Fernando Enterprises' $1.50 Mini Painting

[ptolemy18]

Hello everybody,

I've been doing some price-comparing for 25mm miniatures-painting services and I wanted to get everyone's opinion. It seems that almost everybody basically charges $3.00 or $3.50 to paint a standard 25mm figure (non-cavalry).

The most noticeably cheaper price I can find is Fernando Enterprises (http://www.miniaturelovers.com/), in Sri Lanka, who charge $1.50 for "collector quality" 25mm figures. (Their "showcase quality" 25mm figures cost about $3.50 each like everybody else's.) I'm very tempted to get some $1.50 paint jobs, and I was wondering if there was anyone on this forum who has purchased them, who can give testimonials or, better yet, put up some links to photos.

Basically, if the figures look as good as D&D Miniatures Game plastic figure paint-jobs, I'll be happy. I'm going to mix them up with my D&D Miniatures Game figures anyway... what can I say, Wizards just wasn't filling my need for historical-looking Ancient Egyptian figures for my Testament game, and that's the only reason I'm buying non-D&D-Miniatures figures. I'm not going to use them in any dioramas or impress my neighbours, I just need a horde of decent-looking Egyptians.

If anyone could tell their stories or post some photos, I'd be really grateful! Thanks!

Jason Thompson

 

[ukgpublishing]

Unless you're total fixated on lead, then a really cheap alternative are paper mini's.

Arion games do a great selection of these including Egyptians. You can find em at

http://enworld.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=5045&

Have fun.

 

[ptolemy18]

Unless you're total fixated on lead, then a really cheap alternative are paper mini's.

Nrgh. :/ No, I can't see myself ever using paper minis... I've seen them and, while some of them have very nice art, I ask that my minis be actual three-dimensional objects.

If it gets to that point, I may as well just use dice and say "this red d20 is the orc", or just cut out a 1"x1" piece of cardboard and write "ORC" on it, both of which I've done when the occasion called for it. Really, any kind of minis is just a luxury, and if I'm gonna pay for a luxury, I'd rather not go halfway -- I'd rather get minis which look at least as good as the D&D Miniatures Game ones. (Which I guess is "going halfway" compared to the super-super-detailed showcase miniatures, but it's good enough for me.)

So, has nobody used the Fernando Enterprises $1.50 mini-painting services?

Jason

 

[Kryndal Levik]

So, has nobody used the Fernando Enterprises $1.50 mini-painting services?

No, but now that you've pointed them out, I'm really thinking about it...

 

[Turanil]

If it were not for shipping costs (lead minis to indonesia and back...), I would immediately send them dozens of minis for painting! Awesome link, thanks!

 

[adwyn]

While I haven't used them myself several of the gamers in my circle have, primarily for historical minis. For the price the quality was good, but for rp'ing I would probably go with the the showcase. Yes you can get stuff painted closer for that price but I doubt they'd be to the same level.

Fernando does have a good reputation for reliability and speed.