in these difficult times not only do we have to deal with the virus but also the economic impact and we need to come out of both in as good a shape as possible.i have a local model shop which i used to visit every couple of weeks, and while i have a mountain of figures to paint, this week i purchased items online off him and one of the reasons - i want to be able to visit again when we get back to normal, we need to keep trading otherwise the biggest impact of the virus will be an economic depression. but to end on a positive, thank you strelets for the new figures it lifts the spirits

It's up to the manufacturers. If they can afford to continue to release sets in these times of potentially low sales and they are allowed to keep their business open and it's safe to do so why not? it will mean they have a stock of products ready for sale when the market recovers. And even low sales will give some necessary cash flow, I imagine that closing down for the duration of the virus might see some manufacturers go out of business altogether because sales of the last set are needed to fund production of the next one.

Of course lower sales might limit the amount of sets a manufacturer is able to produce (production has to be paid for) but that won't be by choice.

Whether or not you can afford to buy the new sets is up to you; If local hobby shops are open I'll spend some money if I can otherwise I'll spend some money when I can.

If manufacturers can continue to produce during these times then fantastic. I'm sure most online stores are currently doing very well but I do worry about the brick and mortar shops who have no online sales. I visit one particular shop once a year when on holiday in the area, it has a huge selection of 1/72 figures, and I try and avoid buying online in the few months leading to my trip there so I can get the items from the shop to give them my business for the year. I hope these retailers survive this current health crisis. And as you've mentioned Hannants, if anyone is ever near Lowestoft, it is worth visiting their warehouse. Ridiculous scale of operations. Just a shame the Strelets, Hat and Redbox sets are upstairs where the public are not able to browse.

Elephant in the room..... that would explain that
big pile of doogie i tripped over in the dark...

That made me chuckle, Its best to stick to little dogs they know their limitations.

Thanks for the response and best wishes in your attempts to carry on in spite of the current mess. As I've said before (and if I've said it here - apologies) - we need to use wisdom, but the bottom line is to either live in fear - or live. The choice is ours.