Small Scale Military Headquarters

I miss 21st century toys

VMF115 wrote:I miss 21st century toys

you're not alone

phil

I didn't miss them much at first, but the other day when I was looking at my ME262 Nightfighter I really started to miss them. They had their faults, but they sure gave us some fun times.

I miss 21C and KB Toys too

I definitely miss KB, man some great deals time to time and cool exclusives. Thanks walmart .

Yeah it sucks without 21st around, I was hoping they'd weather the storm but with giving up some molds that ain't lookin' so good.

...and there's just no reason to stop at Walmart anymore...
We were out yesterday and passed a WM and the wife says, "Don't you wanna stop and check it out?"... Naw....not anymore....

Agreed!

What's to miss, really?

I certainly don't miss their crazy announcement : B25, MIG 21 and PHANTOM !!!!! they were about to announce a B 52 and an aircraft carrier in the nimitz class ....!

I hope that nobody will follow this nerve wrecking path .....

I miss them and then I really do not.

I fondly remember the early days of XD when there truly was the "wow" factor and 21c seemed really special because it was doing something that no one had really done before - and satisfying a boyhood dream of mine for "GI Joe-sized" WWII planes, tanks, and action figures

However, then came the last few years. 21c claimed to be the leader in small-scale military products - and certainly were by volume sold - but they were really loosing in competition to other companies in terms of the quality of the products and simply doing what they said they would. Then there were the product delays, poor quality control, and VERY UNEVEN distribution that favored certain areas over others. I know the distribution thing was partly out of 21c's control, but then they were also responsible. For one, they could have helped by getting the same items that were at all the Wal Marts in only certain sections of the country to the small retailers so that the rest of us could share in the wealth.

JSI seems to be taking the hobby in a new and exciting direction, while still looking back to the past. A nice mix of the new and the old in terms of their proposed product lineup. I'm also very glad that JSI is going to only distribute its products to the small retailers, even if we have to pay extra. It means we all have a shot at getting the products when they come out and it keeps the hobby limited to the true hobbyists. (That is really the direction 21c should have gone - mass distribution of products that really only appealed to a small target audience was not that great of a business plan in the end...)

Sorry for the rant, but those are the thoughts (and emotions) that remembering 21c brings up

mass distribution of products that really only appealed to a small target audience was not that great of a business plan in the end...)

I think it was a great idea if they had implemented it properly.
I mean, think about it.. My local Walmarts stocked 21st stuff and for the most part, they were selling well (especially the 32x planes), I know this because I had to hit Walmarts late at night to assure I got mine before someone else did. SO I wasn't the only person in town buying these.
It also exposed their product to the general public whom might not have known about it otherwise. My first 32x plane came from Walmart and my obsession was born, I am sure this same scenario played itself out in countless Walmrts all over the country.
Do I blame Walmart? Not really.. I blame 21st for not paying their bills and not keeping QC tabs on their product.

This is the 1:18 forum, but I miss going in to Walmart every week or two and buying all the cheap $15 1:32 planes and armor.

At least it satisfied my XD jones when they were getting sparse.

tmanthegreat wrote:I miss them and then I really do not.

I fondly remember the early days of XD when there truly was the "wow" factor and 21c seemed really special because it was doing something that no one had really done before - and satisfying a boyhood dream of mine for "GI Joe-sized" WWII planes, tanks, and action figures

However, then came the last few years. 21c claimed to be the leader in small-scale military products - and certainly were by volume sold - but they were really loosing in competition to other companies in terms of the quality of the products and simply doing what they said they would. Then there were the product delays, poor quality control, and VERY UNEVEN distribution that favored certain areas over others. I know the distribution thing was partly out of 21c's control, but then they were also responsible. For one, they could have helped by getting the same items that were at all the Wal Marts in only certain sections of the country to the small retailers so that the rest of us could share in the wealth.

JSI seems to be taking the hobby in a new and exciting direction, while still looking back to the past. A nice mix of the new and the old in terms of their proposed product lineup. I'm also very glad that JSI is going to only distribute its products to the small retailers, even if we have to pay extra. It means we all have a shot at getting the products when they come out and it keeps the hobby limited to the true hobbyists. (That is really the direction 21c should have gone - mass distribution of products that really only appealed to a small target audience was not that great of a business plan in the end...)

Sorry for the rant, but those are the thoughts (and emotions) that remembering 21c brings up

well i do mist the good old days when you go to tru and fine new stuff..

some one on the message board said that 21st was own by an old man that once he gone that is it.. can some one clarify..

thanks..

tmanthegreat wrote:JSI seems to be taking the hobby in a new and exciting direction, while still looking back to the past. A nice mix of the new and the old in terms of their proposed product lineup. I'm also very glad that JSI is going to only distribute its products to the small retailers, even if we have to pay extra. It means we all have a shot at getting the products when they come out and it keeps the hobby limited to the true hobbyists. (That is really the direction 21c should have gone - mass distribution of products that really only appealed to a small target audience was not that great of a business plan in the end...)

They haven't released one thing yet - I would relax with singing their praise.

And frankly small retailers only does not make everyone happy - plenty of people liked walking into a store and holding a product in their hands before they bought it (not to mention big box prices). Just because you couldn't find it in your stores, doesn't mean it was a bad thing for everybody. Especially when it lead to about a half dozen AC we may never have gotten.

I'm one who will be disappointed if they ONLY sell to small retail outlets. I'd rather find things in large stores and see the line run in a more proper manner where they'll make sensible case assortments and refreshes and whatnot. Also it's nice to know there's something stable backing up the line's health so well that it can sell at a large retailer.

