The most disappointing thing you have bought.

[Banjer]

After quite a few years of dithering because of the price I have just purchased the 90 mm Pegaso Delaware figure. I bought it second hand off eBay for approx half price. What a let down, poorly defined features, soft details, bad fitting joints and totally uninspiring. I am sure when assembled and painted it will be an OK figure but I'm glad I didn't pay the retail (nearly £80) price for it.

What have you bought that didn't live up to expectation?

Bill

 

[Tecumsea]

I bought the semper fidelis Pavia hussar. Could never really get rid of the seam lines and when I primed it ended up with paint forming globules and not wanting to settle or dry...l binned it in disgust something l have never done before. From reading recent posts l now realise that it was a case of the resin not curing properly.

We never stop learning.

 

[MrBMB]

I bought an early 3D printed sculpt and was horrified as it looked nothing like the image the seller had sent me. It was about 5-10 years ago so it was more about technology then the item. Just the finish pic looked to have an excellent surface, which it was not.

And the other one

 

[Ferris]

A penis pump!!
Never increased the scale!!
Then bought another and had the same issues!!!
Will never buy another product from "Wendy wants it" again!!!!
They told me it doesn't work in winter time!

Perhaps you bought the 54mm version?
200mms and larger are usually more expensive.... :-P

 

[yellowcat]

Almost every resin and metal figure kits that I bought in the last few years were full of problems.
Offset mould lines, seam lines, casting bubbles, detail missing, broken parts, missing parts, cheap resin.
It took couple of months just to get the replacement parts and they were not much better than before and
not to mention time wasted and create anxiety.
The most disappointed thing that I have bought has to be Bonapartes Samurai bust.
I even got insulted by them. https://www.planetfigure.com/threads/bad-casting-from-bonaparte.113311/

 

[fogie]

Can't add much to this thread I'm delighted to say. Over the last two years or so I've bought about thirty- odd
individual figures ( including a few cracking little gems that arrived the other day which haven't yet been broadly
advertised ) and not had a 'miss' with any of them. Perhaps I've been lucky or just a bit 'picky'.....

Mike

 

[Blind Pew]

Mike's right. Standards are generally so high now that you've really gotta go some to get a dud.

 

[Tecumsea]

I agree I have only had the one really bad experience as outlined above.

The quality of resin casting these days from the likes of RP and Avan post (there are others) is quite remarkable especially with the level of detail contained in the sculpting.

Having said that quality of metal casting from the likes of Metal Models and Pegaso is still very high.

We are really spoiled for choice these days.

Keith

 

[Banjer]

I wasn't saying the Pegaso figure was particularly bad, just not as crisp and sharp as I was expecting and rather underwhelming.

Perhaps when I assemble and paint it I will be able to revise my opinion, I certainly hope so.

Bill

 

[fogie]

Often seems to be the way of things, Bill, these days. Some sculptors and manufacturers produce such crisp
and sharp stuff that it makes some of the others look a bit 'iffy' by comparison - they're not bad of course, they
only seem to be. Sometimes disappointments do occur where shoddy and inadequate production is to blame,
which needs to be sorted. Hopefully this is rare and in my own case I've been lucky in my choices. Rock on ...eh?

Mike

 

[Forté]

I take it the figure you bought had the original box?

 

[Banjer]

I take it the figure you bought had the original box?

Yes it came in original box with a Historex sticker on it. I must admit if it hadn't I would have suspected a recast.

Most of my models are original Poste Militaire and David Grieve so I have been used to top quality sculpting and casting and this one isn't up to these standards.

Bill

 

[Paul Kernan]

I recently pulled the old 90mm Pegaso Gladiator (Mirmillo?) out of my stash. Can't say it was the most disappointing purchase ever but similar to Bill's experience, detail was soft, lots of seam lines (no mould shift, thank goodness) and bloody horrible fit. With a lot of clean-up, resculpting and milliput, it still presents a nice figure. Saving grace is, I bought it years ago for a fraction of the cost at MMSI (Chicago)

 

[fogie]

Strikes me that whenever issues like this crop up - as they do from time to time - Pegaso often seem to
feature in the tale of woe. Might be just coincidence of course, or it might be that with their huge volume
of production, errors are bound to occur. It might even be high time for them to pull up their socks. I don't
have an axe to grind here, for I've never really cared for their stuff - it always seemed a bit massed produced
to me.

Mike

 

[theBaron]

Not really a big deal, but I'm a little disappointed with a magnifier I bought, like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/MagniPros-Il...4262182260101&ref_=sbx_be_s_sparkle_td_asin_1

The one I got is a different product, but it's the same design. It works OK, and it's got a range of magnification, with 6 different lenses. I also like have the light mounted along the line of sight.

What disappoints me is that it is uncomfortable compared to my old Optivisor and to a pair of cheap, non-prescription, off-the-rack reading glasses from the drugstore. Because of the weight of the lenses and the battery pack for the light, it sits heavily on the bridge of my nose, and I haven't really gotten used to using it. I find that depending on the task, I still use the Optivisor, which still has better magnification via its loupe than this product does, or the reading glasses.

I may just offer the new magnifier for sale to my clubmates, I haven't decided.

Prost!
Brad

 

[yellowcat]

I agree I have only had the one really bad experience as outlined above.

The quality of resin casting these days from the likes of RP and Avan post (there are others) is quite remarkable especially with the level of detail contained in the sculpting.

Having said that quality of metal casting from the likes of Metal Models and Pegaso is still very high.

We are really spoiled for choice these days.

Keith

I totally agree with Keith that RP sculpting is remarkable but their casting by YS (Yiannis Sagiadinos) is hit and miss. This is 120mm Murat's horse from their recently release of Battle of Abukir. This is just one of YS casting example and there are more. Despite of YS casting problem, RP has the best customer service, their kits are lifetime warranty and Hugo is the nicest person to deal with.

Felix

 

[Chrisr]

I agree the quality of sculpting and casting these days is excellent, so I have been very happy with what I have received. My only disappointment was the Chronos white metal mounted Russian hussar (CHM -54100(m)). Poor fitting, especially the horse and horse furniture, and requires a fair bit of work. I notice it is no longer in their catalogue.

 

[Babelfish]

Some of the earlier releases from MMM were very poor, to the point that I can safely say that collectively they were my biggest figure-buying disappointments (great subjects & sculpts ruined by irredeemably bad casting). The worst in my experience were the 200mm "Task Force Black" SAS trooper and the WWII Commonwealth sniper. I ended up returning both for a full refund.

Flip side though (criticism where it's justifed, but praise where it's due): I've never had an issue with MMM busts, they have a great range, and their customer service is always excellent and no-quibble. The Mitchell lads and their Dad are some of the nicest guys in the hobby.

- Steve

 

[David Spencer]

Figures-wise, perhaps the weakest was the Pegaso Vexillifer in 75mm.
Considering the price and manufacturer, I'd expected decent casting and assembly.
Too many imperfections.

 

[kevininpdx]

I’ve concluded at this point that the manufacturers are for the most part passionate amateurs. Expecting perfect casts will only lead to frustration. When it does happen it’s a welcomed surprise. This hobby is too niche to demand more in my opinion. I have yet to encounter a cast so bad that warrants a complete replacement/refund. Funny Paul mentioned Pegaso’s Thraex gladiator. I’m building it right now and took me about six hours just to glue the crest on, having to slowly cut and file it down.