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Post by Brian on Feb 9, 2018 22:49:43 GMT
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Post by gbvarese on Feb 10, 2018 16:06:38 GMT
Dear all,
Have you noticed that the number of figureines per set has decresed again (20 /24) apart for the 92 of set 8297? Does this mean that for the same old price we will have less soldiers? Is Hat following the same policy of Zvezda whose last sets cost in practice more that 1 € per figure? I think that all of us has mainly chosen plastic 1/72 scale in order to get more figures for a reasonable price. It seems, on the contrary, that even this range of the modelling market, follows the slow global trend of asking more for giving less.
Thanks for your comments.
Giovanni.
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Post by steve on Feb 10, 2018 16:47:49 GMT
Not very good value for money if the prices are kept the same, a bit like the waterloo 1815 set of marching French 1815 infantry, I didn't buy that set because it was poor value for money. Twenty figures in a 1/72 box of soldiers unbelievable. I like the numbers for the command set though that's more like it.
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Post by Steve W on Feb 11, 2018 0:25:53 GMT
It's 92 pieces not 92 figures for set 8297. At $A12-15 per box, still pretty good value in my view. All these sets have separate backpacks and spare heads, which is a great feature but which must add to the cost of manufacture. Compared to the cost of my time to paint figures, the purchase price is a small component...
The Waterloo 1815 set doesn't contain any elites, so can't be used to create a coherent battalion. The forthcoming HaT sets do not have this basic flaw.
My only beef is that the artwork for set 8297 shows the Bardin uniform appropriate to the lost set 8295 - I would love to see this resurrected.
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Post by Forum Admin on Feb 11, 2018 1:17:20 GMT
Thank you for your comments. It will be taken into consideration for future sets.
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Post by Brian on Feb 12, 2018 0:12:20 GMT
I do not think you can criticize Hat's track record when it comes to price they have been consistently one of the cheapest manufacturer of figures ever since they first appeared and continue to hold down prices when other companies have not.
Currently in the UK Hat have approximately 4 price ranges £4.50, £5.25, £6.25 and £8.99, if they were to price 24 figures at £4.50 that works out at about 0.19 pence per figure which I think is still good value, especially if you take into account all the spare heads, separate knapsacks and arms and weapons you might also have in a box, 24 figures at £5.25 is 0.22 pence per figure that would be just about acceptable, any higher than this would probably start to effect sales I would probably have to reconsider my decision to retire some of those old Italeri, Airfix and Esci figures if that was to happen.
So lets wait and see how Hat price these figures for me the cheaper they are the more I will buy and finally I can retire those old Italeri, Airfix and Esci figures.
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Post by endeavour on Feb 12, 2018 22:05:44 GMT
Pricing is always a concern and we wait to see what price will be set to these half sets. The arguement that separate bits means we have to reduce the number of figures doesn't really add up if you look at the very popular (and out of stock) MAC sets of Prussian late war Infantry and Mid-war French Light Infantry, which all have separate packs and some have separate arms, they still have 40 plus figures. Bring on the haters
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Post by Forum Admin on Feb 12, 2018 23:35:32 GMT
...doesn't really add up if you look at the very popular (and out of stock) MAC sets of Prussian late war Infantry and Mid-war French Light Infantry Each product is the culmination of an entire set of outside cost factors which vary over time, e.g. 2010 vs 2017. Please rest assured that we understand pricing is a serious concern to our customers and always will try to mitigate any cost factors which are under our own control. |
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Post by Ironsides on Feb 12, 2018 23:57:15 GMT
I do not think you can criticize Hat's track record when it comes to price they have been consistently one of the cheapest manufacturer of figures ever since they first appeared and continue to hold down prices when other companies have not. Currently in the UK Hat have approximately 4 price ranges £4.50, £5.25, £6.25 and £8.99 If this is the price at the dealers, I doubt Hät actually gets half of this........ distributors and dealers get the rest there are a number of middlemen in between Hät and the final customer all of whom take their cut...  |
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Post by waynew on Feb 13, 2018 5:13:12 GMT
I usually shop around when buying figures; that's a luxury we have with being able to go online. You have to weigh shipping and handling and other expenses, but there are folks out there who manage to charge half of their competition, even with shipping and I still come out ahead.
I asked myself while reading this thread and knowing some of you are from places where there is a VAT tax how much THAT effects the prices you pay; know that HaT gets nothing from that. In the States, of course, we usually get hit with sales tax AFTER we buy an item. When I was little I never could quite understand how it was I could never buy a .98 cent bag of toy soldiers with the dollar I had because there was a sales tax attached to it. Even after I understood the concept and reason it never quite seemed fair - I guess it's the little kid with the dollar burning a hole in his pocket still in me.
I don't think any of us are happy with the increase in prices. Take a look at some of the prices of some of the new 1/32 sets coming out - but I remember when gasoline in the States was .25 cents a gallon, a loaf of bread was a dime, and I could go to a movie with a dollar and buy my ticket, get popcorn a drink, and enough candy to give me a stomach ache and still have change.
But I make a few more bucks, too. I think we'll all have to swallow and adjust our hobby budget accordingly.
