King & Country
Captain
- Joined
- May 23, 2005
- Messages
- 5,108
Hi Guys,
After the rather lively debate of last week it’s nice to get back to quieter waters and a little plain sailing… But it did get me reflecting on several key points…
1. “Passion in Collecting”
Collectors of almost anything (beermats, matchbooks, baseball cards, classic cars) and even, would you believe it, toy soldiers (or military miniatures if you prefer) love their hobby and what they particularly collect with a fierce, burning passion.
2. “The Growth in the Hobby and Business”
Many, many people have said they have come into the hobby in the past, few years… After discovering it almost by accident… That’s great news as any hobby needs a constant infusion of “new blood” to keep it moving forward… and alive!
New companies have continued to come and go bringing with them fresh approaches and different viewpoints as to what they make… how they sell it… and where they want to go.
Existing companies (like Britains, K&C and others) have I believe faced up to and met these new challenges and honed their own skills and abilities to develop into new collecting areas of the hobby… dioramas… aircraft… ships… to name but a few.
3. “The Quality, Diversity and Variety of What’s On Offer”…
All of this has led to an explosion of creativity and variety in the many different products available for the hobbyist to select and enjoy. Never, ever has so much been available to so few!
4. “Personal likes and dislikes”
Among the truly amazing variety of what’s on offer to the collecting public are all kinds of subject matter designed and produced in a staggering variety of different styles and manners to suit the purchasing power and personal taste of virtually every single collector… rich, poor, or like most of us, somewhere in between!
That neatly leads me into “who’s best… who’s the greatest… what’s crap… what’s boring etc. etc. etc.”
And that’s what got us all into a “kerfuffle” last week… The simple, straightforward answer is… “Whatever you like best FOR YOU is what is best FOR YOU and YOU ALONE ”. If one or two or two hundred collectors agree on the same thing then that is definitely THE BEST but still ONLY FOR THEM. Others will and most certainly may select something or someone else… and that’s great too.
As someone who loves Art I enjoy visiting Art Galleries and Museums all over the world. My tastes are fairly catholic and, I hope, all-embracing. I’m a big fan of Jan Vermeer (the Lacemaker, the Girl with One Pearl Ear Ring)… I’m equally enamoured of French Impressionism (particularly Monet and Manet)… Norman Rockwell is another personal favourite… and I can’t get enough of the modern British artist, David Hockney.
All of these fine artists are, in my humble opinion, superb I could not and would not try to put them into a “Top Ten” kind of listing… they’re just great and I enjoy their different styles of work, dedication and artistry.
It’s the same for me with Toy Soldiers (military miniatures). Of course I love what K&C does or wouldn’t do it. But that does not blind me to the obvious skills and qualities of my competitors and fellow producers… I’m a huge fan of Ken Osen’s work and how Richard Walker and him have turned around a near moribund company and restored it to its rightful place in the hobby.
I also admire what Rick Wang and Figarti are doing with their products… I’ve even got a small but growing collection!
Many people already know how much I like John Jenkins. In my humble opinion (only my own of course) John has been the most original of any “start-up” of the last decade… and I think the most successful.
And there’s many, many more including of course First Legion who have taken the Russian style and concept to China and produced some incredible work at an affordable price.
Put it all together and you have a strong, innovative and vibrant hobby that still is only reaching a tiny proportion of its potential market all over the world.
So, let’s agree to disagree if and when we must… but let’s not try and pull each other apart. Speaking for myself if I’ve been party to that in the past I will honestly try and be better (and more understanding) in the future.
This is a fantastic hobby and as I’ve said and written before… “It’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on!”
Let’s all of have fun… appreciate the best of each other… and enjoy our own and other’s collections.
Sincere best wishes and… happy collecting whatever you like and makes you happy,
Andy C.
After the rather lively debate of last week it’s nice to get back to quieter waters and a little plain sailing… But it did get me reflecting on several key points…
1. “Passion in Collecting”
Collectors of almost anything (beermats, matchbooks, baseball cards, classic cars) and even, would you believe it, toy soldiers (or military miniatures if you prefer) love their hobby and what they particularly collect with a fierce, burning passion.
2. “The Growth in the Hobby and Business”
Many, many people have said they have come into the hobby in the past, few years… After discovering it almost by accident… That’s great news as any hobby needs a constant infusion of “new blood” to keep it moving forward… and alive!
New companies have continued to come and go bringing with them fresh approaches and different viewpoints as to what they make… how they sell it… and where they want to go.
Existing companies (like Britains, K&C and others) have I believe faced up to and met these new challenges and honed their own skills and abilities to develop into new collecting areas of the hobby… dioramas… aircraft… ships… to name but a few.
3. “The Quality, Diversity and Variety of What’s On Offer”…
All of this has led to an explosion of creativity and variety in the many different products available for the hobbyist to select and enjoy. Never, ever has so much been available to so few!
4. “Personal likes and dislikes”
Among the truly amazing variety of what’s on offer to the collecting public are all kinds of subject matter designed and produced in a staggering variety of different styles and manners to suit the purchasing power and personal taste of virtually every single collector… rich, poor, or like most of us, somewhere in between!
That neatly leads me into “who’s best… who’s the greatest… what’s crap… what’s boring etc. etc. etc.”
And that’s what got us all into a “kerfuffle” last week… The simple, straightforward answer is… “Whatever you like best FOR YOU is what is best FOR YOU and YOU ALONE ”. If one or two or two hundred collectors agree on the same thing then that is definitely THE BEST but still ONLY FOR THEM. Others will and most certainly may select something or someone else… and that’s great too.
As someone who loves Art I enjoy visiting Art Galleries and Museums all over the world. My tastes are fairly catholic and, I hope, all-embracing. I’m a big fan of Jan Vermeer (the Lacemaker, the Girl with One Pearl Ear Ring)… I’m equally enamoured of French Impressionism (particularly Monet and Manet)… Norman Rockwell is another personal favourite… and I can’t get enough of the modern British artist, David Hockney.
All of these fine artists are, in my humble opinion, superb I could not and would not try to put them into a “Top Ten” kind of listing… they’re just great and I enjoy their different styles of work, dedication and artistry.
It’s the same for me with Toy Soldiers (military miniatures). Of course I love what K&C does or wouldn’t do it. But that does not blind me to the obvious skills and qualities of my competitors and fellow producers… I’m a huge fan of Ken Osen’s work and how Richard Walker and him have turned around a near moribund company and restored it to its rightful place in the hobby.
I also admire what Rick Wang and Figarti are doing with their products… I’ve even got a small but growing collection!
Many people already know how much I like John Jenkins. In my humble opinion (only my own of course) John has been the most original of any “start-up” of the last decade… and I think the most successful.
And there’s many, many more including of course First Legion who have taken the Russian style and concept to China and produced some incredible work at an affordable price.
Put it all together and you have a strong, innovative and vibrant hobby that still is only reaching a tiny proportion of its potential market all over the world.
So, let’s agree to disagree if and when we must… but let’s not try and pull each other apart. Speaking for myself if I’ve been party to that in the past I will honestly try and be better (and more understanding) in the future.
This is a fantastic hobby and as I’ve said and written before… “It’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on!”
Let’s all of have fun… appreciate the best of each other… and enjoy our own and other’s collections.
Sincere best wishes and… happy collecting whatever you like and makes you happy,
Andy C.
