A manufacturers view on scaling

Here we must see it from the retailer`s point of view also.
I think that we can not compare with Noah`s Pals, because they were sold in rather large boxes.
If I had a shop, I would NEVER have that kind of small things standing loose on the shelves.
One thing, - little children come all the time.
And if one fell on the floor, nobody could find it again.

Looking at for instance the rabbits...they would be impossible to handle in a shop.
If I had a toyshop, I would never be willing to have them there

The same goes for the toobs, - they are not sold one at a time, it is a quite different product.

So if the retailers won`t have them, they can`t be sold.

baltimore zoo wrote:

Yes, Noah Pal's did to relative scale, but they weren't the best quality of figure line.

I agree, they really weren't. Some of them are appealing and I like having Kinkajous and Aardvarks, but most of the Noah's Pals I have won't stand. The Roan Antelope and the Ostriches (and to a lesser extent, the Zebras and Nyalas) cannot stand up on their own. In the case of the Male Roan and the Female Ostrich, not at all. And the painting on the zebras is poor (perhaps mine is a bad set).

I do love those Kinkajous though.

Good point about the smaller animals being lost in a store. BUT! when I was buying Britians back in the day, the store ( which no longer exists.... sniff ) had them in a glass case and if you wanted one, you had to ask the clerk to get one for you. That could be a solution to that problem or... display them high enough so that the kiddies can't get to them.
I would love to see if one of the "Big 4" put out a series.... something along the line of " Deluxe Collector Editions, In Constant Scale. " Ah.... one can dream.......... :}

Mark1 wrote:

Good point about the smaller animals being lost in a store. BUT! when I was buying Britians back in the day, the store ( which no longer exists.... sniff ) had them in a glass case and if you wanted one, you had to ask the clerk to get one for you.... :}

That is the answer!
talking about toy shops makes me want to have one

I know! There are a few unrented shops near by and I would love to put a toy store in one of them...... ( ahhhh.... another dream.... ) :}

Mark1 wrote:

Good point about the smaller animals being lost in a store. BUT! when I was buying Britians back in the day, the store ( which no longer exists.... sniff ) had them in a glass case and if you wanted one, you had to ask the clerk to get one for you. That could be a solution to that problem or... display them high enough so that the kiddies can't get to them.
I would love to see if one of the "Big 4" put out a series.... something along the line of " Deluxe Collector Editions, In Constant Scale. " Ah.... one can dream.......... :}

Ohh, I remember those cases ! They were like the treasure at the end of the rainbow

Egbert wrote:

Firstly before i lead into the question of scales and why modern manufacturers find it difficult, i thought it was time that i introduced myself
Obviously some of you know me as Egbert but others also know that i am James from Mojo, so hello to everyone

I have been following STS for well over a year now and have to say i am a huge fan. Sometimes it's difficult not to get caught up in a debate and discuss the issues, but given my position and from a professional point of view I have avoided such situations thus far.
However now that everyone knows who i am, I feel more relaxed in opening a debate or even discussing issues raised, obviously provided they relate to Mojo only. I will not discuss other companies or their products and i trust you will both understand and respect my decision on this matter.

OK my first topic..................here goes!
I have read so many times on STS, debates in respect of scaling and why today’s manufacturers don’t seem to follow the scale set by companies such as Brittains.
Well the answer put simply is modern safety standards.
To build a range to scale firstly you have to make your smallest pieces to such a scale that when the larger animals are made they will not be way too large for any retailer to comfortably fit on their shelves nor of such a price that would adversely affect sales. Obviously companies such as Brittains did not have the modern day restrictions and so were able to make very small animals and therefore the larger animals sat comfortably alongside and gave a true feeling of perspective.
Today’s regulations mean that animals such as rabbits have to be a minimum size in order to avoid possible choking hazards, hence the average rabbit from most manufacturers is probably around 1:6-1:8 scale. Obviously to make a larger animal in a scale to match this would be impractical.
Another problem with the smaller models is that if they are made too small the average retailer will not stock them, seeing them as a potential shrinkage problem or perhaps not representing value for money. At the other end of the scale the same can be said of the bigger models, if we make them too big, then again there will be a pricing issue, the product will be seen as too expensive and no matter the collector market and its importance, without good retail support it is very difficult for any manufacturer to survive.
In truth scale is only one part of the problem, and whilst from a collector’s point of view having everything in scale would be Eutopia. From a manufacturers point of view we have to consider that size costs and whilst the collectors market is very important it probably represents no more that 10% of overall sales. In order for us to create some special animals that are different and not made purely for commercial purposes then we must cater first and foremost to the other 90% market share who want a very nice animal but at a reasonable price.

Many thanks for listening James (we need a squirrel emoticon!)

As always scale is an interesting topic and thanks James for your input as a professional. Britains (BTW one t) did have to comply with safety standards which gradually became introduced in Britain during the 1960's. Regulations during this time prohibited the sale of hollow-cast lead toy figures and animals plus paint had to be lead free for both the model and the packaging. I understand small size as a choking hazard but isn't that legislation for 0-3 year olds? Small sized animals could be placed in a packet and displayed on a peg rack. This will alleviate the problem a shop has with small products. Regarding collectors the late Jack Odell director of Lesney, the owners of the Matchbox brand, thought they were a nuisance and always said his companies products were first and foremost toys.

I prefer animal figures in a relative scale and hence my major interest is in Britains products.

Well, the question of choking hazards, - what a hypocrite law !!!!
If I take a look at the shelves with candy for small children, I see all sorts of small things, - and in the famous "kinder eggs" there are bunches of little items !

Well, but such are laws. Here everyone screams if somebody treats a dog bad, but not many would pay a cent more for a chicken roast, because it was created right while it was alive

Back to toys, - of course there are ways round the law, but I can`t see how - or why - the present days manufacturers should go to such lengths to to do it. The majority of customers don`t care at all.
We must realize that the "good" old days are gone.

After all, no matter how kind and serious ( like Mojo surely is), they need to make a living