Small Scale Military Headquarters

I've always been tempted by their King Tiger, but have wanted them to come out with another piece of armor. Has anyone ever heard of plans to do this?

The possibility of a Sherman,..M-26 Pershing,..and Tiger I,..have already been contemplated by FOV staff,...but no final decision has yet been made. We'll know by this Fall,...what FOV plans to do, to continue their 1:16 line.

Maybe they will change to 1:18 and join the fun.

M26 would be nice.

they had originally claimed there would be an Abrams in the top three, and seeing as we've got two, perhaps thats the next subject?

Abrams ? ........Completely News to me. Never heard of this one being discussed,..or mentioned.

I heard about the Abrams along with the Tiger1 a ways back. I'd vote for the Tiger1. I don't want to see another King.

Yeah,....I don't either. The 3 possibilities..I mentioned above, are what I was told,..came straight from the source. .....We shall see,....hopefully not,.."wait and see" !!!!!!

PM Lightning2000 (Motorpool) as he'll have insight as to the releases, and his site may very well have been the one many of us read that initial claim from DML/Dragon as to the first three BIG tanks (two Tigers and Abrams).

DML/Dragon ? ...PM ? ......That's OK,....Thanks anyways.

Hi,
No need to PM us. We'd be more than happy to post our findings for all to see. As for the 1:16 range, Unimax is sometimes hard to figure out, and I mean that in a good way. What is said on Monday, can change on Wednesday and then again on Friday, so we're sometimes left scratching our collective heads trying to figure out their ultimate intentions.

Here's what is known -- we spoke with their US representative at the recently concluded Toy Fair and he indicated that they were indeed going forward with a new tank, apparently at the prodding of a number of dealers/collectors. Originally, they viewed the 1:16 scale line as their "signature" series that was intended to make a statement in the industry but not necessarily turning a profit until a pre-determined number of units had been sold (which could theoretically cut across multiple issues). That said, it doesnt appear as if they had met their target with the King Tiger, hence the reluctance to expand the series.

Well, it now looks as if Unimax has seen the need to continue the range, which will no doubt help them meet their goals for their first offering. They're currently torn between doing a Sherman and a Tiger I and look to have it available by Father's Day of 2007. We've indicated which vehicle we'd prefer to see and the pattern/features throughout, but we dont pay the bill to produce the vehicle so it isnt our call.

Keep in mind that even if they do follow through and produce another 1:16 scale vehicle, there's no telling its price point in light of the recent increase in the price of zinc as well as higher than normal labor costs. So, while the King Tigers have been selling for around $360-400, its quite conceivable that the new tank could be alot more expensive, especially if they maintain their present level of detail. They could, of course, dress down the new vehicle possibly by eliminating the interior detail but we think that would be a bad idea. I think their customers are used to a certain level of workmanship and to disappoint would be problematic to say the least.

As always, we'll post whatever news Unimax passes along to us regarding pricing, dates of availability and their choice for replication. Hope all that helps...

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com

maybe there is a reason why the King Tiger isn't selling... Tamiya has had different versions of the King Tiger for years now, plus the Tiger 1, plus the M26, plus the Sherman. Granted these are mostly RC, but die hard collectors will detail em up anyway.

Trumpter has 4 versions of the 1/16 T-34 Model Kit, I got one and it is so detailed full interior. Plus I bought the Wasan? RC version.

Bandai has 1/15 Tiger 1 and 3 Panzer MK IV hull/chassis varaints.

How about a M-60 Patton or my fav a British Centurion Tank.

DH

scbvideoboy wrote:maybe there is a reason why the King Tiger isn't selling...

Perhaps because it is $400? Frankly that is why I do not have one. I am not averse to more $ for more detail and even putting aside the off scale (for me), I find the price prohibitive for the product. I could buy myself 4 very nice winter tanks, a whole mess of figures, a ton of paint and materials for customs, maybe even some Build A Rama goodies, and still be ahead of the KT owner $-wise. I know it is "not the same" but I can't help but think of it like that....

Hi,
I'm not sure I know how to respond to your criticisms. Retail price points are based upon what the manufacturer sets the cost at. While retailers would love to sell the 1:16 tanks for less, they have to make some money on it otherwise its not worth carrying. Its not like this thing costs the retailer $50 to bring in then they turn around and sell it for 8 times the cost. Its an expensive item that comes with terrific accessories and a heavy wooden box.

Sure, you can make the analogy that you can get zillions of other things for the same price. I can say the same thing about comparing a Cadillac vs a Volkswagen. I could probably buy 5 Volkswagen for the price of a Cadillac. The point is, you're either a toy collector, which is what 21st Century Toys products are, or you're a fan of high end collectibles, which is what the 1:16 scale tank is all about. If you're not interested in the item, then you're not interested, no matter what the price. But to demand a high end item like this be priced at the same price as a plastic 1:18 scale Tiger isnt really a fair comparison.

As for Tamiya and Trumpeter kits, they're kits that you have to build. Anything that's pre-assembled is certainly going to cost more, unless you're talking about simple plastic toys which this isnt.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com

well - sounds like we have two distinct groups -
1. Those willing to pay $400-500 for a di-cast model.
2. Those not willing to pay $400-500 for a di-cast model.

