"Has 10mm peaked?" Topic

I remember about 3 or 4 years ago when 10mm was all the rage. Lots of new stuff in WW2, manufacturers were starting up 10mm ranges in ancients and fantasy. Advocates believed 10mm had the best of both 6mm and 15mm worlds and the perfect complementary scale to 28mm.

I would have taken the plunge myself if it wasn't for my huge legacy 15mm investment.

However, seems like it has slowed down a little over the last year or two.

So what do you think?
Relative to other scales
1 – 10mm is still growing significantly faster than other scales
2 – it's growing slightly faster
3 – it's holding it's own
4 – it's declining slightly relative to other scales
5 – it's declining significantly in popularity
6 – you can get stuff in 10mm?
7 – don't know
8 – don't care but I'd still like to see the results

What would you use as criteria – amount of new releases, amount of purchases, amount of players, amount of convention games, something else?

I'm fairly sure it will survive, there are some good ranges out there and the release of Warmaster Medieval will attract a few more players.

I think that there are some very nice ranges in 10mm. I also agree about 10mm and 28mm being complimentary.

I decided to buy 10mm rather than 15mm or 6mm as my second scale. I bought two WW2 armies from Pendraken earlier this year. For me 10mm is definitely growing.

The only think that is holding it back is plastic 28mm figures. I have painted nearly 600 in the past year and have not had much time for anything else.

Surely it depends on your area(s) of interest?

For WWII there seems to be lots of new models coming out, especially Pithead with lots of early war. Pendraken are steadily releasing WWII codes, and have done lots of historical figures for various eras.

Magister Militum have lots of new ranges including WWI, and Minifigs US is getting new WWI ranges ready.

So it would seem there is still lots of growth in 10mm.

As to whether it is growing more than other scales/sizes – who can say?

I wouldn't know relative to others but for me, in the last three years I've moved most of my periods from 6mm and 15mm to 10mm.

That size is spawn of the Devil!

In my opinion 10mm is a healthy growing scale. Some examples: GFI just released their new 10mm WW I line.
Caviler Books,(The new owner of Minifigs) is asking for 10mm sculptors.
Personally, I sold all my 15mm ACW and replaced them with 10mm. I am seeing more and more folks doing the same.

I'm sure it will continue to bump along with all the other niche scales. Occasionally someone turns up at the club with some 10mm stuff, but the incidence hasn't really gone up or down in the last ten years.

#6 – they sell stuff in 10mm.

10mm is a nice scale for periods with maneuver as a criterion or long weapon ranges….or both. Makes an 8 x 5 foot board that much bigger

I have almost completely moved to 10mm. Love it. Wish there were more manufacturers (and the existing ones would finish their ranges before starting on new ranges).

"Wish there were more manufacturers (and the existing ones would finish their ranges before starting on new ranges)."

Well, that is always the problem with niche scales.

At what point is a range considered to be complete?

If everything that could be done gets done, there would be no reason to have any more "additions" and the line might die off.

As the range attrits down to the dregs for vehicles/things to add, sales for those items was never there. Same development costs as if making item,s for another period that has the potential to bring in more revenues for the company. Why continue to bring out models that nobody really asks for (besides the 1-2 "interested" customers)?

Companies these days do not have those extra reseources to gamble with like they used to. What they bring out must generate revenues if there will ever be hope of seeing some of the more escertoic stuff come out.

Now obviously, if one really wants to see models of more escertoic stuff, they always have the option of bringing them out themselves. Just be warned that your burning desire for some PzKfw IV"X" will have to find enough others who share the same desire AND willing to buy them or else you stand to lose your shirt! (And who would be willing to buy a few at $50.00 USD each just to have them?) That's the unfortunate reality as to why you see companies expand into more and more periods rather than (in our case) adding to (say) the 300+ offerings in WWII!

Definately not what you wanted to hear, but remains the truth in the matter.

Best
Tom Dye
GFI

I don't really see 10mm as that much different than any other scale, save that its relatively new.
There will always be people who won't touch it with a long pole, and there will be people who don't use anything else, (like me).
I get the impression that its harder to make money for makers of 10mm; you have to sell a lot of them to break even; as Tom says that's why obscure items are difficult to produce. That's perhaps a better explanation as to why there's a small number of companies in the scale, and consequently sculptors working in it. I work in 10mm because I love the scale and always have an interest in collecting the figures I am sculpting. To pay my bills I work in 15mm upwards. I'd love to be knocking out loads of 10mm ranges, but those I do have to be relegated to my spare time, so the gestation of any given range can be protracted.
I do think 10mm suits lareg horse and musket battles really well, or for that matter any conflict you want to put on on a grand scale,

Martin seems to have nailed his colours to the mast!

For me 10mm is the way to go- mass units look more massive! Its more painting vs more detailed painting. If there is a niche 'scale', surely it is 25/28- a figure size so wildly interpreted that we actually have to call it both. And that is moving towards 30mm now! I have proper 25s, large 25s, and two different suppliers of 'modern 25s' which are also 28s but very different.

Not only do my pike blocks and cohorts look like a mass of packed men, rather than 12 supermodels (very pretty dressed, but nothing like the real thing) but WW2 it looks like people are at firefight range, rather than rock throwing range. a 30mm base = '15-20m' across, so your 3 5'9 men don't look like they are advancing in napoleonic line!

I also like the weight and density in my hand- you can hold a base in curled fingers. Personally the only reason I would buy 15s now is 'backward compatability' with other people.

I find it hard to call 28mm a niche scale, considering how it's the majority of figs out there.

"I find it hard to call 28mm a niche scale, considering how it's the majority of figs out there."

Where did you get that?

Surely 20mm will be much bigger….

Ah scorpio- but which figs! 25, 26, 27 28 29 or 30 mil!

My club does a good deal of gaming in 10mm. I don't think anyone has mentioned it's compatibility with N- Scale model railroading. My N Scale train looks good next to my ACW armies.