| green beanie | 12 Sep 2016 6:59 a.m. PST |
Back in the 80's I think the only producer of 15mm WW 2 vehicles was Skytrex I believe. Metal miniatures that you assembled. Correct me if I am wrong? Now how much did a 3 pack go for in the 80's? Any other companies back them? |
| freerangeegg | 12 Sep 2016 7:14 a.m. PST |
Yup, skytrex command decision range were what started me on 15mm in the late eighties, QRF started doing a range then, and Quality cast had a range though the quality was very variable. I think battlefront were just starting then too, the old cream resin models in a little box |
79thPA  | 12 Sep 2016 7:34 a.m. PST |
Heritage had the Panzertroops line (mid to late 70s?)which, I believe, was purchased by QC. |
martin goddard  | 12 Sep 2016 8:59 a.m. PST |
First 15mm with 1/100th vehicles were Peter Pig.
Followed a while later by SDD, then QRF in that order. After that came skytrex along with battlefront (crusader in Italy too ). No skytrex 1/100th in the 80's. Think they got going in the 90's ?
Peter Pig first ,
then the others!
There was a range of 15mm WW2 before all this (panzertroops) but they were not wedded to a 1/100th vehicle line. Having said that, John Piper did a great range of modern stuff even earlier at then end of the 70,'s.
Also of note is that PP started the 1/100th mix knowing that 15mm is NOT 1/100th. BUT the bulkiness of 15mm figs with their bases looks right alongside 1/100th vehicles. If figures are made to 1/100th with the associated bulk of metal figs, they may well look too large alongside the vehicles.
martin
|
 Dye4minis | 12 Sep 2016 9:03 a.m. PST |
+1 for 79th PA. (QC= Quality Castings who bought the Custom cast/Heritage/ ex-Comet models range) Military Miniatures of New Zealand (forerunner of Battlefront) also hada range out in resin and metal parts, but that was in the 90's. For quite a while, my store (Attactix in Aurora, Co.) was the US Importer's #1 store in sales of those! Tom |
| green beanie | 12 Sep 2016 10:48 a.m. PST |
Thanks people. So, what were prices like back then? |
| Mako11 | 12 Sep 2016 11:56 a.m. PST |
I think the Quality Castings minis went for around $15 USD or so, for a 3-pack. $18 USD for the really big, Tiger IIs, etc.. Battlefront resins sold for about $5 USD – $5.50 USD each, IIRC. |
| freerangeegg | 12 Sep 2016 12:46 p.m. PST |
Apologies Martin, I forgot you. My first infantry and German 75 mm infantry guns were yours. I completely forgot SDD , but I have never managed to buy any of their stuff. |
| Fred Cartwright | 12 Sep 2016 1:14 p.m. PST |
Quality Casting vehicles were originally 1/108 IIRC, later they rebuilt the range with 1/100 models, but I remember an early Wespe I had from them which was tiny in comparison to the Panzer II's I had from PP? |
| GeoffQRF | 12 Sep 2016 1:36 p.m. PST |
We picked up QRF in 1996, but it had been running a few years before that. The Miltra 1/100 range has been going much longer. Martin is correct about the scaling. 1/100 is closer to 18mm, but if you make your figures 18mm they are actually then too large alongside your vehicles. |
| Rudysnelson | 12 Sep 2016 5:36 p.m. PST |
In 1979 Heritage came out with a 15mm WW2 range called panzertroops. It would not be unusual to get a pack of napoleonics or ACW and find a German 15mm Paratrooper in it. Also about the same time, Frontier when they were located in the Southwest, they had a 15mm WW2 range. it did not turn up in Florida like most of the range did. |
| Wargamer Blue | 12 Sep 2016 6:59 p.m. PST |
I picked up my first Skytrex packs back in 1998. Back then then were $25.00 USD Australian a pack. Back then the Aussie dollar was half the value of the US. I believe the West Wind / Forged in Battle owner did all the infantry sculpts for the range. |
| Martin Rapier | 12 Sep 2016 11:19 p.m. PST |
My first 15mm WW2 was PP and SDD back in the 90s, and later Skytrex and QRF. Afaik the only stuff around in the 80s was the Miltra vehicle recognition range. Not sure where and when Denzil Skinner fitted in though. |
| Leadgend | 13 Sep 2016 10:43 p.m. PST |
The Command Decision rules first appeared in 1986 and had the accompanying range of 15mm figures from Old Glory / Skytrex. Essex probably had their range early on too. |
 Mserafin | 14 Sep 2016 7:11 a.m. PST |
The Command Decision rules first appeared in 1986 and had the accompanying range of 15mm figures from Old Glory / Skytrex. The rules showed up in the 1980s, but the Old Glory/Skytrex line didn't show up until 1995 or 96. I got some of the first figures they ever cast, and it was definitely in the mid 1990s. |
| Martin Rapier | 14 Sep 2016 8:06 a.m. PST |
Yes, I recall looking at CD in the mid 80s but the original rules were set up for use with 20mm stuff (which is what all the pictures were of). The 2nd Ed came out in the early 90s and according to the OG blog, the 15mm figure range came out some time after that. |
| martin goddard | 14 Sep 2016 1:34 p.m. PST |
Essex were about the last to get on the wagon. After PP, SDD, QRF, Skytrex….. No skytrex in 1986, sorry.
martin |
paints up some WWII Soviet aircraft.
