I thought $50 was a reasonable price for a repaint. But $70($60 if a member) for one? No way I'm buying one. Too bad, as I was thinking of getting the Norfolk one, but that is way too high. I guess I'll buy some older releases I've been wanting off Ebay to meet my Code 3 fix.
i voted way to much..i could save money by just repainting one i already have..i could change it every month if i wanted to lol
I think you really have to take into account the increases in raw materials, things like shipping and production costs. Engines are going for $50 member ($60 non member) and they use a significant less amount of Zinc. It has less to do with the fact it's a "recycled" mold than it does the cost of producing the piece.
I was actiually expecting more towards $80 for these, $70 seems justifiable, repaint or not.
You're probably right on the price due to materials. Here in lies the double edge sword. You must raise prices, but will buyers show up to buy them? That will remain to be seen. With the economy in the dumps, people just don't have the extra money they used to. Myself included. I surely don't buy as much die cast anymore and when I do I look for the best value.
Code 3 preempted themselves from failure by limiting the releases to 1008 each. That was a smart move, as I will be surprised if these sell out within 6-8 months. ARFF's from Code 3 aren't real big resellers nor hold their value very well. I'm sure I will be able to buy these on Ebay in a year for $40-$50.
As much as it pains me to say it, from a business standpoint, they would have been better off doing another FDNY repaint of a highly sought after station. I'm not sure who their R&D and Marketing guy is, but they need some serious help in picking departments and equipment to produce. I can think of dozens of departments that could be repainted equipment that would have sold out quickly. But then again, what do I know. :)
Oh I agree. These aren't going anywhere fast, especially becuase both are so similar. I think few are going to buy both, I actually haven't even pulled the trigger on either one myself. 2016 is a lot of anything to sell these days, 1500 of one of these, not 1008 of both, I think would have been a better way to go. I don't know if these are going to hit the sale table, but don't be surprised if they do.
You must raise prices, but will buyers show up to buy them?
Exactly. Which is why I keep saying these releases have to be slam dunks each and every time, and so far, they're not even close. It's getting harder and harder for people to crack open thier wallets these days, you have to give them a reason to whip out the credit card, even if they really can't afford to. I have bought a grand total of 2 models from Code 3 this year. With 120+ Code 3 models in my collection, my falloff should be a HUGE red flag to Code 3, but no one is asking me.... but they should.
I'm not sure who their R&D and Marketing guy is, but they need some serious help in picking departments and equipment to produce.
Well, the R&D guy is our friend Mr. Dunkel, so you know where to send your Christmas Cards. I've been pretty vocal about it, and I think I'm not the only one, but these "Nowheresville" FDs, with generic looking rigs, that no one outside that geographical area have any interest in, are not doing Code 3 any favors. The sneak peeks we've seen of some of the upcoming releases, I have absolutely no interest in. Another round of generic rigs from FDs that would be hard to find on a map. Pass.
Hey, I've bought every Code 3 Crash Truck or ARFF related truck (LA P-80, LA E-51, OHare MCP and the towers) but thats it, 70 dollars with shipping is a load of fecal flakes. I'm a Code 3 Club Member and I'm still not going to buy both of these rigs. Another point is that the only service/customer still buying the TI-Series from Oshkosh is the US NAVY! All other ARFF trucks sold by OTC are Strikers.So expect more trucks from different Navy bases.
I'll wait until PAX RIVER and NAVY MIDLANTCOM show up on eBay.
You can get them for $60 each with free shipping from the Fire & Cop Shop.
damn...seems rescue 42 is coming around to my view instead of trashing me...maybe the light has been seen
No, I've been saying exactly what I've been saying for years now, just not in a ranting nutjob kinda way.
I also understand some of the limitations and behind the scenes issues that Code 3 faces, and why certain things are done. And how it's not all Dunkel's fault as much as people want to hang everything from global warming to clubbing baby seals on him.
One crash rig at a 1500 run would have been sufficent, but there may have been a stipulation by the Navy that Code 3 needed to do both or neither, or a 1000 each requirement. There's definately more to the picture than we are seeing.
All that said, I've been very vocal for years about the choices Code 3 is making in regards to what they produce. In my opinion, backed with factual observation, what sells are big cities and brilliant paint schemes. Small no-name departments with boring schemes don't garner much interest. Look at Glendale, CA. The Lime went in hours. The red version, exact same markings, same city, same edition number, only difference the paint color, they couldn't give it away. Look at what's gathering dust, Bedford Park, Witchita, Hamilton, Fairfax, Annadale. All pretty generic looking rigs from smaller departments. Look at what flies off the shelves, big cities like FDNY, and Chicago, and smaller departments with bright paint schemes like Lafayette, Tarrytown, Ventura County, the aforementioned lime Glendale.
It's purely increases in the price of raw materials, increased transportation costs due to fuel prices (they put these things on container ships which last time I checked operate on fuel and not wind power), and probably increased manufacturing and labor costs. Toss in the weak dollar too. Everything costs more right now, as for all intents and purposes we are in a recession. The box of Corn Flakes I purchased last week is a "re-paint" of the box I bought 5 years ago, but costs more. The gallon of gas that cost me $4.09 a gallon today is the same gas that was $2.00 a gallon Pre-Katrina. To say that a model that is a re-paint of one done 5 years ago should not cost more is naive, to be kind.
The bottom line I think is that with all the C3 updates is they hyped up these Crash Trucks far too much. I think everyone was looking for improved detail, not just a repaint. The economics to me does really not intrest me. C3 should of thought of that. I agree with the others about more colorful, FDNY, or a smaller town with a Pierce Quatum for example. Your just repainting an exsisting vehicle. After all the hype, its the same as usual. I'll admit I was planning to before I saw the official release. I am not buying these at $70 a piece. Maybe Club members should get a deeper discount for buying both at once.
as i have stated, andi have to agree with rescue 42...code three needs to concentrate on major cities...and supplement with a few smaller ones here and there...pick, say, boston, fdny, chicago, philly and a large department from the south and west coast...that would give them 6 major departments...and with a scattering of small depts here and there, they would be fine...one only has to look on the code 3 site and ebay to see you can almost never buy a boston, chicago or philly truck...fdny is another sotry on ebay because of the past runs of 10,000....this is simple research and development...and JD should be listening to the collectors
If they would update their equipment and revisit LAFD or LACoFD they would have a sure fire sell out. Update the Clark County Engine. Add a Rescue Ambulance to Las Vegas FD and Clark County. There are so many no brainers that would be sure fire sellers.
Not just that they are repaints and over-priced, what is the deal with only making 1000? Dont know about everyone else, sometimes I just dont have the bucks and have to wait.
New to this forum, but i was a Code 3 member for a long time until they made it almost pointless to be a member. they took away the bonus points i had earned, got rid of the decent pricing, and then killed off all the different selections of models.
I am definitely not paying $70 for one of these trucks now. I have plenty of Code 3 trucks i bought for $20-30 a few years ago that look 10 times better. Until the selection and prices get back to where they used to be, along with quality, i am staying out of the collection hobby for a while...
