Whats so great about first legion and whys so expensive??? (1 Viewer)

[Sgtkillroy1944]

Okay so ive been looking over some of first legions soldiers and i mainly collect king and coutry and was pondering getting a few first legion guys,but don't understand how they could be so expensive(50+ per figure) do you folks think they top king and country? and would you suggest them?how is the detail on them,better than k and c

 

[mikemiller1955]

I don't know where you're gonna get one for $50...even if shipping was free...you can add 20% to that price...

 

[DMNamiot]

Hi There,

I have been looking at the website and have been following the development of these figures and company for quite a while and will say that they are pretty realistic looking. Several of my friends have large collections of them and are very pleased with them. The sculpting and paint is a very high quality and is easily comparible to the best soldiers coming out of St Petersberg workshops. So the added price is due to the added levels of detail aka work by the artists who render these soldiers for you. I dont know what the shipping costs would be for you but I imagine they are no worse than any other companies shipping rates these days. Now I am not sure which lines are of interest to you but they all look well done to me so I would imagine you would be pleased with whatever you purchase. I hope that you will try and take a look at these figures at a upcoming or in one of our forum members collections. Always best to compare them up close and personal

Dave

 

[FirstLegion]

I won't speak about quality, but the obvious answer as to why our figures are priced higher than figures from other companies is that ours cost us quite a bit more to make (multiples more). I rarely if ever hear our customers complaining that our figures are too expensive, on the contrary they generally find them inexpensive when compared to figures of similar sculpting and painting quality. Generally speaking, it's people who don't collect our figures who talk about the price. I believe this is one of the reasons why pricing conversations occur more often in other sections of the forum than they do in the First Legion section.

As for Mike's factually incorrect comment of "20% higher than $50", I'll only say that right now in our active catalog there are around 240 figure sets that are priced at $50 or less that can be purchased today. I guess he either must have overlooked those ones or we do a terrible job communicating and marketing ourselves for the perception to be that all of our figures are $60 each. :rolleyes2: (Oh, and there are another 75 sets that are only 10% over $50 and tens more sets that are multi figure that average well below mike's perceived price so we won't hold it against him!)

One thing is for sure, this thread should no doubt be interesting....{eek3}{sm4}

Best,

Matt
First Legion Ltd

 

[VIRIATO]

Hi There,

I have been looking at the website and have been following the development of these figures and company for quite a while and will say that they are pretty realistic looking. Several of my friends have large collections of them and are very pleased with them. The sculpting and paint is a very high quality and is easily comparible to the best soldiers coming out of St Petersberg workshops. So the added price is due to the added levels of detail aka work by the artists who render these soldiers for you. I dont know what the shipping costs would be for you but I imagine they are no worse than any other companies shipping rates these days. Now I am not sure which lines are of interest to you but they all look well done to me so I would imagine you would be pleased with whatever you purchase. I hope that you will try and take a look at these figures at a upcoming or in one of our forum members collections. Always best to compare them up close and personal

Dave

Dave, you've taken the words out of my mouth.

I think you can find a lot of fine photos under FL's threads, including comparison with other manufacturers, these might help. As Dave says, these are closer to connoisseur than to matte toy soldiers, hence the price. I for one am willing to pay more to get them, they are different, in my view much better than the other manufacturers. I also very much like the way different ranges and periods have been tackled so far, not 1 or 2 pieces and we'll see how it goes, it's an in depth thing, and the historical battle approach attracts me. I could go on and on, but I believe you'll find it for yourself, and of course make your own respectable choices:wink2:.

Paulo

 

[churchmouse1]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. First Legion brought me over to the matte side of the hobby. Until I saw First Legion, I thought all matte toy soldiers looked cartoonish, with out of scale features and goofy expressions on their faces. I originally bought a few of the AWI figures, enough to make a small vignette if I didn't like them. Well, when I saw them in person, I was amazed. First Legion is truly the poor man's Petersburg figure, and in a variety of poses. Now I have the bulk of the AWI line, a few of the Crusaders, and I'm starting the DAK line. Try one figure. Then you'll know what I mean. And if you don't like it, someone of the forum will buy it from you. I guarantee it.

