Great idea for 21c or FOV

[aferguson]

I got the idea when i saw this book from Osprey:

http://www.ospreypublishing.com/store/W ... 846032912/

Might be better for FOV since they already have a partnership going with Ospery. Anyway, the idea is to make 'street fighting' playsets, which are basically small vignettes featuring a room, a staircase, a cellar etc and 2 or 3 figures. All kinds of scope possible and they shouldn't be too expensive to produce and would really stand out and be interesting and different. The vignettes could be designed so they connect, so yoiu could build an entire building, or portion thereof, eventually. Could end up being 2 or 3 buildings in the series, all made up of individually purchased vignettes.

Anyone else think this is a good idea?

[cranedriver]

I an all in for any type of playset.

[Stug45]

21st had some in the works.

http://www.sshqdb.com/18/index.php?cat=62

[Razor17019]

Aferg,
Yes, I like your ideal.
I am always looking at other venues to make backgrounds out of.
It would be nice to see the companies making the figures, make the backgound/buildings for their own figures.

[Razor17019]

21st had some in the works.

http://www.sshqdb.com/18/index.php?cat=62

There are more "prototype" playsets that never made their way out of the Toy show floor... (several Vietnam sets)
People have posted them before on here and Grunt may have it on his database.
I will look tonight for them and post if I can find them.
(unless someone else beats me to it! )

[Jesse James]

The problem with "playsets" is they're incredibly costly to tool up... 21st's didn't do all that well at retail though I will say I think times have changed, however they're also more costly to tool things like that. As simplistic as some of them were (comprised of only 3 or so pieces), they still probably in many ways cost more than a vehicle to create due to the size of pieces and whatnot.

I'd love stuff like it, but it's probably not very economical unless a company like 21st could find a way to cut costs down incredibly. Power Team managed to put out some good stuff like their bridge... Detailed and large, so it's possible, but their building probably isn't satisfactory to most I'd guess.

[tankduel]

In a 2002 'Military Modelling' mag there's an ad from Kool Collectables
that lists ' 1/18 Future releases- to be confirmed' the following
Home Sweet Home Playset
Battle of the Bulge playset
Liberation of Paris set
Never seen any prototype pics..anyone have some?
Nev

[tmanthegreat]

The 21c sets were very well done, but were costly. The larger sets tended to cost as much as a 1:18 plane at the time, around $30. I only ever bought all four of the 21c playsets that were produced because they were severely discounted. I totally see where Aferg is coming with his idea and think its a great one, but the sets (even small ones) would not be cheap if they were to maintain the level of detail that the originals had.

I think something like what FOV does with their enthusiast 1:32 sets or like what PTE does with some of their figure sets, would be the way to go. In this case, a small diorama piece and accessories (like a wall section, sandbag pile, jerrycans, crates, etc.) would be included with a figure or vehicle. It would certainly raise the cost, but would be a neat addition.

[immeww2]

I think that including a small background with accessories for the main piece showcases the item better than just a plain box and would create more interest.

[aferguson]

everything i've ever heard about manufacturing costs mentions that it's the number of pieces that make an item expensive. Tanks and figures, having many seperate pieces, are expensive to produce as a result.

Small vignette like playsets would have very few pieces, as much of the details could be molded into walls and floors. They could also break down into sections to keep packaging size reasonable.

I never understood why the first 21c playsets were so expensive, especially considering they broke down into fairly flat packages. I think in their case it was the lack of interesting packaging that hurt them. Most buyers seeing a thin carboard box with a small picture of a corner of a building on it, were not too turned on to spend the money. Also, the playsets themselves were not really playsets but building fronts, of use, but of limited use.

The vignettes i've suggested would be self contained dioramas, very dramatic in nature and would connect to other similar vignettes to produce a large and very interesting display, if desired. Individually, they wouldn't need to be much bigger than the bombed french building set which sold for $20 and came with 2 figures. Making something unique about one of the figures would help sales as well.

I think FOV, with its ties to Osprey on their new figure line, could come up with dramatically packaged, historically accurate and interesting sets that would be very popular.

[digger]

the bombed french building set which sold for $20 and came with 2 figures

Sadly it was more than $20 and only came with one figure. The fountain was the only $20 set (full price) and only the farmhouse came with 2 figs. I think the hayloft was the best though.

[Jesse James]

everything i've ever heard about manufacturing costs mentions that it's the number of pieces that make an item expensive.

They are a factor for sure... But figures are $5 (in this hobby) compared to the number of parts they're comprised of due mostly in part to their size... Ultimately that plays a major role too. There are other factors like the level of detailing needed and things, but size of the parts comprising the toy does play a role as well.

Playsets generally aren't small... Especially 21st's. For instance the base of the fountain is pretty damn huge. The walls of the house or the barn, etc. They're also intricate, and intricacy means more complexity to the mold. The cost was seemingly made up (at least in part) by the detail of the piece coupled with the size... I think some of them were overpriced (fountain and gov. building), while the other two were pretty spot-on...

I think another issue factored into the playsets was their ability to be reused, which was greatly diminished by their very nature. Short of some "snow" deco, they were one-trick-ponies... I think 21st was pricing them accordingly then, unlike say planes that can get various paintjobs and re-releases factored into their costing, or figures which can share parts and whatnot.

