All-Go! Toys - New 1:18 player JAGDPANTHER ANNOUNCED!

[aferguson]

all repaints are 'limited production' in that they are normally runs of 2000 or so...perhaps less. I doubt this will have a production run of much less than 2000 and since it's not a new sculpt there aren't a lot of new costs involved in producing it. So $100 price tag is hard to justify.

I suspect the price will come down a bit. Things are still up in the air and this $100 price may well be a feeler or be a bit of a fake to make the 'actual' $89 price not look so bad. Certainly prices are going to be higher in future and i suspect that the price we are seeing will be close to the norm, but for new molds. You can't really price a repaint lower than a new model. All planes of similar size will be the same price, so that's one reason we're seeing $100 for this mustang repaint. It's sort of setting the bar.

I think the $85-$90 price level is more realistic and justifiable. But time will tell. There will be fewer of these new items made and perhaps there are enough collectors willing to spend lots of doe on 1/18 items.

It will inevitably alienate a percentage of the established fan based, many of whom came into this hobby from $40 WM planes. But there's not much to be done about that. These new items are not going to be produced in anywhere near the numbers, the older ones were.

That said, when AT joined 1/18 there planes didn't cost a heck of a lot more than 21c planes and were just as good. And they didn't have the mass production numbers through WM that 21c did.

So, i think there is an 'inflation mentality' going on here. While we live in a time of stagnation and deflation in most areas, for some odd reason, toy prices have sky rocketed. Oil prices are part of it, but they are nowhere near what they were and are not likely to return to those levels for many years.

So higher plastic and transport costs are not really the reason for these price spikes. The reason is that when the prices did temporarilty spike, sales probably didn't drop off much and everyone went 'hey, we can charge way more for these things than we thought'.

I seriously doubt the new KT will be anywhere near $140. I'll be surprised if it's over $90. For a bit more anyone can buy a 1/16 r/c tank that's bigger and very accurate. Lots of people have switched to 1/16 armour from 1/18 and will need to be lured back. High price tags won't do that.

Anyway, this will all sort itself out in the wash. Good to have AG toys around, that's for sure.

[Dauntless]

I bought the many Badcat BBI exclusives back in the day like the PH Zero, and some of the P-51's.
It's nice to know that a lot of the planes have gained value even though that's not the reason I bought them in the first place.

There are planes that have yet to be made, and surely there will be new molds of much wanted aircraft, or improvements and or variations of existing molds or remaking the broken one's

How many places online even offer any P-51's anymore? You're going to pay as much if not more for a regular run Mustang right now except for maybe a few Petites lingering in a few online stores.
Some people are just discovering this hobby.

Once All-Go is successful, maybe we'll get regular runs of new aircraft that are not as expensive, and special edition limited runs of those too for a little more $. I'm ok with that.

[Stug45]

TKO is there any news on the Figures??

[toyktdlgh]

It’s great to see them back up and running with a new name and new marketing. I love the P-51 but I won’t be adding it to my collection especially at that price. Now if I didn’t have 5 already I would consider it. We have all seen the prices rising. Now that we no longer have the ability to go to a brick and mortar for them I almost don’t mind paying a pit more for the ease of purchase. However those boobs are awfully small for such a big price.

[Airacobra]

I am looking at this as an investment. I buy a slightly more expensive re-paint in exchange to get All-Go/21st back on their feet and have more items produced in the future.

I have never treated this hobby like a competition and I don't see investing in toys as very wise to begin with unless you can spend thousands a year doing it and have a tremendous amount of time to sit on them.

Airacobra... I think your missing the context in which I said "investment". I meant "investment" as in - if I (and hopefully a lot of others) buy this repaint it will in turn help All-Go produce more products in the future.

I understand your, and others position of not purchasing the P-51. I'm just trying to remind everyone of the bigger picture and what is potentially at stake.

One-O-Nine, first, let me apologize. I wasn't trying to single out what you said. It was meant more as a blanket statement regarding "limited" runs of anything toy related. I collect other toy lines and know full well what toy makers are trying to do with their "limited" runs. I didn't mean to call you out. I collect what I like, and if those items happen to skyrocket in value, great, but I don't buy them specifically hoping they go up in value like many of the speculators out there that grab anything with the title "limited" attached to it. What I am getting tired of hearing is the whole, we will never see WM prices again and how spoiled we were during that time. I know that is true, but it also doesn't help having people constantly saying we should expect to pay $100 for a repaint and be happy that it is even available at that price. I just feel those of us who voice or "complain" about the current prices points are unfairly picked on.

[NWarty]

Airacobra,
You've made some very excellent points.

