Pricing, where's your limit?? (1 Viewer)

[sammy719]

Hi all,

I must say first this is NOT a anti K&C thread, just thoughts in general about k&C pricing at the moment, and I do totally understand the reasons for price increases from raw material, Chinas working folk wanting a bigger pay check etc...but is there a dollar amount that you step away from collecting?? cut back? buy just soldiers, buy just vehicles?? I pick up a few Civil War sets for my son from K&C but just one here and there, so it's not to bad on the pockets, anyway just curious to know how others are dealing with pricing at the moment?...Sammy

 

[Panzer ace]

Hi all,

I must say first this is NOT a anti K&C thread, just thoughts in general about k&C pricing at the moment, and I do totally understand the reasons for price increases from raw material, Chinas working folk wanting a bigger pay check etc...but is there a dollar amount that you step away from collecting?? cut back? buy just soldiers, buy just vehicles?? I pick up a few Civil War sets for my son from K&C but just one here and there, so it's not to bad on the pockets, anyway just curious to know how others are dealing with pricing at the moment?...Sammy

Sammy:

Great topic actually, and I certainly do not see it as an anti-K&C thread. It is more of an economic reality thread. Pound for pound I still feel that the quality of K&C exceeds their prices.

My wife and I discuss this topic quite a bit as we both have some very expensive hobbies. Besides collecting toy soldiers, I am also a gun enthusiast/collector. In that arena, ammo, the guns themselves and even range time has gone through the roof. It used to be my less expensive alternative to toy soldiers, but not anymore. It seems like everything is getting more expensive and while I do not have a breaking point in price for what I will pay for toy soldiers, I do know that it does have a massive impact on the hobby itself.

I was glad to read that you get your son some K&C items as the hobby needs some younger collectors. It does not matter who the manufacture is, the fact is younger people do not have the disposable income to truly enjoy this pastime and it takes the financial assistance of parents like you in order to cultivate interest an in it.

 

[Jack]

I think one of the limitations of a generalised discussion about pricing - which are always shaped by personal circumstances such as income, disposable income, marital status, age, family situation, currency strengths/weaknesses - is that we extrapolate our personal circumstances and feel that our experience is a general one. The Aussie dollar is strong and I am in a situation now where I have more money to 'waste' on TS than at any other point in my life. It is easy for me to roll my eyes and say 'another price thread' but I have to accept that people are in a different circumstance than I am at this point in time ie some have more to spend, some have less. It will always be this way regardless of what prices are at any given point. If they are too high, the market would react and the manufacturers would have to respond or die. The concerns about the Winter Stug were generally not price driven but rather the demand outstripping the supply. Clearly the people who collect WW 2 German - and I think there must be at least a couple of you - have decided the price/quality ratio is appropriate or they have enough money to buy in spite of that concern. People will vote with their wallets. I assume K&C have the right balance between quality and price not because I am an expert, but if they didn't, this thread might well read 'Whatever happened to the guy who used to run K&C'? I never feel that a question like 'Why doesn't Andy make more Australians' has any other answer than 'because he feels other things will sell better'. The same with the price issue, they are what they are because of exactly the same issues confronted by any business. I want an Aston Martin, but I do not have the money. I drive an 1967 MGB, not as good by a long shot, but in my price range. Some people have better cars, some have worse, some have none.

 

[Warlord 1]

I agree that this has been discussed in depth before. A couple of years ago I said I would never pay more than $30 per soldier. I did break this promise to myself and have bought a few, however, have cut back considerbly. I just buy LAH, a couple tanks and planes from K&C now instead of everything that came out. I joked with my dealer that $750 used to get three full boxes and now you are lucky to get one. I augment my interrest in other feilds by buying different brands at shows for super discounts. Buck goes further and nearly the same quality. Larry.

 

[simmo]

Hi, to give a straightforward answer my limit for a single figure would be £30 be it K&C, JJD, TGM or whoever. Bit more obviously for flag bearers/mounted figures when I could go to £45/£60.

Unfortunately this prices me out most K&C new releases so I tend to go for the older releases.