Dave

 

[Vezzolf]

Okay so ive been looking over some of first legions soldiers and i mainly collect king and coutry and was pondering getting a few first legion guys,but don't understand how they could be so expensive(50+ per figure) do you folks think they top king and country? and would you suggest them?how is the detail on them,better than k and c

As someome who has alot of King and Country WWII as well as First Legion Stalingrad; I can assure you that First Legion figures are better sculpts and better painted by far...."Much better detailed and more realistic".....I am especially impressed with the "Crusader Line"....When you consider the higher quality of First Legion; it is K/C who is becomming over-priced....Note: the 2 styles do not go well together IMO...Difference in size/style is too obvious...First Legion is 1:30; K/C is closer to 1:28......My First Legion Stalingrad collection has been growing steadily and although pricey...Well worth the difference... no question

 

[Gebhard]

I rarely if ever hear our customers complaining that our figures are too expensive, on the contrary they generally find them inexpensive when compared to figures of similar sculpting and painting quality.

One thing is for sure, this thread should no doubt be interesting....{eek3}{sm4}

Best,

Matt
First Legion Ltd

Hi Matt ,
I totally agree , I also as you know am I long time collector of St Pete/ Aeroart amongst other similar constructed and commissioned figures . Before First legion came along I was paying upwards of $130.00 per figure , so its a no brainer for me to have switched the bulk of my buying to a Company who offer a similar quality of figure at a cost for the most part under $50 bucks ...sometimes well under .

For me First legion have best value to quality price on the market today ^&grin .. I think this thread will be an opportunity for collectors who DON"T and have no interest in collecting First Legion to take a shot so don't sweat it .. Collectors around the world who enjoy your product thank you :salute:::salute::{bravo}} ..Keep up the GREAT work .. know how about those Prussians I been praying for :wink2: Best Regards Gebhard

 

[debrito]

You are comparing a Volkswagen Beetle with a Ferrari, for sure the Ferrari is expensive, but do I have to explain to you WHY...? {eek3}

Okay so ive been looking over some of first legions soldiers and i mainly collect king and coutry and was pondering getting a few first legion guys,but don't understand how they could be so expensive(50+ per figure) do you folks think they top king and country? and would you suggest them?how is the detail on them,better than k and c

 

[Currahee Chris]

Hello Sgt. KillRoy

I personally have held that FL is the most exciting thing in the TS industry for over a year now. While I do not own any myself, which could be changing in the next few months, they do seem to bridge the gap between the high end Russian figures and the normal, mass produced matte figures available today. That to me, is very exciting.

There are some other variables with their business model that I appreciate as well but we can discuss offline sometime.

At the end of the day, FL collectors collect FL products for the same reasons the rest of us chuckleheads buy whatever figures we may purchase- the perceived "value"- and "value" is defined quite differently by each collector, exceeds the cost of the figures purchased. No secret here- as with any consumer good or service, if the consumer perceives they are getting a deal, then they will part with their money.

 

[Andanna]

I personally have held that FL is the most exciting thing in the TS industry for over a year now. While I do not own any myself, which could be changing in the next few months, they do seem to bridge the gap between the high end Russian figures and the normal, mass produced matte figures available today.

I agree with Chris, we are comparing apple and oranges, and not for the first time. KC and Britains make excellent Toy Soldiers and there are many sophisticated collectors who enjoy their collections of toy soldiers. On the other side of the spectrum, we have the Russian miniatures, represented particularly by Arsenjev and Aeroart in the industry. Treefrog as we all know decided to enter that market as well and sell the miniatures from ninia.

The challenge with the Russian miniatures is that - apart from price - they are generally designed to stand individually or at the most in a small vignette.

First legion is a new animal (as Ken once put it) in that they strive towards the quality of Russian miniatures (but are still ways off), but offer a complete range allowing the collector to build a full scene.

I hence see these manufacturers to complement each other.

