"Premium Brands" Topic

The discussion on brushes got me thinking of game companies that "rip people off" by repackaging products for miniatures use.

A certain company sells 5.5mm stainless steel mixing balls at $10 USD
Per 100. These are, of course, the same as nail polish mixing balls same size and stainless 300 for the same price.

Another company sells "basing grit is made from a porous organic material rather than sand or other minerals" at $5 USD per cup and it is the same as walnut shell aquarium bedding at $17 USD for 50 pounds.

We also have Liquitex Matte Medium at $30 USD per quart

I have a 50 pound bag of builder sand that predates my miniature hobby (it was railroading) and it has lasted me 40 years!

Should companies be more forthright about repackaging products and selling them as a premium hobby product?

Is it "ripping people off" or making it available to their customers? We are for the most part adults here with the ability to shop around for the products we choose to buy in order to get a better "deal." If you or others don't like the price of "X" don't buy it and either do without or find an alternative that is suitable to your wants or needs.

Seems simple enough to me.

If all you actually want, or can sensibly use, is a cupful then that is cheaper than buying 25kg and throwing 24.5kg away.

I do see what you mean. I use leftover builders sand for basing too but it is messy to clean up and grade and a lot of wargamers don't do DIY so it is simply more convenient to buy exactly what they need.

Storage is a big issue for many people too, holding bulk stocks of materials isn't feasible for everyone.

I'm not sure what you mean by "more forthright." Do you want the label overstamped "RIPOFF" or would a small print "we don't actually make this stuff" be sufficient?

We're a niche hobby, so pretty much everything marketed for us is overpriced by other people's standards. I have no idea where I'd find nail polish mixing balls, but considering I'm unlikely to use up 100 balls--when a paint bottle gets low, I pour it into the new bottle--I can about tell you how far out of my way I'd drive for the theoretical saving of dying with unused ones.

As Fitzovich says, most of us are adults--some of the time, anyway.

The same with paint brushes you can buy $5 USD brushes constantly as they don't last or purchase a $15.00 USD brush that has lasted me 8 years and still forms a point. Now tell me which makes more sense. I think most of us have been in this hobby long enough to purchase according to our needs, space available for storage, and price.

I do have to give credit to the guy who decided to put small sticks in a bag and sell them for a ridiculous price.

Bulk purchases are more economical if you are going to use all of the product, or sell the excess to someone else. Sometimes it pays to shop around, but you have to know where to look.

A friend of mine made his own flocking, in bulk, from sawdust, paint, green dye and maybe a couple of other things. I'm sure it saved money, but it was time spent not painting--which he loved--or gaming. And he died with thousands of 25-30mm castings never even based.

Money isn't always the thing in short supply.

No they shouldn't have to be more forthright in what they're products are. Soetimes it's the same as something else but other times it's a better version of a similar product. Matte sprays as an example: they can't all be that different but on TMP alone there's at least 5 brands various members will swear by and also brands they avoid. If a company can take a product, repackage it, make money off it then more power to them. Yes it does feel like ripping customers off when those customers don't buy the cheaper thing but that's up to the customer whether due to ignorance, laziness, convenience, or brand loyalty. It's cheaper to make food at home than go out but people still eat out.

I had a friend who sold artist paintbrushes. They had 2 lines, the regular brushes & the premium "Bob Ross" brushes. The Ross were about twice the price & the only difference was the packaging. I know there were royalties but he said he made so much more commission selling the premium line.

I think that 'rip off' is a bit strong for someone who is in effect offering a service or a more convenient way of buying something. You dont have to buy any of this stuff and if you see a bargain or more cost effective way of pursuing your hobby, I'm sure that most modelers will be grateful for the tips. It's more useful than complaining about perceived 'rip offs'.

There some good videos from WARSPITE showing you ideas for re-purposing everyday or DIY items. Perhaps Bill could create a board on the forum for this purpose.

I notice that in my supermarket you can buy ready grated cheese or carrots, Brocolli and cauliflower florets, bags of ready to use salad leaves at a premium price compared to the 'raw' products. You 'pays your money and takes your choice'.

I sell basing sand on my web shop. This is the description I use:

'This is not just sand, this is finely graded, kiln dried, super luxury sand specially selected for it's suitability for basing the best model soldiers in the world. This is Arcane Scenery Basing Sand!……

O.K. Actually it is just sand and to be honest you can go to your local DIY store and get a huge bag for about four quid. But if you can't be bothered or haven't the time and want to avoid a hernia lifting the stuff then you'll be interested in buying this 200 gram bag which will be delivered straight to your door via first class post. It's as good as any other supplier and certainly cheaper than most other model shops. The sand is fine grain but will contain some larger pieces.

To be serious for a moment, sand is the best way of basing up your wargaming miniatures and as well as giving you a good texture to paint and weather it also adds weight to the base to keep your figure upright. This scenic material is ideal for use on wargame tables, railway layouts or for bases of figures or dioramas. It is easily glued down with watered down PVA glue or wall paper paste.

There is approximately 200gms in each resealable bag.'

Happy modelling! Steve

The twigs in a bag and the random yard stones feel transparently mischievous. You know you feel a twang of shame when you slap a $5.95 USD decal on there.