 

[lancer]

My limit for figures is $35, firm. I will not collect large amounts of figures in excess of that price. One here or there, maybe, but, as a rule, anything over $35 gets passed by. Now, airplanes or tanks are a different matter as I view them as more bang for the buck. -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

I tend not to make any hard and fast rules, other than if you start to dip into savings it's time to cut back or time for a new hobby.

 

[jager7080]

Interesting thread...While i do remember being able to walk into the Toy Soldier Shop in Elmhurst , Illinois , & buy a box of four K&C figures for $78 that was also about twenty years ago...I only collect WW2 , so that helps keep my collecting simple & targeted...I buy what i really like , not everything that is released for a certain range...I have always enjoyed toy soldiers since being a kid with Britains Deetail , Swoppits & Marx...1/35 scale modeling brought me into the K&C world by searching for DAK kits...The point is i really enjoy this hobby , so will always be involved in it...When i see something released i already know if i want it or not...If i am on the fence about a certain figure or AFV ,then price will play a part in deciding whether i buy it or not...

Joe

 

[dspurlock]

As a very new collector and primarily collecting K&Cs LAH range since last July, I was fortunate to purchase most of my figures in the $28-$35 range but to be honest even at those prices, multiples was a real concern. When current figures are in the $42-$45 range, I had to say “enough” there is no way I can afford to purchase 10+ figures at that price point to build multiple formations, especially the Calvary formations. I had originally planned on building a squadron of a flag bearer horse followed by 6 sword bearing riders but at $79.00 each, I scaled back to a flag bearer by 3 riders.

These prices also caused me to nix a planned K&C Napoleonic Calvary charge I was planning on starting- there is no way I can afford items at $119.00 a piece without also worrying about them being retired before I can purchase them all. It’s bad enough I have to figure out the cost of the retired pieces but with current pieces costing above those prices it makes it a “kill joy” for me.

Oh well, I’m just glad to have finished my LAH range before the current prices have taken hold or the pieces were retired.

I’m not sure what I’m going to collect next…
Derek

 

[swalterh]

Just from my short time in the actual collecting portion of the hobby, I believe that there is room for collectors to go all the way up to $75 per foot figure (if the figure is sculpted and painted to a high quality) and still keep collecting in some significant quantity. I understand that this means one or two figures a month instead of three, four or five. But, the fact is that we in this hobby love the novelty of toy soldier collecting and will be willing to continue buying even if that means shelling out $75 per foot figure or double per mounted.

What can I say? Guys like pretty things and part of the appeal of military miniatures is that they are pretty (no different than sports cars, motorcycles, guns, planes, and women).

I know that talk about price inceases isn't something that the majority of my fellow toy soldier enthusiasts want to hear. But, the reality is that prices are going to continue to rise and with the injection of First Legion into the market the other manufacturers are going to feel the pressure of the demand for increased (painting) quality. IMO certain producers are going to experience a difficult time keeping pace with the new developments in the industry. This is eventually only going to leave a few manufacturers for us to choose from. If this occurs, I find it difficult to believe that we won't be seeing some gradual price increases and I see these eventually leveling off in the $75 range.

 

[MapleLeaf]

Sammy where at the point where the wallet dictate
what to buy or not to buy instead of space

 

[Lo1863]

Just from my short time in the actual collecting portion of the hobby, I believe that there is room for collectors to go all the way up to $75 per foot figure (if the figure is sculpted and painted to a high quality) and still keep collecting in some significant quantity. I understand that this means one or two figures a month instead of three, four or five. But, the fact is that we in this hobby love the novelty of toy soldier collecting and will be willing to continue buying even if that means shelling out $75 per foot figure or double per mounted.

What can I say? Guys like pretty things and part of the appeal of military miniatures is that they are pretty (no different than sports cars, motorcycles, guns, planes, and women).

I know that talk about price inceases isn't something that the majority of my fellow toy soldier enthusiasts want to hear. But, the reality is that prices are going to continue to rise and with the injection of First Legion into the market the other manufacturers are going to feel the pressure of the demand for increased (painting) quality. IMO certain producers are going to experience a difficult time keeping pace with the new developments in the industry. This is eventually only going to leave a few manufacturers for us to choose from. If this occurs, I find it difficult to believe that we won't be seeing some gradual price increases and I see these eventually leveling off in the $75 range.

I second everything you just said.

