Rolling Tracks (1 Viewer)

[victory]

In a continued release of bottled up questions, here is another one. I had heard it rumored K&C was looking at changing to working rolling tracks on tanks & vehicles in another effort of uping the realism. Anyone have an intel on this?

 

[Louis Badolato]

I haven't heard anything of the sort, but would be all for it. A company called Figarti made a Japanese Chi-Ha Tank with seperate linked moving tracks with individually suspended bogie wheels, and it really looked terrific. If Andy can do this I would certainly be thrilled, as for me, the weakness in polystone tracked vehicles is the rough extra material around the tracks and bogie wheels.

 

[bsager]

Can you imagine if it came with metal tracks! They have conversion kits for a lot of plastic kits for metal tracks. This would be awesome!

Bill

 

[binder001]

The newer vehicles have gotten better, but there is only so much detail that can be cast into a one-piece suspension/tracks/hull assembly. Andy does great work, but that is an area of possible improvement, Since FoV and 21C are cast in China, then it might be possible to make "hybrid" vehicles, with the tracks and diecast lower hull like Forces of Valor, but the nice details on the upper hull and turret in "traditional" K&C fashion. Another alternative might be to look at multi-piece lower hulls, not unlike Roco Minitanks where the lower hull/suspension is made up of several pieces and assembled instead of being cast as one piece (but we still don't have moving tracks). I don't know if the polystone material allows this, but the newer stuff seems more like the resin that some model tank accessories/conversions come in, and this material holds a fantastic level of detail. THe "hybrid" construction approach would be more durable that the multi-piece casting.

Just a thought.

 

[Louis Badolato]

The Figarti tank, the one non-King & Country vehicle in my collection, is made primarily of polystone, with several hundred pieces of metal detailing. The tracks are made of about 50 individual metal links each. The hatches are hinged and open like the hatches on the older wood metal and resin K&C vehicles (except for the frist three [Tiger, Panther & Sherman], and the resin and metal Jagpanther). I think the combination of the two materials [polystone and metal] is fantastic.

 

[jazzeum]

I've never seen the Figartis (at least not yet) but it does sound interesting. However, it would increase the manufacturing process and probably the cost and having a lower hull to the polystone upper does complicate things. I frankly like them the way they are. If it ain't broke...

 

[victory]

Just by looking at pics of the Figarti tank Louis is talking about, I think it would be an enhancing feature to the tanks.

http://www.figarti.com/Special/Image?imgurl=http://61.172.198.140:8102/_media/20050202/J3009.gif

 

[jazzeum]

Probably you're right, especially from a realism point of view although I think the cost would be a factor for Andy. There would be a certain amount of retooling involved.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Andy would only make a change like that if either it made financial sense for him to do it or Figarti became popular enough to warrant such a change. As much as I would live the additional realism, Brad's comment about not fixing what isn't broken may apply here.

 

[gk5717]

Speaking of Figarti, that is the only other metal line I collect other than K&C.
I do not like there first sets of Japanese & Chinese, however the 44 figures and tank they released at OTSN 04 are excellent, those I bought.
The big problem with them is only releaseing one set a year, they are suppose to have the Marines by this years OTSN. One tends to loose interest with such a release schedule.
That is another reason why K&C is tops, a timely release of new products. Hard on the wallet but well worth it.
Gary

 

[jazzeum]

Release schedule. An interesting topic. Is all this new product hard on dealers in that they have to buy a lot of new inventory in order to meet competition (i.e., if you don't have it, buyers will go elsewhere) and to the neglect of existing inventory. I can see how it could be a cash drain on dealers, not to mention the consumer.

 

[bsager]

Personally Brad I stock everything K&C offers except the Streets of Hong Kong. I have multiples of almost everything. Right now K&C is behind on their inventory of Waffen sets and some D-Day because of the Fall of Berlin series but stuff is starting to come in now.

I stock according to my normal sales and keep a little extra above and beyond. It doesnot drain me too much if I order correctly. The problem with not having it is that collectors but on impulse and when they want it they need it. My regular customers are very loyal and I usually order to cover them on my initial stock order. Most dealers I think operate this way.

Bill

 

[jazzeum]

Bill,

I agree that we're impulsive and that we want it when we want it. Like the Doors song says (more or less): "When do we want it? We want it now!"

My local dealer unfortunately is not as quick as some of the big ones and I've had to go elsewhere to get it. I've already placed my order for the British sets, for example.

 

[Louis Badolato]

When I started collecting, I bought everything from Tony at the Toy Soldier Gallery, the only local dealer in New York back then. Then I was lured away by promises of assistance in locating the older product, and dealt exclusively with another dealer for a couple of years. Finally, after starting to go to the shows, I got to know many dealers, consider them friends, and I started dealing with everyone. I try to sread my business around, but when it comes to older pieces, if a dealer gives me the opportunity, I snap them up from whoever has them. I guess I am not loyal to anything but King & Country itself at this point.

 

[jazzeum]

I try to spread it around a little bit too. I've met one dealer that I like to give a lot of business to while still getting some piece from my local guy although I'm ordering all my British pieces and some of the Russians (possibly all from the first dealer I alluded to).

On retired pieces, you have to go where the action is.

 

[victory]

I'm more a person of habit. I started off with one dealer but after having delivery issues (not really the dealers fault), I changed over to another dealer who dealt on a much smaller scale. The problem their was I had to wait as much as three months for a set. Like you'll have said, when you want it, you want it now. Anyway changed again to another dealer and so far so good. There are many nice & helpful dealers in this hobby of ours, you just have to sort out the one that meets your immediate needs.

 

[Louis Badolato]

There are so many terrific dealers in this Hobby, most of whom are friends of mine, that I feel like its hard to go wrong no matter who you deal with. I think a lot of it is finding dealers whose personality and business practices feel comfortable to you. Over the years I have dealt with dozens of K&C dealers all over the world, from Peter Nathan in Australia to Mike and Sue Neville in the United Kingdom, and with one exception (not mentioned herein) they were all terrific. I can say the same about my fellow collectors, all of whom have been great to deal with. For example, at the Chicago Show last year I met a gentleman from San Fransisco named Steve Chong. Steve remembered that I was looking for the K&C Afghans at this years West Coaster, remembered my information, and referred a gentleman selling two of these figures to me. Another terrific gentleman I met last year in Chicago, Dennis DeRusha from Kanata, Canada, actually gave me some rare old K&C Camel Corps and Seaforth figures he had duplicates of and knew I was looking for. I love this hobby! Thanks guys!!