"Reasonable Price for old figures" Topic

A former work colleguehas discovered a suitcase full of 25mm he had as a kid, which he had painted (so we are probably talking 20+ years ago). He has passed a message to me about giving me first refusal. I have no idea of make etc, or as yet even seen them.

Thoughts on offers? He will take less than ebay prices as he wants shot with out the hassle, and would rather they go to some one he knows. Assuming they need a repaint would this generally take them to less than metal prices etc?

I've never known why they'd be less than bare metal, unless one believes that they are either damaged, or need to be cleaned prior to painting again.

A decent paint job should give them value, even if they are 20 plus year old.

Dan

Depends on how much you want them……

I have paid current metal prices for older figs if they fit into my own collection.

Of course it all depends on what he actually wants for them, maybe haggle to get a price that it is agreeable to both parties…..If they require lots of work then are they worth the effort??? What manufacturer are they??? will they fit with your own stuff all ready???

My advice for what it is worth

1) Take a look at them
2) Ask him what he wants for them
3) Decide to haggle or decline the offer.

If they are a bargain then get them, maybe you could pass them on and make money out of the deal (I'm sure that this is not your intention anyway but it is option for you). I have bought stuff off ebay at less then current metal price and then sold them on again 6 months down the line at more than I paid for them.

Depending on what they are, have a look at comparable stuff on ebay and other sites to see what a reasonable offer would be…..

MH

P.S I can't resist bargains (hence the large pile of unpainted lead in our house that seems to expand no matter how much I paint)

:-)

Unless the current paint job is really awful, or the figures were not properly prepared before painting, at the very LEAST the paint will serve as a primer!

I would think that one of the first considerations to ask your self is: are they figures you would want if you found them, say, in a catalog, or on a website? For instance, do they fit in with your current armies?

Napoleonic figures have come along tremendously in the past twenty years. If you are talking about 20 year old models they won't be a patch on the current generation of figures. You can to get decent figures unpainted on ebay for less than the new price. Your time repainting could be better spent on decent models.

I concur with above. But there are collectors that would be interested (like me for example). If you send me a list of what they are I might be interested in some of them. What manfacturers does he have? I am particularly interested in old Austrian Napoleonics and have purchase old Minifigs, and Hinton Hunts/de Kreigspeilers.

I can be reached at peter.boxall@ualberta.ca

Cheers

There are people like me who started armies years ago using old figures (they were new then) and who don't want to start over with the newer, bigger ones. The only thing that keeps me from being interested in the ones mentioned here is that I'm into 15mm not 25mm. But there's probably someone somewhere who would really love to have those figures. Maybe it's adcharley!

Last Hussar

I started this game in the 70s with Hinchliffe and Minifigs being the only two options. After 30+ years the quality of castings has improved. Some like Hinton Hunt and Warrior have come, and almost gone, others like Front Rank, Essex, Perry, Elite, Redoubt & Steve-Barber have come and made a niche.

Some folk will want "old Minifigs", which are smaller than the current mouldings, others want other "Old" figs to make up units or armies that are out of production, experience tells that some folk will pay more for stuff they want. Bidding wars are fun to watch but not to participate in!

If I bid on evilbay, I will not pay much more than 60% of base metal prices for unpainted MODERN 28mm figs, usually because there are bound to be some I don't want or I will have to buy a few more figs to make up a unit. The older figs, I will bid 30 to 50% of current base price. I win enough figures not to have to change this policy.

Painted "old style" figures, will attract bids of roughly base metal, if the photos are good AND the units are useable in any army of mine. Painted modern figs can go for silly money or real bargains can be had. Rebasing is far easier than repainting or touching up, I will almost certainly rebase any figs I buy, just so they match in better.

In short, selling on evilbay can get you silly money for painted figs if the photos are good AND the units are useable AND two or more people want the figures. Don't start the price too high. Look on the trading sites for prices you can expect. Nation is important, French painted as Italians or Saxons will usually realise less than French painted as French.

If your colleague has figures YOU can use, an offer of £1.00 GBP per fig for Foot/Infantry, £2.00 GBP for cavalry and £3.00 GBP per model gun should not mark you down as a cheapskate, but check the scales, check the unit sizes and make sure you don't need to pay £200.00 GBP to buy that 24th fig to finish off that battalion of Wurzburg Garrison troops as the figs are now as rare as rocking horse poo! If you don't like/want/can't-use any of the figs, you will have to resell them, this can give you effectively free figs, if you get more than you pay, however, this is a risk, so don't offer more than you think you would pay. If you don't like them, or they will need painting, walk away.

Finally remember if he bought the figs in the late 70s, they will have cost him about 10p for foot and 25p for mounted.