Tanks…tracks… And A Few Other Items from Andy (1 Viewer)

[Peter Reuss]

From time to time Andy sends us an e-mail to post for him. Here is today's installment

Pete



Dear Sportsfans,


As usual here’s a few responses, reasons and answers to some recent “posts” on the forum….



1) Moveable Tracks

I’ve thought long and hard on this one – Yes, moveable tracks would be great BUT it would substantially increase the cost of manufacturing and therefore the buying price for the collector. Now I know that companies like 21st Century ; Forces of Valor ; Minichamps all do have moving tracks but they also produce many, many thousands of vehicles more than K&C. As you know they will also do lots of paintschemes on exactly the same vehicle to hopefully get purchasers to buy more than one.



The K&C philosophy is never to produce infinite thousands of any vehicle but instead to produce a certain amount that satisfies the “real” collector and, hopefully, increase in value as the years go by. Do any of you see Forces of Valor tanks on ebay or being swapped among collectors?



Now our friends up in Shanghai, Figarti have produced a Japanese tank with moving tracks and in all fairness it’s a pretty nice model. Again though, there is a “BUT” – from talking to some dealers I have been told it’s a wee bit fragile and it’s considerably more expensive than K&C’s Jap Tank i.e. US$129 versus US$79.



At this point in time I do believe most K&C collectors are still happy with our present style of track. However, as all of you know I’m always trying to do things better but still keep our product affordable for the vast majority of our collectors. So who knows what may happen in the future?





2) Shermans… Shermans…and more Shermans

It just goes to show how “eagle-eyed” some K&C collectors are! Concerning the recent discussion about K&C Shermans…



Our first Iwo Sherman was, as I am the first to say, pretty basic and I admit to the errors our expert pointed out. “But” as I also always write, it was only our 2nd polystone vehicle and at the time I was just so overjoyed that we had produced a model vehicle that was a fraction of the cost of the wooden ones and could reach more collectors at a fair price even with a few “glitches”.



Our second polystone Sherman was indeed a “hybrid”. I wanted to do an “easy-eight” with the long 76mm gun. I also wanted the rounded cast hull. At the time I could not find a plastic model for me and our sculptors to follow. Whenever possible we build a plastic model (1:35 scale) to study and play around with before sculpting our 1:30 scale master. In this particular case I had a 76mm Sherman turret which I “married” onto a rounded case hull Isherman (Israeli Sherman). Actually I was pretty pleased with the result – so were most of our collectors, it was a great “seller”. However, although I knew it was OK by “Hollywood” standards I also knew we could still do better… hence our latest, and I hope, best Sherman yet our 105mm version (DD45)



Down the line I’ve got plans to do yet one more Sherman but, as they say, that’s another story…





3) Alexdakar’s photos and wee soldier

Great work Alex I love to see collector’s using their own creativity with K&C. I’m sure you will inspire others. Plus the wee man firing and cocking his rifle…outstanding! Can you do a 4-man patrol?





4) How much does K&C sell in the U.S.?

Well, without giving away any trade secrets…it’s quite a bit. I’ve been told by more than one dealer that we now outsell Britains!



I’ve never wanted K&C to be the biggest but (again) I’ve always wanted to be the best!



Generally sales have been steadily increasing year on year in the U.S. In Europe it’s been even more dramatic particularly in France, Italy and of course, the U.K.



Well, boys and girls, that’s the latest for now. Best wishes to one and all and …happy collecting.

Andy C. Neilson
Cofounder and Creative Director
King and Country​

 

[Louis Badolato]

Andy,

As you are well aware, I think you have done a fantastic job, and have always improved your products as time went by. I for one will not second guess you. When and if you decide it is feasible to produce tanks with moving tracks I will be thrilled, but if not, as Brad pointed out, if it aint broke, don't fix it.

My one fear is as incredible as your soldiers are getting (they are truly comparable to the much more expensive St. Petersberg figures), tanks without moving tracks will just not look right beside them. The detail on the top decks of your tanks has gotten so spectacular that the molded tracks look a bit shabby in comparison.

I guess you will have to just make more low diorama pieces like stone walls or bits of hedge row so we can hide the tracks behind them. Some Hedge row pieces, about the size of the walls you made for the civil war figures . . . that might be an idea. It would go great with the French farmhouse and yard you mentioned you would be making for use with both Napoleonic and World War II figures.

