Small Scale Military Headquarters

Calm down guys you all are acting like it is the XD Doomsday. As long as we like this stuff the hobby will stay alive.

Some of the helmets I have are over 120 years old. That meens that someone has been collecting them for over 120 years !!!!

I also have some stereo viewers that are over 100 years . These are some of the viewers that our Great Great Grandmothers collected back then. So if there is a desire this hobby may just be around 100 years from now.

Or should I calm down and switch to decaffe ?

it's going to get bad...really bad

There is a market for EVERYTHING.

That doesn't necessarily mean there's a big enough market to justify new production on some things.

Not saying 1:18 is one of them, mind you.

At least we have Unimax.

Even if 21st went belly up, the molds are still around and we will see stuff re released.

Panzer wrote:Even if 21st went belly up, the molds are still around and we will see stuff re released.

any one want a pink Me-262 thats missing parts???????

21st might actually sell the molds to a competitor if they are in need of cash that badly. The main problem for these companies is finding outlets to distribute their products. There is nothing wrong with hobby and it won't die. In fact, I would say the hobby is thriving right now.
There needs to be a breakthrough in manufacturing processes for these companies to develop more products, more economically. New materials, more automation, something has to bring tooling costs down for these guys. For example, Unimax seems to have found a great balance in their product line. They also have a mass distributor to get product out to consumers. Internet boutique shops aren't going to generate enough sales in the volumes necessary for these guys to justify putting out such huge products and expensive products.
If other companies can follow in the footsteps of unimax there is a lot of hope for new products in the hobby. Companies may have to go for more aggressive craft, more modern aircraft, and compromise some of the finer details for things like greater stability in the landing gear to make them appeal to a wider audience. They may need to make characters and stories as well to generate interest.
I would really like to see how a company like Hasbro could approach developing and selling true 1:18 scale military toys. Not that i want Hasbro to do it, but they have numerous resources at their disposal that may make things more advantageous for them.
I think the largest problem holding back companies within this hobby is exposure. It took me a very long time to even know that 1:18 scale vehicles like this existed. This type of thing has been a dream of mine since i was a boy, but information out there, even a general knowledge that this stuff exists is close to nil.
Oh well.

Two sayings come to mind...

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself!"

and the other is

"A riot is a terrible thing, but I think it is about time ve' had one!!!!!!"

Thank you all, I feel much better now.

we need to get together and be a single thought...get wm to change their minds about 21st century and all the other collectibles.

VMF115 wrote:we need to get together and be a single thought...get wm to change their minds about 21st century and all the other collectibles.

Well writing helps but it has to be snail mail, emails aren't considered 'weighty' enough.

Lets be honest guys, with 21C gone the 1/18 military market is gutted. Not eliminated, but gutted.

We can still count on BBI for a handful of figures and a new AC once year, AT seems to want to hold on tight and Unimax may expand, but most of what is in my collection is by 21C. Thank God I have been buying everything not nailed down for the last year.

Jericoeagle1 wrote:

VMF115 wrote:we need to get together and be a single thought...get wm to change their minds about 21st century and all the other collectibles.

Well writing helps but it has to be snail mail, emails arn't considered 'wieghty' enough.

I was told by WM that emails work just fine...we don't have much time the ideas is to show them there are supporters of 21st century toys ...GI Joe's SW etc....snail mail might be too late.

Start Your typing......

VMF115 wrote:Start Your typing......

Do you have a good email address?

Jericoeagle1 wrote:

VMF115 wrote:Start Your typing......

Do you have a good email address?

its in First post on the bottom

viewtopic.php?t=15421&highlight=

Greetings:

Unfortunately this is a lot of 21st's own doing and not Walmart. I can see Walmart being justified in dropping their products because by their standards they did not sell and there were so many quality control issues with them. Given the way some of the 21st products looked, I couldn't believe anyone would buy them and be satisfied with their purchase. These are mass produced models, and everyone expects a little blemish here or there. Every single piece I own has something wrong with it if I look hard enough to find it. The stuff 21st put out was totally inexcusable. Broken pieces, handpainted touchups, the list goes on. I thought two years ago already that 21st was running a thin line in Walmart.

