I had a long thread of messages with a guy on SSHQ about 21st and the possibility of there ever being a toy company like them again (only smarter...). It's a discouraging prospect, especially given that one has to deal with China when it comes to mass producing plastic toys. I can see why it would be an easier decision to say, repaint M-4 Shermans in a dozen different schemes, then to take risks. The WWII fanboys will buy up every little esoteric and rehashed item relating to that war. But it would eventually seem that 21st would reach a point of market saturation where it would have been better to invest in an A-10.
There is certainly plenty of demand now for UH-1C's, AH-1W's and M-113's that people are willing to pay over $200 for toys that were once $40 at Wal Mart. The guy on SSHQ pinned much blame on 21st's marketing strategies, as well as Wal Mart's distribution scheme for the fact that multitudes of unpurchased M-113's and the like were sitting on Wal Mart's clearance shelves. Nonetheless, I would also blame a lack of a cogent theme.
Whenever WWII stuff is introduced, it's a part of a full line that includes paratroopers, leg infantry, Wermacht, SS and on down the line. 21st never really took the modern side seriously, so who wants to buy an AH-1W in Wal Mart without a corresponding theme of Modern Marine infantry and some Hadjis to shoot? Why make an M-2A1 IFV which weren't in general use past 1990?
Only 21st took Vietnam seriously, and even then their decisions were lackluster. Why issue USMC tankers as helicopter crewmen when you have helo crewman molds available? Clearly, why do an F-104 rather than an F-4, F-105, A-6, A-4, F-8 or A-7? Why do a modern M-113A3 which had a far limited role in Iraq than a full ACAV? The second line of 1:18 figures was much better than the first, but aside from bizarre quality control issues, there were no VC or NVA! Why can every manufacturer produce a full line of SS Nazis but only a pittance of Taliban or NVA?
Why? Why? Why?
I suppose the ultimate justice is that 21st is out of business. But to everyone else I say, "BUY THE JSI HUEY!!!!" Hopefully strong retail sales of that aircraft will alleviate the manufacturer's concerns that Vietnam (or other eras) won't sell. The thing is less than $100 and everyone keeps griping that they can't get well priced aircraft. Well, do you want to wait until they are $300 on E-Bay? So buy a damned JSI Huey now so that we can keep the ball rolling and we don't get more of the same WWII themes.
This one will have to stay a dream.
