Getting a full set is unreasonable

[IanB]

There's nothing malicious about my comments; it isn't like you're a 6 year old and I just told you there was no Santa Claus!

 

[Twowolves]

There's nothing malicious about my comments; it isn't like you're a 6 year old and I just told you there was no Santa Claus!

What? No Santa? YOU LIE!!!

Seriously, you said your only purpose for posting here was to dampen other people's enthusiasm. Maybe not malicious, but it sure ain't nice.

 

[Glyfair]

If the line starts off well, there is no reason to think Reaper can't rapidly expand their prepanted line, since the expense of sculpting greens and casting molds for thousands of figures is already done. All that "set up overhead" everyone squawks about is more than half done.

Casting molds for plastic miniatures is not the same process as for metal miniatures. Indeed, I understand that it is by far the most expensive part of the process for plastic miniatures (and one of the least for metal miniatures). The price I was given was in the $100,000 range for a single mold (the person used to be involved in the 80s, so technology likely has brought it down).

They use the mold that's the basis for the metal miniatures to set up the plastic miniatures molds. However, that's not the biggest hurdle.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Casting molds for plastic miniatures is not the same process as for metal miniatures. Indeed, I understand that it is by far the most expensive part of the process for plastic miniatures (and one of the least for metal miniatures). The price I was given was in the $100,000 range for a single mold (the person used to be involved in the 80s, so technology likely has brought it down).

They use the mold that's the basis for the metal miniatures to set up the plastic miniatures molds. However, that's not the biggest hurdle.

Which is exactly the reason why more exotic figures probably won't appear in Reaper's plastic line. They can do weird minis in metal and not be overly concerned if they only sell 1000 of it, but with plastic, that's probably not remotely feasible.


But the comment about "Rare types" is spot on. Do outsider types, maybe dragons (especially if they can get away with D&D shaped dragons - you know Silver dragons being "shield dragons", Blacks as "skull dragons", and so on), stuff like that.

Heck, if they release a six-armed, scantily-clad demoness with the lower body of a snake, and a face that's not ugly beyond all description, they might even manage to turn several rabid Wizards fanboys who otherwise would kill themselves before buying a non-Wizards mini

 

[Glyfair]

Which is exactly the reason why more exotic figures probably won't appear in Reaper's plastic line. They can do weird minis in metal and not be overly concerned if they only sell 1000 of it, but with plastic, that's probably not remotely feasible.

Which was exactly my original point that Twowolves was trying to refute.

But the comment about "Rare types" is spot on. Do outsider types, maybe dragons (especially if they can get away with D&D shaped dragons - you know Silver dragons being "shield dragons", Blacks as "skull dragons", and so on), stuff like that.

I agree. In fact, they might be able to do a good job with groups of DDM common figures, if the paint jobs are superior to the DDM commons.

Heck, if they release a six-armed, scantily-clad demoness with the lower body of a snake, and a face that's not ugly beyond all description, they might even manage to turn several rabid Wizards fanboys who otherwise would kill themselves before buying a non-Wizards mini

Something like this?

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I agree. In fact, they might be able to do a good job with groups of DDM common figures, if the paint jobs are superior to the DDM commons.

Yeah, beside the big awesomes, this is the other thing they could do very well in. Make it possible for people to walk into a store and just buy a dozen prepainted orcs right off the shelf. Then make them awesome. I'd say that would work out quite well.

Something like this?

Exactly. I'm sure those Wizards mini team people have terrible nightmares of that sculpt being used for a prepainted plastic mini, and people coming into their office holding on one hand that figure, in the other the DDM Marilith, and laughing and laughing. And I wouldn't be surprised if in some dreams, those people would wear gorilla suits for no reason!

 

[IanB]

What? No Santa? YOU LIE!!!

Seriously, you said your only purpose for posting here was to dampen other people's enthusiasm. Maybe not malicious, but it sure ain't nice.

Sorry, I'll use spoiler text on the Santa thing next time.

 

[werk]

OK, so I'm no collector, so maybe I don't get it...

Why would you want a full set exactly?

Is it just an OCD thing, or is there a real motivation other than "gotta catch 'em all!"

 

[rgard]

I've finally bought a single booster - I refused to buy any of these for a long time because of the randomness. I've also got a sizable collection of metal minis.

However, I was pleasantly surprised - maybe I got just lucky. Considering the low price of a booster, I got enough usable minis that it was worth it. They also don't look as bad as I thought they would.

I still don't think, I'll buy more than a single booster per set. Being a DM I have a use for pretty much every critter out there, but I am not really interested in duplicates.

No luck involved. Sorry to tell you but it was WotC mind-control along with a WotC thrall at the shop you bought it at...

They read your mind. Then controlled your mind to force you to buy what you considered would be the best on the shelf. The back up plan was to switch boxes on you at the check out if you resisted the mind control and picked up the wrong one.

Excuse me, I must go to the store and buy more minis. BRB.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[rgard]

OK, so I'm no collector, so maybe I don't get it...

Why would you want a full set exactly?

Is it just an OCD thing, or is there a real motivation other than "gotta catch 'em all!"

I don't know, we tried initially to get a complete set between my 3 kids and me. As fate would have it (or WotC mind control dictates, see above post) we usually managed to be short one rare that one of my kids 'really' had to have. Which of course necessitated buying a couple more boosters. We did this for the first 3 sets. Probably had about 6 total Drizzts at one point, before selling 3 of them on Ebay...which paid for at least all the Archfiends boosters we had purchased.

Now we print off the page and I let the kids choose a couple that they 'really' want and we get them off Ebay.

Thanks,
Rich