Commissioning Miniatures?

[Angel Tarragon]

I am curious to know if there is a company that will take a request for a specific miniature and actually produce it. I figure though, that if such is the case the cost might be a bit on the high side ($50+) depending on size. I have a bunch I'd like done for a freind, as a gift (his memorable PCs).

 

[frankthedm]

$50 is on the very low side to produce a miniature. Insultingly low unless a sculpter is desperate or making the fig for a friend.

 

[Glyfair]

One option is to enter Reaper's annual contest where the winner gets a miniature sculpted to their specifications (and it's part of their regular line). Usually it's just before Christmas, and recently has been run through Game Trade Magazine.

That's assuming, of course, you can't afford to hire someone to make your own. Eureka Miniatures has an offer to make customer miniatures, in a way. It seems you can get them automatically made for $225 (which nets you 300 of them).

Edit: Opps, bad math. For a 25mm it would be a minimum of $450 for an infantry, since they need to produce 150 @ $3 each. Of course, if you can convince others they want it and to committ to buying some... Then again, they say they need 10 people interested, as well.

Hmmmm...maybe we at ENWorld could pool together to get them to make an ENWorld special. Only themed miniature that comes to mind would be a Piratecat

 

[Angel Tarragon]

@frankthedm: It was just a guesstimate.....I have no idea, I have never done it before.

@glyfair: I am not not nessarily looking to have a plrthora of the same mini, more like, now that I realize it, an extremely detailed single miniature.

 

[trancejeremy]

I know I've heard of it done; while I was never into minis, I was into Mage Knight, and so read a lot of mini groups sites (who BTW, looked at Mage Knight like , well, like security guards look at me in fancy stores/malls)

That said, I lost most of my links to said pages years ago, and all I could turn up is this:

http://www.angelfire.com/art/chargen/chargen.html

Dunno how out of date it might be....

 

[Sledge]

post on the 1listsculpting group on yahoo groups. Be polite and state what you can afford. Someone (either amateur or pro depending on what you offer) will probably take you up on it. Oh and btw $50 is amateur money, and low quality at that.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

It's important to understand what you want here.

You are paying for the sculpt. You are beholden to the sculptor's vision.
Duplication of multiples is a side issue, and can be done reasonably cheaply.

Note: finding a person to convert a mini for you, that might get okay work in the $50 range.

If you don't get it, convert is "Head of that ranger, on the paladin's body, with a shield off the dwarf, and the sword off my elven king"

In the end, for what you probably want it isn't too different.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I would imagine its not that different in workmanship from commissioning a piece of custom jewelry, carved metal, no stones...

Typically, something like that starts around $200...but that would be cast in silver, not a base metal. Using base metals might knock as much as $75 off the price.

OTOH, if you or someone you know has some "L33+" sculpting skills, they could probably do the job in something like Sculpey...or PMC (Precious Metal Clay).

 

[Glyfair]

OTOH, if you or someone you know has some "L33+" sculpting skills, they could probably do the job in something like Sculpey...or PMC (Precious Metal Clay).

I remember a post from a couple of years ago from someone who went to GenCon (might have been Origins). They were playing a beardless dwarf in an RPGA tournament and went to the Reaper booth asking if they had a miniature. They didn't, but pointed them to Sandra Garrity (IIRC) for pointers in customizing one. She went and, on the spot, customized the miniature by removing the beard and sculpting the beardless face in green stuff.

Of course, most of my suggestions are all about being in the right place, at the right time (winning the Reaper contest, happening to stumble on a sculptor on the right day)

 

[JVisgaitis]

Depending on the size (man-sized, ogre-sized, etc.) your base cost will be around $300. Magnificent Egos does customs. Here's a link: http://www.magnificentegos.com