"What's your limit?" Topic

Whats your limit on buying a figure? How much are you willing to spend on that one figure that will finish of the unit, or a figure that will bring victory to your troops? A figure that will complete a long term project or just to have the right look. Is there a limit you'll spend on plastic vs metal?

I've been buying some old Warhammer figures here and there lately so I can have the perfect warband for my Mordheim units. And often I'll buy 2 or 3 for a conversion, say I want one on foot and one mounted.

I've spent 50 bucks on a figure. That seems to be my limit. That's a run of the mill type. Not some glorious dragon or tank…

If rules call for you to buy single expensive figures to bring victory to your troops, I don't use those rules. I don't use any rules that call for a specific figure line. So, I just buy the cheapest figures that fit whatever army I am building.

I am willing to spend a bit more for better figures. I never compromise on cost vs quality. If I can get good quality figures cheap, I won't turn down that deal. But if it is a choice between a well sculpted figure for a few more $$$ and a so-so sculpted figure for less, I'll spend the money. I have to paint these things, and painting a poorly sculpted figure can be a real chore.

Damon.

Maybe I worded it wrong…Not a figure that victory hinges on but rather a center piece figure. A cool looking general or hero…

Infantry guy, a few bucks if its an RPG figure in 28mm.

15mm Vehicles 15 bucks or so.

I don't mind paying a touch extra for better quality figures but I don't typically pay tons more for a character model.

Usually, my analysis is reduced to a can I afford it? If the answer is positive, I don't mind the price. If negative, the same. Very primitive, I know, but it works for me.

I don't know. That is, I don't have a theoretical max, and it would depend on my financial circumstances at the time. The worst I think I ever actually paid was $4 USD a figure for a 6-casting 30mm unit of Westphalian Gardes du Corps. Given this was about 1972, probably $25 USD-40 each in current money. (You could buy 30mm infantry at maybe 25 cents a figure.) And my cheap plastic 54mm Napoleonic British sometimes have really splendid Britains musicians purchased painted.

But it's a 30mm--or maybe 28mm--and up thing. In smaller scales, I'm going for mass effect.

In general, $1.00 USD

I do a lot of conversion, so most of my centerpiece figures are done using a base figure and turning it into exactly what I want.

And it may depend on the nature of that figure. I paid than a buck for the Mage Knight Apocalypse Dragon, but he's over a foot tall. HeroClix Galactus, too. On the other end, I have converted a $5 USD 18" Optimus Prime figure into a centerpiece, too.

I pay more than a dollar that for Knuckleduster and Pulp Figures. They aren't centerpiece figures necessarily, but I like the sculpts.

I will spend whatever it costs if it is something I want/need for a force. So I have no problem with $8 USD-10 a figure for Infinity quality models.

I go up to about £5.00 GBP for 54mm cavalry…

First size is a factor – I'm all 25/28mm – So, $2 USD to $3 USD a figure for new is the norm.

Years ago, I found a GW figure that I really liked (A Banshee if I recall). Got to the cashier and to rang up at almost $10.00 USD

Doubt I would do that again.

For a hero type in 28mm, probably about $25. USD For bigger figures more. I have no problem paying the $130 USD I'll spend on Magnus when I get around to getting him for example, but he is a pretty big figure.

I bought Angron for something like $70. USD Really well sculpted, good looking figure. I won't need more than one of them.

But like Nazrat for the Infinity figures I have no problem spending the money they ask for them. Given how well sculpted the Infinity range is and how likely they are to sell many of any given model I'll plunk down $15 USD on a rank and filer with a heavy weapon.

If I were ordering from one of the 3D print places, $25 USD-$40 for a 32mm figure would be my range---high quality print/plastic/and multiple custom options.

A multi part sprue type of mini with a few extra parts that I glue on myself---max $20 USD

Single figure, head or arm options only max $15 USD

For a regular 28mm figure $2.50 USD is my limit and it would have to be pretty special to go that high. I might go up to $5 USD for a larger "monster" type. $15 USD is my upper limit for a vehicle.

$5 USD

$2.50 USD per 25mm – 28mm figure.

About a dollar for 15mm/18mm.

About $15 USD for vehicles.

The most I would probably spend is $10 USD but that's for one super special mini to have as a leader or some role like that. Troopies about 3-3.5 is the limit, usually less than that is spent though.

$20 USD-$25 for a large monster, maybe a little more if it really catches my eye. But for rank and file, Old Glory and Black Tree Designs sales get my money.

Don't do much 28mm and what I do is skirmish types so end up paying a bit more than for rank & files types. Some I'd baulk at £2.00 GBP a figure but others I'd go up to £3.00 GBP if I couldn't find an equivalent I wanted. Beyond that, no sale.

Close to Mako, but for some Dragons I've spent more than $50. USD Historical are more sane in pricing (15mm)

I would think historical dragons would be free ;)

I used to have problems with figure prices, but I was also very poor at the time with a young family and trying to paint for mass battle games.

Now I paint few figures so price is less of an option. I'd pay $8 USD a figure easily for figures I wanted to paint. I only skirmish, so it wouldn't be crazy amounts. I also take two hours to paint a 28-30mm figure, so it's economical to pay that amount. A trip to the movies with the family is $60 USD+ so it helps to keep it in perspective.

GOOD sculptors are expensive, GOOD casting is expensive. If you expect quality $1 USD figures, you are in the wrong era.

For a single human sized fig no more than $35 USD if its rare.
There are some listed so high on ebay you could have someone resculpt it for you cheaper.

If you want to see high prices look at Kingdom Death.

Fergal – some 28mm historical plastics, and Old Glory metals, can be had for US$1 of less.

@Henry, Good point about the plastics. I don't think about them as my interests are usually to niche for plastics. Thanks for pointing it out.

Fergal makes a pretty good point. The end result is a painted figures (at least ideally) and the amount of you that has gone into the figure at the end is probably a lot more in the painting than in the buying.