January 25, 2022
TAKEOFF has updated its lead times for 2022.
You can click here to find out just how long each creative project will take for our teams to complete this year due to global disruption to supply chains caused mainly by the Coronavirus pandemic.
As you can see from our updated lead times, we expect it’ll take 12 months to complete and deliver a limited edition.
Why 12 months, though? Actually, 12 months isn’t too far what it usually takes to design, build and deliver an extremely detailed and creative limited edition.
Our limited editions are manufactured in China, with its reasonable costs and efficiency making it the perfect place to make the complex parts that are integral to every limited edition.
We’ve written before, though, about how important planning is when creating a limited edition and any product that’s manufactured in China.
Not just for practicalities, but to consider public holidays like Chinese New Year, when distribution is slowed or paused entirely. Keep in mind, too, that China’s factory activity returned to growth in December after a long slump.
Add in supply chain chaos caused by Covid-19 and other factors included increased custom checks as a result of Brexit, problems across global ports, a shortage of delivery drivers and more, and you can see why some extra time is needed to deliver an outstanding product.
What goes into a TAKEOFF limited edition?
The longest lead time for any limited edition is undoubtedly the figurine, whether it’s a 1:1 scale Sub Zero bust for our Mortal Kombat 11 Kollector’s Edition or our female Eivor figurine for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, shouting from her ship’s mast and charging into battle.
We set ourselves apart with our level of detail, and those who receive a limited edition – from the client down to the fans of their IP – are often amazed by their pristine finish.
Our Divinity: Original Sin II limited edition is a great example of this. Our included Fane figurine came with highly-detailed interchangeable heads and masks.
Creating something so intricate like this in bulk is no easy feat, though.
A lot of time has to be taken to 3D sculpt figurines, with those concepts made into tooling models, which is used to make the tools for the factory before mass production can begin. This takes a huge amount of time.
Those 3D-printed models and figurines may only be at the factory for a matter of weeks but it’s the work that goes into those carefully designed prototypes that make the process closer to a seven-month job.
Shipping is the next big one. TAKEOFF handles everything for the client, from initial brief to final physical delivery. Our ability to handle the logistics of a limited edition to maximise ROI is a key part of the process.
Choosing air freight over ocean freight for instance adds up to 10- times the cost to clients, which is why we wouldn’t recommend it.
Ocean freight will take approximately eight weeks to deliver opposed to air freight’s one week (excluding any customs delays), but the cost benefits far outweigh delivery speed.
Packaging, too, is extremely important when creating a limited edition – especially for those products being distributed across the world in different languages. Getting minute details right is essential to making the unboxing experience the best it can possibly be.
There are so many steps to take to creating the perfect limited edition. Added together – especially when in the midst of a pandemic – clients should be looking and planning their projects with TAKEOFF at least 12 months in advance.