What is Really Important? (1 Viewer)

[theBaron]

For the prices you guys pay for some of the figures and ordnance that you do, I would expect as much historical accuracy as possible.

For me, I want a casting to be relatively detailed, and with good accuracy, but since I like a gloss finish, I realize that there may not be as much accuracy as on an Andrea or Pegaso kit figure, and I have a price level that I expect to pay for the combination of criteria that I apply.

An example I always bring up is facial hair in the 18th century. If I know that gentlemen didn't wear moustaches for most of the 18th century, it's reasonable to expect that a toy soldier manufacturer, who probably has more resources available to him than I do, should know this, too. But the same principle applies to other details in other subjects and time periods.

But what's really important is that you collect what you like, because you like it.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Vezzolf]

What's really important??? Many answers to that question as there are collectors.....I think it's important for fellow forum members to get "historically accurate" "well made products" for the present prices being presented and not just buy something because "that's the monthly thing to do"......Equally important is acurrate "honest" critique of manufacturer's products FREE FROM personal bias, agendas and incentives (hidden or otherwise). Enthusiasm??? for products must not be confused with honest appraisal of quality which can affect purchasing decisions for forum members.....BUT.....We all have our personal preferences.......Thus the quote "buy what you like"... but more important "like what you buy" because you wll look at it for a good long time.

 

[Rob]

Thing is Rob I think you can tell when someone got his own agenda and is just having a go for the sake of it saying that I think the kc Kittyhawk and Dora are better planes as Andy has taken on bored that people like planes with no pilots and open canopy . Like Mitch said for a lot of people this is the only place where people get to talk and see the items with no local shops

Very very true Neil, its easy isn't it:wink2:

Rob

 

[Vezzolf]

Think your spot mate . What I find odd on this forum people will rip a part a film for not having the right tanks etc but don't like it when you point out that the latest toy soldier truck is a 1950 version being sold as a WW2 D Day special , people say they don't mind people being bringing up these points but to me they take it personal , on other forums it not a problem but on here the way people carry on is very childish to be honest

Isn't that the truth:wink2:...Well said...Excellent Post{sm4}

 

[trooper]

No manufacturer is perfect and mistakes will always be made, if they are pointed out by a more knowledgable person then the proper response should be "Thank you very much for that information we shall put it right". It is not right to make deliberate mistakes and say "It looks good and you don't have to buy it."
Based on that attitude we could see Custer's Last Stand with all the troops in full dress complete with helmets and plumes, colour parties at Arnhem, or red coats on the Somme. There is now so much information readily available either in print or via the internet to obviate all but the most minor mistakes, and any company that doesn't consult such sources should re-evaluate their policies. If a collecter wishes to incorporate an anacronism into their dioramas that is their personal choice and if it makes you happy that is all too the good, but IMO a maker has a duty to make their product as historically accurate as it is possible to make. Trooper

 

[Bayern]

No manufacturer is perfect and mistakes will always be made, if they are pointed out by a more knowledgable person then the proper response should be "Thank you very much for that information we shall put it right". It is not right to make deliberate mistakes and say "It looks good and you don't have to buy it."
Based on that attitude we could see Custer's Last Stand with all the troops in full dress complete with helmets and plumes, colour parties at Arnhem, or red coats on the Somme. There is now so much information readily available either in print or via the internet to obviate all but the most minor mistakes, and any company that doesn't consult such sources should re-evaluate their policies. If a collecter wishes to incorporate an anacronism into their dioramas that is their personal choice and if it makes you happy that is all too the good, but IMO a maker has a duty to make their product as historically accurate as it is possible to make. Trooper

Great post!! Agreed. You are right...in five minutes on the internet one could find all but those minor details in most cases. I agree that there is a responsibility for posterity of the men that fought and died that these fine figures be accurate.

Ludwig

 

[uksubs]

No manufacturer is perfect and mistakes will always be made, if they are pointed out by a more knowledgable person then the proper response should be "Thank you very much for that information we shall put it right". It is not right to make deliberate mistakes and say "It looks good and you don't have to buy it."
Based on that attitude we could see Custer's Last Stand with all the troops in full dress complete with helmets and plumes, colour parties at Arnhem, or red coats on the Somme. There is now so much information readily available either in print or via the internet to obviate all but the most minor mistakes, and any company that doesn't consult such sources should re-evaluate their policies. If a collecter wishes to incorporate an anacronism into their dioramas that is their personal choice and if it makes you happy that is all too the good, but IMO a maker has a duty to make their product as historically accurate as it is possible to make. Trooper

spot on post {sm0}

 

[Mitch]

Excellent post trooper
Mitch

 

[lancer]