I too don't expect WM prices, but I didn't expect the pricing to be 2 1/2 times higher than the original 21C models. I sort of expected a happy medium between the two.

I'm also not going to throw money at AG haphazadly in the hopes that they bring something I like to the market in the future.

[Stug45]

However those boobs are awfully small for such a big price.

[SGT. ODDBALL]

i would like to know what the action figure statis is as well.

[skypirate]

Looking forward to the King Tiger and others.

[Stug45]

i would like to know what the action figure statis is as well.

I hope they make these.

The last year with 21C was certainly a tricky one. I had a unique picture being that I had one foot in and one foot out so to speak. I understood fans frustrations at times and 21C had themselves to blame for some of those frustrations that they themselves created. But there were so many truly cool things about that company that I firmly believed far out weighed the bad things.

Sure I know of a few skeletons in the closet with 21C but really 99% of the time it was a company that simply tried really hard to appease the desires of fans while matching demands of mass retail which as it turns out was seldom the same thing. But for the most part it worked. We all amassed huge collections as a result.

As for a few of the secrets that people might find interesting since we are on the subject:

1. Yes, contrary to popular belief- There was always plans to make a Phantom and yes I know this because Roy was asking for my input on schemes to suggest to management almost 7 months prior to Admirals announcement at Toy Fair. We looked at a Midway scheme, Jolly Rogers, The camo AirForce, Sundowners, and even strongly considered an Israeli Air Force scheme!

2. Yes, a Mig-21 was planned as it's 6 month follow up to give it and adversary.

3. Yes and No, The B-25 was indeed green lighted but there was almost nothing done at the time of it's announcement. People at 21C felt that it's announcement was way too early and projected a long wait (2-3 years) once reality set in. The B-25 was intended to become mostly a vanity project designed to inspire shock and awe in shear size and mass.

4. Tender Terror- Fiasco of an idea that started out with best of intentions as a pure buy it from the fan club plane that got twisted into a clearance program for the FW-190's. There are fewer than 30 of those planes in the world.

5. There were new figures planned and already in development: Red-Devils, All new FJ germans, and believe it... new 2 packs which would have included the following concepts: Vietnam huey crew with a door gunner and co-pilot, Russian sniper and spotter, Red army soldiers. all 1:18 Other us troops too...

6. There was a 1:18 P-51B developed and ready to go. It was pushed back and on a planned delay till 2008- 2009 due to recent P-51D saturation. But it pretty much was ready to cut tools on.

7. There was talk of a Dragon Wagon in 1:32

8. There was plans to follow up the 88 release with 1:18 long toms. 2008-2009.

9. I got to personally view the mighty A-10 concept. AWESOME. It's weapons package alone was impressive! Big plane, but hardly no moving control surfaces as it was birthed around the same time as the P-40. This dated concept 21C felt was part of the reason to not release it.



11. There was a new P-47 in the works. This one would have shamed all 1:18 today and would have featured many access panels, removable cowl, other neat things. Super accurate and detailed.

12. a Kettenkrad & 163 Komet 1:18 were discussed on many occasion!

[Panther F]

Hey, I have family priorities too! And a pissing contest? No it just means some of you cannot stock up your attic with unopened boxes on WalMart prices.

I remember a few months ago everyone was crying that 1/18th was dead and dried up and would now resort to 1/16th. A repaint (not new material) pops up and the whining begins again.

Some are just never satisfied.

[grunt1]

Very exciting... Will someone from All-Go be participating on the board? It would be nice to interact with one of the designers or leadership. That was something that we really missed last time around which contributed to all of the confusion. That or a formal Q&A process, via TKO, so that we could keep the interaction going the way Hasbro does or the way Aferg did with BBI Mike would be great.

[skypirate]

OK, some minor concern. I tried to email them at [email protected] to privately mention the typo in their graphics, "COMMING SOON" and I got a, "Undelivered Mail Returned to Sender"

I hope we're not getting Punk'd.

[tko211]

All-Go Toys new management approached me about 5 months ago looking for some initial advice and act as a sounding board to some strategy plans. They knew from past management that I was the AREA-21 pres and that I still was very actively engaged in our forums. They actually really liked the idea of me being out of state, not officially part of the company and a true fellow fan. They need and want to stay focused on product development and logistics.

So they invited me to take back the mantle of a news reporter if you will. I am also tasked with building the bridge back to the fan base and helping to ease minds of collectors through the process. They want to certainly build on the past success of 21C and re-establish as the prominent market leader. It's a tall order and the industry has changed big time. The old issues with mass retail were both blessing and curse. Great prices, but choking on volume of offerings and need to be more safe in subjects was not all good.

