"Are 1/72 Minis Even Being made Anymore?" Topic

Whenever I see boxes for any Italeri, Zvezda or Caesar boxes, they all look like they are VERY OLD.

Old in terms of look and feel. Old in terms of graphics. Old in terms of colours, etc.

Arethese minis still in production or were they made many years ago?

link should help answer your question.

Minairons, Battle Models and others are doing very nice new 1/72

Not sure if you are only asking about plastics, but if so you are right that output from a few manufacturers has dried up. In terms of those you mentioned:

Caesar – still cranking out sets of somewhat variable quality

Italeri – have mostly been ESCI and Waterloo 1815 repops since about 2010

Zvezda – new releases are all Art of Tactic format, no more "big" boxes

If you check out the Manufacturers tab on the link McWong provided, you can drill down to all the sets and see the release dates, which are repops from other makers, etc.

I think I saw recently some charts and more is being manufactured now that ever before IIRC

The Zvezda big boxes are still among the very best available. Most aren't that old anyway (last 10 years).

Yes?

TMP link

Caesar – still cranking out sets of somewhat variable quality

Unfortunately, many of their Ancients sets are very hard to get now. Those were great sets.

Zvezda – new releases are all Art of Tactic format, no more "big" boxes

And most of their big boxes, which is what we need are OOP just like Caesar. With the death of the owner and the economy, Zvezda really seem to be floundering about.

The lack of product from these two alone have really killed certain periods, like Ancients or significantly hurt other periods making them difficult to do. So while Strelets and Red Box have been cranking out their lower-quality sets, most of which are too low a quality for me, and Zvezda are doing smaller sets, I think the bottom line to the OP is really a mixed bag. YMMV depending on the period you want to game, what type of game you play, and what you consider acceptable quality sculpting and moulding.

(Sorry, this has been a sore subject for me the past few years.)

Strelets is very active. So are a number of others. I do a good deal of gaming in Colonials, fantasy, ancients, in 1/72.

It looks like HaT continues to crank out figures.

Even Airfix are still in production…

Considering the amount of cross-licensing in the plastic 1/72 figure industry, I will be surprised if *anything* goes permanently out of production.

- Ix

I am mostly interested in WWII these days so pay more attention to those.

Even Airfix are still in production…

Their only new set of recent times was late war WWII British infantry. This was a bit of a flop as it showed no real progress in sculpting from their sets of the seventies.

Unfortunately, many of their Ancients sets are very hard to get now. Those were great sets.

Caesar are still pretty actively producing for WWII and have some useful niche sets but their "bendy" weapons are a bit of a turn-off for me.

Strelets is very active.

Strelets have some fantastic unusual subjects but IMO the quality reduces them to "toy" status. I think First to Fight are probably hovering just above that borderline too.

It looks like HaT continues to crank out figures.

Very true. Pity they seem to be ignoring WWII these days.

Considering the amount of cross-licensing in the plastic 1/72 figure industry, I will be surprised if *anything* goes permanently out of production.

Agreed. Repops are everywhere. Even the old Matchbox sets are back.

What's wrong with metal figures? You can get a good variety in WW2 and some extremely good stuff especially from AB. Wartime are also very good as are Battlefield and Keelys Heroes/Britannia

I haven't touched a metal figures for WW2 for 30 years, even commissioning some of the Wartime ranges and I have about 3000 metal figures

There's very little in WW2 that hasn't been covered by some 1/72 company at some point especially in recent years. Strelets for example just made Japanese paratroopers, new zealanders, south africans, early ww2 americans (2 sets), and just revealed Japanese Tropical infantry (Takasago volunteers) and have Japanese in winter uniform on the way. The variety just listed for the Pacific theatre beats 6mm,15mm, and 28mm by a mile.

Italiera (SP?) have just brought out new sets of US and German Winter. New molds. Good quality some variety in weapons esp. US set (.30 cal, 60mm MTR, Bazooka, radio man).

It helps to have a game to support a scale – one of the reasons I did Combat Command for 20mm. Helps keep the scale active. Good quality – low price.

TomT

What's wrong with metal figures?

Cost. The sheer volume of amazingly life-like, flash-free castings in plastic is astounding (for some periods), and they're cheap enough to throw away or carve up many of the more ridiculous poses included in most sets.

OTOH, that's relative. The only negative thing I really have to say about metal 1/72 (20mm) miniatures is that it can be hard to find out about them. Some of them are amazingly nice.

- Ix

Shameless plug alert.

I post photos of all my new 1/72nd scale purchases on my blog. Plastic Soldier Review reviews everything put out eventually.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

You should join the guild

link

Or Society of Gentlemen Gamers

link

Plenty of news about metal figures there

I find it hard to find plastics here in Australia but can find metal figures easily in the web, cost is relative

Strelets for example just made Japanese paratroopers, new zealanders, south africans, early ww2 americans (2 sets), and just revealed Japanese Tropical infantry (Takasago volunteers) and have Japanese in winter uniform on the way.

Yes, all great subjects. Only one 'minor' problem – the sculpts are GARBAGE.

Italiera (SP?) have just brought out new sets of US and German Winter. New molds. Good quality some variety in weapons esp. US set (.30 cal, 60mm MTR, Bazooka, radio man).

Just brought out? The US set which contains the equipment described is set 6120 American Infantry, released 2008. Then there is another set 6133 US Infantry (Winter Uniform) released 2010. The German set 6151 German Infantry (Winter Uniform) was released in 2014. Quite reasonable sets (if somewhat at the vary large end of the scale), but apart from the Germans hardly all that new. All the other "recent" Italeri sets are ESCI and Waterloo 1815 repops.

@Blacky750

Are you after any plastic figs? I am in Aust and have plenty for trade…

Yes I am but I have over 4000 metal figures and have been paying to have masters made of what I am after so not going back to plastics now, sorry but I look on it as a backward step

It was the first time I seen the US set – dealer told me they were new. Assumed a companion set to Winter Germans.

Casear seems to bring out new stuff.

But there is only so many times you can redo standard German US Brit etc. Its a saturated market. Lots to choose from.

TomT