January 17, 2025, 07:27:56 PM

Author Topic: Army Sculpting Commission  (Read 67121 times)

Offline David Wasilewski

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #15 on: March 31, 2014, 09:24:09 PM »
Is one way to contact a sculptor and find out what the costs are "per unit." Then do the same with a casting service. Then we can work out what the total cost is and work out a cost per unit with a minimum number of units.

For example say it is going to cost £500 to get the sculpting and casting of 20 units of Imperial Zweihanders done, then we know we need to get people to commit to pay a sculptor, upfront, around £25 per unit. Once 20 units have ben ordered it can go ahead.

Another way is for someone on these forums to do some market research to find out specifically who wants how many of what unit at, say £20 a unit (or whatever the sweet spot is for what people would be willing to pay for special new units) . Then feed this information to a sculptor who can then do it as a kickstarter? That way, there aren't that many risks - especially if it is an established sculptor with a name to protect. They'd have to be careful of potential GW IP issues though!

Dave

Offline Stuart Bleything

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #16 on: March 31, 2014, 09:48:40 PM »
Still very interested .

Stuart

Offline marell le fou

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #17 on: March 31, 2014, 10:55:32 PM »
Well, in those conditions, i fear it will be impossible to unite us in a mutual agreement of what we really want.

So i would like to propose something else, a variant of what you're proposing.

If we can't agree on a big production (an entire army or filling gaps), why not, each year, order ONE fig, to celebrate our range ?

It would be a limited edition, maybe 100 exemplaries as an example. We pick something missing in one army, we find the sculptor and let's go.

We have good sculptors, here. I'm thinking about Bell, David, Evil and Chaos... And loads of others.

We could change each year if we have too many sculptors.

This is a smaller task than what you where proposing at first. Easier and simpler, and cheaper too. A good first attempt of creating our own stuff i thing. More reasonable.

And easier to reunite everybody around one fig for one year. Next year will come quickly, and if we don't do the fig you want today, it may be next one.

Offline Jurisch

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #18 on: April 01, 2014, 07:46:57 AM »
Hi,

I payed for a sculptor and professional production 3 years ago. Made 4 different units (goblin spider riders, goblin archers, khemri scorpions and pikeniers for dogs of war or Empire or bretonnia). The overall cost was at about 2000€.

To sell some of them to get the cost back is really difficult on a private base without founding a own Company. You get them easily sold on tournaments when people see them directly.
But there are not many tournaments.

Most of the armies are reflected by pendraken for example, except the big monsters.
This is understandable from their point of business view, because the risk to develop units which won't be sold a lot is high.

As long as there is no leading hand coordinating rules and miniatures it is difficult to have approvement.

Several kickstarters won't help and will mostly waste money. Production of single missing units by e.g. pendraken, maybe sponsored by players with a small amount could be a solution.

Regards,
Jürgen
Armies ready for battle - Empire, Chaos, Dwarves, Skaven, Bretonia, Araby, Witch Hunters
Armies in recruitment - Orcs & Goblins, High Elves, Dogs of war

Offline forbes

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #19 on: April 01, 2014, 07:42:34 PM »
Jurgen's experience tallies with Vos's example at around £500 a unit.

Clearly much of the cost is in the sculpting as the Evil Men indigogo is doing quite a lot of units €1500

I think that using Kickstarter or Indigogo is probably the only way to go for a full army - it will make people trust the process much more.

For single units then definitely talk to Leon @ Pendraken.

Jurgen - if you are serious about selling those figures, then you really need to present them in a way that people can see the figures, clearly show what is in a pack. Show a price and some contact info. You might be better doing this on eBay.

I've had a quick look at them in the past on your website and really just been a bit confused.


Offline athensfantasy

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #20 on: April 01, 2014, 08:57:17 PM »
For Araby's missing figures there is a request at Eureka miniatures - but has not gotten any support so far:
http://eurekamin.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=198&products_id=12532


Everyone has different priorities but if we think about the community and focus on e.g. one army at a time we can increase the variety of options out there. It is no good for the hobby if people cannot build new armies.

Kickstarter/Indiegogo is great - I backed the Evil Men project even if to be honest I have a lead mountain piling up and chaos army was not my #1 priority.
But those projects are no panacea. For continuity we ideally want ranges adopted by companies that will be there for years to come.

