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Topic: Future project help.? |
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Bob Butler
MASTER
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Posted on: Sep 1, 2013 - 7:03pm
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Don't get me wrong Will , I agree that they listen the best in the past. I've sent two letters over the past 3 months and the frist I got a forum letter, Thank you for your intrest, bla, bla, bla, etc. The secound about a month ago haven't heard a word back. I just believe staying on their case is the best approch if we really want to get what we want.
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Frank Andruss
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Sep 1, 2013 - 7:35pm
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Like my Dad always used to say "The Squeaky Wheel gets the Oil"......................
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David Waples
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Sep 1, 2013 - 10:05pm
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Quote:
In the case of Italeri for instance, common sense says they would have a couple cash cows in the production of a 78' Higgins or a 77' Elco, most of the parts are already made. But they continue their series with a couple nobody gives a crap kits. They come out with a conversion kit with torpedoes and no launchers. This is a way to give you the freedom to make what you want. If they aren't going to listen to there customers we can make it ourselves. When they want something from you fine but when you want something from them they don't even return your messages.
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Time out on the field. I don't think this is fair at all. If not for Italeri we would not have these very nice coastal forces boats in this scale and quality. Italeri was open to accepting input from us and they did listen to what we asked for. Yes their marketing department did limit the extent of their upgrade kit but it's better than no upgrade kit at all. They have done figure sets for their other releases so be patient and positive. We may get that pacific crew we've been hoping for. As for Higgins and 77' Elco's, again... be patient. Dick has sent them a ton of information and if you send a message to them they're marketing department will listen. We may see these kits in the coming years. So far they've devoted one release per year to 1/35 coastal boats. Their next release is the X-Craft. We're very fortunate that Italeri has picked out this niche market and provided us with kits that we have an interest in. And by the way, sometimes it takes a while for them to write back, but they always have. They're just very busy people.
The reality of the figure market is that the highest demand for naval figures is 1/700 and 1/350 and now 1/200. There is more activity there. In 1/35 the highest demand is to support the armor builders because that's their scale. There's a bunch out there but they are not cheap. Italeri has done very well with their 1/35 figures supporting their coastal forces subjects. They can be very hard to find after a year on the market. I have requested that they produce a set based on the half dressed sailors we see on PT boats. If they make a set I'm sure it will be based on JFK at the helm with supporting crew.
Hang in there guys.
Dave
David Waples |
Total Posts: 1679 | Joined:
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PeterTareBuilder2
MASTER
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Posted on: Sep 1, 2013 - 10:42pm
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Quote:
Quote:
In the case of Italeri for instance, common sense says they would have a couple cash cows in the production of a 78' Higgins or a 77' Elco, most of the parts are already made. But they continue their series with a couple nobody gives a crap kits. They come out with a conversion kit with torpedoes and no launchers. This is a way to give you the freedom to make what you want. If they aren't going to listen to there customers we can make it ourselves. When they want something from you fine but when you want something from them they don't even return your messages.
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Time out on the field. I don't think this is fair at all. If not for Italeri we would not have these very nice coastal forces boats in this scale and quality. Italeri was open to accepting input from us and they did listen to what we asked for. Yes their marketing department did limit the extent of their upgrade kit but it's better than no upgrade kit at all. They have done figure sets for their other releases so be patient and positive. We may get that pacific crew we've been hoping for. As for Higgins and 77' Elco's, again... be patient. Dick has sent them a ton of information and if you send a message to them they're marketing department will listen. We may see these kits in the coming years. So far they've devoted one release per year to 1/35 coastal boats. Their next release is the X-Craft. We're very fortunate that Italeri has picked out this niche market and provided us with kits that we have an interest in. And by the way, sometimes it takes a while for them to write back, but they always have. They're just very busy people.
The reality of the figure market is that the highest demand for naval figures is 1/700 and 1/350 and now 1/200. There is more activity there. In 1/35 the highest demand is to support the armor builders because that's their scale. There's a bunch out there but they are not cheap. Italeri has done very well with their 1/35 figures supporting their coastal forces subjects. They can be very hard to find after a year on the market. I have requested that they produce a set based on the half dressed sailors we see on PT boats. If they make a set I'm sure it will be based on JFK at the helm with supporting crew.
Hang in there guys.
Dave
David Waples
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Ahoy there. At least Italeri made a 1/35 scale PT boat crew. They'll probably release it again or if there's enough interest do another one in South pacific garb.
There seems to ba a shift happening from 1/35 scale to 1/48 scale in armour and related figures.
With Italeri, there's now the British Vosper, the German Schnellboot and two USN PT boats. Another plus is that the Italeri kits are a lot more accurate and detialed than the old mish mash from Lindberg that was their "PT-109" boat in 1/32 scale but didn't even have the right hull shape.
We need to give Italeri time.
Cheersfrom Peter
"Give me a fast boat for we want to get out of harm's way too." |
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David Waples
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Sep 2, 2013 - 6:04am
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Don't forget the other kits they've produced in 1/35....