So it's a new day. For now I have been tasked with this assignment and my design firm in Utah has been retained as the design agency to deliver all the visuals for the new brand as well as the creation of the new logo itself. So the idea is that the best parts of 21C strategy and logistics have been saved but that new opportunity and direction provides a slightly different path ahead. Lots more to do and long way yet to go. BUT- They are already talking about some very cool stuff and not all what you might be thinking or was talked about in the past.

[Stug45]

Very exciting... Will someone from All-Go be participating on the board? It would be nice to interact with one of the designers or leadership. That was something that we really missed last time around which contributed to all of the confusion. That or a formal Q&A process, via TKO, so that we could keep the interaction going the way Hasbro does or the way Aferg did with BBI Mike would be great.

Great idea, lets hope they listen this time.

[tko211]

OK, some minor concern. I tried to email them at [email protected] to privately mention the typo in their graphics, "COMMING SOON" and I got a, "Undelivered Mail Returned to Sender"

I hope we're not getting Punk'd.

Yup, I discovered this late last night. Something is broken on the California side of things = not fully set up on the server. But it will be fixed monday morning. Meanwhile I have been helping to field sales requests contact info. Monday should be a BUSY day based on what has already been happening!

[Baker707]

Hoping to see some modern "Bad Guys",

2 Eastern Warriors figs was not enough

[aferguson]

yes i noticed the 'comming soon' typo too. On the other hand, i was impressed by the phrase 'brass tacks' and not the usual mistake of using 'brass tax'.

Onto more important issues: when is the T-34 comming out?....cause i just know they're gonna make one.

[Coreyeagle48]

Greetings:

I agree they have to be careful on the pricing as well as the number of repaints issued. 1/18 aircraft are big and people only have so much room, I personally like diversity in my collection and not having the same model of the same plane 20 times, that gets old fast.

I try to pick the scheme I like best and get that. For example, I really liked the Jolly Rogers F-14 and figured I'd buy that. That's the first new 1/18 aircraft I have bought in awhile. I recently bought another that will just be the pride and jewel of my collection when it arrives. I buy the best and my favorites, the ones that aren't my favorites I look over, but let them for someone else.

I've long given up trying to get everything and compete with everyone else. I will get what I like and be happy with the collection I have. It's not worth breaking the bank so you can say you have more than someone else.

Corey

[Jay]

Good to see 21st "take 2" is up and running. Great to see TKO as the rep as well

Now talking about all-go in general, I'm also finding a $100 P-51 hard to swallow. Be like hotwheels dying, then coming back with the same mould but with a "limited edition" paint job and charging twice as much. Now i'm no business guru, so I have no idea of the costs involved from paper to plastic. However, at that price I would expect a new mould with realistic undercarriage, maybe even an engine. To pay that price for the same mould but with a titty picture on the side is a little hard to swallow.

Also, I think all-go might push some overseas customers out of the game, with some of the outoutrageous prices some e-tailers charge for shipping (so let me get this straight, i'm paying $100 for a repaint and another $100 to ship it.....no thanks. but again - how can Bbi build an Me109 WITH an engine which I can buy from some of the smaller etailers and get charged $30 to ship it?!).

So yeah, those are just my thoughts. I'll always continue reading what TKO has to say, because I think that this is still quite exciting and I like the fact that TKO is one of us yet has his feet inside all-go. I just hope this isn't the end of my involvement with these 1/18 models.

[tmanthegreat]

$100 will be tough to swollow for a P-51 repaint, even if it is all OD green with nude nose art. JSI releases similar-sized limited edition aircraft for at least $30 less, so I would hope that All Go can at least match those prices. If it were a newer plane or sizeable armor piece, I would be a little more understanding to a point. That said, I am very excited about the possibility of the King Tiger and would pay $80-$100 for it at this point

[Stug45]

I really hope we get all new figures.

I think the next plane should be the A-10

The KT is going to be awesome.

They better make a T-34 then are tigers will have something to fight.

[dragon53]

What was the price of the 21st Century 1/18 P-51 Mustangs, etc. at Badcat and other etailers several years ago?

[P47faninchicago]

I am thrilled! I have always been a BIG 21st fan. I love the chances their management took on big planes like the P-38 and Avenger. Those guys have got giant cahones and if anyone will produce the B-25 and F-4 it will be the guys at Allgo. I am DEFINITELY in for the new P-51. These planes were never appropriate for little kids due to their fragility and I am glad 21st(I mean Allgo) will be dropping the pretensions and aiming directly and solely at the adult collector. I think this paint scheme speaks volumes for Allgo's philosophy and tells me where their priorities lie. I get the message and I couldn't be happier!