Stan Johansen  | 27 Mar 2021 11:51 a.m. PST |
Since last March casting alloys have gone up over 33% and my smelter thinks they will double from last year by years end. And because of gas prices shipping will be going up as well. Price increases will follow soon. |
| 14Bore | 27 Mar 2021 11:56 a.m. PST |
That was the warning from other makers.
Printing away with abandon money isn't free. |
| John the OFM | 27 Mar 2021 12:48 p.m. PST |
Have metal prices ever gone down?
Back when I started gaming, the price of a 25mm figure was $0.25 USD.
Now, I don't consider $2.50 USD terribly outrageous. Of course I'll grumble.
But at what point will "we" say that $X is "terribly outrageous"? And I'm talking about an ordinary line infantry figure. How badly do I need to buy another 24-figure battalion? |
| Wackmole9 | 27 Mar 2021 1:47 p.m. PST |
Now John You wouldn't want to go back to the bad old days of lead figures and have US Mines open up again. Safety always comes with a price. Its always better to be dependent on Foreign Source of Minerals, Energy and food. |
| Leadjunky | 27 Mar 2021 2:02 p.m. PST |
I switched to 1/72 several years ago for many new projects which required large units. I still buy metal for smaller projects and add to my 28mm collections with available plastics due to cost. For 15mm I buy used or look for sales. I know I may have to change my handle to "Recovered". Economics is sobering therapy. |
| John the OFM | 27 Mar 2021 6:29 p.m. PST |
Those figures came from England. 
So, I don't think US mines were involved. |
| Augustus | 27 Mar 2021 6:44 p.m. PST |
Suddenly 3D printing is more and more attractive. |
| John the OFM | 27 Mar 2021 7:46 p.m. PST |
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| McWong73 | 28 Mar 2021 2:59 a.m. PST |
Yep, makes me glad I'm making the leap to 3d printing. |
| Wackmole9 | 28 Mar 2021 6:27 a.m. PST |
Sorry they also closed all the mines in UK. China flooded the market on tin and they closed their Mines (which then flooded) They then quadruple the price. |
| Dagwood | 28 Mar 2021 8:00 a.m. PST |
Maybe we can reopen the Cornish mines ! I'm sure they were only waiting for the price of tin to go up … |
 Sgt Slag  | 28 Mar 2021 11:43 a.m. PST |
I debated alternative energy sources in High School, in 1981. Back then, fracking gas from stone deposits underground, in the USA, was prohibitively expensive. We knew it would make the USA energy independent, but at too high a price… Fast forward 40 years, and the USA is fracking away, selling surplus energy to the world. Funny how things can, and do, change. Never say, never. Cheers! |
| robert piepenbrink | 28 Mar 2021 12:14 p.m. PST |
Tin is always tricky, and it is never wise to depend on a single source for anything. Has anyone shaken down Malaysia lately? Or I could donate my unpainted 15s. That should keep us going for a bit. |
 Bobgnar | 29 Mar 2021 8:35 p.m. PST |
When I first started collecting 25 mm figures they were about $.25 USD apiece, and packs of cigarettes were also $.25 USD. My wife and I had a deal when she bought a pack I bought a figure. Now a pack of cigarettes is about $6.25 USD, and figures are about $2.50 USD to 3. For the past 10 to 15 years I have been switching over to skirmish games like test of honor, Congo adventure, And flying lead for example. Gone are the days of 36 Figure column line and square French battalions, But I already have about 10,000 of those so I guess I don't need to buy anymore. :-) |
| The H Man | 30 Mar 2021 4:51 p.m. PST |
"Its always better to be dependent on Foreign Source of Minerals, Energy and food" That is in jest? There are alternatives to metal. You don't need to buy a soon to be obsolete printer just yet. All you need do is pool money, buy all the metal you can, then store it and use cheaply for many price rises to come. I can't understand why manufacturers don't do this. If alloy is your material, just buy, buy, buy, store anywhere you can, then save, save, save. Put your money in metal, not in the bank. |
| robert piepenbrink | 30 Mar 2021 4:58 p.m. PST |
You know, over the past five years, I think I've sold ten painted figures for each one (unpainted) purchase. Even at that, when the present orders actually arrive there will be precious little left on the "buy" list, and nothing which is currently available. |
| Sho Boki | 06 Apr 2021 2:28 p.m. PST |
And??
Prices goes up?
I supplied myself with metal for 2 years estimately, but nothing changes. |
| Sho Boki | 14 Jul 2021 5:45 a.m. PST |
Now changes occurs. Prices goes up 10 cents per 1 kg of metal but metal is not freely available, only through reservation. |
| Toechopper | 14 Jul 2021 9:53 p.m. PST |
when I started casting pewter as a business in 1999 my cost was $3.15 USD per pound for 98% tin pewter, it was only about 5 years before it had doubled and then 5 years more for it to double again. Its been up and down since then but not under $16 USD my cost but nowadays pewter is only a very small percentage of my casting alloy and I mostly just use it for production masters. |
