Preffered Scale

[stu]

Hi everybody,

I am writting to ask what is everybodies preffered scale for figures, say for napoleonics/british empire etc, personally I love 120mm, but am in a dilemma for some future releases as to what scale to put them out in.

I would hate to release a lovely figure only for its scale to be detremental to its sales etc

Cheers

Stu

 

[housecarl]

A lot of people are saying that 120mm has died a death, personally I like it. I think that 54mm has become the most popular followed by 75mm. So it's hard to say. I think there was a poll on here somewhere.
Carl.

 

[tonydawe]

Stu,

I like large scale (1/16th and above) but I also enjoy 54mm (1/32nd) for a change.

I'll try any scale if I really like the figure, but price is also an issue. Large scale metal figures, particularly mounted figures, are ridiculously expensive and I just don't but them for that reason.

 

[Jamie Stokes]

I am in agreement with Tony, and Carl has some valid points.

I will pick up any figure that appeals to me, balanced against the cost......

1/7 scale is my current project, and I have some other small scales (and some other scales) in the pipeline too.

Scales will always be a balance between size, detail, material, cost and display volume.

(A 1/7 mounted soldier in metal - Ouch!)

However, going by a quick scan of my past projects, 1/9 scale is nice, as is 75mm. I'd prefer resin over metal, however there are some things that resin can do that metal wont, and vice versa......

Cheers

 

[stu]

Thanks for the replies so far, I can see why the scale cost issue is important, but when you look at the cost of most 75mm figures they are equal if not more costly than a 120mm figure.

For me 54mm is on the wain, being replaced by 75mm.54mm will always be popular but it seams manufacturers are moving away from it.

Why is it that 120mm is not liked so much

stu

 

[garyjd]

54s became widely popular with the rise of acrylic painting IMO. My guess is that the smaller figures are also easier to paint in acrylics. There are only a few painters that I can think of that are capable of achieving the same results with acrylics that the top oil paintings are getting on larger scale figures. The cost of a larger figure verses those that are smaller also come into play. Two cents. ~Gary

 

[Guy]

My preferred scale is 75mm and 90mm figures. I guess the reason for staying away from the 120's is due to there being very limited accessories and groundwork items to use with them. As I have gotten older I find myself not comfortable with 54mm sized figures due to the small size and old eyes. It would still depend on the sculpting and subject matter.

 

[bonehead]

I find it ironic that 75mm is claimed to be a popular scale. Years ago I tried to convince my clients to do stuff in this scale. Nobody would touch it. Now, all of a sudden it is popular. The same thing happened to me with busts.

Maybe I am just too far ahead of the times.....

But in case anybody wants to know, I think the "new" trend will be 1/48th scale. Well, except for old geezers. That is why I use an optivisor.

Mike

 

[stu]

Thanks guy and mike, I am coming to the conclusion that I will opt for both 120 and 75/80 mm, but choose carefully the figures I pick.

120mm definately works with WW2 and to a degree napoleonics etc.

Mike I think 1/48th scale will take off big esp in WW2, just think of all those germans to be redone inthis scale, that will really bore the pants off some people.

My optivisor is becoming a good friend at times

Cheers

Stu

 

[Centaur]

"I find it ironic that 75mm is claimed to be a popular scale. "

Yes Mike indeed )
This is an old german range of Elastolin and Hausser-Preiser scale.
As I want made 75mm every distributor says do not, we cant selling.
Times are changing.
Before Pegaso comes out 1996 with Knights nobody has interess about Knights.
It is not always a question of quality, marketing and quantity- these are like rivers under
the surfavce of earth!

 

[megroot]

I like the 54mm the most, but 75 is better for my old eyes.

marc

 

[Mike Stevens]

I tend to stay with 54MM's. I like the wide range of offerings.

 

[Barke02]

I'd say stick to the scale that you like sculpting in Stuart. If you start to pander, you'll end up doing 1/35th!

Personally I think 1/16th is the perfect scale.

The idea of a figure sculpted and painted using an optivisor will only mean one day we'll all have to wear optivisors at hobby shows just to see the blimin' figures!

Ha ha, that tickles me....a couple of hundred old duffers shuffling around with their magnifying headsets on!

Cheers,
Jon.

 

[Meehan34]

As a pretty new member to the hobby I will put my two cents in. I started in 54mm because they were cheap, then went straight to 90mm because of a cool figure and really liked the scale. I painted about 10 figures in 90mm then went to busts. In the middle of all of this I painted a 75mm and bought two more. I am in the process of painting a 90mm and the next one I paint is an old 120mm U-Boat captain that I am excited about. I have in the process bought another 120mm figure and am excited about that one also. I am far from a good painter but here is my take on all of this wandering.

I hate 54mm, I dislike 75mm I love 90mm and I love 1/10 busts. I haven't painted a 120mm yet but I have an idea they will be the perfect blend of the 90mm figure and the 1/10 bust.

take that for what it is cause it aint really much. But if you like sculpting in 120mm keep on keepin on.

 

[jimias]

In my personnal opinion 75mm is the golden medium. I only wish more firms followed Pegaso's lead make it more easy to build a vignette in the scale.

 

[ghamilt1]

My favorite scale for painting is 75,mm, but I enjoy 54mm for sculpting, mostly because of the wide range of spare parts and accessories available in that smaller scale. As I've said in other posts, if SOMEONE would start producing a quality set of 75mm accessories, let's start with heads, I couldn't imagine being happier.

 

[Ferris]

I particluarly like 120mm and 54mm/1:35 and am trying to not buy too wide a range of different scales to achieve some display cabinet uniformity. But I will buy any figure that intrigues me and I am starting to lose my discipline now that I have seen Pegaso's 75mms.

For practical reasons (not so good eyes and not wanting to wear an optivisor all the time) I should focus on 120mm, 90mm and 75mm at the smallest....

Didn't Verlinden start with 120mm? I remember a magazine announcing it as 'a brand new scale'.... I do not have the impression the scale is dying, with Alpine, Jeff Shiu, and some others releasing ever better figures....

Cheers,
Adrian

 

[Barke02]

Doh!, hope I didn't sound too rude there! Didn't mean to!

Probably didn't explain myself too well.

The biggest argument for retaining sizes over scales is that punters know the size of the figure they're buying, and wont be ripped off with something smaller by an unscrupulous company......

...so , if you like star wars figures, and you buy a 120mm Chewbacca....how tall is the scale figure?

120mm, right?

The following week the same company brings out a 120mm Yoda figure, ...that figure will also be 120mm in height, right?

You have two incompatible figures!

If they were scaled correctly one would be 2.28m, the other just 0.66...

Simples...

 

[yellowcat]

When you are getting old your eyes are gone. My favourite sizes are 90mm, 120mm, 150mm to 200mm the larger the better. No more 54mm for me. The 75mms are the same price as 90mms nowadays.

 

[bonehead]

"I find it ironic that 75mm is claimed to be a popular scale. "

Yes Mike indeed )
This is an old german range of Elastolin and Hausser-Preiser scale.
As I want made 75mm every distributor says do not, we cant selling.
Times are changing.
Before Pegaso comes out 1996 with Knights nobody has interess about Knights.
It is not always a question of quality, marketing and quantity- these are like rivers under
the surfavce of earth!

Hello Ulli!

Yes, the old Elastolin figures are what interested me in this scale. Terry Worster got me interested in those when I first started getting serious about figures many years ago. I still like the size as it is big enough without giving you excessive areas to cover with paint. I have to use an airbrush for larger scales.

An optivisor is the great equalizer. Without it, I am hopeless. With it, any scale is fine.

Mike