"PSC Stowage and German Tank Commanders product review" Topic

I have just published a rather long review of the new PSC set 'German Stowage and Tank Commanders'. You may or may not agree with me, but this is what I think of them:

link

Thanks for reading!

Nice review and I love the wallpaper image on your blog!

w.
wpggamegeeks.blogspot.com

Cheers Wehrmacht, glad you liked the review. The wallpaper is from Otto Dix. One of my favourite artists.

Love PSC but I totally agree with you.

This put me off buying a set too. I struggle to imagine the pre-production meetings where this concept was discussed.

Love the panzerfaust, I'd have a 100 of those! as well as the AT ammo cases

Mg 42 a big chunky?

Any one want to buy some tank commanders?

I feel terrible about slating a PSC product, as until this point they have been impeccable in every way, but I have to be honest and say I probably won't be buying another stowage set as they are simply too expensive and I will be left with lots of tank commanders that I can't use or pass on.

I also think PSC have put out some great stuff but I think this is just a manifestation of their biggest problem – they never release test shots or, most importantly, talk to the punters before they put stuff out. Some real howlers could have been easily avoided …

Thanks guys, it's good to see I am not alone in my opinion of this set. I was thinking more about it and I wouldn't mind so much if the tank commanders were more like the Peter Pig ones, ie, full bodied ones, so there was more scope for their use outside of tanks. In this set, being half bodied, they are for one purpose and one purpose only.

Good review. I was going to get this but you have thankfully made me save some money.

Thanks

Craig

Bearing in mind that the cost of each actual sprue is pennies (now that the moulds and boxes and such like have all been done), I wonder what it would take for PSC to take a set of snips to each sprue, cut them in half to have just the stowage on the right hand side, then double the number of sprues in a box (so six half-sprues of stowage rather than three whole tanker/stowage sprue combos) and sell that in a set?

A little labour with cutters (which will be hard to quantify) and a little wasted plastic )like I said, pennies, I'm thinking) and – I'm guessing – about 10 times the sales potential…

John T

Ohh, great idea John. I would buy two such "only stowage" sets…

Got mine this AM, and, like everyone, I am disappointed at the lack and scope of actual stowage. I agree whole heartedly with Hornswoggler, and I think John T has hit on a great idea. I only hope PSC are listening. A little market research would have solved the regiment of tank commanders problem.

John T, that is perfect, I'd certainly buy a couple of boxes. I did think the same myself, TBH, the box could actually fit 4-5 sprues, so I think they are being a little cheap with the box contents as well.

Bearing in mind that the cost of each actual sprue is pennies (now that the moulds and boxes and such like have all been done), I wonder what it would take for PSC to take a set of snips to each sprue, cut them in half to have just the stowage on the right hand side, then double the number of sprues in a box (so six half-sprues of stowage rather than three whole tanker/stowage sprue combos) and sell that in a set?

Wouldn't it be easier to just skip the whole snipping part and double the amount of sprues per boxed set? That would double the amount of stowage per box.

It would, but it would also double the amount of wastage.

I mentioned this before the 15mm sprue came out and hoped it would not follow this route, pointing out what I can actually use relative to cost is just crazy. The sprue mix is way off any practical use. No other manufacturer mixes tank crew with stowage.

If I was doing supplementary sprues, I would have had a sprue with the additional lower hulls and tracks to some of the vehicles that are already released and have multiply upper hull options so that you could get another vehicle out of the remains of a panther or stug sprue and fill the remainer with stowage.

e.g The russian sprue could be the full hull components of a t34 plus stowage and tank riders….Add it to the standard T34 sprue and you get a T34-85 and a T34-76 plus enough tank riders for both tanks.

It should be possible to do the same with a panther sprue where it is only the base and tracks that are required and throw in a stug base and tracks while you are at it….and lots of stowage, maybe a couple of tank drivers.

I particularly expect the Marder model will be a prime example where extra lower hulls and tracks plus vehicle crew and stowage would be a brilliant idea. ….or do a hetzer with extra loer hulls that link with the marders so people can combine an extra vehicle out of the 'extras' from 2 different sprues.

One sprue then gives options from sprue remainders to build two tanks plus stowage and probably requires more normal box purchases. that would be a win/ win/ win?

What do you think Catman? A bit of lateral thinking can add value to your existing range.

By Jove! KevinG has got it. I'd certainly buy any extra +1/Stowage box for any of the tanks that PSC do. It's a brilliant idea.

The proposal to do a jalopy / m8 sprue would be a brilliant one if it had two bottom hulls, a jalopy top, stowage and an M8 turret.

