What if Things Changed? (1 Viewer)

[MCKENNA77]

Hello all:

What would you do if things changed? Let's say a new manufacture came into the scene and offered a product that you thought was great in quality and was equal in price to King and Country. Would you drag up and invest in this new line? Or would you stay loyal like a Nascar fan to his driver or a guy to his favorite NFL team? I collected Britains Civil War figures for a long time and even when I was unhappy with the quality continued to collect them just to keep the collection going(it was hard to give up, like laying down a good poker hand even though you know your opponent has you beat). Then one spontaneous day I bought an AK20 Demag Half Track and the hook was in (like all the way through the cheek). Looking back with 20/20 hindsight I wish I would have started on the K&C collection about two years earlier then I did. By the way, this is a purely theoretical question. It has no implication or notion that a new manufacture is starting up.

Have a great day

MCKENNA

 

[damian]

Britains certainly threw a curved ball with their product in 2003 2004 and 2005There were some real shockers there. The current guys are trying to unod all that damage. If K and C went the same way I suppose guys would also chnage slowly. Once they had chaged though it will be hard to get them back
Regards
Damian

 

[Currahee Chris]

I guess this is really a question of brand loyalty and to that I say- I will buy what I need to create or enhance my diorama collection. Some of the KC WW2 stuff is going in a direction opposite of my tastes but, well, that left me more money to pick up the Egypt line and other things.

But no, I do not have any brand loyalty. If KC were to have a complete creative meltdown, I would not throw them my money to support poor creative decisions.

 

[OldCelt]

Concur here. Unless there are some fundemental changes in the style and quality of the product I don't see myself abandoning K&C altogether.
When Britains quality and style sagged under Racing Champs. my budgetary priorities shifted more toward K&C and others. Right now I have been going back to flipping coins when it comes to spending my hard earned funds on either Brits or K&Cs.
New stuff from Honor Bound, NMA. etc are also stretching my bucks thin.
However the chase is half the fun.
O.C.

 

[Robert E. Lee]

I have no loyalty to any company. If they produce crap then I don't throw my money into crap

 

[wellington]

Heres my take on it....Thus far the matt finish Napoleonics have been excellent with very little room for improvement....I would keep these...BUT ...if the quality of K&C became bad and a new company came along I would go with them....I would keep all the Napoleonics that I had from K&C because I can't imagine them being very much better.

I only started collecting Toy Soldiers once I saw the new K&C figures and their quality... before that point I never really felt that the quality of ANY toy soldiers warranted the price they sold for...from the very first time I saw the new figures I began looking at them as little works of Art and now strongly feel they are worth the time and money that goes into them.

The only time that I have strayed away from K&C was when the Britains Napoleonic (NELSON) sets came out...no one has ever done this much work on the Navel side of the war and in my opinion very well designed.


WELLINGTON

 

[Combat]

McKenna-
I think that has already happened with John Jenkins. KC is mostly a WWII driven machine which is ok by me, but I have been spending most of my dollars on JJ recently and cherry picking KC and HB WWII products.

 

[Currahee Chris]

McKenna-
I think that has already happened with John Jenkins. KC is mostly a WWII driven machine which is ok by me, but I have been spending most of my dollars on JJ recently and cherry picking KC and HB WWII products.

Agreed- I have observed that as well- I am letting JJ play out a bit but wouldn't be surprised if I pick some up soon as well.......

 

[OldCelt]

O.C. Here! So far I have refrained from buying any JJ mostly under the pretext htat you can't get it all with alimited income.
HOWEVER!..I have been drooling over the new Colonial Virginia Militia ALOT!
sigh.....

 

[wellington]

Strange....I went and saw JJ and didn't find them as nice as K&C....BUT....the time period they are doing is VERY interresting...I don't think any other company has concentrated on this period before...at least not in the present quality. Truthfully, I would rather collect the K&C American Revolution figures if I had the extra money. Don't take me the wrong way...perhaps its just a matter of opinion.


