Dear Members,
I am on my way to Dallas for an Admiral Toys Incorporated Board of Directors meeting. I should have more information about this “back burner” statement posted on this site, and more about various other projects.
Remember, this post might list this aircraft as on the back burner, but, I think we are still ahead of the game:
I do think that the F-4 is a viable, beautiful aircraft in 1:18 scale. We have one in solid plastic to prove this point. BUT, I have said this before, and I will say it again: An $89.00 retail price is not possible for Admiral Toys Incorporated and I am happy for the collectors that 21st has promised an $89.00 retail price. (This looks more like a wholesale price to me!) But they say they will give it to you for $89.00 and that is an amazing deal for you.
I am of the opinion that, even if AT offered the F-4 at $80.00 retail, there is not enough room in this market for two manufacturers making the same “large” aircraft. Truth be told, we were on the fence offering this model by ourselves. We know the numbers we produce and the numbers the secondary markets can handle. If we had the guarantee sales from TRU or WM it may be a different story. But still with TRU or WM, $89.00 would be a HUGE stretch.
Here is a little inside info. Tooling on this model for AT, 21st or BBI would be over $100,000.00, tooling costs are tooling costs. One facility does not offer much more of a deal over the next, even when done in house as ours is. “On top” of the tooling cost, add the cost of production, (this means the injection, paint, tampo-printing, decals, final production ((this is the putting of the whole thing togethre)) royalties, packaging, shipping, all other overhead, insurance, on and on and on…. Yes this is per model. Divide that by the numbers produced and you get the amount needed to just break even! Two years of your life is a lot of work and time to just break even.
Therefore, we needed to reconsider the F-4. It is not canceled; it is on the back burner. This means we have a model, it has been CAD filed and could start tooling tomorrow or next year. I know this uncertainty upsets you and you want the answers. But the Freedom of Information Act does not cover toy manufacturers. I try to give you news you can use when I can. The irony of this is that this thread is a prime example of why I cannot give you all the information I know. Some companies play one way, the others another, we have to play by the rules of the company that is willing to hurt you the most. This means limited information.
Regards,
Jason
Post Script
I am going to copy this post to the DFTS thread. Read for a second time only if you wish.