Here's the scoop on the origins of the AllGo 1:32 planes from a September 2011 post by TKO211: http://www.warbird-photos.com/gpxd/view ... &start=100
[/quote]tko211 wrote:Hi everyone, I had a chance to talk briefly with the CEO of AllGo this weekend. I asked him specifically about the releases of these 1:32 planes. Here is what I got from our conversation.
1. Are these planes new planes or old stock? A: These are new / freshly minted aircraft. There were no overstock left on 1:32 planes.
2. Why no change on the stamp and copyright date? A: Mostly it's legal stuff- It needs to remain copyrighted and originally minted by 21C as the company is still phasing many of the agreements from one entity to the other. Any new molds will be minted differently.
3. Why the old box art? A: Again, it's partly some legal requirements from a license standpoint. Also, there was not enough time to engage thinktank creative (my firm) to make the required adjustments even if there was not other complications previously mentioned.
4. Why no pilots? A: Cost was one factor, that combined with the thought that it seemed the trends were moving towards placing all emphasis on the plane only.
Resolution: This was a rushed effort to put a foot back in the door using what limited resources were available. Without any mass retail support, any effort is very costly. The market is much smaller, the planes have become very costly as China has increased building costs by 3-4X more than 4 years ago. Every penny had to be evaluated. If these sell through there is indeed a plan to move ahead with more releases The next planes in 1:32 will be new paint schemes. Not new molds yet... but investments made into new paint. I was told that these would be 2 planes. And not the P-51B/C or the FW-190A. (my money is on Spitfire, P-51D, Stuka or Bf-109)
The next release will feature the new branding of All-Go and ship in an all new collector box. Pilots, based on feedback will likely now be re-included with follow on releases. If those new painted planes do well, there are plans to bring out new subjects never before offered in these scales as prebuilt, pre-painted, display toys.
The CEO thanked me for calling these to his attention and expressed his sincere thanks to everyone in the collector community for their continued support. He thanked me for my efforts to continue to build that bridge. Also wanted to express his own desire to move into new subjects as quickly as he can, recognizing that it is the only way to move ahead and strengthen the company position so that it can become a major player once again in multiple scales and subjects! Hang in there everyone. Hopefully the best is yet to come.
Hopefully this sheds some light and puts some longterm concerns to rest. I'll continue to keep everyone posted.
Kind of sad that this was a rushed effort that seems to have completely backfired. This line did have its troubles almost from the beginning. Obviously both aircraft were repaints (The FW-190 had been pretty common at Wal Mart, though the P-51 was originally a TRU exclusive with limited distribution). Further, they were in the old 21c boxes, had no pilot figures, and cost at least twice what they should have. Seeing what I saw with a bunch at Tuesday Morning, the QC control was at the same level as in the old 21c days.
The unoriginality, the increased cost, and poor sales obviously caused small retailers to discount the planes in half by the first of the year. In December, AllGo had a direct sale from their site for these planes because they couldn't get rid of them, and now the excess stock is at Tuesday Morning. I wonder if that would have happened had they been new paint schemes?
Whether or not this debacle means AllGo is finished is anyone's guess. We already know someone is selling off the old 21c archive materials and that they are probably related to AllGo... I assume they have access to some existing 1:48, 1:32 and 1:18 toolings, but there is no movement toward releasing much. If they go on making poorly thought-out decisions like the above, don't fix the QC issues, and don't fix distribution, they will go the way of 21c.