Blasts from the Past
- Thread starter harto
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kevininpdx
A Fixture
I love these posts about the hobby’s past. It’s almost mythical to me being in my late 30s. I also see a bizarre paradox. While the quality of sculpt, cast and painting techniques are at all time high, the popularity of the hobby appears to be at an all time low 
Ray Stout
PlanetFigure Supporter
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- Aug 14, 2014
- Messages
- 484
The answer Kevin...............is money, or the lack of it, also, this generation seems hooked on Social Messaging and Computer games. Also, the complete lack of interest in teaching History well, so it fires the children into finding out more than just what's on the curiculom. Ray
Another anwer to Kevin
When I begon c. 1972 they were very few makers ( 30 - 40 worldwide), no internet lot of shops ( well lot of .. in England ... in Belgium only 1 )
Today they are circa 1000 actives makers ( just see the list ) so even if peoples were buying today 5 times more figures than in 1970, potential for each maker is 5 times less ... and no shop, you're alone in your corner . On the other side in conventions/expositions/contests they are far more events and attendants than in the 70ies
How many collectors did we encounters in a shop 20 ? 30 ?
How many members/visitors on this forum, on French forum, on Italian, Spanish, Netherlands, German, Portguesse, Greeks, Polish, Russian .....
Just add the Gamesworkshop addicts ( all the young ones are there )
My first visit to a Game Workshop was early 70ies in London, they had no figurine and the shop ( the only one in the world ) was so small that 5 customers in , was a growth . Today they even sell via press distribution ( like Altaya, Del Prado .... ) You can buy your favotite newspaper and at the same time a figurine for your kid and lot of peoples does that because " It's cheap and it's a toy "
So globaly I would say they are more amateurs figurines painters than in the past
When I begon c. 1972 they were very few makers ( 30 - 40 worldwide), no internet lot of shops ( well lot of .. in England ... in Belgium only 1 )
Today they are circa 1000 actives makers ( just see the list ) so even if peoples were buying today 5 times more figures than in 1970, potential for each maker is 5 times less ... and no shop, you're alone in your corner . On the other side in conventions/expositions/contests they are far more events and attendants than in the 70ies
How many collectors did we encounters in a shop 20 ? 30 ?
How many members/visitors on this forum, on French forum, on Italian, Spanish, Netherlands, German, Portguesse, Greeks, Polish, Russian .....
Just add the Gamesworkshop addicts ( all the young ones are there )
My first visit to a Game Workshop was early 70ies in London, they had no figurine and the shop ( the only one in the world ) was so small that 5 customers in , was a growth . Today they even sell via press distribution ( like Altaya, Del Prado .... ) You can buy your favotite newspaper and at the same time a figurine for your kid and lot of peoples does that because " It's cheap and it's a toy "
So globaly I would say they are more amateurs figurines painters than in the past
