Would you buy 'prepainted' miniatures?

[TheDreadnought]

So - thinking about offering painted miniatures for sale. I'll use Naval Thunder as the example, but the same question could apply to Colonial Battlefleet as well.

So, if we were to sell painted miniatures from a reputable manufacturer like GHQ, Panzerschiffe, Navwar, etc. Would you buy?

Assume the following prices for the minis themselves:

GHQ $12
Panzerschiffe $5
Navwar $3

How much over that would you be willing to pay for a really sharp paintjob and basing done for you?

[dontpanic]

Given these prices for the base model, the industry standard, as it were, is to charge the cost of the model for painting.

So this:

May 23, 2010 20:07:01 GMT -5 TheDreadnought said:

GHQ $12
Panzerschiffe $5
Navwar $3

Becomes this:
GHQ $24
Panzerschiffe $10
Navwar $6

Discuss amongst yourselves.

[theoz]

I think I would, especially if there was a price for the Figurehead 1/6000 scale ships, which are what I primarily use.

For space warships, price would be expected to be higher, of course.

[Bluebear]

I would not . . . because I enjoy painting my miniatures. Also I noticed long ago that I felt far more attached to figures that I had painted than to ones I'd purchased (even though their paint jobs were better).

However, on my gaming table the "prime rule" is quite simple . . . "if it isn't painted, it is dead!" . . . and I would have no problems with anyone else playing with figures that they'd purchased already painted.


-- Jeff

[Wulf]

I do buy painted models, it depends on what I would like to work on myself or what I need on the table. What normal stops my purchase is postage.

[shelldrake]

I probably would - I have some navwar ships, but I am wanting to swap over to the Figurehead ships.

My painting of ships is just various shades of grey - no cam or patterns at all (much to my shame )

[steerpike]

I probably wouldn't buy very many, as I am more of a painter-gamer than a gamer-painter at this point in my life. But, if there were something that I didn't want to/didn't have time to paint, I would certainly consider you guys first.

[vendii]

I would buy pre-painted ships. I have purchased a number of them in the past. Navis and Neptune miniatures make up a third of my 1/1200 fleet. Love to see someone painting 1/2400 and 1/6000 save me the trouble. I can't paint..

[kenh01]

I'm not much of a painter (Leslie has painted all my 1:6000) so buying prepainted is not really any different than buying the unpainted lead and sending it to Leslie to paint, so YES I would buy prepainted.

Ken

[dontpanic]

I have some pre-painted 1:2400 and 1:3000 for sale on my website, but I don't currently offer any 1:6000 scale. Not because I think people wouldn't buy them, but because there are just so MANY of them and I have no idea what to stock.

[warchariot]

I buy somethings painted, but not ships or space ships. They are fairly easy and quick to paint.

[shigure]

I don't have any market research to back this up, but the USN and RN had many cruiser classes with several ships built in the class. There were a multitude of camo schemes offerred and many of the individual ships wore several camo schemes during the war. So it might be worthwhile to pick a class (such as the Clevelands) and offer several in different camo schemes to keep in stock. Just my two cents worth.

[warchariot]

May 29, 2010 1:15:39 GMT -5 shigure said:

I don't have any market research to back this up, but the USN and RN had many cruiser classes with several ships built in the class. There were a multitude of camo schemes offerred and many of the individual ships wore several camo schemes during the war. So it might be worthwhile to pick a class (such as the Clevelands) and offer several in different camo schemes to keep in stock. Just my two cents worth.

I hadn't thought about the camo schemes, I might buy a few with a good camo paint job. Great advise Shigure.

[cletus]

I would probably purchase painted minis to augment my collection, and I think that having painted stuff available will help with pulling people into playing the game.

I find that I've collected and painted so many different genres of figures at this point (ACW, Fantasy, Nap, WWII, etc) that unless I'm super interested in a game system I'm reluctant to start yet ANOTHER army. Having an option other than painting said army myself is appealing.

[fluorophil]

I know that it is late to respond, but as my painting skills are about as good as Baldrick from Blackadder's command skills (non-existent), I would go the 'prepainted' way (and have, as all my navy is with SWMBO). :-)
Just my NZ$0.03 worth...