Dear Dave,

when we were writing in the thread down below we meant that it's getting increasingly difficult to find a new theme that can have commercial potential. There were suggestions about, say, colonial warfare in the 50s. Would they be popular enough to pay back the investment? We have our doubts about it.
As you may have noticed, a lot of sets suggested by you or other visitors are either in a pipeline now or are planned for the near future. With about 100 sets a year all or nearly all can be released within a very short time. That leaves us wondering what's next?

Best regards,

Strelets-R

A theme could also cover many centuries, like for example civilians. I do believe that there would be a market for Medieval and 18th century civilians. With the many medieval buildings available it would be nice to add some workers to a diorama. The sets could also include revolting civilians (for the French or other revolutions or Medieval peasant risings).

Next to that the French revolution is not really covered. I think this could also be succesfull as it would attract fans of Napoleonics as well as those interested in 18th century warfare.

The Wars of Louis XIV could be another theme. This is a broad theme as it covers many nations in Europe as well as warfare in other parts in the world.
+ colourfull uniforms and allready popular in 25mm gaming

I agree - it would be commercially successfull, a topic in virgin state, armies fighting from the West Indies, to the desert, to Alpine Mountains, all important nations taking part, tough and interesting campaigns, colourfull uniforms, heroic characters, but completly ignored.

You might consider adding to periods that are already well established, too; the Strelets format seems great for command sets, and perhaps multiple small yet fun units in one box- I for one would like to see some of the more exotic Russian cav units of the napoleonic wars, Bashkirs etc., but nobody will ever make an enitre set. Combine a few and I'm sure there will be many buyers.
I don't really do ancients myself, but I'm convinced they could use some more command sets etc.
Civilians, armed or not, of most periods would be welcome too.

Question: Has anything that you produced not been a sell out?

Dear S*R Team,

Yep, yep, I have already admitted I'm one of those kids who cries before he gets spanked for spilling his milk, but still, I'm happy you replied and appreciate your response!

O.K., it seems obvious that we need to collectively put our heads together and give you some new ideas to keep you in business longer than 2 years.

First of all, please do not think that just because another company is making a set such as Emhar are making Franco-Prussian War, that you should not go ahead and design your own. For me, your Crimean sets are so much more complete and better than theirs, in plastic sculpting and plastic color and plastic quality. They will have thier market and you, with so many poses, will have yours. If I were 11 today, I would still choose yours. Same goes for Colonials. Just because Ceasar is making 2 sets of Russo-Japanese War and 2 sets of Spanish-American War does not mean you should avoid making your own range. All need Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery and Command sets. I hope to see you do what you did with the Crimean range for both of these. You make only 5000 boxes and regardless of other sets, I would think there are plenty of hungry customers for all of you. Half of the stuff recently made are getting mixed reviews because of Scale-creep, gluing required (pegs would be OK), and waxy day-glow colors.

I say go for it. Go ahead and make your own sets of the popular stuff that sells year after year too as well as new themes.

I'd like:

* Royal Canadian Mounted Police (both foot and mounted sets with rifles and lances)
* Pioneers in Racoon-skin-caps (like Daniel Boone and the old Giant of Hong Kong)
* Pioneer Families (Women shooting and daughters and sons loading muskets fighting off indians)
* All kinds of North Amerian Indians (all could stand to be redone in good action poses)
* Alamo Mexican Armies (Foot, Cavalry, Artillery)
* Alamo U.S. Volunteers & Army
* Alamo Mexican and U.S. Commanders/Personalities
* French Foreign Legions (Sahara, Indo-China, Mexico)
* Mexican-American War Mexicans (Foot, Cavalry, Artillery)
* Mexican-American War Americans (Foot, Cavalry, Artillery)
* American War of Independence (with nice big Tri-corne hats - use Britians Catalogue for first few poses - this was a great set but too expensive in 54mm for me!)
* Russo-Japanese War
* Boxer Rebellion (You just made the first enemies for the Orion Boxers)
* Marching Bands (First to go with the obvious Colonials before they embark for overseas campaigning)
* Marching Bands (Single sets of Scots Guards in Bearskins, Gordon Highlanders, Life Guards & Horse Guards, Middlesex Regiment in Pith Helmets (The old Britians Models Catalogues show many fine examples)

I tried not to mention my previous requests (except Alamo), but would equally like to see these too made and would buy multiple sets of all.

