Small Scale Military Headquarters

There has been comments made on another board or two about potential layoffs and financial problems at 21C. Anybody here heard anything about it? I'd hate to see them go under - with FoV dragging there is nobody else in the 1/32nd armor business.

Long story here:

viewtopic.php?t=13310&start=0

Short story: It appears 21C has laid off many employees, is having trouble paying suppliers and is not in good financial shape. Only time will tell. Looks like their West Coast sales strategy was successful.

This is the end, the end my friend...

This is one reason I have been buying up all the 32x stuff I can because it may not be around this time next year.

If 21st Century is dying, then why the testing waves of new products at Target? Why would they have re-paints, and a potential large-scale selling contract? Maybe this is their last ditch effort to stay alive, but if this works for Target and 21c, they just might survive yet.

I don't know, I just wish I knew another collector my age. The only one I know personally is around 40, is a doctor, and can afford a lot more than I can. It kind of bites. But hey, it inspires me to do more with my life...

AlloySkull wrote:I don't know, I just wish I knew another collector my age. The only one I know personally is around 40, is a doctor, and can afford a lot more than I can. It kind of bites. But hey, it inspires me to do more with my life...

Yeah, I know what you mean Alloy.

I think that although 21st might be going to a rough patch it is by no way the end. I mean, how many times have people on this board prophesized the end of the hobby? But yet it is still chuggin along...

I hope its not the end for 21st.

nobody wants to see the end of 21c. They'be been through some pretty tough times in the past and came through. I don't know if they can do it again or not. Maybe Target will save them like WM did before.

However, i certainly wouldn't count on seeing much new product from them for the next couple of years. Hopefully stuff they had in the pipeline will get made and there will no doubt be repaints on top of repaints but new stuff is very unlikely given their apparent financial situation and the large number of lay offs they've made resulting in nobody being there to make the new stuff.

I guess it's a good thing I collect Star Wars and GI Joe as well as 1:32.

hworth18 wrote:This is one reason I have been buying up all the 32x stuff I can because it may not be around this time next year.

Me too! At least the ones I don't have. Not much hope for getting anything 1:18 unless at a high price.
I started pretty early collecting 21st though, ever since the TRU exclusive days.
I've been filling in the gaps of my 1:32 collection of planes mostly. There are still good deals out there on the internets. Who knows for how long though.

21st died once, they I would hope be a bit smarter this time around?

...and perhaps if an when they get their act back together, they can ship all their new products to stores on the west coast, then maybe think about sending them to the midwestern, southern, or eastern states. That would be a nice favor since its pretty hard to support 21c around my area when much of their new products go and stay elsewhere

I believe the difference this time between the last time 21st was in trouble is the cost of doing business in China.
Unfortunately I think this is the end of 21st. It sure was a good ride!
I,m not real optimistic about FOV either. For all of the above reasons.

trouble is the cost of doing business in China.

I've been watching this thread and waiting. You have all been talking about the symptoms and not the disease. China is the problem. Companies started pulling out of China last year. The quality and in some cases the safety goods coming out of China is terrible. How many toys have been recalled because of toxic paint? Do any of you think a 21stC of FOV item would pass a toxicity test? I don't! I'm sorry I don't have a link to any spacifiic story, but they are out there. China's growing economy and its export boom are over. The country is going to fall hard, economy wise. I'm happy about that! I never liked commies!

I only hope that 21stC and FOV find a more stable place to set up their production.

Like where? Where else can a company get the manpower and relative quality at that price? Were the production facilities based elsewhere, I believe that the quality would go down, while the price would go up; no other country has the manpower and facilities. Now, if the company were to be based in the United States? I'm sure the price would skyrocket, due to a number of reasons. I'm thinking that 21c need not relocate, and should ride it out like they did before. Who knows, maybe they'll pull through again.

Some companies are moving over to Vietnam, just over the border from China.

Dauntless wrote:Some companies are moving over to Vietnam, just over the border from China.

India is the new China... Too bad we can't afford to have things "Made in America" anymore....

well you could still have things made in america if you can find people willing to work for less than a dollar a day.

aferguson wrote:well you could still have things made in america if you can find people willing to work for less than a dollar a day.

Damn unions screwing things up!

I can state catagorically that I could not give ones rats a@@ about the worry of toxic paint on my collectibles. I display, and occassionaly play with them. Tanksicles they are not...

Honestly for me, toxic paint levels in toys don't concern me. If you buy a tank, you're not going to put it in your mouth or put it in direct contact otherwise.

Der Kommandant wrote:Honestly for me, toxic paint levels in toys don't concern me. If you buy a tank, you're not going to put it in your mouth or put it in direct contact otherwise.

You are if you're 6 years old...

I need to stop licking my models.

I believe the toxicity can be transmitted through your skin's pores, so handling a toxic substance is just as dangerous as "licking it." This is the reason why lead soldiers were banned years ago.

Lightning2000
www.themotorpool.net

Ok cool, I can keep licking my models.