I miss 21st, I have some hopes for JSI, but right now the only line I see as coming through at all is FOV's stuff at Target... Till I see otherwise from someone else anyway.

tmanthegreat wrote: For one, they could have helped by getting the same items that were at all the Wal Marts in only certain sections of the country to the small retailers so that the rest of us could share in the wealth.

Well for the most part let me say that small retailers almost always had the product that 21st was releasing elsewhere, meaning if you could not find it at Wal-mart it was available online. The problem was that once everyone saw what Wal-mart could offer (if on the product was available in their area) they were unwilling to pay more for it online, it some cases to the extent of missing out entirely, maybe having to buy on the secondary market much later (I reference the Super Cobra for example, inventory for which languished in my storage locker for two years) now all I hear is griping about how "rare" these are.

selling 21c's products at WM was a fine idea. The big problems were poor selection of paint schemes to send to WM, poor WM distribution and early in the deal, swamping WM with umpteen repaints of the same plane.

The Atlantic Avenger being a prime example of the first case, not recognizable by most and given it's higher price point not giong to help sales at all. The Bush Avenger should have been the S1 that went to WM.

WM's own notoriously crap distribution really hurt the line. Some areas starving for the product while others had so much they couldn't blow it out for less than half price. 21c had very little control over this and i'm sure it was killing them to watch.

And sending several P-47 repaints and 3 Fw-190 repaints to WM all at once was another big mistake. Which lead to the become an 'ace' by buying 4 FW-190's contest. 21c obviously realized this mistake as it didn't happen in the later years of the WM deal but by then much of the damage had been done, i think.

The biggest problem was the WM distribution, though, in my view. Smooth country wide distribution would have meant much better sales and maybe saved xd in WM. However, the recesssion and the period prior to it may have killed it anyway.

Overall though a great product to sell at mass retail as there is lots of interest; just has to be recognizable stuff.....just look how well the Bravo team line is doing at Target and it's nothing compared to XD.

coreystinson wrote:

tmanthegreat wrote: For one, they could have helped by getting the same items that were at all the Wal Marts in only certain sections of the country to the small retailers so that the rest of us could share in the wealth.

Well for the most part let me say that small retailers almost always had the product that 21st was releasing elsewhere, meaning if you could not find it at Wal-mart it was available online. The problem was that once everyone saw what Wal-mart could offer (if on the product was available in their area) they were unwilling to pay more for it online, it some cases to the extent of missing out entirely, maybe having to buy on the secondary market much later (I reference the Super Cobra for example, inventory for which languished in my storage locker for two years) now all I hear is griping about how "rare" these are.

Amen.

PS - Aferg, you really think 10K Bush Avengers (in the height of the family's 'popularity') would have flown off the shelf, especially considering people's main beef with early Avengers was QC? I'm not so sure about that..

it would have flown much much better than the Atlantic Avenger did. More people would have identified with an ex president's wartime plane plus the very recognizable pacific blue scheme.

aferguson wrote:it would have flown much much better than the Atlantic Avenger did. More people would have identified with an ex president's wartime plane plus the very recognizable pacific blue scheme.

It would have sold better, but don't know by how much.. I think the Avenger at Walmart was a bad idea from the start, too big and too expensive to begin with. 21st should have marketed their better known planes (Mustang, Bf-109 and P-38s) to Walmart and left the more obscure planes to the etailers. I also think that the big increase in shipping rates also hurt 21st and small retailers because customers didn't want to pay the bigger fees.

Do I miss 21st? Yes I do, but on the bright side I don't spend near as much time or money in Walmart as I used to.

* Yes & No . ... I do miss "The chase is better than the catch" of the "Thrill of the Hunt" aspect of walking into a TrU or WAL* MART and finding something @ a decent pri¢e and cherry picking w/o having to get something on-line you can't see.

* .......... I don't miss however , the poor QC issues associated w/ them.



- Mitch v MG

After a long wait I now have a room designated as a "manclave" and have moved all my historical replicas into the HRR (Historical Replica Repository). Not surprisingly my wife is awfully unhappy with the large amount of boxes and models I have accumulated through the years and begrudges me every minute and dime I spend in/on this room.

I have painted, installed lighting and pulled out some installed cabinetry and am awaiting the funds to install new flooring, trim and build some cabinets.

Where I am going is I have been re-hanging all my 1/18 birds and have recently opened and displayed some boxed goods I did not have room for: a BBI Zero and the 21C Me-262 night fighter. It was such a thrill to open these babies up for they are brand new releases for me even though I have owned them for some time. I realized how nice it is that I have a good stash of MIB items I can crack open if the need arises. Plus, I will finally be able to consolidate all my goods from the numerous rooms and storage spaces they have been stored (hidden). How cool to have three F-104's finally hanging side by side. And it is a good problem to have deciding if I have room to open and display the other two!

So, I too miss 21C. But I am looking forward to the new JSI releases. Between space and cost issues (MD has broken me this year) I am AOK with two or three 1/18 releases each year. And it may force me to finally pick up those twin engine styro RC birds that have been singing to me these last few years!

Walmart sucked at distribution, but at the same time it made it interesting. I could go to one WM and see 10 FW 190's then go just across town and see P-40's.

It was kinda fun to go on long trips and pop in to the WM's along the way. Every one had different assortments of XD, but usually too many of one model and not a good mix of different ones, but you could go to the next town and find something different, which kinda made it exiting.
I haven't been able to sharpen my hunter-gatherer instincts for a while now.
I miss the hunt.

exether_mega wrote:

VMF115 wrote:I miss 21st century toys

you're not alone

phil

nope

For a few years it was like going fishing a couple times a week, sometimes a day, hittin this walmart hittin that one. You never knew what you were going to catch. You could go to one store week after week and same thing. Just when you were about to say the heck with this rotten place whamm; there was something either new or something totally rare. Of-course some stores nver carried crap. It was a lot of fun and I miss it.