No manufacturer is perfect and mistakes will always be made, if they are pointed out by a more knowledgable person then the proper response should be "Thank you very much for that information we shall put it right". It is not right to make deliberate mistakes and say "It looks good and you don't have to buy it."
Based on that attitude we could see Custer's Last Stand with all the troops in full dress complete with helmets and plumes, colour parties at Arnhem, or red coats on the Somme. There is now so much information readily available either in print or via the internet to obviate all but the most minor mistakes, and any company that doesn't consult such sources should re-evaluate their policies. If a collecter wishes to incorporate an anacronism into their dioramas that is their personal choice and if it makes you happy that is all too the good, but IMO a maker has a duty to make their product as historically accurate as it is possible to make. Trooper

Outstanding! Works for me. -- Al

 

[binder001]

Sign me up for the "historically correct" side of things. I like tanks, but with vehicles running upwards from $250 USD they OUGHT to be well researched! There was a recent case where I got a snotty reply from a manufacturer about a rather egregious error in a Sherman tank. This error occurred because of sloppy homework and not being willing to ask anyone for advice. Every plastic model sine 1976 got this part right, but this guy had to do it wrong because it "looked OK". Sorry, but for that price I want the basic shapes right.

 

[yeoman]

As the proprietor of Yeomanry Miniatures I feel very strongly that historical accuracy is very important. Trooper makes all the figures for my firm and we try to ensure that they are as accurate as possible. Indeed, I will not supply a figure to a customer knowing it to be incorrect and would rather loose an order than do this. If I discover that a figure I have put in my listing is incorrect it is withdrawn, corrected and re-issued.

I would agree that everybody makes mistakes and I would be the first to admit that I have made my share but I hope that I am man enough to acknowledge when I have made a mistake and endeavour to put it right.

Yeoman

No manufacturer is perfect and mistakes will always be made, if they are pointed out by a more knowledgable person then the proper response should be "Thank you very much for that information we shall put it right". It is not right to make deliberate mistakes and say "It looks good and you don't have to buy it."
Based on that attitude we could see Custer's Last Stand with all the troops in full dress complete with helmets and plumes, colour parties at Arnhem, or red coats on the Somme. There is now so much information readily available either in print or via the internet to obviate all but the most minor mistakes, and any company that doesn't consult such sources should re-evaluate their policies. If a collecter wishes to incorporate an anacronism into their dioramas that is their personal choice and if it makes you happy that is all too the good, but IMO a maker has a duty to make their product as historically accurate as it is possible to make. Trooper

 

[Firebat]

It is just a easy to do it right as wrong.....and at todays prices I like my stuff right......I have some tolerance though.

 

[yeoman]

Having posted my position on accuracy of the figures I produce I got to thinking about Toy Soldiers in General and remembered that Toy Soldiers and their Equipment must also "Look right"!

I am reminded of a case, some ten years ago, when I used to travel to shows in the company of Graham Pettitt of Toy Army Workshop. This particular time we were attending the International Toy Soldier Show at Folkestone. Graham had produced one of the first of his big guns and had taken some 20 examples with him. Another manufacturer had also produced the same gun, it was a super model with opening breech and everything else a collector could want. The proprietor was telling everybody how magnificent his model was but, to my mind, it didn't look right although it was supposed to be extremely accurate. Graham admitted that he had shortened the barrel on his model as he didn't feel the barrel of the gun looked right at the correct length and was quite happy to tell anybody who enquired about the gun. At the end of the show Graham had sold 18 of the 20 guns he had taken to the show while his competitor had not sold one!

Accuracy can be taken to the extreme and when it detracts from the finished model something has to be sacrificed and it is the collector that must have the final say for that individual is the person who has to part with their hard earned cash.

Regards to all,

Yeoman.

As the proprietor of Yeomanry Miniatures I feel very strongly that historical accuracy is very important. Trooper makes all the figures for my firm and we try to ensure that they are as accurate as possible. Indeed, I will not supply a figure to a customer knowing it to be incorrect and would rather loose an order than do this. If I discover that a figure I have put in my listing is incorrect it is withdrawn, corrected and re-issued.

I would agree that everybody makes mistakes and I would be the first to admit that I have made my share but I hope that I am man enough to acknowledge when I have made a mistake and endeavour to put it right.

Yeoman

 

[Martin Tabony]

No manufacturer is perfect and mistakes will always be made, if they are pointed out by a more knowledgable person then the proper response should be "Thank you very much for that information we shall put it right". It is not right to make deliberate mistakes and say "It looks good and you don't have to buy it."
Based on that attitude we could see Custer's Last Stand with all the troops in full dress complete with helmets and plumes, colour parties at Arnhem, or red coats on the Somme. There is now so much information readily available either in print or via the internet to obviate all but the most minor mistakes, and any company that doesn't consult such sources should re-evaluate their policies. If a collecter wishes to incorporate an anacronism into their dioramas that is their personal choice and if it makes you happy that is all too the good, but IMO a maker has a duty to make their product as historically accurate as it is possible to make. Trooper

I have to agree with you there.