 

[sammy719]

Hello Killroy,

I have been purchasing First Legion WWII line for awhile now, and hopefully Romans soon but as you can tell from most posts here already the quality/scultping/painting is imho the best out there, again just my observation, I suggest whatever line you are interested in buy 1-2 sets and you'll answer your own question, also if you have any questions please feel free to contact Matt at First Legion, you'll get a honest and quick reply...Sammy

 

[Spitfrnd]

Okay so ive been looking over some of first legions soldiers and i mainly collect king and coutry and was pondering getting a few first legion guys,but don't understand how they could be so expensive(50+ per figure) do you folks think they top king and country? and would you suggest them?how is the detail on them,better than k and c

As many have said here, the detail is far superior to any other main stream figure. Many Russian high end figures have more elaborate or "slightly" better painting but few have better sculpting and virtually none convey a better overall sense of realism in detail and poses. They really are a different animal than what is available elsewhere and while I personally do wish they were less expensive, they are well worth the price. They are more expensive because they cost more to produce. It really is that simple.

As many have also said, if you prefer quality over quantity, you really should try them and if you do I quarantee you will not be disappointed.

 

[6th Wisconsin]

I think shipping to North Carolina usually runs me around $12, so I try to buy at least 2 or 3 whenever I order. Honestly, it would be a rare person indeed who is not thrilled with these figures in person. You can do like I, and probably many others, did and order one or two and see what you think. You rarely see them on Ebay or for sale on the forum here, so if you don't like it you can easily get at least most of your money back. A few months ago I ordered a few from about 4 ranges. It helped me decide exactly what I wanted to collect and gave me a good sampling for display. Go for it - you won't regret it!

 

[mikemiller1955]

As for Mike's factually incorrect comment of "20% higher than $50", I'll only say that right now in our active catalog there are around 240 figure sets that are priced at $50 or less that can be purchased today. I guess he either must have overlooked those ones or we do a terrible job communicating and marketing ourselves for the perception to be that all of our figures are $60 each. :rolleyes2: (Oh, and there are another 75 sets that are only 10% over $50 and tens more sets that are multi figure that average well below mike's perceived price so we won't hold it against him!)

One thing is for sure, this thread should no doubt be interesting....{eek3}{sm4}

Best,

Matt
First Legion Ltd

please don't feel like you have to defend your prices to me...I think you make a wonderful figure...absolutely gorgeous...one of the best on the market...they are probably worth every penny to someone that is committed to spending in that price range...but...you should be a little more forthcoming about your pricing here...

I hope I didn't force you to kill too much time researching and counting the 240 figures that you say come in under the $50 price Sgtkillroy1944 referred to...sorry you felt the need to do that...sounds like a lot of research on your part...

I'm not even going to get into the $159.95 mounted Naps that are 220% over $50...but lets be fair to Sgtkillroy when discussing the actual prices...

but on the flip side...the truth is...and it's a fact...many are surely over 20% higher than $50...especially on your newer sets...

now I'm not gonna waste my time counting individual figure prices on your website...but excluding those 240 figures...unless I'm reading your website wrong...or you're going to decrease your posted post...I would say 20% over $50 it's a very fair and conservative assessment of the true prices...with the exception of some figures that far exceed that percentage...especially on your newer sets...

so now I'm curios...as I want to start a line of Ancients...how much are the Roman foot and mounted figures going to cost...

will they be under $50...

 

[Currahee Chris]

I hope I didn't force you to kill too much time researching and counting the 240 figures that you say come in under the $50 price Sgtkillroy1944 referred to...sorry you felt the need to do that...sounds like a lot of research on your part...

I'm not even going to get into the $159.95 mounted Naps that are 220% over $50...but lets be fair to Sgtkillroy when discussing the actual prices...