Italian M.A.S. boat
MTM Barchino
German Biber
Dock sections
And again coming this year the X-Craft.
Italeri has been committed to these small boats, this scale, and add on products. Two of the three winners at this year's IPMS Nationals in the large scale boat category were Italeri kits, one of which I'm proud to say was my LCVP. The other being the M.A.S. boat.
I've been reaching out to some after market companies trying to generate interest in other add on parts. For example before Italeri released their upgrade kit I tried to see if we could get some companies to do an SO radar. While I received some interest or polite responses nobody did it except Italeri, and they gave us both styles!
Put yourself in their shoes. They get a LOT of correspondence from people asking for different subjects and variations. They do listen to what people are asking for and they have been very receptive. They also have a business to run and they are going to produce kits that they believe the market wants and will make money for their company. All I can tell you is let them know what you're interested in and if they get enough feedback their marketing department may give it a go. They are and have been listening to what modelers want.
Dave
David Waples |
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Dick
Moderator
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Posted on: Sep 2, 2013 - 7:20am
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David . . .
Well said and I commend you for taking a tough stance and a defender for Italeri.
I've been involved with R&D, design, manufacturing production and marketing for than 45 years. It is NO small task for any company to take on a new product of any nature. For those who believe Italeri is rolling in cash profits for a few costal force boats, better head back to school and revisit the real world of economics and manufacturing 101.
You know, I had written a whole lot more but before I pressed the "Post" button I though better and deleted it ! ! ! !
Dick . . .
PS: Just think, we're the only nuts (on the PT side that is) writing Italeri thousands and thousands of letters begging, and pleading for this model, and that model, oh yeah, one of those and a couple of those, oh, oh, oh yes a three full fists or more of U.S. naval figures in 50 or 60 configurations and options ! ! ! ! ! oh, oh, oh . . . . . .
I think its time for a reality check.
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TED WALTHER
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Sep 2, 2013 - 8:42am
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Dick and David;
Well said. I for one have waited since at least 1983, when I bought my first Lindberg 1/32 PT Boat, for these models to come out, I for one can wait a few more years.
Take care
TED
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Will Day
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Sep 2, 2013 - 5:16pm
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Well said, gentlemen. One of the great virtues of good modeling is patience....
Will |
Total Posts: 1955 | Joined:
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Frank Andruss
TOP BOSS
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Posted on: Sep 2, 2013 - 10:02pm
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We may have steered off course a bit. I love what Italeri has done for us small boat nuts, and I still think they will be the ones to come out with the figures we want. Italeri is certainly not the leader in small 1/72, 1/35 figures in the market. I was just complaining about these other companies and their lack of interest in what Navy model builders want or need. They have had plenty of time to try and come out with something to please the Navy guys. If not mistaken, I think 1/35 figures has become very popular with model builders, and certainly 1/72 has huge share of interest.
Even when Alex, Stan, Frank and Al were busy putting together my PT-374 Memorial project, we were really stuck for figures. Thank God for Frank, who took tons of time to bash figures together, using anything he could muster to get what we wanted. When Stan built the PT-108. Sub project in 1/72 scale, I was lucky to find sub figures, but had to use figures from the 109 Revell Kits to produce some of the PT figures. Even my FEMU BARGE model was a killer in finding figures that would work in 1/72 scale. All I am saying is what a joy it would be if we had figures for Navy PT Boats, and Navy Base personnel for these types of projects. Trust me, I think Italeri has gone above and beyond in providing the items we have asked for. In Bob's defense, sometimes it can get fustrating to write letters and not get any response, I am sure it has happened to all of us at one point or another. For me it has happened more than once with Verlinden, which makes you feel they are not listening.
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Bob Butler
MASTER
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Posted on: Sep 3, 2013 - 9:17am
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Thanks Frank, You guys have all been around for a while and you've seen how Italeri worked with you on the Elco Boats, and you have positive.feelings. I really respect that. Here is a large company that is approachable, and if they weren't I would not even be trying to push them a bit. I'm not even thinking about sending letters to Revell or Trumpeter or anyone else. I'm new to this Forum and I did't go through that positive process with all you folks. I've sent two letters to Italeri.with no real reply, I've had broken parts and a couple months ago I sent for replacements to their distrubter with the bar codes and stickers they requested, and nothing, not even a Sorry we can't help. So I'm batting a big ZERO with them on communicating and service, and I have at least $3000 of there kits in my closet. On top of that I'm getting request for models of Higgins Boats for the guys who served on them. I don't really want to say no and I don't want to charge $1200 a boat and take forever in man hours when Italeri may have one on the horizon that will go for under $200, and I can do a build for for them under $500 in a short time. I would be embarested to take some of these projects on and charge for them to only find out a kit will be out before I could even finish them. That is why I want to push the wheels and gears of a big corperation to get some information or even a product out, I'm sure they have employee's there that want the same. My experiance is there are mangers with very little forsight. I would like to finish these requested boats while the vets are still around to enjoy them. I'm sorry if I ruffeled a few of your feathers. I'll be keeping my hopes to myself in the future.
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