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Message: <blockquote data-quote="D+1" data-source="post: 1787500" data-attributes="member: 13654">Okay, I'll bite.  Why is that so?Yeah but some people will whine simply because they have nothing better to do.  In particular if you're "listening" to online "conversation" you're listening to a segment of the skirmish-playing-population that is already distorted.  That is to say, noboby is going to go online and post at length about how they have NO problem with any given aspect of a game.  Online opinion will never be an accurate poll sampling.There are no brick&mortar, FLGS's within at least 30 miles of me that I am aware of that sell singles.  It's NOT the same as buying singles on line.  In order to acquire the rares that I want/need without buying suffocating tonnages of boosters at SHATTERING expense I have to buy singles online.  That alone carries with it additional costs in money for shipping and exasperation.  I put up with it because it STILL means I get a lot of quality miniatures that require no ADDITIONAL prep (painting) to use at the gaming table at what are reasonable prices.  However, until now that all hinged on the fact that I was willing to buy in bulk and then fill in the blanks, while accepting miniatures that I otherwise would NOT have purchased as a "cost of doing business".  I no longer need the bulk.  I HAVE the bulk.  I got it by acquiring the previous sets.  I don't need more orcs, skeletons, or crouching elf bowmen.  I need "rare" and uncommon individual monsters.  I would buy MORE of those figures but either they have not been produced or their prices are artificially heightened because their rarity is artificially enforced.I am unconvinced that miniatures cannot be sold in any way other than what we currently see.  Just because nobody has done it before doesn't necessarily mean it can't be done.  If a SECONDARY market for individual figures - such as currently exists - can survive and thrive I fail to see how a manufacturer/distributor cannot make it happen in the first place at LOWER expense to the consumer without unduly affecting the producers bottom line.The high prices we as RPG'ers are currently paying for individual "rares" is primarily due SOLELY to an artificially enforced rarity.  We pay higher prices because fewer of the figures we want even EXIST.  The demand EXCEEDS the supply because the supply is intentionally limited to MAINTAIN rarity for collecitibility/game purposes!Metal miniatures have, however, existed for years for the RPG community without any such heavily, intentionally imposed limitations.  There is no reason I can see that plastic, prepainted miniatures cannot be sold to the RPG consumer at lower prices by simply doing away with artificially self-imposed restriction of the supply.For a skirmish game you don't particularly want everyone to come to the table with the same "rare" miniatures.  RPG's have a different paradigm.  "Rarity" is determined by those who PLAY the game, not those who produce it.  A monster miniature is no different to an RPG player than dice - you sell them as many of the type of miniatures they need just as you sell them as many of the dice as they need.  If it means you charge a little more for the ones they will well and truly buy FEWER of then so be it - but that is an ENTIRELY different method of doing business than ENSURING that they buy less of a given miniature because you don't WANT to make more of that miniature available.</blockquote>

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