"Question Regarding MiniFigs" Topic

I am a supporting member of TMP, so I don't think I'm breaking any rules here.

I have a very large number of unpainted, 2nd Generation, 25mm Napoleonic MiniFigs. Many are still boxed in the small, black/gray boxes in which they were originally purchased (from Pine Plains, NY).

It's time to let these old friends go. In the opinion of the TMP members, what is a fair price to ask per casting? Obviously they don't stack up to contemporary Perry miniatures, but they do have a ton of old school charm.

I know that the final pricing decision is mine, but I would very much like to hear the thoughts and opinions of the forum.

Thank you very much.

EB1947

Unfortunately, the number of people interested in 25mm Minifigs is steadily declining. I also think that the market might be bigger in the UK. I have purchased hundreds of painted figures recently for a dollar apiece. A guy on Facebook was having some luck selling the old blister packs for 7 or 8 dollars each, with a discount for larger purchases.

unpainted, 1-2 dollars a figure, more for cavlary and double for guns.

Depends on if you want to move them or see collector's value

$.75 USD for foot, $1.50 USD for horse and rider,$2 for a gun. I think if you get what you paid for them you would be lucky. I have hundreds of painted Minifigs Napoleonics, they aren't for everybody but, I think they have a unique charm all their own.

Minifigs are still in production and Napoleonic foot are £1.65 GBP per figure, so that's probably a pretty good guide to price.

I'd agree with those estimates although I think that the new figure prices are very high (more expensive than Perry figures) for miniatures sculpted nearly 50 years ago.

I'd add a few comments:

Unpainted figures will sometimes go for more than old (badly) painted figures. Stripping them is a pain.

I'm not sure what you mean by 2nd generation figures. Are they same as the range currently available? I ask as there may be as many as 4 variations of a figure with the same code. Some of the figures produced for a year or so in the mid 70's before the current range are rare (and better sculpted IMO) so can go for slightly higher prices.

There probably is more demand on the UK but postage from the USA is very expensive and unclear. You can see the same book on eBay with rates varying from $16 USD to $60. USD A UK buyer may also be liable for customs charges. All a great pity.

It is sad that new minifigs are that price, I don't get it really.

I'm sure they'd sell more if the price was a bit more realistic – at this price they are really only going to attract older gamers trying to fill gaps in what they already have. Someone starting out is going to go for a more modern sculpt especially since they can be had for less money. It's a shame as hundreds of minifigs marching in perfect step across the table can look magnificent!

Too bad they are 25mm. I am very interested in Minifigs 15mm 2nd Generation. Unpainted.

I started in the hobby with MiniFigs 25mms as my preferred castings back in the early to mid-1970s and still love them and they still form the bulk of many of my armies. Including almost all my Greek and Persian Wars collection and most of my British army for the Jacobite era (from their SYW ranges). I was ordering these direct from England by the later 1980s as the New York branch ceased operations.

I'd gladly buy them for what I'd need (including some Napoleonics) and am saddened to read comments that they are not desirable -- ANYTHING is better than ending up in the scrap heap.

Note: I saw MiniFigs shift to different, bulkier sculpts in the mid to later 1970s, so I think this is what is meant by "2nd generation". The earlier figures were thinner and less "bendy" and less sharply defined. Some of the original 25mm ranges (e.g., Jacobite Rebellion) never were revised or reissued. I wish I'd retained some of those early catalogs now for reference.

Piper,

Here's a link to the 1972 catalogue which has the Minifigs S Range figures. Kindly scanned by Chuck Gibke. The current catalogue (from 1986?) is on the MF website.

PDF link

There are figures which were released in roughly 1972-75 which are closer in style to the current range but slightly smaller and not as wide. Overall I feel that they are nicer figures but each to his own. Some people call these Intermediates although I don't think this was ever an official MF name. Clive Smithers was going to record all this but sadly died before he was able to. Here's his initial blog post.

link

His blog site is still available with many more pictures of S range figures.

Bill;
I sent you a PM via F&D.

Eric

I disgree that new minifigs from Minifigs are expensive. All metal figures cost the same to produce, no matter how old they are.

Dave Ryan has invested a lot of money keeping minifigs going and in new moulds, equipment, etc.

He pays his casters above minimum wage.

A business needs to make a profit to stay in business and others (like me) don't find the prices excessive as he is constantly busy with minifigs orders.

Iusedtobesomeone,

Everyone's entitled to buy whatever figures they want at whatever price they are willing to pay and a business can develop whatever strategy it wants. Ultimately, the market will decide if it survives. The fact is that MF25mm figures cost more than other manufacturers. I did a comparison.

Perry Minatures
28mm Napoleonic infantryman. £1.33 GBP each (£8 for 6)
28mm Napoleonic cavalryman. £3.17 GBP each (£9.50 for 3)

Wargames Foundry
28mm Napoleonic infantryman. £1.50 GBP each (£12 for 8)
28mm Napoleonic cavalryman. £4.00 GBP each (£12 for 3)

Calpe
28mm Napoleonic infantryman. £1.50 GBP each (£4.50 for 3)

Minifigs
25mm Napoleonic Infantryman. £1.65 GBP each
25mm Napoleonic cavalryman £4.20 GBP each
And horse

From this you can see that MF25mm infantry cost 10-24% more and the cavalry are 5-32% more. The other manufacturers do not charge more for officers or musicians. MF charges about 6% more.

It's a small effect but I guess that there is roughly 30% metal in a 28mm than a 25mm.

My point about old ranges is that a portion of the cost goes to the sculptor and for a very old range that isn't being developed that can't be very much.

I should add that I have bought a few 25mm MF a few years ago and have no ownership or links to any of the companies listed above. I don't even own any of their figures.

They cost more than others but that does not make them expensive for what they are.

You are also ignoring the fact that you can buy individual figures from Minifigs – the others all charge you for a pack of 6 or 8 or 3 figures.

I'm willing to pay Minifigs prices because I prefer their figures to Perry's (for instance) for Napoleonics or to Front Rank for Marlburians (which is what I am buying in quantity).

Most ranges are bought from the sculptor outright, so it is an upfront cost – but all the ranges you quote are also "old" and thus have either paid off their sculpting cost or were sculpted by the owners.

Obviously I don't know or perhaps fully understand the economics of Keeping minifigs in production. I do find Trockledickle's numbers interesting though – when Foundry and Perry miniatures came along they were significantly more expensive than the even then older minifigs. Why should the reverse be true now?

I have hundreds of minifigs, I started with minifigs and some of their ranges are still among my favourite figures. But I am only ever going to add a little to what I already have, and I don't see why a new starter would go for figures that were cutting edge 25mm figures in the late 1970s when they could have somewhat newer 28mm figures for less money. I completely agree that people can and should purchase whichever they prefer. I'd just love to see a lot more minifigs in the gaming world.

I know Warrior are not producing right now, but they had 25mm foot at £0.50 GBP. comparable age, closer size match, and less than a third the price.

20th Maine,

I agree with your points. MF, Wargames Foundry and Perry are based about 20 miles apart so you would expect most production costs to be very similar (labour costs, rent, taxes, raw materials etc).

It comes down to each company's commercial strategy. Do you go for high volumes and low margin per figure or high margin and low volumes? It's for each company to decide and they will prosper depending on that decision.