Also, cruise up and down the British-Battles.com site for some interesting Wars. They all have great pictures too to get an idea of attractiveness/desireablility.

I have not seen the box for British Infantry for Boer Wars, but I hope you make another set for the Sudan Campaign with neck curtains and more square formation poses. I think you first set is perfect for Spion-kop, but not open-ground fighting. Just an example.

If you stay with the mainstream sets we talk about, with adding some new lesser-known themes, and continue to improve the quality of your sclupting, the customers will come, regardless of if someone else is making it too.

Hope this helps and thanks for listening.

Dear Dave,

thank you for your message.
We aren't sure whether it makes sense to repeat other companies' sets unless you are confident that you can say a new word in this area. For example we were planning to release British hussars for the charge of the Light brigade but now that they were released by Emhar we will possibly abandon this set. The same thing is valid for the Russo-Japanese war as well. We are very grateful to you for excellent pictures that you sent to us on this subject but now that Ceasar has announced their sets we won't make these sets despite all the temptation.
Best regards,

Strelets-R

Dear S*R Team,

Thank you again for your reply. I do hope you round-table the idea of the Crimean British Hussars again. You have already produced 3 of the finest sets to go with them. Equal to the 17th, the Hussars are central to the famous "Charge!" Unless the first 3 sets are not selling, there is every reason to complete the set of 4 Cavalrys.

I can concede on the Russo-Japanese theme but not on the Hussars. I have to say they are simply too important to complete your range. If you want a classy German car people buy Porsche or BMW or Benz. If they want economy, they buy VW. The emhar set with exactly 2 hussar poses is as cheap as anyone has ever gotten that I can recall in this 1/72 figurine hobby, and both the poses are the same, and they have the nerve to call it a set? I'd never buy a rip-off set like this. And esci have 6 silly poses and 3 dancing horses. It is not often that I have to beg someone to take my money, but I will here.

Strelets*R is the "King of the Crimea!" and all other sets suffer in comparison to yours. I will forever be waiting to purchase many boxes of your future set of Hussars with all their fine details and in 12 great poses to go with my many boxes of your first 3 sets. These Hussars were "Elegant" and deserve to be immortalized with thier other mates.

I hope someone else comes on board here and encourages the S*R Team to make the Crimean British Hussars in 12 handsome poses!

I entirely agree that SR should make british hussars. It is an obvious gap in the otherwise complete cavalry range. I would think hussars looked much the same the world over, so some proper mid-19 century hussars could also be used for many other armies in europe, south america etc. A little enterprise could make them usable for earlier conflicts also.

While in principle I agree, I like Hennan's earlier suggestion better. Let's hit some of those eras not touched on at all. So like he said, do the range, but do the most importants sets from an era first, and at the same time do a couple sets from another era in the batch. That way everyone will have something to buy. I like the idea of the whole range, but if you use up all six sets on a single range, what if it's something I don't want? Then I have to wait another few months. I'm glad the September batch has several eras. I'll tell you right now, I ain't buying any of the Medeivels! But I'll get the ACW.
Arlin

Well, didn't see French and Indian War. Also, tons of stuff for AWI, as well as ACW. And early 19th Century Indian wars, then there is the need for good Alamo figures, and then Mexican-American war, Apaches, and, oh yeah, War of 1812, then 'modern' like Vietnam. Then still a need for a good, never mind decent, Custer set, though your US Cavalry is a great start. So, continue that. The list goes on. You could do 6-10 sets based on American History a year and not cover them all in a decade. Then there is Canadian History. Keep at it.

The civilians suggestion might also be useful for model railway and diorama enthusiasts. There is always a need for people to populate platforms, towns, work scenes and rural scenes. The strelets style of multiple poses would fit this perfectly. And, since railways have been around since the mid 19th century, you could easily produce mid 19th and mid 20th century civilian sets.
Just a thought.
David M

I continue to say it again. Where is the gap? In my opinion the strelets style of multiple poses would fit perfectly for a 1/72 adaption of the Warhammer rule book Legends of the old west:
Please give us cowboys, lawmen, desperados, mexicans and so on posses.