By the way, on your next Sherman, how about a hedge cutter (like the ones made from welded beach obstacles) to make it really fit in with the D-Day figures as they fight their way through the Bocage?

I look forward to seeing the artist's next creations, whatever they are.

Your friend,

Louis

 

[jazzeum]

It's emails like these that are priceless. How many hobbies do you get where the owner not only reads the posts but tells you what he thinks of them? Just incredible. Thank you Andy. Although moveable tracks are aesthetically better, I can certainly understand the cost factor as well as fragility. If they're that fragile, I'm not sure it would be worth it in the long run. After all, you don't want unhappy purchasers either, especially with the vagaries of the shipping process.

 

[Njja]

Thanks for the update Andy, I am really pleased to read your comments. I think you are right on the mark with your goal to be the best. Your products continue to please your collector following. Great job!
Njja

 

[Alexdakar]

Thanks Andy! I'm glad you like it and a 4 -man patrol sounds like it would be a good one to post.

 

[binder001]

It's nice to get the feedback, and to see that Andy cares about reading our stuff. I've been in models for 40 years, and into toy soldiers for several years now, and this is one of the FEW times I've run into such a responsive owner of a popular line! I am floored!

TO Andy: Don't let my nitpicking get to you. I still enjoy every K&C vehicle in my collection, and plan to buy (at least) any new GI stuff added. I like your attitude about "best not biggest". That will keep the quality up and allow us to have indivisual treasures. If I want mass produced stuff with less individual detail I run out and get FoV tanks (and I nitpick them too!).

Gary B.

 

[victory]

Once again Andy, thanks for your input. Although I think movable tracks would be a nice added feature to K&C, what we have today still makes for a quality and very collectible tank. It is interesting to know how you approach the making of a new tank by using a plastic model. How K&C is able to masterfully sculpt the figures though is beyond me and the painting detail blows my mind. You Sir have one talented staff (yourself included).

 

[shark0636]

Well to put my 2 cents in, the idea of movable tracks is a really good one, especially if they are metal, I would pay more for tanks with metal tracks. I like the k&c tanks though as they are, what appeals to me about them, is that they don't have little tools and antennas falling off them like other brands, small pieces that are just too easy to lose, that is why I got away from the other companies. But I hope Andy does put some serious thought into the movable metal tracks, I think K&C would pull some other collectors over from the other brands as they would still keep their "niche" in the market, I mean who else puts metal tracks on their tanks, not the guys selling 1000's of them, but either way, I will buy the the high quality items of K&C, with or without movable tracks. Mark

 

[Warbuff26]

Well I hate to be the contrarian here but.....moveable tracks dont do anything for me. In fact the ones that I have seen look kinda cheap and "toy" like. I never want my K&C Tanks to look like a childs toy. To me it is a collector piece and since I have no plans to push them around the fact that the tracks move adds nothing to the piece for me...so Andy if you see this...keep doing what your doing. Sometimes one persons step forward is another persons step back. Movable tracks are a step back in my book!

 

[Flammenpanzer]

Movable tracks do nothing for me either. The tanks are not toys and do not need have movable tracks. I think Andy really does a fantastic job with his static vehicles, he strategically puts nets, bags, or other items under hatches to protect them from being broken off, and the area behind the boogies it looks like mud build up. It sounds like what the people who want movable track links are looking for is individual metal track links like models have. But, when most modelers display their tanks the tracks do not move anymore anyway.

 

[VIRIATO]

Re: Tanks…tracks… And A Few Other Items from Andy

Moveable tracks don't look essential to me. I've got two Britains Tanks ( bought here at 5 star Treefrog, by the way ), and I like their general detail and quality, despite the fact that their tracks do not move. K&C tanks I've yet to get one, because of being a recent collector, but right now King Tiger is on the line, like I've said somewhere else, and all of them look awesome. I certainly won't be pushing my tanks around the floor or on the tables, although I'll show them to my 3 year old son, show, not lend ( sometimes you've got to be selfish! ).
Till now, repeat, till now, , the best tanks I've got are Minichamps, fantastic detail, metal moving tracks, hefty solid feeling, but 1/35, not 1/30...
Detail and quality are what matters to me, moving tracks or non moving tracks, it's a general balance you've got to make, I guess.


Best regards, got to go meet some deadlines,
Paulo