Martin

 

[Martin Tabony]

Having posted my position on accuracy of the figures I produce I got to thinking about Toy Soldiers in General and remembered that Toy Soldiers and their Equipment must also "Look right"!

I am reminded of a case, some ten years ago, when I used to travel to shows in the company of Graham Pettitt of Toy Army Workshop. This particular time we were attending the International Toy Soldier Show at Folkestone. Graham had produced one of the first of his big guns and had taken some 20 examples with him. Another manufacturer had also produced the same gun, it was a super model with opening breech and everything else a collector could want. The proprietor was telling everybody how magnificent his model was but, to my mind, it didn't look right although it was supposed to be extremely accurate. Graham admitted that he had shortened the barrel on his model as he didn't feel the barrel of the gun looked right at the correct length and was quite happy to tell anybody who enquired about the gun. At the end of the show Graham had sold 18 of the 20 guns he had taken to the show while his competitor had not sold one!

Accuracy can be taken to the extreme and when it detracts from the finished model something has to be sacrificed and it is the collector that must have the final say for that individual is the person who has to part with their hard earned cash.

Regards to all,

Yeoman.

I'm not quite sure how that works? It's either accurate or not. What's the difference between lopping off a chunk of barrel and putting the crew in the wrong uniforms because they look right? If a customer asks for a shorter barrel, fair enough, he who pays the piper.....

Martin

 

[blaster]

Perhaps this discussion is meshing at the interface between toy soldiers and model soldiers. Intuitively, the former has "play value" as opposed to the latter, which is generally more fragile and is largely used in static displays. Thus toy soldiers will be more robust, perhaps with thicker rifle and gun barrels to withstand the numerous handling.

Notwithstanding the fact that toy soldiers are now commercially made to an unprecendented level of historical accuracy, but I see on other threads that even the very established makers sometimes veer towards caricature in their sculpting.

rgds Victor

 

[yeoman]

Martin.

It's really quite simple, if you make a completely accurate piece of equipment for your toy soldiers and it doesn't look right, it won't sell.

Brian.

I'm not quite sure how that works? It's either accurate or not. What's the difference between lopping off a chunk of barrel and putting the crew in the wrong uniforms because they look right? If a customer asks for a shorter barrel, fair enough, he who pays the piper.....

Martin

 

[Martin Tabony]

Martin.

It's really quite simple, if you make a completely accurate piece of equipment for your toy soldiers and it doesn't look right, it won't sell.

Brian.

I refere you to your earlier post, "Indeed, I will not supply a figure to a customer knowing it to be incorrect and would rather loose an order than do this. If I discover that a figure I have put in my listing is incorrect it is withdrawn, corrected and re-issued." Which is why I was confused as to your stand on this issue? I agree it is quite simple right looks right, wrong doesn't! There may be some play in how tall a man is or how wide his feet are, however a scale plan gives an accurate measurement and if you are making a 1/32nd scale gun it should be made 32 time smaller than the original not 31 or 33 because it "looks right". That's a slippery slope.

Martin

 

[yeoman]

Martin,

While My range of Yeomanry Miniatures figures are as accurate as Trooper and I can make them and we also try to ensure that the pieces of equipment are the same, if a piece of equipment, made as accurately as possible, does not look right I know that it is not going to sell so I would rather not add it to my list of products.

Manufacturers must make their own choices as, no doubt, you have done in the past.

Regards,

Brian.

I refere you to your earlier post, "Indeed, I will not supply a figure to a customer knowing it to be incorrect and would rather loose an order than do this. If I discover that a figure I have put in my listing is incorrect it is withdrawn, corrected and re-issued." Which is why I was confused as to your stand on this issue? I agree it is quite simple right looks right, wrong doesn't! There may be some play in how tall a man is or how wide his feet are, however a scale plan gives an accurate measurement and if you are making a 1/32nd scale gun it should be made 32 time smaller than the original not 31 or 33 because it "looks right". That's a slippery slope.

Martin

 

[Martin Tabony]

Martin,

While My range of Yeomanry Miniatures figures are as accurate as Trooper and I can make them and we also try to ensure that the pieces of equipment are the same, if a piece of equipment, made as accurately as possible, does not look right I know that it is not going to sell so I would rather not add it to my list of products.

Manufacturers must make their own choices as, no doubt, you have done in the past.

Regards,

Brian.

Now I get you.

Martin