Also modern conflicts would be interesting. In 20 mm tin there a lot of modern figures: Why not in plastics ? Just have a look at www.elhiem.com to see some pictures.

And last but not least the French and Indian War would be also an interesting period for the multiple poses figures.

Your concept opens more possibilities then you might imagine.
It is perfect to fill gaps in existing succesfull areas.
Let us say Waterloo. All is covered. Yes most nations are, but there is something missing.

Let us look at the Brusnwick troops.
We have leib and avante guard, but no light or line. Will people buy this? Yes they will. Enough? Yes if you make it even more interesting.

Why not make a set called Brunswick army (48 men on foot) including:
- light/line infantry and command (officer, standard bearer, drummer)in total about 27
- leib/ avante guard command (officers, drummer/hornist) in total about 4
- Brunswick foot artillery (6 men and officer, no gun)
- you could add some men killed or wounded.

A great mix, well within the strelets concept and everybody who buys it will need at least four for the battery, or 6 for the infantry battalions. So it will sell.

You could do this for the Dutch-Belgian army or other nations (Bavarian, Prussian landwehr,...)and periods. You would fill the gap hat has left and sell sets.

Plus you could only make 30 men on foot and include 6 mounted (general, colonel, ADC, personality) to spice things up. This to you have done before (Peters guard)


What do you think

I do not think a particular topic should be ruled out just because a different manufacturer has covered it. If you produce a better set, we, the customers, will buy it (a sort of supply creates its own demand). Do not abandon the Crimean War British Hussars plan. Since Strelets' Crimean War theme has been a success so far (you do agree, I hope), let's have a complete line. There are factors that we mentioned repeatedly in this forum that make Strelets sets unique in this hobby and I believe that a lot of the suggested themes mentioned above by others can be profitable projects.

However, I do observe that very few of the hobby stores in my area have Strelets sets. Those that have Strelets sets have only a few available. Internet sales and distribution certainly can reach a broader global market, but traditional distribution channels should not be ignored. It is often the diorama in the store window display or that colorful box that a child picked up at the store on an occasional visit that ignites the spark of a potential hobbist.

I agree with this.

I see no reason why you shouldn't make the hussars.
Didn't you refuse to make ECW figures a few topics ago, argumenting that it would look much better if one manufacturer made all the figures? So why not make the hussars then?

The emhar figures look great, no doubt but so do the strelets sets (so a fan certainly wants both). But the last look far the best standing among the other strelets crimean sets.

The emhar figures can be used to add some extra poses to the strelets set, which is the best set to use as the basic for each regiment. Please don't change that.

Dear All

Napoleonic French foot Artillery- Airfix did that so don't touch.
Zvezda have done them - thank goodness for the Airfix ones were poor.

Every company brings a new interpretation to figures; their own style, poses, emphasis and so on (eeek scale sometimes). A company like Zvezda know their strengths and so jump in.

Emhar Crimean Brit Hussars 2 poses and 5 figs. Cardigan's own boys, his cherry bums literally look a bit thin when mixed in with the Strelets heavies. I suppose to add insult to injury we could use the wholly inaccurate Esci/Italeri Hussars as they did it first so don't expect any more. If they have been done twice before then never!never! never!.. well hardly ever.
Is it scruples or ***** marketing? Not sure.

To salve a troubled conscience they could be the 11th Hussars or the 8th depending on which the Emhar and Esci ones are. The 8th Hussars had dark blue trousers. The one on the Emhar box is of the 11th Hussars.

Inconsistency? - several companies made indifferent sets of US Indian Wars Cavalry but this did not stop Strelets coming along and bettering them. Collectors of these were very pleased and wait for Apaches and others.

Dominic
By the way Dominic I am not sure of the country you live in but Games Workshops in the UK are always full of youngsters prepared to rest their thumbs and carpel tunnels from their normal XBox, PS2 and push bits o'plastic and metal around. There lies the vast untapped market of the future and proves that this isn't just an "old man's" hobby.

Dear Forummeers
The word I used is five letters begins with QU and ends in R and has EE in the middle meaning unusual or strange.
Sensitivities strike again. Oxford English Dictionary better now delete that word.

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