Truth be told as well I'd rather just buy the stuff online. I don't have any children yet and often feel funny searching for stuff in Toys R Us and running to the toy section of the stores. Buying online you order and you get the stuff delivered to the door. Often, it's a good experience and I've seldom had anything wrong in an online order. It beats running around to the stores and wasting time when I have papers to grade and stuff to do at home.

It was nice having the stuff readily available at Walmart but at the same time, 21st would have been better approaching a different retailer and getting their quality control ducks in a row before pursuing that. The fact the last pieces offered came out with the same issues as the first pieces offered showed me they learned nothing, and we willing to accept the same horrendous quality control that had plagued them for so long. Walmart will not take them back because Walmart counts on companies to deliver products that get sold and do not get returned. I fear 21st has fallen out of their graces completely in that regard.

Walmart will carry popular toys. Star Wars is huge as is the Wresting and some other figures. Walmart will not risk losing customer base in that area. They will still have Hot Wheels and that stuff too. They will carry brands that can sell, and if Hasbro and Mattel can continue to move their products, then Walmart will continue to carry them. It's simple economics.

Actually, given the economic situation, I'd expect a pretty good demand for Hot Wheels right now. Cheap to buy for toys and to collect.

Regards

Corey

I agree with the title of this thread....

Birddog wrote:I agree with the title of this thread....

Me too brother. Getting silly.

When WM canexed their layaway program they recv'd hundreds and thousands of emails and letters and phone calls. My cousin works at the main office in Bentonville, AR and it was a mad house. Guess what, no layaway program anymore. Trust me, the honchos at wm look at the avg consumer as mice in a maze, nothing more. They can do what they want when they want, coz point of fact, they won't lose one red cent in the long run.

Personally, I think the disappearance of 21c was actually a good thing. I mean, I couldn't go on collecting forever, both in financial and practical terms. I'm sure many of you could not either. I was figuring I would have to stop sometime soon, but 21c beat me to the punch...

um, they're not gone yet. Let's not close the coffin until they stop breathing...

aferguson wrote:um, they're not gone yet. Let's not close the coffin until they stop breathing...

1, 2, 3, breathe, 1, 2, 3, breathe...

Anyone want to lay odds on when we will see the King Tiger prototype on Ebay?

True, they may just surprise us all, boy do I hope! I'm convinced they're done at wm, considering how many stores say the stuff isn't even on any reorder list etc and other stating they won't order anymore, that's a no brainer. Still just don't get how wm was so healthy for them selling their stuff often at cost...

Well,
I think 21st is done.
We will continue to see 21st stuff for a while to come with online retailers as they sell off their remaining inventory, but I seriously doubt we will see anything new. The death-nell was the release of the whole R&D team @21st which meant no new product other than what was already in the pipeline.
Our best hope was for repaints, but with Monkey Depot selling off huge inventories of 21st stuff (including new product), I am betting they made a deal with 21st to fire-sale the stuff to get it out of 21st's warehouse and gone.

What this means is hang on, because in a year or so, prices will skyrocket even probably past what BCA thinks is high.

It seems that nobody has thought of this. If a company has a whole warehouse full of stock just sitting there YOU ARE NOT MAKING MONEY.

YOU ARE MAKING MONEY SELLING THE STOCK.

Could it be that they are selling off to finance another project?

If the Chinese are holding the KT in China until 21st has enogh cash to buy the whole run were are they going to to get the cash? By selling stock.

THINK ABOUT IT GUYS.

pickelhaube wrote:It seems that nobody has thought of this. If a company has a whole warehouse full of stock just sitting there YOU ARE NOT MAKING MONEY.

YOU ARE MAKING MONEY SELLING THE STOCK.

Could it be that they are selling off to finance another project?

If the Chinese are holding the KT in China until 21st has enogh cash to buy the whole run were are they going to to get the cash? By selling stock.

THINK ABOUT IT GUYS.

That would almost make sense, but 21st shouldn't be clearing out brand new items like the 88! I love 21st, but even I can see the writing on the wall.
Get it at a reasonable price while you still can.