Service,,,,Quality,,,,,Passion

[stu]

Many thanks for the comments so far !!!! I am gleaming bits of info that I am sure I will use over the next year of 2014 and beyond. I have had many a conversation with graham at CGS and there will be a few changes as far as we are concerned.

Part of the heading was PASSION,,,, for me this is what makes me do what I do,,,esp having a day job as well.

For me this starts with the idea of a product and is ultimately finalised with the boxart. Along the way there are a few challenges a few laughs and most importantly a product that I am proud of ,,,, that I have ultimately created with a team of friends towards a goal,,,,,, its not about putting lumps of resin in boxes,,,,,its about a process that gives you what I consider is Good value and of a quality I would be happy with. If its not my sculpt then a product that the sculptor is proud of too.

For me personally the best moment is pulling that first casting out of a mould,,,,,that has serious WOW factor,,,,its sad I know, but for me that's the challenge to take a sculpt,,,,mould it and get the casting out,,,,,, with,,,minimul casting lugs and as small as possible,,,bubble free,,,,consideration for mould lines. This is what makes you do the next one and the next etc etc.

For me anyway this is the key to the SERVICE and QUALITY part.

I follow a few manufacturers and buy there products because these qualities are clearly evident to me .

For me a kit should be in a sturdy box that can withstand delivery,,,boxart should be there either as black and white or colour,,,,but if not colour then painting instruction should surely be included. I personally think people should get good clear painting references,,, this year I have started to include colour pics as a guide also.......part of improving my product.

I would be interested to see what peoples views are on what they expect in a box.

Many thanks

Stuart

 

[Funky50]

For me I suppose the thing that will always attract me to the figure first and formost is quality followed very closely by subject ...personally I will always forgive small innacuracies in a subject as long as it's not too glaring the odd missed button is of small interest to me as long as the overall quality is high......I find Looking back over recent past nearly all of my purchases have been from Stuart , Graham or Gordon mostly,in part this has been what they produce ie subject and the tremendous Quality of the castings I just know what I'm going to get from you guys... I have no interest in German WW2 subjects but in the main anything Napolionic,Victorian especially British subjects (but not exclusively ) will always grab my attention and persuade me to spend my money...scale of subject is another factor for me but that might just be my age and failing eyesight and the 3 producers I have mentioned all produce my favorite scales....another thing is the friendliness and respect these guys have shown me personally in all my dealings with them ...I have in the past not bought figures from other manufacturers purely from having had a poor experience with them in the past so for me this is important....lastly and probably luckily for me the last consideration is price within reason ....If I want it then As I say within reason I will pay the price ...hope this helps Stu and as far as I'm concerned you guys are hitting all the right notes for me and long may it continue ....Kevin

 

[Hecky_uk]

Stu

Great thread , and some interesting comments along the way. As you know I am a fan of your products and as far I am concerned keep the products coming.

The quality starts with the sculptor and clearly you use some of the best in the world, who create interesting subjects with well considered poses. Being someone who has spent time casting I appreciate the difficulties in moulding certain items and designing the mould so that the casting releases easily , but will also minimise your failures as these can cost a lot of time and money in such a labour intensive process.

I will gladly accept a slightly more difficult to remove casting block if this means less part lines to remove, I realise its a balance. I prefer figures with well engineered fitment points , ie a clear locating point that leaves little room for error when constructing a figure. Sturdy boxing , boxart and either good painting references are always a plus, a hyperlink to an online resource is also acceptable and welcome.

To be honest it's about the whole package really , subject choice , pose , as clean a casting as possible , packaging and instructions / guide where possible. I am sure your sales figures will indicate wether you are on the right track or not.

As far as I am concerned keep up the good work and keep on emptying peoples wallets !

ATB for 2014

Ian

 

[Ron Tamburrini]

Hi Ron Did you get my message about a base,no rush mate

No Brian no Email , what is it you want re base, PM me

 

[DEL]

No Brian no Email , what is it you want re base, PM me

Ron this really works on the imac press really hard on the button

 

[DEL]

Many thanks for the comments so far !!!! I am gleaming bits of info that I am sure I will use over the next year of 2014 and beyond. I have had many a conversation with graham at CGS and there will be a few changes as far as we are concerned.

Part of the heading was PASSION,,,, for me this is what makes me do what I do,,,esp having a day job as well.

For me this starts with the idea of a product and is ultimately finalised with the boxart. Along the way there are a few challenges a few laughs and most importantly a product that I am proud of ,,,, that I have ultimately created with a team of friends towards a goal,,,,,, its not about putting lumps of resin in boxes,,,,,its about a process that gives you what I consider is Good value and of a quality I would be happy with. If its not my sculpt then a product that the sculptor is proud of too.

