So I Want to Buy Some Miniatures...

[Riftwalker]

So I'm thinking about running a game in-person eventually. That means getting a table set up and getting some miniatures. But buying miniatures is a daunting task for someone that's never bought any before. I'm hoping for some advice on how and what to buy miniatures-wise from some of the other DMs on these forums. If I'm going to drop a wad of cash on some, which should I get?

Here are my criteria:

• I want miniatures that would be appropriate for a fantasy-themed adventure using D&D 3.5 and/or 4e.
• I'd like all the minis to be already painted or otherwise colored. I don't feel like I have the patience, skill, time, or inclination to paint or color them myself.
• I want them to all have the same look and feel--I would prefer to avoid wildly different styles, outfits, looks, level of detail, material, etc. That means that the pool of minis should probably come from the same company/manufacturer.
• I want to have a good smattering of minis that would be useful with a number of campaign ideas. Having everything be a goblin wouldn't work--I'd rather have a little of this and a little of that. I prefer not to mix and match minis from multiple vendors but rather to acquire a bunch from one vendor with enough variety.
• I prefer the minis to not be "collectible" because my perception is that with collectible minis, there are minis that are only valuable because they are scarce, and I don't care to pay more just because the company decided to not make a bunch of them. This is one reason why I'm turned off to WotC miniatures.
• I generally prefer plastic minis over lead ones, but this isn't a firm requirement. I would prefer for all the minis to be made of the same thing though.

Thoughts? Advice?

[Etarnon]

meh we use pennies or SJG cardboard heroes, but to each his own.

[Webhead]

meh we use pennies or SJG cardboard heroes, but to each his own.

I'm also a fan of cardboard/paper minis for their inexpensivness, ease of transport and the ability to make custom minis on demand using MS Word, a printer and a pair of scissors. The only problem I run into there is that the game table we currently play at has a ceiling fan directly above it which the owner likes to keep on to keep the area cool. It tends to scatter paper minis to the four winds so it limits our current ability to use them (aka...we don't).

But then, I'm a minimalist when it comes to minis/tactical combat so not using them is just fine with me in most cases.

[ignimbrite]

eBay has some painted miniatures
you can buy individual D&D miniatures from paizo - at least you know what you are getting

[1958Fury]

I prefer the minis to not be "collectible" because my perception is that with collectible minis, there are minis that are only valuable because they are scarce, and I don't care to pay more just because the company decided to not make a bunch of them. This is one reason why I'm turned off to WotC miniatures.

I'm totally with you there. I love WOTC's minis, but I hate the way they're sold - treating them as collectors items, and randomly packing them. These are game pieces, not comic books! It's like having to buy the Thimble off E-bay to complete your Monopoly collection. It makes me so angry knowing that if I need a beholder for tonight's game, I have to either get very lucky with a random pack, pay $30+ from E-Bay, or use a saltshaker. And even if you knew which minis you were getting in a box, they're still overpriced.

However... in every other way, the WOTC miniatures fit your qualifications. They're prepainted, they look great, they're durable, they're uniform in size, and they obviously fit the D&D 3.5/4e theme. I personally collect them because I like them, not just for gaming. But they are spot-on perfect for gaming.

I won't defend WOTC's pricing - it stinks - but you can find deals if you look for them. Now and then someone will sell their entire collections on E-Bay for a good price, or lots of commons, etc. Also, some comic book stores sell loose ones for cheap. You can buy specific minis from many websites, and the prices can be good or bad, depending on what you need. I've seen commons for as low as 25 cents each, which is great when you consider that unpainted lead figures often go for $5 or more.

Otoh, some of the rare WOTC minis can go for $40 or more. I'm particularly bugged because there aren't any common Dragonborn minis yet. I was lucky to get one randomly packed, but I would have had to spend about $15 otherwise. Bad luck if you play a Dragonborn character. (Note to WOTC: Player races shouldn't be rares!)
In any event, you should check out some of the prices before you dismiss the idea. As ignimbrite suggests, check out Paizo, but also look at CoolStuffInc, abPrices, AlterReality, IconUSA, and of course, E-Bay.

