"Mongrel Miniatures - Website Down? No response" Topic

I can't get on to Mongrol Miniatures website.

Does anyone know if they have closed shop? If so, did anyone pick up their figure line?

Looking for the Soviet / Afgan figures.

Their site has been down for at least three days.Always wanted to order their stuff but I was worried if I'd ever get the order. Some of the photos on the website were unviewable for quite a while

I placed a bunch of stuff on my Christmas wish list for my family and was very let down that none of it was ordered.

So, here I am after doing the right thing on the holidays and now I can't even order for myself.

I won't make that mistake again.

I love Mongrel stuff. Haven't ordered any since ownership changed but prior to that they had excellent service.

Ed G.

Have you contacted Crouchie via the e-mail?

DG

Not yet. Great idea. Thank you.

Their site has been down for at least three days.

Five days so far. TMP link

Hope it's migrating or being redesigned. I love MM stuff too. Really superb.

Got some stuff on order at the moment. Emailed Crouchie yesterday and got a prompt response from him saying its shipped so just waiting for it to roll up when Royal Mail start delivering again.

In fact mine is here in front of me now. Posted on 17 Dec and found dumped in the corner of works mail room.

Crouchie has been let down by the owner of Mongrel Minis.
There are a number of unresolved issues still outstanding,and Ben Checota cannot be arsed to contact Crouchie to sort them out.

Why buy a miniature company, then just let it drift away, god only knows, and Mr Checota, so perhaps one of them would like to answer the questions put here!!

8 days ….

Nigel,

I am sad to hear that crouchie has been let down. Mongreal has a great range, and it would be a disaster if the current owner just let it die.

I have spoken with Ben and he is addressing this as we speak.

Paul

With all due respect Paul, Ben Checota has made promises both to communicate and promises about new ranges but nothing has happened. Why he bought Mongrel only to do nothing with it is totally beyond me.

Fortunately, whilst Ben Checota has been letting a good miniatures company die on its arse others appear to have realised that there is a market in 28mm moderns.

I bought all the new 60s Africa range then available at Salute last year (in addition to all of the Israeli range)and since then nothing else has been made available from Mongrel. No releases of the greens previously shown on the (somewhat defunct) Yahoo group or of any other promised figures to make up a decent range. My dreams of a "Wild Geese" game is pretty much dead.

I'm now left with 20 odd Africa range figures that whilst nice on their own are not of any particular use. I work hard for my money and I find it irritating that I've spent it with a company that doesn't seem to care about me as a long-term customer, despite previous assurances last year that things would improve in terms of communication. I hasten to add that as far as I know the UK agent Ian Crouch is in no way to blame for this situation, but rather the problem lies in the US with the current owner. I find it odd that the only way that Ben seems to be made aware about the discontent caused by his handling of this company is from emails from one of his sculptors. A truly ridiculous situation and hardly the best business model when an economy is in recession.

Given this any news updating us on the situation with Mongrel would be much appreciated.

not good reading is it gents!!

Hope this gets resolved soon, but I think the damage has been done already.

are the moulds in the USA or the UK ???

Probably in the US but who knows where they are or whether they'll see the light of day again?

Well this sucks…I own all of the figs from Mongrel except the Israeli stuff and I was hoping to pick that up this year. I would hate to see this line be gone forever.

Ed G.

I'm also increasingly surprised there has been no official response from Ben. I'm wondering whether to sell all my Congo stuff, or hang on on the off-chance the range will be supported. Saying that though if the website is still down is this really the end of Mongrel?

Eeek. I was just looking into getting some of the mongrel figure range.
I hope there is some news on the website and if the range is going to continue soon.

If the only way you can get a response from Mongrel is by posting something here on TMP then maybe a regular weekly 'whats going on with Mongrel' post would have the desired effect and produce a response from the elusive Mr Checota?

Personally, I'm hoping that if there is going to be some news its an announcement that the business is being sold on to someone who actually has the time and money to devote to the business and who can start knocking out great releases again.

Had an email from Ian aka Crouchie, and he has confirmed that he has ceased his involvement with Mongrel Miniatures.
He does not know what the owner, Ben Checota I believe, is planning to do, if anything.

So it seems, it is a case of waiting to see what happens now. Kicking my self as I was about to put in an order for myself and some fellow club members, but held off doing so before christmas to hopefully get some more interest in the club, that will teach me.

So for now it looks like, the range is sadly dead.

Well at least that confirms what a lot of us suspected. A shame as I too planned to buy some of the British Cold War range for a future project. A sad day when when such an iconic company goes down the tube…

Hey Oddball, are you in the UK? I've got a load of Mongrel Russians and Afghans (painted) but never got round to using as no-one in my club was really into the period. Might as well offload them to someone who can use them! Also bought Israelis and PLO figs, never used, for the same reason. Make me an offer!

Hi Dualer, How many Mongrel Russian's and Afghan's have you got in stock? & how do I contact you with regard's to a price etc?.
Thanks

You can e-mail me, briancunniffe@yahoo.co.uk

unfortunately this seems to be a trend when a decent UK company gets bought acrooss the pond! Lets hope Cadbury's do better :)

Anyone had any update on future plans for the Mongrel Minitaures?

bump.

I saw Mongrel being sold thru Pontoonier Miniatures at Cold Wars today. They had the African Mercenaries, Simbas and Cold War Brit marines. The fellow working the booth says they just recieved 1000's of miniatures and were still boxing them up. They were $8.00 USD for a box of 4. Their contact number is 414-963-8719, their address is 2302 E. Newberry Blvd. Milwaukee, WI 53211.

Thanks for the update date starcrasher.. hopefully someone will start do to them again this side of the pond sometime soon too. :)

Seems Pontoonier Miniatures went under as well.

They were some of the 28mms I would make honorary 25s.