For me personally the best moment is pulling that first casting out of a mould,,,,,that has serious WOW factor,,,,its sad I know, but for me that's the challenge to take a sculpt,,,,mould it and get the casting out,,,,,, with,,,minimul casting lugs and as small as possible,,,bubble free,,,,consideration for mould lines. This is what makes you do the next one and the next etc etc.

For me anyway this is the key to the SERVICE and QUALITY part.

I follow a few manufacturers and buy there products because these qualities are clearly evident to me .

For me a kit should be in a sturdy box that can withstand delivery,,,boxart should be there either as black and white or colour,,,,but if not colour then painting instruction should surely be included. I personally think people should get good clear painting references,,, this year I have started to include colour pics as a guide also.......part of improving my product.

I would be interested to see what peoples views are on what they expect in a box.

Many thanks

Stuart

Stu....I've been trying to come up with something to say that adds to the debate but in essence you've answered your questions yourself.
Just keep on doing what you're doing.

 

[Ron Tamburrini]

View attachment 145126
Ron this really works on the imac press really hard on the button

It wasn't me who done the Hi Jacking I referred it to a PM It was one of our country buddies

 

[tonydawe]

Hi Stu,

Since it's very slow at work today, I thought I'd share my thoughts on your questions re box art.

Box art plays a critical role in selling a figure.

Personally I prefer the black & white photo style, as it allows the modeller complete freedom to imagine the figure for themselves. It also allows the skill of the sculptor to be showcased. I'm a big fan of Carl Reid's sculpting, and Moz, and I like the fact that most of their new releases are announced on pF with the release of a B&W photo.

I have no problem with the beautifully painted colour photo style of box art, but its always hard to look at the work of Danilo Cartacci, Ernesto Reyes Staluth and others of their standard, and not feel that your version will never quite be as good as theirs.

I agree that when the box art is black & white style, then painting instructions should be provided, however as someone who likes to do my own research on uniforms, that's not a deal-breaker for me.

I like a good sturdy box and the pieces, whether resin or metal, carefully packed in small plastic zip lock bags and wrapped in bubble wrap, or wedged between some pieces of foam. The foam pieces are useful later on when packing figures to take to shows.

 

[Sturm Grenadier]

Hello Stu, Your questions are some of the very best I have seen on this site to date. I must say that I find responding to them, very difficult, without writing a story of all the factors, both pro and con, on your great topics. It would take me forever to answer them. I will say this to you Stu, there's no doubt you have a great passion for miniatures, both in figures and busts. That is quite evident by the products you and your team produce. To me, it shows great class, in even asking all of us our opinions in the first place. I admire and respect this very much. I wish other manufacturers would follow your lead. A great thread Stu, I think it would make for a very interesting seminar at a show somewhere, someday. I definitely would attend. Regards, SG

 

[pte1643]

I think Brian nailed it further up.

You're providing a great service already.

I've had a couple of 120mm figures from your Stormtroopers range (I'm still relatively new to figure painting) and have my eye on some more for the future.

They've been super quality casts, well packaged and delivered fast... The "passion" is evident in the quality of not only the service, but the figures too.

Repeat business is about as good as it gets, if you were doing it wrong people would stop buying from you.

Keep up the good work. I look forward to placing more orders in the new year.

Seasons greetings and all that.

 

[Ron Tamburrini]

A revisit to this thread I think is necessary after spending my third day of cleaning and prepping a 120mm scale figure which will require a lot more work and then extensive filling drilling and pinning before ready to undercoat.
This model is in somewhere around fourteen parts with which seems totally unnecessary ,why doo the lower calf separate beats me ,and as for casting plugs they are way over the top.

On a recent visit to a show there was a manufacturer of fantasy stuff present whose figures didn't have as much as a mould line let alone a casting plug ,in discussion they said it is not that difficult to achieve this ,so perhaps this is something that could be improved on with many manufacturers .

Ron

 

[Don]

Stuart I hope this is not too late but just got up today and seen this.
I tend to stick with the same manufacturers as they make figures I Like. That to me is the best reason to buy a figure, I like it and using same company I learn to trust their figures and the quality of their casting. The figures positioning is covered by the first point, I have to like the position to like the figure, no use buying figures I dont like.
The makers I use (very small group) I know their quality and as is my way of shopping I can get to see the figures before I buy them, mostly at Euro and S&L. Makers I use and like are Stormtroopers, Imperial Gallery, Mitches Models and Graham at GS. Recently sent for (despite my feelings about buying unseen) a figure by Steve Leadley and it was outstanding in every way, so I will add another name to my list.
So to lay it out I have to see the figure, like it, pose and sculpt then I buy it. I am sure you know this from my trading at Euro!
Bit the same as the other posts but thought you may like the thoughts of an everyday punter.
Merry Christmas to you and the family.

Don