"3rd try" Topic

So most producers of 28mm have added to the price on recent years, generally things are just more expensive, but particularly the price of the metal is the teason they say.

But how come sash and saber can sell their figures for $1.4 USD r even 1.1 for unit packs.

While others take like £1.80 GBP ($2.5) pr figure

And you can't say its because its lower cost in the us then uk.

Because you have American companies that also takes close to the $2.5 USD pr figure. And you have uk companies that take £1.00 GBP pr figure.

I don't think sash and saber is the world's biggest seller of 28mm and so can have low price.
I have won't mention names be we all know about some of the biggest sellers also are the most expensive.

Markets (willing buyers and sellers) determine prices.

Not trying to be cute but that is the answer.

My entire ACW collection is Sash & Saber, I love them, and you are right, great prices.

Same here, almost all my ACW figures are Sash and
Saber 28's and my French and Austrian Napoleonic 28's
are also Sash and Saber.

And if any of you are into the Plains Wars (US post-ACW
to about 1885), Sash and Saber have an excellent line
of 40mm figures.

Market decides the range of prices, production costs and greed decides the market segment that you target.

I am aware of companies that sell nice figs for around $1 USD each, I am also aware of companies that sell similar 28mm figures for $16 USD each.

Product costs can vary significantly considering location, methods, tooling, marketing packaging, etc.

I make some of my own stuff and sell it from time to time, but right now I can't make and sell a $1 USD 28mm fig and still get to eat. My production costs would be too high. I also can't make a $16 USD 28mm fig and live with myself. I want guys who are under-appreciated by their bosses to afford my figs. Just a personal thing.

If I made 28mm figs right now, I would need to price them in the $2.25 USD-2.50 range best case. Simply a function of my production costs and perceived value for my time.

It doesn't cost me appreciably more to produce a nice fig as opposed to poor quality sculpt, nor doe it cost tremendously more to produce a large fig as opposed to an averaged size one. Material is a small portion of my cost. The real cost is time. I value my time based on what I can earn as model builder in industry. That is what decides my price.

Within the price range dictated in the market place, the actual price placement is decided by different things. For some, it is simply about cost of production and being able to eat. For others it is about exploiting the limits of the market place. Basically, it ranges from need to greed. That is the honest answer.

So the answer is, hemm Sash and Saber you say? Better look into that eh! I'll check them out post cost wise to my neck o the woods, thanks for the heads up GF:)

The price of metal has fallen precipitously in the last year or two, but sadly, that doesn't seem to have trickled down to the manufacturers yet, or to customers.

Even precious metals are way off their highs of a few years, to a decade ago, including gold, silver, and copper. Rumor has it aluminum and others are way down too.

Hopefully, people will start asking for steep discounts from their suppliers, and pass that along to us.

Metal costs are most significant for budget figures, anything above that metal cost is for things such as design costs, casting time, admin, packaging and profit. Size of production run/sales also determine price and, for a small run, is liable to be very significant. The more sales you have, the smaller design and costs of making moulds,for example, are per figure.

So it isn't easy working out how much 'profit' a particular cost is producing. I know that when I was doing Garrison some ranges were never put into production because the cost would have been higher than people were prepared to pay.

Not mentioned yet is Old Glory.
They cast to order and sell in packs of 30 infantry or 10 cavalry for $35. USD
It's even less if you buy an Army Card. 40% less.
And they are excellent figures.

Compare that to the companies who sell by blister packs of 6 figures to hang in stores.

And there is also the model of those who sell individual figures, with some concessions to lower bulk prices for units.

And there are probably some business models I haven't thought of. Each have varying costs for the manufacturer.

The market also prevents Yahoo Miniatures from selling 15mm Imperial Romans in packs of 10 for $100. USD

You can't have miniatures sold that fluctuate with the market price of metal. If metal drops to the point where even Perry figures go for $.75 USD, what would the public howl if metal made their break even price back at $2.50 USD? Howls of outrage.
Miniatures are not a break even commodity. I WANT my suppliers to make a nice comfortable profit. That way, some just might make my Leutze Washington Crossing the Delaware.

I have to agree with Winston, Old Glory is impossible to beat on price. And while some of their lines are just OK, most of their lines of miniatures are very good quality. Also as an added bonus, Old Glory miniatures tend to mix very well with Sash and Saber miniatures.

Kevin

With me the price is dictated by the cost of outsourcing the casting to others with the equipment. I do not order castings often enough to offset the costs of setting up my own casting shop.

Hm – OG and S&S mix well because in some cases the
OG figures were sculpted by the S&S owner – great sculpts
too.

Metal price – while it may flucuate, that doesn't help
the manufacturer who bought a load of metal at mid prices
and has seen the price of the metal drop. That
company still has to sell their figures at a price to
recover their metal investment and make a profit.

BTW, our local recycling center tells us they are no
longer accepting certain recyclable cans (aluminum,
mostly) because they can't sell the metal. They
say to take it to the landfill.

Economists tell all sorts of tales of rational markets and equilibriums and pricing efficiency but basically things just cost whatever some dude put on a sign.

The whole 'cost of metal' thing has been a red herring for almost 40 years. It all started back in the 80s during the "Great Lead Scare" when there were rumors flying that the government was going to ban figures with any lead content due to safety concerns. Well, that never happened, but figure prices doubled and tripled overnight as manufacturer's scrambled to find non-lead alternatives. Having done some casting myself and bought significant quantities of casting metal, I know that the cost of the metal is a small fraction of the total cost of producing figures.

Yet we see price rises justified by cost of metal increases. Maybe that sits better with Jo Public than "I want to make some money off my hard work in this niche hobby"

I always sort of figured that a lot of the basement operations sell for cost of production + a very tiny amount on top.

So even a tiny change in any resource cost would require pushing up the price or be selling at a loss.

If economies of scale were the reason, then GW would be the cheapest on the market. I think "whatever customers will pay" is the paramount factor.

The owner is the sculptor, therefore those costs are not incurred at the same rate as hiring a freelance sculptor.

What I seem to see is the prices for plastic figures have also risen, some cost about the same as metal now. Given that the selling point was that plastic was so much cheaper, I wonder why their prices are rising along with metal.

irishserb – I want guys who are under-appreciated by their bosses to afford my figs.

Sir, Tell you have a line of 15mm sci-fi.