Addicted to DND Miniatures

[Laslo Tremaine]

Let me get up on my high horse for a moment...

Ahh, that's better...

In my (not so humble) opinion, I think that making a product that appeals to the collecting instinct of humans is highly immoral.

All of the references to CCGs and collectable minis as "Crack" is spot-on in my book, and anyone who markets a product in this manner is no better than an actual drug dealer.

I understand that one good excuse for the random packaging of the WoTC miniatures is distribution, shelf-space and SKUs. These are all good reasons for having a product that is randomly packaged. Where I draw the line is the concept of common, uncommon, rare, and ultra-rare distributions. If all the minis had the same random level of distribution I would feel much better about.

As it stands, I find them morally reprehensible, and have a very dim view of WoTC for creating the concept of the collectable game.


Man, getting off that high horse is a bitch...

 

[Zaukrie]

You aren't addicted, really, until you get your kids hooked, and they ask you every day you come home from work if you bought more.

You aren't addicted, really, until you offer over 150 old D&D books for trade for minis, 'cause you know if you get money, you might spend it on something more supportable.

You aren't addicted, really, until you spend every day on the boards trying to make your first few trades to build history, or just to see what the various trades are.

You aren't addicted, really.

 

[Vrecknidj]

It all started innocently enough . . . .

When the Archfiends came out I went to my local hobby shop and offers $125 in cash right then and there for an unopened, factory-sealed case. Lucky me, he had some in the back room. But, I don't see this as a bad thing. I got 128 minis for $125. And, as many others have pointed out, there's the maxminis forum and I've done 6 trades there (mostly two or three minis per trade). Right now I'm missing only a very small handful of minis from all three sets and am looking forward to trading for those few left.

Am I spending too much money? Nah. I give myself an allowance of $15 a week. It took me a few months of saving cash to have enough for the Archfiends, but it was worth it. I use a lot of these minis in my campaign, and I play the Miniatures Game with my kids.

By the time the next batch comes out, I'll have saved up enough to make the same kind of purchase. When I buy a bunch at once like that I end up with a TON of minis for trading, and I get so many at once that I don't have that itching frenzy to keep driving to the hobby shop to pick up another box . . .

Dave

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I've fallen prey to D&D minis on eBay, too.

Been trying to pick up big batches of everyday foes I'll want lots of: goblins, hobgoblins, orcs... even some drow, when I can find them at a price.

So, like, everybody stop bidding against me all the damn time.

I've also bought a couple of boosters just for the hell of it. Anybody want to trade me a bunch of commons for a Drizzt?

I also happen to know that Piratecat has a bunch of cool rares, including the ogre and that displacer beast someone was looking for... Dunno if he's into trading or not...


Wulf

 

[Altalazar]

I'm sure you can quit ANY time...

 

[MacMathan]

Just because I cashed in the kids college fund doesn't mean I have a problem does it? I too am hunting ebay, the cool rares are darn expensive though. I would love to get my hands on a displacer beast eventually.

 

[diaglo]

i only bought 60 packs of the Harbinger and 40 packs of the Dragoneye minis. luckily my hat of the WotC minis knows no limit.

otherwise i might be in the same boat with you dreaded_beast

 

[WizarDru]

As it stands, I find them morally reprehensible, and have a very dim view of WoTC for creating the concept of the collectable game.

Do you have the same issue with Baseball and other collectible cards?


One might argue that Fleer and Tops are more to blame than WotC...after all, baseball card trading has been a hobby for at least a hundred years, now. Heck, they used to be packaged with gum and chewing tobacco as an extra...then the gum became the extra, then the gum went away.

Besides which, if not for M:tG, D&D might be just a memory right now.

Right now, my wife and I are waiting for our ArchiFiends case to ship. She's more addicted than I am, but they always take a back seat to more important things. Minis are nice, but electric bills, mortgages and children's bunk beds take priority.

 

[MerricB]

What, no packs of Archfiends, diaglo?



Cheers!

 

[MerricB]

I just bought my young apprentice (Grace) an entry pack of the miniatures for her 11th birthday. She got Vadania and Devis... I also gave her a Catfolk miniature, since she loves cats.

Cheers!