Indeed, the 2000s did see quite the surge. I was heartened to see that the amount of pre-1783 AD sets (my speciality) from 2000-2009 and 2010-2019 is comparable, so things seem to be staying relatively strong for the moment.

As for the HaT sets, I disagree to some extent. While their typical infantry set contains two to four quality poses, their coordination efficiency compared to the 1066 shield wall sets is lacking because too many men are carrying a shield unrealistically, facing an unnatural way because of the mould, or simply do not coordinate with each other well. This is especially true for their melee poses, less so for their archers and post-1700 AD offerings.

Indeed! I started my Strelets collection with STRM004 around the same time, although sadly I did not have the foresight to obtain the fellow Norman and Saxon sets. Back in the day I used to collect Airfix WWII like many of us did before I decided to boycott post-1815 AD scenarios for personal reasons.

Zvezda always look nice, but I have a hard time utilizing them for one reason or another half of the time. Their Napoleonics being exclusively targeted for two factions is a major downside for me compared to the competition, something Strelets has already passed.