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Napoleon's Retreat from Moscow

Hey yeah! Great idea! Actually, reading the Russian History thread I was thinking these would make great figures, but wasn't sure and couldn't remember (and was too lazy to check on PSR!) if they had been made before.

And we must have Ney...as well as all the Russian generals! Smolensk, Borodino, here we come!

CivilWarDinosaur

P.S. My introduction to this war was in the form of this book. I recommend it to all, even though it is historical fiction (it doesn't seem like it it's so accurate! ). They're just gorgeous books, too.

http://www.visionforum.com/boysadventure/productdetail.aspx?categoryid=161&page=3&productid=24272

Re: old Idea for a new set

Bonnets de polis and greatcoats

Re: Idea for a new set (which will sell well)

Hi, Marc,
you've made this suggestion before. I agreed with you then. I agree with you now.
Make it as often as you like until Strelets agrees.
(& it would be a financial success to whomever made a set with greatcoated figures. How much do you think Zvesda has made from the French foot artillery set? Good straegy to go where the dollars are)
regards, donald

honeypot

Dear Donald
I disagree about going to where the dollars are. Nevertheless it is a common approach. If the law of the pig trough prevails, the fittest and fattest will survive- not necessarily the best.Palitoy? Airfix did that in the 70s before they went bust. Their history makes very good cautionary reading.
But then I,like you, am not risking capital on this. I would imagine, though again no facts and figures, that Zvezdas French Artillery sales affected Hat's sales of limber, caisson etc and other available Nappy French artillery sets.

In the end nobody knows. I certainly don't. There is no marketing intelligence.

If Strelets feel enthused by this suggestion and yes it does have a strong Russian theme then they will let us know. Personally I would like some characterful Nappy figures and I would buy them in preference to miniature "clone" armies. I don't think many folks think the same way as I do but if they do; great then they will sell gozillions.

PS - I presume you mean chasing Aussie dollars . We chase Euros, Japanese Yen and US dollars in the UK. I suppose the Ukrainians chase pounds and roubles as well.

long live the profit motive!

Hi, David,
we'll have to disagree with this one, then.
The successful companies seem to produce a large number of widely coveted sets & then, take a chance on the more exotic.
You may have some sort of artistic integrity by only manufacturing the rare, the unusual &...the largely unwanted. But it is an integrity that will lead to bankruptcy. Let all manufacturers make some bucks with yet another (but saleable) French Nap infantry or WW2 Germans. Then they have the safety net to produce Greenland Eskimo shamans for the 10 people who'll buy them.
best wishes, donald

Re: long live the profit motive!

Hi Donald,

that is I good point to which I aggree. Give them the chance to earn money and then produce exotics beside the "usually" stuff.

cheers
Uwe

retailer's point of view as well?

Dear Uwe and Donald

A point of view.

I suppose I was considering the retailer's/seller's dimension as well.
I am just glad my retailers don't think like that otherwise they would clear out the Zvezda, Hat, Strelets, Orion and other plastic figures and get in the computer games and radio controlled stuff. Much bigger profit margins and better sales though very risky. In fact one retailer in my city did just that (though no computer games) and when he said that he had to make more profit you can't argue with that (higher council tax, utility bills, etc).

Beatties* (models) stores' recent demise in the UK is a good case study. Games Workshop survives (I hope I haven't jinxed them). Most model figure (and other hobby) retailers in the UK that survive, do so with low profit margins and bounds of enthusiasm for the hobby. They love exotics like fine wine sellers do.

At least we agree to differ but not on the desirability of a Retreat from Moscow set/sets/series.

* I bought one of my first Atlantic sets (Romans: Christians and Gladiators) in a Beatties store about 25 years ago. In the latter days of Beatties, Strelets*R and Hat and most plastic 1/72nd scale figures would have been considered exotics. They just were poor sellers when compared to Sony Roadragesmackdown iii or similar.

Re: retailer's point of view as well?

Hi David,

several years ago I had a hot discussion with Revell. They decided to stop producing historical 1/72 figures. They told me, they can earn more money with modern armies, which they could sell in bigger numbers with their tanks.

I asked them, if they have earned money with historic figures and they told me yes - but you can earn more with other things.

So some people will never get their throat full...

cheers
uwe

Revell - about turn

Dear Uwe
They have re issued some of their 30 Years War sets. A bit of a half turn rather than the about turn. A couple of new historical sets would confirm the change. Everybody cries out for their 30 Years War cavalry and artillery sets to be re released.