"Do you prefer small companies?" Topic

When given the choice between buying miniatures/supplies from a larger company or the same type of products from a smaller company, do you choose the smaller one?

The one that has the product I want!

Service is the key for me in where I get my figs/supplies.

Depends on quality and price.

Depends on quality and price.

What Sundance said.
I have no obligation to keep little guys in business. If I like what they are selling, I will buy it.

First I attempt to discover if their porridge is too hot or too cold, then whether their beds are too soft or too hard, then I usually settle for the one that's just right.

All other things being equal I'll favor the little guys. Even if the price is a bit higher.
Same thing for restaurants… usually I'll get better food, better service, better atmosphere from something that's not a chain.

I try to buy my stuff as much as possible from FLGS rather than direct if I can. I guess in that sense I favour the little companies as few of them are chains.

As far as the manufacturer goes I'll buy from whomever has what I want. I don't really take size of the company into consideration.

Really, how BIG is big in the Miniature Wargames world?

I mean, people talk about my "staff" at work, which consists of me as the supervisor, and three permament minions and one temp minion. He's temp because I'm scheduled to deploy to a warm sandy clime, but to take my place.

But we have half the staff of my (former) civilian employer for a similar operation. Except it's working for The Man.

I don't know. Peter Berry of Baccus is a couple person operation, but folks seem to thing he's got Hordes of Things (tm), pun intended, helping him.

Meh.

Eric

Generally, yes. Keep in mind that, by modern corporate standards, all miniature manufacturers qualify as small businesses.

I'll buy from who has what I want at the best price.

I look for quality and value, as well as good customer service.

No.

with tiny little doorways?

If the Perry Twins count as a small company, then "Yes".

Quality, Service, Price; balanced not ordered. Most of the companies I like are smallish, although I can't say I know much about their internals. A couple may be one man and a garage, at least one I know has leased premises and a staff. None need to book an off-site facility for an all-hands town hall meeting.

I should give a proper, impartial, constructive answer.

If I'm honest, though, I prefer people that make aesthetically pleasing stuff and take it to UK wargames shows. That way I see it, and if I like it, I buy it.

Not having your stuff visible at a show is big handicap if I am your target market.

That's a big 'if' of course (though very few products I like fail, it must be said ..)…

In effect I go with small companies, I don't buy much from FOW or GW. Everyone else is small compared to them.

Nothing to do with size of company though, I am a price driven consumer.

Depends who the large company is… but in principle yes, and that goes for most things.

I get the figs I need and like the look of.
Be it from GW or Tale of War or Heresy.
But I WON'T go to the Perrys ever again.

I buy from all ends of the spectrum; service and quality being the foremost factors.

Quality first.
Then Service.
Then Price.

I will pay for better quality and service over price, but price does factor in, especially in a new project.

Last three (none eBay) purchases have been from GW
Last year nothing came from them as it was all smaller companies

To be honest if I like it I will buy it.
If the product is close (e.g. flock / dice / figures) then I would go with the smaller company if possible. At this point cost plays a big part (to say nothing of IP)

I buy the stuff I like, so on the face of it no. However there are a number of small companies that I like to buy from, so maybe yes.

Although I wouldn't stop buying from them if they somehow managed to get big – unless they completely changed what they did and doubled the prices of course !