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Re: Area-21 news
Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 10:29 am
by tko211
I'm still in Salt Lake. Still doing design and marketing work for my clients. Some of you here know me outside of the AREA-21 world and know that I have a love of fast cars and currently have 3 sports cars I like to enjoy on weekends when I'm not working. My youngest son is a plane nut and loves all the collection from back in the day as he was just a new born back in 2007. He thinks 21C was the coolest client ever and can't understand why they are gone. They were the coolest toys to ever hit retail shelves and definitely one of a few major highlights of my career. Roy and I are friends on FB along with Hilarie. We keep in tough occasionally and few years back when we were in San Francisco we met for a reunion dinner.
I know there was debate over those last days and what would be made, what was being teased... The F-4 was for sure being discussed in way that sure felt real to me. Roy and I were picking schemes even. My pick for a naval version was a Sundowner scheme. Jim the owner was so pissed about the way Walmart went down. It was 100% the fault of that buyer. The sales were out performing other major brands. We even tried to appeal the decision to go around her and to no avail. They simply didn't like the narrative of anything war related. It didn't matter that it was historic, collector shopped, or that it was out performing in sales. The buyer made other cuts to other brands too... again for silly reasons. Ultimately her vision was to make toys only for 12 and under... not collector stuff.
The cuts came in August. Canceling all xmas plans for everyone. Did you know that come January the numbers came in and the sales for boys toys at Walmart were a record low! It was complete disaster. Sometimes people REALLY get it wrong. The reality was always clear that without the support of mass retail the numbers didn't work to make large scale molds and not have them be 500 - 700 bucks per plane. As was proven with other attempts by others. 21C lived and ultimately died at the hands of Walmart decision makers. But oh what a ride!
Miss being able to report news here. I'll be around and keeping in touch! Godspeed everyone. -Zach (TKO)
Re: Area-21 news
Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 11:05 am
by dannyc
tko211 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 31, 2020 10:29 am
I'm still in Salt Lake. Still doing design and marketing work for my clients. Some of you here know me outside of the AREA-21 world and know that I have a love of fast cars and currently have 3 sports cars I like to enjoy on weekends when I'm not working. My youngest son is a plane nut and loves all the collection from back in the day as he was just a new born back in 2007. He thinks 21C was the coolest client ever and can't understand why they are gone. They were the coolest toys to ever hit retail shelves and definitely one of a few major highlights of my career. Roy and I are friends on FB along with Hilarie. We keep in tough occasionally and few years back when we were in San Francisco we met for a reunion dinner.
I know there was debate over those last days and what would be made, what was being teased... The F-4 was for sure being discussed in way that sure felt real to me. Roy and I were picking schemes even. My pick for a naval version was a Sundowner scheme. Jim the owner was so pissed about the way Walmart went down. It was 100% the fault of that buyer. The sales were out performing other major brands. We even tried to appeal the decision to go around her and to no avail. They simply didn't like the narrative of anything war related. It didn't matter that it was historic, collector shopped, or that it was out performing in sales. The buyer made other cuts to other brands too... again for silly reasons. Ultimately her vision was to make toys only for 12 and under... not collector stuff.
The cuts came in August. Canceling all xmas plans for everyone. Did you know that come January the numbers came in and the sales for boys toys at Walmart were a record low! It was complete disaster. Sometimes people REALLY get it wrong. The reality was always clear that without the support of mass retail the numbers didn't work to make large scale molds and not have them be 500 - 700 bucks per plane. As was proven with other attempts by others. 21C lived and ultimately died at the hands of Walmart decision makers. But oh what a ride!
Miss being able to report news here. I'll be around and keeping in touch! Godspeed everyone. -Zach (TKO)
jesus I hope that lady got canned for her crappy decision making
Re: Area-21 news
Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 1:47 pm
by normandy
Great to hear some of the inside history of 21st. I know I've
asked this before but if you could tell us what was the story with the King Tiger?
MIA (Missing In Asia) ?
Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 10:25 pm
by c44
My hottest burning question for the past quite-a-few years has been: do the 21st CT molds still exist, and if so, who is in possession of them...?
Re: Area-21 news
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:08 pm
by Axis Nightmare
Apparently Hobby Boss has gotten ahold of either 21st C. or Admiral molds as their Me 262 and F-86 are reported as repops from pre-built molds similar to the FW 190A series from the Merit molds. I've seen the sprue trees from the 262 and agree as it's quite simplified and has the same incorrect single piece main gear doors for ease of retraction as both the pre-built series. See photo of proper doors....
Re: Area-21 news
Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2020 9:17 am
by tmanthegreat
Axis Nightmare wrote: ↑Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:08 pm
Apparently Hobby Boss has gotten ahold of either 21st C. or Admiral molds as their Me 262 and F-86 are reported as repops from pre-built molds similar to the FW 190A series from the Merit molds. I've seen the sprue trees from the 262 and agree as it's quite simplified and has the same incorrect single piece main gear doors for ease of retraction as both the pre-built series. See photo of proper doors....
Axis, you’re spot on with that observation. Some of the old 21st molds that went to JSI/Merit have now been picked up by Hobby Boss, which is apparently a subsidiary of Trumpeter. Makes me think we could eventually get some other 21st models that were once JSI products as kits like the Corsair, Stuka, P-38, BF-109E, even armor like the Tiger and Panther. Flight Wing was another company that also got some molds from 21st, including the retooled P-51D Mig-15, and TBF Avenger.
Speaking of the Hobby Boss ME-262 kit, though, my local Hobby Town store got one in and they let me look through the box. The kit is just an unbuilt version of the 21st model and has all the same issues including the oversized canopy hinges and the seam caused by the faring on the rear fuselage... If anything, the kit showed just how complex those 21st prebuilt models were. The fact we were getting them for $40-$70 back in the day is nuts!
Re: Area-21 news
Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:54 pm
by nooker21
I'm curious why the 1/32 and 1/48 XD models haven't been picked up or trickled out. I would think those would have some value in the modelling community.
Re: Area-21 news
Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:35 pm
by Dauntless
Wow, it's good to finally hear the dirty details on 21st demise. It only takes one person to make such a consequential decision like that based on her likes and dislikes. (It makes one angry even after all these years)
I still have most of my 1:18 planes. Finally bought the Midway SBD just last year before they went way up in price, probably because of the movie.
I remember how 1:32 was doing quite well, was easier to display and half the price. It really showed promise of more and even larger aircraft. I was blown away when seeing the B-17 prototype. Now there are multi- engine aircraft models kits that are popular where there were hardly any before. Even seeing an Admiral B5N Kate at one time. Really thought 1:32 had possibilties of expanding further if 1:18 didn't but alas both mostly went away.
I don't pop in much here, lurk from time to time but saw this thread.
Thanks TKO-21.
Re: Area-21 news
Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2020 11:15 am
by supersonicfifi
16 years and still there !!!! i miss the mig 21 vs F4 phantom the SU 27 and F 15 ... and the B25 of course ! but luckily they never get out because i would have needed to buy a GIANT house !!!!!!
just a quick story in 2006 i was reading the badcat magazine (it was a toy shop' catalog) and was wondering the sillyness of buying a 75$ blue angel F18 !!!!! if only i knew .....(i bought one in 2011 for 110$)