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Post by endeavour on Feb 13, 2018 7:14:50 GMT
...doesn't really add up if you look at the very popular (and out of stock) MAC sets of Prussian late war Infantry and Mid-war French Light Infantry Each product is the culmination of an entire set of outside cost factors which vary over time, e.g. 2010 vs 2017. Please rest assured that we understand pricing is a serious concern to our customers and always will try to mitigate any cost factors which are under our own control. I appreciate the point you make about changing circumstances and I am not so naïve as to believe costs have stayed static for the past seven years however if the cause of the reduction in the number of figures by half is down to rising cost of materials and production then say so. I'm happy to pay the going rate for a quality product. My point was made against the backdrop of other opinions expressed in other threads that seemed to intimate the reduction of a mainstream set by 24 figures was satisfactorily compensated by the inclusion of 12 extra heads and separate packs. |
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Post by Allan from Glasgow on Feb 13, 2018 14:32:49 GMT
Each product is the culmination of an entire set of outside cost factors which vary over time, e.g. 2010 vs 2017. Please rest assured that we understand pricing is a serious concern to our customers and always will try to mitigate any cost factors which are under our own control. I appreciate the point you make about changing circumstances and I am not so naïve as to believe costs have stayed static for the past seven years however if the cause of the reduction in the number of figures by half is down to rising cost of materials and production then say so. I'm happy to pay the going rate for a quality product. My point was made against the backdrop of other opinions expressed in other threads that seemed to intimate the reduction of a mainstream set by 24 figures was satisfactorily compensated by the inclusion of 12 extra heads and separate packs. I also feel this a shame as i feel that as a purchaser of plastic figures one of the main benefits was the ability to build large armies at a reasonable price, I recently placed a pre order of 24 boxes of the prussian landwehr. This order was made more expensive as to get all command figures i had to buy both sets in same quantities. please if possible rethink the excellent mac format for your musket periods as it was and still is a major step forward in our hobby. i would usually buy many extra command sets to bulk out other companies sets that had inferior figures. |
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Post by Harlow on Feb 13, 2018 17:15:41 GMT
I like the covers of the future sets, but I doesn´t understand the choosen set-sizes. Waterloo 1815 miniatures have produced too napoleonic marching french soldiers with only 24 figures and many collectors didn´t bought them. Redbox tried the same with their first sets of Swiss and Landsknecht and then changed later the box-sizes of their next boxes to 36 figures.
I totally agree to smaller sets for artillerycrew- or command-boxes, but it doesn´t make any sense for regular marching soldiers which are need in huge quantities. It doesn´t make sense also in regard of the relative high costs of the printed box-paper and the shipping of the shops which make unfortunatly the sets quite expensive. I am absolutly convinced that you will sell more boxes with 36 or 48 marching soldiers than 20 or 24., although their set-prizes would been 2-4 dollars higher.
This isn´t only the wish of a ordinary collector, it should been also important for your economical sucess. I can only hope that you will have still the possibility to change the set-sizes.
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Post by Edwardian on Feb 13, 2018 20:00:46 GMT
I do not think you can criticize Hat's track record when it comes to price they have been consistently one of the cheapest manufacturer of figures ever since they first appeared and continue to hold down prices when other companies have not. Currently in the UK Hat have approximately 4 price ranges £4.50, £5.25, £6.25 and £8.99, if they were to price 24 figures at £4.50 that works out at about 0.19 pence per figure which I think is still good value, especially if you take into account all the spare heads, separate knapsacks and arms and weapons you might also have in a box, 24 figures at £5.25 is 0.22 pence per figure that would be just about acceptable, any higher than this would probably start to effect sales I would probably have to reconsider my decision to retire some of those old Italeri, Airfix and Esci figures if that was to happen. So lets wait and see how Hat price these figures for me the cheaper they are the more I will buy and finally I can retire those old Italeri, Airfix and Esci figures.
A sensible point, the point, if I may say so.
I don't much mind now many there are in a box. It is the per figure price that counts. If the per figure price is reasonable, I'll just buy more boxes!
So, if we assume your £4.50 price tag, how does the resultant 19p per figure stack up in value terms with other 'marching sets'?
- HaT Marching Napoleonic Prussians gave us 40 figures (soft plastic), last retailed in the UK for £5.25 per box, i.e. 13p per figure.
- HaT (hard plastic) British Infantry, Highland Infantry and Duchy of Warsaw Infantry at £7.99 for 44 figures, i.e. 18p per figure.
- HaT SYW Prussians, which accommodate alternative head-gear. 40 per box at £6.25, i.e. 15p per figure.
At 15p per figure, the new HaT early French marching set would be £3.60 a box. If the price were pegged against the most expensive per figure Napoleonic sets, those from HaT, the cost would rise to £4.32 per box.
At 19p per figure, these new figures would not only be more expensive than the main rival in this area, HaT, but very significantly more expensive than their own nearest equivalent sets.
While I recognise that the alternative heads represents additional costs, if this makes the per-figure costs too high, and out of synch with other sets on the market, it will affect sales.
Personally, I think HaT should charge no more than £4.25, or 17p per figure, but I fear I may be disappointed here!
Now, why does the Command box art show the Bardin Uniform?
That's just naughty!
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bessiere
Aedile
Painting my way from Vienna to Moscow
Posts: 70
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Post by bessiere on May 12, 2019 18:57:16 GMT
As this has become a pricing thread here's my 2 cents though my opinion likely lie within the minority. What matters most to me are the poses and quality of the figures rather than the number or amount of officers. My preference is to buy separate sets of each. Considering the amount of time invested by those who paint these figures making them worth painting in the first place is my priority. This is why I am so pleased HaT has introduced marching sets. To sum Action poses/Marching poses/ Officers, musicians, standard bearers is my preference for sets.
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Post by pinotnoir on May 12, 2019 19:59:30 GMT
Would be much more interesting with 1/32 in front of the word "scale"
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