PTE seems to use cheaper materials, or cuts corners like only detailing one side of a wall and leaving the other concave to save on materials costs and mold costs, etc.

I think 21st could go with an elaborate base (let me rephrase this to an elaborate figure stand, which is what I was trying to explain/envision) comprised of a "floor" and a "wall" that connect, and if they were really inventive they'd find a way they could make them all interlocking and work with one another. However I wouldn't be surprised if it increased cost of figures too.

21st's playsets were great, but ultimately they had a lot of financial aspects to them that were working against them from the get-go, and that's a shame because I think the hobby could support one or two a year right now compared to the time when they came out and there wasn't the support there.

Hasbro's struggled with the playset conundrum as well, so this isn't something unique to 21st or any other company. Generally Hasbro's tried to re-use them to maximize their utility where they can... Thus the ROTS playset was re-used in the recent Indiana Jones line... Likewise though, Hasbro's also said without some media support they're really not likely to make true playsets like the fans want (which are almost more like mini-dioramas than "playsets", but I digress).

There's a sorta kinda thing like this for Star Wars out right now... It's a battlepack at Toys R Us that includes 3 figures, 2 of which are very old. There's a repacked moisture vaporator, a new little simple animal accessory, and then the centerpiece is Luke's family homestead dome... the dome sits on a cheapy cheap piece of vacuformed "sand" base that is flimsy and lame, and the dome is just what it is... a plastic dome.

The set costs $50, and Hasbro's been fairly honest in the Q&A's that it was all they could do to get this set out as it is for $50 but they wanted to try for the fans...

It sucks. Not that dome sucks, it's neat and it'd look good on a shelf with your Luke figure and stuff... but for $50, it sucks. It's one of those things I've actually put my foot down on and refuse to buy regardless how much I want that dome.

[Aviatornut.com]

I tried selling the 21st century playset and they never moved. Only a very few want playsets not joe everyday public. Everyone wants aircarft and armour.

just my 2 cents

[pickelhaube]

I tried selling the 21st century playset and they never moved. Only a very few want playsets not joe everyday public. Everyone wants aircarft and armour.

just my 2 cents

I agree with you Av Nut. Playsets and the like do not interest me in the least bit. Just give me planes and tanks and I am happy. Throw in a little R/C and I am down town.

[Jesse James]

I think if you could see it, you'd have more interest in it... Online though, that diminishes the POP buyer. Playsets look best on a shelf next to the figures and vehicles they go with ultimately. I think online purchases would be way down for an item like the original sets for certain.

The barn and farmhouse were actually fairly scarce items at the time. I know those went here long before clearance. It was the gov. building and fountain that sat.

[zonetoys]

The barn and farmhouse were actually fairly scarce items at the time. I know those went here long before clearance. It was the gov. building and fountain that sat.

Back in the day, our local TRU had the Fountain Sets on clearance for $5 for a long time! I picked up a couple just because it was worth it for the figure! The other sets had already been sold out long before. I found some of those later on Ebay for under $20 each.
I miss the days when you could find 21st Century XD stuff on deep clearance at TRU or WM! Was always a thrill!

[Razor17019]

Back in the day, our local TRU had the Fountain Sets on clearance for $5 for a long time! I picked up a couple just because it was worth it for the figure! The other sets had already been sold out long before. I found some of those later on Ebay for under $20 each.
I miss the days when you could find 21st Century XD stuff on deep clearance at TRU or WM! Was always a thrill!

Nowadays, just finding ANY 21stC stuff at WM is a challenge!

I was able to clear out my local TRUs of the fountain sets for 2 bucks each! That was some fun!

[Jesse James]

I too got fountains for $5... just for the figure. At the time it was the best German infantryman actually.

I figured I'd find a use for the fountains too. I've yet to do so.

[Razor17019]

I too got fountains for $5... just for the figure. At the time it was the best German infantryman actually.

I figured I'd find a use for the fountains too. I've yet to do so.

2.00 each
I found if you cut the fountain base in half and add some sandbags, you can use it a ready made gun emplacement.

[Foxhole Toys]

We wish we could have got more when we did! We bought our playsets from different collectors a couple of years ago at a premium. They sold very well around the Christmas season last year and we expect the same this year. Customer feedback has been terrific and we agree, these playsets ARE terrific!

One thing we liked about the Fountain set, in particular, is that it can easily be used as a village centerpiece for 1/32, 1/35 & 1/48 scale dioramas, and then you get a 1/18 figure to boot!

Foxhole Toys agrees, playsets have come of age and it is unfortunate that sales were slow in the early stages of the 1:18 & XD beginnings. But then, nobody knew about items either. The original XD line that appeared at TRU in 2000 didn't have much of a chance.

Remember, this line STARTED a market that now encompases the current BBI, Dragon & FOV lines. All this while reintroducing 1:18 scale figures/vehicle/planes to a new military collector market base, as well as, GI Joe enthusiasts.

Bring on the Paysets!!!

[panzertruppen]

Great idea! Pick up on where 21st left off.

[AMERICAN_GRENADIER]

Hello, can you post a picture of the fountain set?

[normandy]

Try this... http://www.sshqdb.com/18/thumbnails.php?album=61