WELLINGTON

 

[pugio]

McKenna-
I think that has already happened with John Jenkins. KC is mostly a WWII driven machine which is ok by me, but I have been spending most of my dollars on JJ recently and cherry picking KC and HB WWII products.

touche... i still purchase k&c and hb tanks, a little more selective in my choices though, but the bulk of my cash has gone to jjd, especially with the firing and marching sets, multiples of each....

 

[wellington]

Speaking of K&C American Revolution...I have been often tempted by this line especially with the British figures and their Indian Allies as well as the British Supply Wagen and calvary...anyone else have this same weakness....I'm very tempted to put my money on some of these rather than the new French Calvary...they are very well done.



WELLINGTON

 

[kilted vampire]

Speaking of K&C American Revolution...I have been often tempted by this line especially with the British figures and their Indian Allies as well as the British Supply Wagen and calvary...anyone else have this same weakness....I'm very tempted to put my money on some of these rather than the new French Calvary...they are very well done.



WELLINGTON

Hey Wellington, JJ figures are a different style completely. They certainly are interesting though. TE Indian allies in the AWI series are really nice. Especially the one on Horseback with the Flags and gear on it.

 

[Combat]

Strange....I went and saw JJ and didn't find them as nice as K&C....BUT....the time period they are doing is VERY interresting...I don't think any other company has concentrated on this period before...at least not in the present quality. Truthfully, I would rather collect the K&C American Revolution figures if I had the extra money. Don't take me the wrong way...perhaps its just a matter of opinion.


WELLINGTON

JJ is a slightly different style - more old school toy soldiers. My suggestion is to start with the "Death of Wolfe" set. If you don't like that one it probably is not your cup of tea. And JJ has a new range kicking off.

 

[wellington]

Truthfully....JJ are very nice as well as the time period being rare, they would be my second choice if K&C either didn't exist or there quality went done.....


WELLINGTON

 

[Canadian Samurai]

Having finally had the chance to inspect some JJ sets in person today I must say I prefer K&C's painting style to JJ's, whose figures look a bit too stilted for my tastes, almost like they're made out of porcelain (perhaps it is the pale skin tone he uses?). But I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder and I continue to hear rave reviews of JJ's sets.

I do applaud JJ for their desire to tackle more unusual periods and I very much look forward to seeing what their new range looks like.

 

[King & Country]

Hi Guys,

In answer to this hypothetical question here is my hypothetical answer...If K&C’s quality and originality dropped and if another brand-new company appeared on the scene providing all kinds of new and exciting developments and ideas then I and K&C would deserve to lose out to the newcomer.

I’ve never, not even for one minute, thought collectors bought K&C because I was pretty...or nice...or just an all-round good guy. Collectors buy because what we make is what they like. Some people prefer Frontline...others Britains...New Model Army...Honour Bound...John Jenkins...whatever.

Quite a few collectors collect multi different manufacturers and that’s great too...So do I in what I collect.

Brand loyalty (for any brand) is in the hearts and minds of individual collectors. I would not want, or indeed expect, anyone to buy inferior products from us or anywhere else if we went into a “complete creative meltdown”.

To be honest, it’s a bit like saying, “Would you continue to fly with British Airways if their service and flying safety was going down the toilet?”

Of course you wouldn’t! And that’s why K&C and me will never sit back on any perceived laurels we might have no matter how successful we might appear to others.

Anyone who knows me...knows that I have a raging passion for this hobby and business and love it to death.

That means not sitting around gazing at my navel and sucking my thumb and watching the competition jump all over me and K&C.

As I’ve said many times before K&C welcomes competition from wherever it comes...but that’s not the same thing as “rolling over and playing dead”. As many of our competitors know all too well K&C knows how to work hard...and play hard.

Best wishes and...happy collecting!

Andy C.

 

[Rob]

Andy,you've ruined my illusion now.I buy all your tanks and figures because your soooo pretty!

Rob

 

[Robert E. Lee]

Bravo Andy!!!!

 

[panda1gen]

Andy,you've ruined my illusion now.I buy all your tanks and figures because your soooo pretty!

Rob

No he isn't. He's very good at what he does though, thanks Andy.