Hey Partner-

Probably didn't take but 5-10 seconds, I would think he has the entire catalog in an excel spreadsheet or some database, entered a greater/ less than statement or some similar query and it spit out a total for him. Jerry Jones probably does the same when figuring out how many over paid contracts he has in the Boyz organization {sm4}{sm4}

 

[pugio]

Take a look at K&C RTA059... that's supossed to be either a flint/percussion lock long-rifle... it looks like a 2x4 with a metal pipe attached. Take a look at any FL rifle or musket, and thats just the first of many differences, some small, some large, but to me its worth the price...

 

[fmethorst]

Not a lot I can add that hasn't already been said other than First Legion rekindled my interest in the hobby during a period when I was seriously considering giving it up. For me it boils down to:

• quality of sculpts
• quality of painting
• historical accuracy (research)
• depth of ranges

Ultimately you will have to decide for yourself if the differentiators are sufficient to warrant the premium. If you pick up a figure from the mainstream manufacturers and compare it to a First Legion figure and can't tell the difference (or don't care) then it probably doesn't make sense to pay the premium.

 

[Alex]

I'm gonna say like it is. First Legion are not for the average collector of toy soldiers. Those figures are for the people with deep pockets.

And I have no problems with that since I'm one of them.

Why should all toy soldiers be 'affordable' ?

When your wife is looking for another bag, don't tell me she doesn't like Louis Vuitton bags...

But a LV bag can cost 100 times more of YOUR hard earned money than another el cheapo bag..

Why is that ?

Many reasons of course..

Are FL figures expensive : YES

Are they worth it : YES if you have the money for

Is shipping costly : When I place a FL order, It's always over 1000$... and shipping is around 35$... 3.5% of total.. ain't bad..

How do I save money while buying FL figures : I buy gift certificates when our canadian dollar rises against the US dollar and I go pick my soldiers at my US address near the border so no silly canadian custom guy is gonna open my FL sealed boxes...

FL figures ain't like Kolobob figures but they will cost you 3 times less

Are there any FL 'deals' out there : sure just look at the website : The british mounted colonel is 90$... a steal... as is the russian mounted trumpeter.. 100$ for a gem..

Is FL making money : of course they do ... as I do when I work... you make money to spend it and be happy..

Do you prefer to have 50$ sitting in your bank account or a FL figure sitting on your shelf instead : me first option, my wife third option : buy me another diamond she's asking for

Alex

 

[FirstLegion]

please don't feel like you have to defend your prices to me...I think you make a wonderful figure...absolutely gorgeous...one of the best on the market...they are probably worth every penny to someone that is committed to spending in that price range...but...you should be a little more forthcoming about your pricing here...

I hope I didn't force you to kill too much time researching and counting the 240 figures that you say come in under the $50 price Sgtkillroy1944 referred to...sorry you felt the need to do that...sounds like a lot of research on your part...

I'm not even going to get into the $159.95 mounted Naps that are 220% over $50...but lets be fair to Sgtkillroy when discussing the actual prices...

but on the flip side...the truth is...and it's a fact...many are surely over 20% higher than $50...especially on your newer sets...

now I'm not gonna waste my time counting individual figure prices on your website...but excluding those 240 figures...unless I'm reading your website wrong...or you're going to decrease your posted post...I would say 20% over $50 it's a very fair and conservative assessment of the true prices...with the exception of some figures that far exceed that percentage...especially on your newer sets...

so now I'm curios...as I want to start a line of Ancients...how much are the Roman foot and mounted figures going to cost...

will they be under $50...

Oh, I don't feel that I have to defend our prices to you or anyone else Mike, our prices are extremely reasonable for the quality that we provide. I just felt the need to correct your blanket misleading statement. There's a difference between 20% of our figures being over $50 and all figures being 20% over $50, the latter of which is what you said. So as for "being fair to SgtKilroy", I'd like to think that I have been. And, if not, then please let me say to Sgt Kilroy and the greater forum at large, I do apologize if I in anyway mislead you with facts or wasn't "forthcoming" about our publicly available pricing.

Ok, I must go rest now. All these numbers are making me <<YAWN>>. 'night all.

Matt

PS - Chris, it was actually at the low end of your 5-10 second range of how long it took me to figure that out. ^&grin