Brett...
Ok I will play along. As I mentioned the medic sets. Look at the medic sets and look at the facial details including design and, how the face is painted. Shading detail etc are done to what I consider a good standard and, at the usual expected price which you stated.
Now look at the facial features of the Arnhem versions and there is no more extensive detail added to them from my perspective to warrant the increase here. These facial features which as anyone who knows are the most difficult part of a figure to do have not been done by anyone with more experience than who did these other figures.
What you fail to address is that irrespective of the pattern the figures are painted in a production line style where one painter has his part to paint and will lets say its an 8 hour shift paint nothing more than that. so, what you are doing is trying to establish that because these are P figures and have camo and are not just OD that they warrant the additional increased price on top.
In this system that is used here these figures will be reeled of at the same speed regardless of design and, in that sense as they are painted at speed (unlike when an individual sets forth on such a project) the only real issue would be drying times which, I am sure the factory has enhanced drying facilities.
So, in answer to your question I would actually say that they would probably take the same amount of effort to paint. I don't believe the assumption you make that these figures have cost the additional money as I have not seen anything which makes me believe that K&C have enhanced the painting style any more than what is on their already released figures in terms of paint style detail and quality. I note it says sculpts and paint style in the spiel but, again I would not see any difference in the way they have been moulded and, I would venture that the difference in the scale of the Sten gun is only down to the way that weapons in recent years have been getting nearer to the size they should be. Its not like K&C have had to re-invent the wheel to get the correct size gun as look at the assassination of Heydrich and the sten gun used then on the resistance figure, it was perfect in size in 2007.
As I mentioned other features make me think this is not a P range. Some I mentioned and some I did not but, look at the Para on bike for £76 why is the bike not more detailed look at what TG released in terms of Bikes if we are to pay £76 then where is the P detail of sculpts?
Brett I am just saying that IMO these figures have not raised the bar in the terms they have been labelled and, that there is no discernible difference in my mind with the experience I have and the way I look at a figure to see if its good bad or indifferent. If I could see a marked difference in these alleged P figures I would be on here saying these are stunning and are well worth the move but, I just don't see it and don't see the reason for the increased cost which, is putting people off.
I also don't think that the rather unnecessary and childish derogatory remarks about my painting ability are needed and, its rather strange considering the number of times you have actually commented positively on my painting and modelling skills before so, its rather obvious that this is an attempt to try and change the focus on what it really is for many collectors right across the board the rather strange labelling of the P figures and their price.
If the reason behind this is to say compete with FL as some have suggested (I don't agree with aero art as their WWII stuff for me is pants) then I think its not going to draw any of them away from that company especially when there is talk of Brit Para's coming from them. I also don't really believe that K&C has been inundated with requests for super detail as nearly 3,000 people worldwide here and its been very quiet on the subject. More detail yes but, I think K&C have been and have achieved that with what they are bringing out now at the £41/44 level. I can see a possible need for connoisseur figures (a term I don't particularly like as its used in an umbrella fashion) but, they should be as distinct from lets call it your bread and butter as possible. These simply are not and I can't see it doing any good for the K&C brand to further restrict your core collectors which, we hear constantly on here people further cutting back. This just can't help
Mitch
Mitch,
You are talking about the detail of eyes and the end of the binoculars but yet in a discussion about a significant price rise you think rising Chinese wages and costs are not relevant to the issue. As I said to Scott in my
previous post my view is that any P factor there might be is outweighed by the China increasing prices factor.
Anyway as you suggest I will ask your expert opinion.
I dont want you to consider the P factor or any previously released WW2 figures.
Just compare the newly announced GI medics and the new Paras and assume made by the same factory.
The GI is priced at $42.50. With that in mind and from what you can see from available photos do you
think there is more or less work in the $55 Paras and if the answer is more is the extra $12.50 a
reasonable difference to cover that ?
Then in addition to that question consider if this point makes a difference if you were a Chinese factory
owner who sells his labour based on time or per piece.
I just looked at two different previous Arnhem figures (Standing Firing Sten and Firing sten from waist height) and compared two of each. It is clear the painters were under instructions to follow the scheme and in my opinion they
did a pretty good job following it. Now lets assume their instructions are the same for the new release and they have to follow the same pattern for all the identical figures. Does that make them more time consuming for a production
line to paint than if they were told here are the 3/4 cam colours paint your own version of the scheme ?
In my view that adds difficulty to the cam production line compared to those following the olive drab
pattern. Is my view reasonable ?
Regards
Brett
