First an apology and second thanks to all who pledged towards those two sets. All monies have been refunded. If you have pledged towards these two sets and did not get a refund, please contact us by e-mail and we will get that straightened out.
These two sets were cancelled because it did not look like they would reach their pledge goals within 120 days. At this time, we are going to step back and examine the 1/32 projects more thoroughly.
Possibly stronger groundwork should be laid and more preparation be done in advance before accepting payments. We welcome any suggestions here or via e-mail. Cheers.
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10 comments:
Too bad that project 1/32 fails again. I hope it will still have a new test
Cordially john
I'm sorry to hear about this, but I understand you decision. I don't know about the other collectors out here, but I think sets that would go well with companies like Conte & Barzso would sell well. I think if you could make sets that would make the collector want to buy not just one set, but 2, 3 or more. Right your 7YW sets are impossible to find. Those Prussian sets were awesome, some of your best work. I think if you did some French & Indian War sets, or Viking age sets they would sell well.
I thought the Napoleonic British would have gone well as War of 1812 figures as well; I think that would have been a selling point in the States and might have opened the door to other Napoleonics in that market. Maybe later.
Very disappointed about the 7years War Austrians. It is my dream that someday,someone,if not HAT then some other company will bring more variety to the 1/32 table. 7 Years War is an interesting and important period in history and is almost nonexistent in plastic 54 mm. How glorious it would be to finally have Infantry,Artillery,Cavalry,wagons and other accessories for this period in 1/32. I have bought every box of Hat 7 Years War Prussians I can find,scoured the world looking for them,I just can't see how a 1/32 line for this period wouldn't sell!?!?! Especially if you could have accessories to go with it. I think that's the problem,there's just nothing to get people excited,someone needs to take a chance and get things started.
It's definitely possible that we will try something again in 2017.
How about testing the general market with a new release - a mixed single box of figures with 3 sprues - 1 marching, 1 action and 1 x command giving a traditional set of figures with 1 x pose of each. These may sell better across the board with the general public rather than just aimed at the dedicated 1/32nd followers. Possibly French Imperial Guard at Waterloo or British Infantry.
Maybe the selling/marketing format needs changing? Also - box art needs looking at too? I am always drawn to a box with a battle scene on the front and loads of enthusiastic uniform and potted historical information on the back and sides of the box. This was the case with Italeri 1/32nd sets and the old Airfix sets too.
Thanks for the suggestions, please keep them coming.
You need a sales rep....get him to contact online sellers and there are some really good ones on ebay...also go out and hit the road walk into into hobbyshops,toysoldier shops...a few words mention on some forums and this blog just aint enough to get the word out!..in the words of Tony Montana.."wo gotta think big..we need to set our own mark and enforce it"
I will make a try to get a big picture.
First de beginning of Hät 1/32 :
The Brunswick Avant Garde, later the French dragoons,.
The Brunwickers: I don't want to offend but if you compare them with the latest Hät figures, the finishing was poor, but no such figures existed and they were not expensive. The dragoon figures were better and the horses really good.
Let say they were good toy soldiers. (I bought a lot of them, Brunswickers becoming Swedes or Austrians after some converting, the dragoons also often converted or simply bought only for the horses)
I suppose selling was good, otherwise there wouldn't have been more series.
The latest 1/32 released figures are in quality so good, they surpass the "toy soldier" quality in finishing. The have collectors quality, but the price is still that of toy soldiers, as is the high number of figures per box.
I think the spliting of poses over boxes, was not good. Not everyone buying the whole series of sets.
What was a good idea was the possibility to create different figures with interchangeable hats.
Maybe also taking a look "over the fence". Xforce and Vintrix make very specific figures , also with interchangeable arms/heads/or hats with collector quality. But he figures are expensive.
If your figures are collector items very specific like the Bavarians, I think the collectors are very willing to pay more: So maybe double the price and reduce to two sprues per box, with al possible poses. I think many collectors will agree. Better more expensive unique figures than none at all.
Maybe, when aiming at collectors, a harder plastic could be used. On harder plastic, paint will come loose less easy.
So what about figures idea's:
As said, the horses of the French dragoons are good. So why not make a box with the:
-" Chasseurs à Cheval" . Apart from a Timpo figure, no one made this figures, while they were a common type of cavalry.
- Hussars: but with different possibilities of headgear: the shako (Napoleonic) the mirliton (7yw up to early Napoleonic) , and colback (eilte companies of the hussars, or the Chasseurs à Cheval of the Guard). When reusing the dragoons horses, part of the investment in moulds is already done.
Also Hussars were used in almost every army. , if you add the kiewar shako, yu can add the Russians(1811+) too, and if the hand giving the option of arms, with the possibility to a a lance, options are even bigger. Reminds me the chasseurs could also use that option, even so the mirliton option.
btw Did use the Brunswick convertions recently as Swedes:
link to PMCD blog
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