Guy
A Fixture
Reviews
Sample kits – They are kits that are sent to me without any cost to me at the time I receive them here at home. They are what some people call “Free” or “Freebies” as other people call them. But this is where the definition of “free” ends. It takes me an average of 3 hours to complete each review. The process starts with the photographic work which will entail about 45 to 60 photos taken for each 30 picture review. Quite often, I will take the kit parts out to my shop and remove carefully the casting blocks so that the reader of the review can see the kit dry-fitted together. Next I process all the photographs through a photo editing program to crop the pictures and size them for the forum. I then pick out the best 30 photographs to use in the review and arrange them in sequence that I will use in the review.
At this point, I have only 3 hours of my time involved, on average. Some kits are more complex and therefore require more time. During this 3 hour time, most of you would be painting figures which is what I also love to do. The reviews take away from me many, many hours of time I could be painting as well.
Another aspect of “Sample Kits” is the fact that it gives the forum member more of a diversity of subject matter. If I only reviewed kits I bought, you would just have reviews of Indians, Mountain Men, Vikings and Mongols. But I do review many historical subjects that I have no interest whatsoever of painting. Every once in a while a sample comes through that I just can’t wait to paint myself.
Now, over the last 6 or 7 years of doing reviews, I have accumulated many Germans, Napoleonics and Seven Year War figures that are stacked everywhere in my den. Many of them get traded, sold or donated to others to help pay the cost of cameras (on my third one now), photographic lights as well as Photo editing programs for the computer. Do many of you know how much the Photoshop Program costs? It is not cheap.
Many of my friends hit by the recent economic recession have received kits from me to keep them in the hobby. I can remember a good friend from Tulsa who left with over a dozen kits and another friend in Norman, Oklahoma who left here with about the same.
Buy— yes, I do sell many of the Samples because after the work I put into each I have earned the right to do so. By now, I have earned that “Free” sample many are crying about. So you see after all, nothing in life is free.
Many have also criticized my style of reviews. I do Photographic reviews and if there is a seam line on a figure you can bet I have a photo of it in the review. Unless the manufacturer sends me a historical note I do not do historical research for each review. I am reviewing the figure…..not the history. If you want to know more about the history, google the subject and read it yourself….I’m not.
On many figures, I recommend the figure for those interested in the subject matter. Even though it may have seam lines or casting blocks I will still recommend it…….all figures have these things. There have been a few figures where you saw no recommendation made by me. Duh……what does this tell you? And a few who I have recommended not for you to buy. Most of the castings nowadays are much better quality than back when I started.
Some people have questioned the qualifications needed for a review to be made by a person. I have 39 years in this hobby and if that is not enough qualification, you need to research back and see if Mark Twain did any figure reviews.
I am on my 483rd review and now all of a sudden this crap comes up. I am so glad those people woke up and started criticizing reviews, of which none of them have ever done themselves.
Now, if you don’t like my reviews……tell me now in this thread. But tell me how or why they need to be changed. And hey, if you do like them and appreciate them…..let me know that too. It might keep me doing them.
Also thanks to Jim Patrick for defending me yesterday. Much appreciated that there was one willing to come forward to do so.
Last but not least, why do I do figure kit reviews? So many of this rare breed of figure painters have never been or will ever have the opportunity to visit a hobby shop that carries figures and be able to open the box before handing out their hard earned dollars for a kit. Much less attend a figure show and see all the painted figures and shop in the vendor’s area. But they do have the internet or access to it through their work or a local library. These reviews are for you guys…….I was one, once too.
