"A Miniatures loan library?" Topic

Should Miniatures manufacturers provide a loan service where you can pay a nominal fee to hire your choice of adorable miniatures and stare at them for six months/a year/longer and then return them in the safe knowledge that you never had to paint them and didn't need to own them?

It could be therapeutic for some of us?

How about a rental service where you get a scenario and both sides?

I think most gamers would "forget" to send them back, especially after six months or so. You could fix that with a refundable deposit scheme. $1 USD to rent a mini, $9 USD deposit which is refundable upon return.

Could turn into a sales method. "Hey rent our pro-painted minis" and when you don't return them, we keep the deposit, SALE!

Well, that (lending mini's) is probably a fact in
lots of cases.

I've had 15mm ACW out 'on loan' for years (hundreds
of them); SAGA Vikings ditto (3-4 dozen); old
Scruby 30mm Napoleonics (hundred or so) and probably
some I've forgotten – all within our local group.

And of course I have some 1/2400 WWII US and Japanese
ships loaned to me years back.

I used to get armies on loan from George at GAJO back in the 90s – I ended up purchasing all but 1 of those armies

But his business model seemed to have some success

Would be nice, but with high breakage rates to some minis, during transport, and/or with ham-fisted gamers, I'll bet this really isn't workable except perhaps with common (not collectible or rare), prepainted, plastic minis.

I certainly wouldn't lend anything out other than the above.