was that $89 was the price back then, and since that was the price they set on those items, they were probably making a profit, and for now 5 years later basically the same set costs $199? That just seems like too much of an increase for the amount of time elapsed.

Hey Duke, yes I got what you meant, and I totally understand what you are saying. Collecting costs a lot of money these days, speaking for myself I get a lot out of it and this justifies it for me. However every single collector has to ask himself what he gets out of it and does he want to fork out the cash every month. And this most certainly is not me saying ' don't like,don't buy', all I mean is we have to choose what to buy with all considerations in mind. Mostly what will the missus say!

Rob

 

[nysoldiers]

In K&C's defence I can say that costs from China (labor, utilities, raw materials, real estate and exchange rates) have increased dramatically in the last 5 years.
In my industry (electronic components) you can keep prices down with automation and high yields but this does not apply to the making of toy soldiers. Skilled labor in China is getting expensive. I doubt that Andy wants to move production to Vietnam or Sri Lanka.

Some of the cost increases might be a marketing ploy and Andy is willing to sell less at higher prices.
Supply and demand will ultimately rule and we have to vote with our wallets.
I am buying less from K&C, trying out other vendors and looking for deals on the web.

 

[wwiibuff]

Its easily done mate!




Hey Duke, yes I got what you meant, and I totally understand what you are saying. Collecting costs a lot of money these days, speaking for myself I get a lot out of it and this justifies it for me. However every single collector has to ask himself what he gets out of it and does he want to fork out the cash every month. And this most certainly is not me saying ' don't like,don't buy', all I mean is we have to choose what to buy with all considerations in mind. Mostly what will the missus say!

Rob

No worries Rob, and I hear you about the missus... I have the same issue.

 

[wwiibuff]

In K&C's defence I can say that costs from China (labor, utilities, raw materials, real estate and exchange rates) have increased dramatically in the last 5 years.
In my industry (electronic components) you can keep prices down with automation and high yields but this does not apply to the making of toy soldiers. Skilled labor in China is getting expensive. I doubt that Andy wants to move production to Vietnam or Sri Lanka.

Some of the cost increases might be a marketing ploy and Andy is willing to sell less at higher prices.
Supply and demand will ultimately rule and we have to vote with our wallets.
I am buying less from K&C, trying out other vendors and looking for deals on the web.

I can understand this to a degree and I certainly wouldn't know the full impact of the issues with cost that you bring up, and K&C might really need to raise prices to the levels they have in order to make a profit. But like you and others have said, it's the collectors/consumers that might ultimately decide where this goes with how much each individual is willing to pay and to what volume extent.

 

[Rob]

No worries Rob, and I hear you about the missus... I have the same issue.

So Duke, have you decided to cut down on any ranges in particular, or just buy less in general?. I think my three core ranges are D Day,Bulge and RAF, am just hoping I don't have to cutback on any of those...oh blimey...I've forgotten Arnhem !.

Rob

 

[wwiibuff]

So Duke, have you decided to cut down on any ranges in particular, or just buy less in general?. I think my three core ranges are D Day,Bulge and RAF, am just hoping I don't have to cutback on any of those...oh blimey...I've forgotten Arnhem !.

Rob

Rob, I'm just cutting back in general really. I do want to pick up a few RAF pieces as I have none right now. My main focus has been the Bulge ranges, but I have many sets from other K&C WWII ranges as well and also have some Alamo and a couple Crusaders.

 

[lancer]

The effect of the increased prices is evident in my current buying habits. I used to buy at least once a month, sometimes twice, and usually within budget. Now, I have been saving for the Snow Tiger, expensive and 15% outside of my budget, for almost 8 weeks. I will be ordering it next week but this means I have not purchased anything in almost 2 months. How can this help a business? It certainly doesn't help my collecting and I don't see it improving. -- Al

 

[wwiibuff]

The effect of the increased prices is evident in my current buying habits. I used to buy at least once a month, sometimes twice, and usually within budget. Now, I have been saving for the Snow Tiger, expensive and 15% outside of my budget, for almost 8 weeks. I will be ordering it next week but this means I have not purchased anything in almost 2 months. How can this help a business? It certainly doesn't help my collecting and I don't see it improving. -- Al

Sounds kinda like my budget issues so I know the feeling. My budget hasn't increased with K&C's increases, therefore less to purchase (if any) each month.

 

[boerboy]

In K&C's defence I can say that costs from China (labor, utilities, raw materials, real estate and exchange rates) have increased dramatically in the last 5 years.
In my industry (electronic components) you can keep prices down with automation and high yields but this does not apply to the making of toy soldiers. Skilled labor in China is getting expensive. I doubt that Andy wants to move production to Vietnam or Sri Lanka.

Some of the cost increases might be a marketing ploy and Andy is willing to sell less at higher prices.
Supply and demand will ultimately rule and we have to vote with our wallets.
I am buying less from K&C, trying out other vendors and looking for deals on the web.

It's exactly why American companies (and others as well) should have tried to keep their business at home and do not reach for a "cheap" labor in China, Mexico and other countries...The business with Chinese companies is tricky : when they see you completely depend up on them. they will not hesitate to increase their rate & even make the same stuff for your competition. Their labor is not cheap after all in the long run...I hope that competition from FL , CS and others TS makers will make K&C drop their prices: if not I guess they will have to deal with 20 customers worldwide
IMHO
Al