Perhaps we could co-fund missing pieces with the likes of Pendraken, Kallistra, Eureka etc?
A kickstarter project to fund sculpting with the company investing in producing the molds etc?
That would decrease the investment and risk for the miniatures companies.

Offline Jurisch

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #21 on: April 02, 2014, 05:24:22 AM »
@ forbes: Seems easier at it is: If you sell them official on your website you need to start a company to avoid problems with tax authority and laywers.
Will give eBay a new chance, maybe the new environment makes it more attractive, but you need to be very carefully there too not to get in trouble with tax authorities and the requirement to start a company.

Finally I just wanted to have firstly for my own collection, but happy to give other players copies of them. If you require more pictures or details just send me a PM or a notice via my homepage.

Armies ready for battle - Empire, Chaos, Dwarves, Skaven, Bretonia, Araby, Witch Hunters
Armies in recruitment - Orcs & Goblins, High Elves, Dogs of war

Offline forbes

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #22 on: April 02, 2014, 05:34:15 PM »
I don't know what your local tax laws are. But in the UK you can quite happily exist as a sole trader without the  need of a company.

Tax is really down to how much you make - unless it's quite a bit no one is going to notice. At worst you declare it as part if your income tax ( and try to offset  as many costs as possible - this is where  being a company starts to help)

Offline Jurisch

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #23 on: April 02, 2014, 06:26:10 PM »
I had a discussion with a lawyer and a tax consultant before starting the project. You need to setup a company (first costs), accounting (cost and time), setting up a webshop (cost and time). I decided that is too much for some miniatures and shoud still be a hobby.

Armies ready for battle - Empire, Chaos, Dwarves, Skaven, Bretonia, Araby, Witch Hunters
Armies in recruitment - Orcs & Goblins, High Elves, Dogs of war

Offline Meraklis

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #24 on: April 03, 2014, 08:12:35 AM »
I think that commissioning an army would probably be too difficult due to the complexity of the matter.

I think the way forward is to have people who decide to make an army through kickstarter like the recent campaign on indiegogo.

Offline jchaos79

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #25 on: April 03, 2014, 05:11:17 PM »
I think support the new people that is making effort to get in 10mm sculpting is the solutions "you win  I win", maybe there are not the figures you need, but if they could consolidate with the time, maybe the figures you want became a reality.

I am refering to Yann, Bel, Evil n chaos, techno, Black Ed.

Companies open to hear the customer's opinion are very valuable, like Pendraken, Eureka.

The idea of contact a worker of GW... I do not think they can scultp whatever they want, for sure they have a contract with the company.  I think I have an old thread in the discussion with some names of warmaster range scultpors.

At last there are the possibility of contact with a freelancer well consolidate like Michael Lovejoy.

I will try to support any iniciative, buying figures (in my own economical possibilities)or showing, announcing, promoting them in warmaster Digest.

Offline Toon

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #26 on: April 05, 2014, 01:31:23 PM »
Thanks for sharing your opinion guys!

What I was aiming at was not adding yet another army (as you pointed out, there seems to be quite many around already), but to have an army that looks very similar to an already existing GW Fantasy army. Concerning the miniatures hobby, I am very nostalgic: The reason I really like the empire army is that it is not only one of the best modeled 10mm armies ever produced, but also a miniature version of the original 22mm army from 20 years ago. That's why I would not mind to spend 500 or more on, lets say, an army of little tiny beastmen that remind me of long gone times. I think I am not alone with that feeling here ;)

How can you not love such great miniatures? Imagine them to be beastmen, wood elves or chaos dwarves (the ones with the huge hats!).




(they are mine, but I didn't paint them) 

Offline Stuart Bleything

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #27 on: April 05, 2014, 05:46:56 PM »
They ate magnificent , who did paint them .

Stuart

Offline Edmund2011

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #28 on: April 05, 2014, 10:12:01 PM »
+1  8)

Concerning the miniatures hobby, I am very nostalgic: The reason I really like the empire army is that it is not only one of the best modeled 10mm armies ever produced, but also a miniature version of the original 22mm army from 20 years ago.

Regarding the commission my personal feeling is that we should support current sculptors currently working this scale (Yann, Bel, BlackEd, Evil&Chaos, etc) they are doing an excellent job.

« Last Edit: April 05, 2014, 10:17:42 PM by Edmund2011 »

Offline jchaos79

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Re: Army Sculpting Commission
« Reply #29 on: April 05, 2014, 10:16:46 PM »
wow  8)