 

[braddinpa]

I don't have set $ limit. But i do have a budget. As they go up. The number I buy goes down. I look more for quality rather than quantity.

 

[MarkeytMaker]

It is not a cheap hobby...but if you purchase my all in one "Building the Toy Soldier collection CD" you will learn the in's and out's of building a collection for much much less^&grin

CD's start at $999.00!

 

[waynepoo]

I think one of the limitations of a generalised discussion about pricing - which are always shaped by personal circumstances such as income, disposable income, marital status, age, family situation, currency strengths/weaknesses - is that we extrapolate our personal circumstances and feel that our experience is a general one. The Aussie dollar is strong and I am in a situation now where I have more money to 'waste' on TS than at any other point in my life. It is easy for me to roll my eyes and say 'another price thread' but I have to accept that people are in a different circumstance than I am at this point in time ie some have more to spend, some have less. It will always be this way regardless of what prices are at any given point. If they are too high, the market would react and the manufacturers would have to respond or die. The concerns about the Winter Stug were generally not price driven but rather the demand outstripping the supply. Clearly the people who collect WW 2 German - and I think there must be at least a couple of you - have decided the price/quality ratio is appropriate or they have enough money to buy in spite of that concern. People will vote with their wallets. I assume K&C have the right balance between quality and price not because I am an expert, but if they didn't, this thread might well read 'Whatever happened to the guy who used to run K&C'? I never feel that a question like 'Why doesn't Andy make more Australians' has any other answer than 'because he feels other things will sell better'. The same with the price issue, they are what they are because of exactly the same issues confronted by any business. I want an Aston Martin, but I do not have the money. I drive an 1967 MGB, not as good by a long shot, but in my price range. Some people have better cars, some have worse, some have none.

Hmmmm, you drive an 1967 MGB? Are we going to Phil's in it on Saturday.......^&grin{sm4}:wink2:

 

[Jack]

Hmmmm, you drive an 1967 MGB? Are we going to Phil's in it on Saturday.......^&grin{sm4}:wink2:

Still waiting to get it back from the painters - it has been many, many months now. Plus...only the A listers travel in that car!

 

[em_linney]

For the most part though I look for figures under $40. It really depends on what the figure depicts. If it really grabs I probably go $50, if it is a standard bearer $75 or so. First legion standard bearers are stunning, but there are so many, and right at my threshold, that I only buy one or two a year, which also means that I miss out on some because they sell out by the time I get back to them. By and large K&C AFVs are out of my price range, I tend to look at Collector Showcase, or TGM for those (so pricewise around $150). I also bargain hunt like crazy, which for the most part has gone ok. I collect what I like, within my somewhat fluid limits, across several manufacturers and lines (WWII, Civil War, Samurai, Napoleonic).

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

75 bucks for a single figure would be outrageous ! At that price I can see a lot of dealers vanishing. I know I would be done with the hobby. It's good I can paint because that's the direction I would go.

 

[HistoryfortheAges]

Good luck getting a lot of the younger generation into this hobby with the current prices for 60mm matte metal figures! {eek3}

If I wanted to start into this hobby today, I would be looking at alternatives such as metal figures in smaller scales, glossies or painted plastics.

I have been priced out of K&C figures for the most part when they breached through $35/foot figure. The bulk of my collection was purchased at average prices below $25/foot figure. The only K&C range that I am looking at now is the Custer series which I may create a small diorama with. I will just have to bite the bullet on several figures...

 

[Colonel RNZIR]

I was very lucky that my wife discovered King and Country in Queensway Plaza in Hong Kong almost six years ago.
I remember going into the store and being amazed at what was on offer,I brought a few sets of four in a box for $85.00 each.
Since then I now have one thousand soldiers,one hundred vehicles, and twelve aircraft.
We don't have any King and Country dealers in New Zealand and our dollar is currently worth 79cents Australian and 83 cents American.The freight cost on getting my collection to New Zealand exceeds $1200 American dollars.
I'm lucky that I collected most of King and Country when soldiers were $25.00 to $32.00 each and tanks were $95.00 to $150.00 each.After saying that I have preordered the new Middle East British WW1 and Home Guard at $44.00 each.
While the quality is still there, I will still collect King and Country.