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Message: <blockquote data-quote="stonehill_troll" data-source="post: 3368738" data-attributes="member: 27688">Because those companies have used and many still use the same molds literally for years and decades (see <a href="http://www.thortrains.net/armymen/bagtroop.html)" target="_blank">http://www.thortrains.net/armymen/bagtroop.html)</a>.  The Tim-Mee plastic soliders I grew up with have been around with since 1969 I believe.  The cost for the molds has long since been paid for them and many of those companies share the molds.  So the primary recurring costs for them is plastic (oil-based), packaging (oil-based plastic bag), some cardboard packaging, distribution handling, freight, and profit.  So if you see a bag of army men for $2.99, I can tell you that the store paid about $1.50 to buy from the distributor.  Of course smaller bag assortments are available in the dollar stores.  I am sure that they have decent sales and profit else they would not keep doing it, but it's probably pretty small compared to DDM sales.WOTC recurring costs are much higher, they have game designers (for the stats), artists and 3D modelers for each new models that goes in the set.  Which of course means they have to make x number (depends on the number of minis in the set) of new molds for each set.  On top of that their minis have a much higher level of paint detail versus the single dyed plastic color soldier.  Each mold then is used for about 3-6 months of production, then retired for a while.  So despite having sold millions of minis, its is spread across hundreds and hundreds of molds, if not thousands as many minis are made up of several pieces. While WOTC could keep using the same minis, that would be boring IMO and sales would fall and flaten over the long term.  I believe they recognize much of the appeal of their minis is the changing assortment in each new set.   While I don't know for certain, I imagine at the release month of each new set there is a huge sales rush.  While I am not a collector like some of my friends, I do see the appeal to trying to collect each new mni that's been put out.  Though I do purchase by the case (from about 4 sets thus far) in order to maximize the number of minis I get per dollar spent.</blockquote>

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