Getting a full set is unreasonable

[Kae'Yoss]

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

Fool! You're giving away secrets. What will you blurt out next? That there is no E. Gary Gygax?

 

[Kae'Yoss]

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!"

Don't underestimate the "gotta catch'em all" mentality. People like complete collections of things. Be it trading cards, limited editions of coins or stamps, advertising material by some company or other (or companies in some line of trade). Misprints and things like that. It surely isn't limited to those minatures Wizards puts out every 4 months.

In fact, those miniatures have more use than many other collectibles: With a full set, you have the maximum variety of figures for D&D, and all tactical possibilities for the Skirmish game (okay, that actually requires multiples of some figures).

 

[Glyfair]

Don't underestimate the "gotta catch'em all" mentality. People like complete collections of things. Be it trading cards, limited editions of coins or stamps, advertising material by some company or other (or companies in some line of trade). Misprints and things like that. It surely isn't limited to those minatures Wizards puts out every 4 months.

Also, as rgard has hinted, the figure you need is always the one you are missing. Right now I'm trying to fill in the miniatures I need for Eyes of the Lich Queen.

of course, somehow I doubt I'll get the

Spoiler

8 dracotaurs

required. At about $7 each, that's a little bit too rich for one or maybe two encounters ever Even if Reaper put them out it wouldn't be much cheaper, and these are the niche products they are unlikely to produce

 

[werk]

Also, as rgard has hinted, the figure you need is always the one you are missing.

See that's the spirit I'm tlaking about...you 'need' it. Why?

I have a sack full of these from multiple boosters, etc, that receive constant use at the gaming table...but I've never even considered trying to collect a full set.

What's the motivation here...is it just crack for gamers or another time/money waster or what?

 

[frankthedm]

Having the right fig is nice and all, but given most D&D critteres NEED to come in groups, substituting has to be done.

No one will cry if you have to use Blackscale lizardfolk to proxy half the band of Dracotaurs.

Hmm, that gave me an idea...

ANyone know how the purportions on the Blus dragon-rhino thing compare with the blackscale lizard guy? Here is a jpg of what the might look like frankensteined together.

both are large uncommons, so ebaying then should be cheap enough, though some modeling skill would be required.

 

[Glyfair]

ANyone know how the purportions on the Blus dragon-rhino thing compare with the blackscale lizard guy? Here is a jpg of what the might look like frankensteined together.

Actually, I used a wemic for the first appearance (given that Night Below wasn't out when I ran the encounter) My Blackscales were in use.

See that's the spirit I'm tlaking about...you 'need' it. Why?

I have a sack full of these from multiple boosters, etc, that receive constant use at the gaming table...but I've never even considered trying to collect a full set.

What's the motivation here...is it just crack for gamers or another time/money waster or what?

Well, "need" is such a subjective term. Clearly I can survive without playing D&D at all the rest of my life, so I don't "need" any thing.

In my case, I "need" the figure for asthetics. It looks better to have a miniature of the actualy creature and gives the players a better feel for the encounter. When I had to make I substitution I wasn't heart broken. However, I would have preferred to have the proper figure.

 

[werk]

Well, "need" is such a subjective term. Clearly I can survive without playing D&D at all the rest of my life, so I don't "need" any thing.

In my case, I "need" the figure for asthetics. It looks better to have a miniature of the actualy creature and gives the players a better feel for the encounter. When I had to make I substitution I wasn't heart broken. However, I would have preferred to have the proper figure.

That's understandable, but now you are arguing for having the figure that you need for your game, not for collecting a full and complete set, which is what I'm confused about, and what you said previously, and what the OP was...
I totally see the desire to have the 'right' mini, I buy singles for that very reason, and boosters for the surpise cool thing I find in there. I'm just trying to get into the 'collector's head...what makes it tick, or more specifically, what makes it tick differently? I fully appreciate the product, just not the collectible aspect.

edit: and don't say because it's becasue it's an effective marketing strategy...that's not what makes you collect, that what makes them sell in that format.

 

[Glyfair]

That's understandable, but now you are arguing for having the figure that you need for your game, not for collecting a full and complete set...

It's Murphy's Law. If you don't have a complete set, you'll "need" the one figure you are missing. It happens even more often then you need a figure that hasn't been produced.

In my case, having a complete set is nice. However, I really don't care about figures like the Bloodhulk (to give one example). I do like having a wide selection of PC types.

 

[IanB]

It's Murphy's Law. If you don't have a complete set, you'll "need" the one figure you are missing. It happens even more often then you need a figure that hasn't been produced.

In my case, having a complete set is nice. However, I really don't care about figures like the Bloodhulk (to give one example). I do like having a wide selection of PC types.

I've used the bloodhulk, it makes a good drowned (MM3).

For me, the full set thing is a mix of compulsive MUST HAVE IT, desire to have a wide variety of RPG figures, and the need to enhance my skirmish collection. (I don't paint, and unpainted metal miniatures make me go "meh".)

It isn't unusual for me to need, say, 50 goblins or 30 guys with polearms or whatever for a particular scene, so I don't mind the massive duplication that comes with case purchases.

 

[Glyfair]

(I don't paint, and unpainted metal miniatures make me go "meh".)

For most of my 30 years of roleplaying unpainted metal miniatures were the majority of figures used. It's only since Mage Knight (the starter of the cheap painted fantasy miniature lines) that the painted has become teh norm.