Retirement policy (1 Viewer)

[Rob]

Can anyone tell me if there is a K&C retirement policy as such.Are sets retired on a basis of perhaps how many have been made or time period of production?.It would be nice to get an idea so as to be able to plan purchases so you don't miss out.I find it so difficult to decide,do i buy the excellant new sets coming out, or should i concentrate on buying the older sets first.Decisions decisions!!

 

[bsager]

Good question.

I do not know of any policy for retiring items. Andy retires items after they have been out for a while and new items are coming into the same category. Most sets are available from 1 1/2 years to 2 on the market. Sometimes he ends them sooner, ex. WS57.

If you wait till they retire to collect then you might end up paying more for an item as the value increases. This may lead you into buying older sets before they retire.

The sculpting and paint work on the newer sets keeps getting better so this might lead you into the newer sets?

I guess you kind of have to decide why you are collecting an item, for future gain or desire to have the item on your shelf because you like that particular series.

Bill

 

[jazzeum]

For a second, when I read this thread I thought we were talking about my being retired and got really nervous.

On some items that I don't really need I like to wait until they're retired to get them. I don't find them too hard to puchase. An example is the Matilda that I bought not long ago. I found it through a dealer at the original price.

 

[bsager]

Your right on that Brad. A lot of items that are retired are still available out there at the original price. It usually depends on the popularity of the piece.

The hunt of finding the tough ones is what I like.

Bill

 

[Rob]

Thanks you guys,i think i might concentrate on the newer stuff.The quality just seems to get better and better.

 

[Alexdakar]

I suggest you concentrate on the new stuff. I finally collected around 97% of the retired stuff which drove me crazy and cost me a pretty penny. Just when I felt relieved on the retired stuff here comes a huge wave of new stuff.

 

[bsager]

The nice thing about the new stuff is you can get so much more for the money versus the retired items.

Bill

 

[Gideon]

Here is the King & Country retirement policy as discussed at my shop back in March.

When the question was posed, Andy gave the following reasons:

1. An item will be discontinued if he feels it can be improved
2. An item will be retired if the overall sales slump
3. An item will be retired as new products are released in order to free up warehouse space. One of the untold costs of an operation like Andys' is the simple means of storing the items in a warehouse prior to shipping. This is a very real cost for him and if he simply adds more products without retiring others his storage costs climb.

Now, retirement of an item is not completely set in stone because Andy has all of the masters and any of these figures/vehicles can go back into production any time he wants.

This being said, Andy is incredibly forward thinking in regards to this. The secondary market was a pleasant surprise to him and he really doesn't want to do anything to interupt this. Also, re-releasing previous items is kind of counter to the evolution of his range.

We had a discussion about this in Boston. Andy is incredibly smart and flexible in his approach to the hobby.

 

[Doug Stork]

Rob
I Would Suggest Going For The New As Opposed To The Retired As Quality Is Getting Better With Each Set I Have A Hodge Podge Of Early Infantry And Several Early Lah Series Sets And There Is A Toyish Look About The Figures Where As The Newer Sets Are Fine Detail And Matted Paint Which Makes For More Realistic Dioramas Or Set Ups. As Far As The Retired Pieces Go My Guess Would Be The Warbirds Or Wooden Vehicles As The Most Desired Pieces Sought After. I Had The Pleasure Of Owning A Wood Piece Buying It At The Regular Price But After A Few Years I Decided To Pass It To A More Enthusiastic Serious Collector That I Made A Pact With In 1999 When He First Saw It. Im Happy I Know It Has A Good Home Right Now My Focus Is The Fall Of Berlin With The Surperb Detail On The Russian Sets
Doug S
Ps Brad Anytime You Want To Talk About Old Retired Pieces You Have My Number

 

[Louis Badolato]

Doug,

I just wanted to thank you for the generous gift. The autographs and photo of the pilot and radioman from the Enola Gay are truly appreciated, and will be framed and put up in my toy soldier display area when I move into my new house.

Your friend,

Louis

 

[jazzeum]

Doug,

It would be my delight to talk to you about these. You are one of the class people that I've met in this hobby, another favor that I owe to Louis, likewise in that class.

I'm getting ready to email you some of those pictures.

 

[Rob]

Thanks Doug,I think you are right.The newer sets certainly are better.I liked the idea of owning some of the Arnhem sets,but even these don't really match up to the D-day/Bulge sets for realism etc.

 

[Doug Stork]

BRAD RE:RETIRED PIECES (MYSELF INCLUDED)
IN MY QUOTE I WAS MAKING FUN OF MYSELF AS BEING AN OLD RETIRED PIECE MAYBE NOT AS DESIRED AS A K & C WINTER CAMO VEHICLE BUT STILL A RETIRED PIECE THE SAME . I HAVE A DRY SENSE OF HUMOR AT TIMES BUT I LIKE TO KID AROUND
REGARDS
DOUG
THANKS FOR PICS