Sorry I didn't mean for that to happen...
I'm just saying, on this board, where this discussion is happening, someone suggested why the 1/16 KT "wasn't selling" and I gave what was my number one reason for not buying one.

The tank costs about 8 to 10 times a 1:18 scale tank. Even the VW analogy is stretched. Lower PP = more volume, and I'm one of the guys who sat this one out, that's all.

I would have bought one if the paint schemes weren't so darn ugly!
Would have preferred a German Armour Gray!

I think the smart move for unimax would be to produce something not already available in kitset (static or RC) form. If they did that they would not be competing with cheaper static models, and 1/16th RC enthusiasts would be all over it, there would be after market suppliers springing up overnight with various RC 'upgrades'.

Hi Digger,
No offense taken. Perhaps I should backtrack a bit also and say this from my own personal observations. Most of the collectors on this board seem to be skewed towards the lower end of the market (as far as price point goes) and are very happy with 21st Century Toys types of products where they feel they're getting alot of bang for the buck. Would that be a fair assumption?

That's fine and I can respect that. But that's a skewed group of collectors. There are plenty of professionals (lawyers, doctors, accountants, rocket scientists, pilots, engineers, etc.) that prefer the other end of the market and demand quality above all else, no matter the price. These collectors would never put a plastic tank on their credenza or hang a plastic plane from the ceiling of their office.

So, while you would be put off by the price of this item and could very well get loads of other things for the same amount of money, there are lots of collectors that would take the opposite viewpoint and go for the high end item.

Cordially,

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com

If they do a Sherman its much smaller than the kingt so it would be less to produce. They could do a Stug or P4 as well but let’s face it, they are going to do a popular piece like a Sherman or Tiger1 if the line keeps going.

On a side note a friend of mine has a small online ebay bis and I made him order some FOV direct from Panache Place. He ordered eight 1:16 kings. The first 4 were slow to sell but we just sold our last 4 in the past week. So he wanted to order more (4) and called Panache Place. They are still available. They should have kept it at a 2000 production mark like the first. I'm assuming they have sold somewhere between 1000-1600 of them worldwide.

it was the scale that put me off.......i would have bought one for sure had it been 1/18. But i know 1/16 armour has a big following....sigh.

lightning2000 wrote:Hi,

As for Tamiya and Trumpeter kits, they're kits that you have to build. Anything that's pre-assembled is certainly going to cost more, unless you're talking about simple plastic toys which this isnt.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.bigstep.com

Actually the prices I paid for the tamiya RC KT, Tiger 1 and M26 tanks with full sound options were well ABOVE the $400 for the FOV 1/16 KT.

The Trumpter kit was roughly 150 bucks.

I paid $500 for a rare mint Bandai 1/15 Tiger 1.

And still in the boxes.

My point was there are too many KT already.

I agree with your point about collectors, some will pay big bucks and others draw a line. Some one is buying those $12,000 Corsairs...

Want to sell some Shermans, market a "Kelly Heroes" tank (with all the gadgets and pretty paint shells) with figureines from the movie, and add a sound chip for the songs they played

DH

Same for me -
Scale - If I don't stick to 1:18 man - I'd have to hang stuff in my attic.
does not matter the price.

The FOV KT is way too costly for the average toy buyer, and too toyish for the die-hard WWII armor affecionados.

I got one as a gift, repainted it, and it kinda looks good. But I don't know if I had gotten one.

If FOV make a somewhat decent Abrams, I'd get one (or three). Because at this time, since BBI and 21st both dropped the ball on the Abrams, I'm desperate for a decent one!!!!

A Sherman.....hmmmm. Interersted, but they should do a 76mm version, either an M4A1 (76mm) or an HVSS M4A3 (76mm). The 75mm has been done to death (in many scales), and the 105mm has been around since the 70s.

As for the Tiger I....they should do a late Tiger I with zimmerit. Sorry but they are never gonna beat Tamiya in quality, so most people would probably just buy the Tamiya early Tiger kit.

But in order to convert the Tamiya Tiger into a late version, you need to spend around 1,000 dollars in aftermarket parts. So I think that many people would be willing to pay 400 dollars for a 1/16 late Tiger, even if to just cannibalize it for parts for their Tamiya RC Tiger.

And the late Tiger I is VERY popular.

If it were'nt for my low production # for my 1st. Issue KT,..#'rd. 30 out of 2000 units made,..I doubt very little I would've kept it. I would've sold it for sure. Then having FOV to introduce a 2nd.,release KT,..especially w/crew,..was a deliberate "slap in the face",..to owners of their previous issue. I say this,....I recently bought a Tamiya R/C KT off a friend,..pre-assembled,..hand-painted,..metal-tracks,..metal road-wheels,..metal gun-barrel,..w/ full-option,..for $600.00 ......Why pay $400.00 for a static unit,...when you can spend about a $150.00 more,..and just get the "do it your-self'er" kit,..that will eventually,..through time and patience,.."move and sound",..like a "real tank".