3 sprues of this and 2 sprues of M5 stuarts would let you build, 3 jalopies, up to 3 m8's with different hull types and still be able to do at least 1 stuart varient depending on hulls you use…..

a free pair of clippers and a pack of jaffa cakes to anyone prepared to snip 20,000 odd sprues for no wages

the problem is the cost of a tool. it is not cost effective to do a vehicle crew sprue and a stowage sprue. so you want fewer tank commanders and more stowage? more sprues? so you get a small number of repeated tank crew figures?

i'm going to rethink the whole stowage/commanders thing

i also dont get this too much choice/ too many wasted plastic parts. It is hugely more expensive in terms of tooling, artwork and box printing to do 4 or 5 kits where one kit with many options does the trick. Arent our kits good value anyway? A 15mm tank at full rrp £3.90 GBP and a 1/72nd at £4.98 GBP?!! Also it is hugely better for distribution, warehousing and ultimately the retailer to have fewer product codes with efficent pooling of variants

so you want fewer tank commanders and more stowage?

Given a choice, that is what I would like to see. And I think the same applies to many other posters on TMP.

I don't think that combining tank commanders and stowage in the same sprue is an issue as such, as long as the ratio is reasonable. Maybe 4-5 tank commanders (all unique figures) per sprue would be a sufficient amount, with the rest mainly filled with stowage.

Thanks for the reply Will, let me just say that I love your products and have most of your 15mm output, so please don't take my review as a criticism of PSC, it's not. However, what I would like to see in the stowage sets, is just stowage; personally I'm not bothered about tank commanders and even drivers and passengers. Others may be different, but that's my personal preference.

As for the question of waste, taking the Tiger kit as an example, approximately half of the pieces on the sprue will not be used, no matter which choice of tank is built. I like the idea of choice, I like that you provide that choice, I just find it frustrating when there are a lot of pieces I can't really use, like in the Tiger kit; turret halfs, or hull rear plates and wheels. BUT if it's a choice between choice and waste, I'll go for the choice every time.

Now, KevanG has really hit the nail on the head, if you were to make up some after sales kits for your existing ranges that have extra bits to make extra tanks. So for the Tiger, it would only need to have a hull, tracks, half a turret, etc. It would be approximately half of the existing kit, plus you already have the masters for those particular bits (I'm not pretending to know how difficult it is to make up the sprues!). It would be a specific after sales kit not a full kit, but I would certainly buy one for every full kit I bought.

Having said all that, at the end of the day it's your company, so your it's your rules.

i will look closely at KevanG's ideas

When is the Marder supposed to be released?

Personally I quite like all the extra bits you get on the sprues, very handy for the spares box and in some cases you get so much stuff they can form the basis for extensive conversions/scratchbuilds.

My spares box is however already bulging with enough tank commanders and vehicle passengers to last me a lifetime!

All my tanks are from PSC. But tbh they have got a bit dearer of late, certainly prices have increased way ahead of my wage increases,and I am slightly worried that PSC might be taking their eye off the ball a bit. Churchill and Bren carrier for example.

Anyway,I checked out the PSC stowage set too, but like the OP I was disappointed with the content and the cost, given the wastage. In the end I bought a load of Value Gear sets. These are ideal both in quality and value. And there is no waste.

I can't see PSC cutting frames in two. What would they do with all the commander sprues nobody wants!

So what do you think should go in a stowage set guys?

I would like to see

Assorted tarps
Boxes/crates, some under tarps
Track links/sections
Road wheels
Jerry cans
Rucksacks, helmets
Tools
Maybe sandbags for Shermans?

Im currently about to cannibalise a crappy Airfix Sherman for it's track and roadwheels, and there's the Asda bandage for camo netting, with the value gear boxes and tarps I will be there for my US division.

By the way, except for this PSC stowage set there is not a problem with too many parts. I like being able to choose my variant from within single box.

And no, I don't expect to make up whole tanks from spare parts. I can't see that working as a business model for PSC.

I do want lots of variety though.

Basically, Value Gear has got it right. Just do it in PSC at a UK easy availability and decent price point.

Catman,

I am really impressed you are willing to give this some consideration.

just remember, selling 20 mixed boxes using some older sprues is still sales recovery.

I can see some possibilities of a future hetzer linked to your marder 38T

jagpanther linked to panther?

jagpanzer iv to panzer iv?

Priest to Lee's and grants?

In terms of a business model, When has 3 for the price of 2 never worked?

KevanG, that would be when people don't buy a new kit because they can make one up from the junk box

3 for 2 is nice, but 3 for 3 is better for the vendor.

I don't have enough bits to make up new kits from the left overs, so, I for one, would buy a new kit to make more tanks.