[Webhead]

...*snippity*...

Right there with you, except that I'm one of those who was completely turned off of them to the point that I have not purchased a single mini from WOTC. Overpriced, randomly assorted collectible card ga...excuse me, miniatures of pseudo-arbitrary rarity scale. Yes, there should be at least one mini for each available race/monster in "common" rarity to allow them to be more useful at the game table. Of course, then people wouldn't have to buy 30 boosters just to get that displacer beast that you needed...but I digress.

I had a fleeting moment where I was very tempted to pick up a few Star Wars minis boosters...I looked at the price tag and quickly came back to my senses.

Still, ebay is the best place to go for those. Often times, people will sell lots of a dozen or more figures for nickels and dimes (okay, not counting shipping) and at least you know what you're buying. Even so, you have to be diligent or else you'll be outbid on the best deals.

In short, if you want WOTC minis (which, admittedly, are very good for what they are) you either need A) wads of cash begging to be thrown away or B) the patience of a saint tracking and sniping Ebay auctions.

[1958Fury]

In short, if you want WOTC minis (which, admittedly, are very good for what they are) you either need A) wads of cash begging to be thrown away or B) the patience of a saint tracking and sniping Ebay auctions.

I don't know; I haven't really spent what I'd call "wads of cash", and I have a fairly large collection (and a pretty low income). Mine just built up over time.

What you're saying mostly applies to the "rare" ones, and for those, E-bay sniping might be the only way (but check the links I posted first). Here's CoolStuffInc's current singles for Demonweb - some of them are hideously expensive, but some of them are 49 cents. Riftwalker doesn't specifically say he's looking for rare ones, he says he wants "a little of this, a little of that" - the perfect candidate for random-packed boxes. It's fairly easy to build up a supply of common creatures. Alterreality lets you buy all the commons of a set for $10, or all the uncommons for $15. (Or, uh, *cough* a complete set for *cough* $300 *cough*)

Anyway, it all depends on what you're looking for. I personally have only used E-bay when I saw a good deal; I haven't had to use it to find a specific rare mini.

[placebosonly]

i just use warhammer minis lol

[Riftwalker]

Thanks for the input so far. I keep flipping back between trying to find some WotC minis and figuring something else out because I don't want to play into their pricing scheme. I may buy the commons and/or uncommons in a set like 1958Fury suggests, but I'm going to have to figure out precisely what minis (and how many) I want first. In some sets there are more uncommons than commons!

[tesral]

I The only problem I run into there is that the game table we currently play at has a ceiling fan directly above it which the owner likes to keep on to keep the area cool. It tends to scatter paper minis to the four winds so it limits our current ability to use them (aka...we don't)..

Washers or pennies depending on the size glued to the bases.

I'm totally with you there. I love WOTC's minis, but I hate the way they're sold - treating them as collectors items, and randomly packing them..

The good thing that is changing. Lizards pricing I can bear, its the resellers that get you. From 15 to 20 dollars for 8 painted minis of that quality? Give me more. Take a look at Reapers pricing. Beautiful stuff, but you need to paint and protect it. I huck bags of the D&D minis around the room. For human sized what gets you 8 Lizards minis painted and near indestructable, gets you three pewter minis unpainted. Don't get me wrong, I like the pewter, but the D&D minis are cheaper.

[Webhead]

Washers or pennies depending on the size glued to the bases...

The only problem with that is once you commit a penny or washer to the base with tape or glue, you lose the ability to fold the minis for ease of storage. Not that it makes a huge difference but it is something I take into consideration.

Then again, most times we just end up using spare dice as our minis, so it's not such a big deal.

[tesral]

The only problem with that is once you commit a penny or washer to the base with tape or glue, you lose the ability to fold the minis for ease of storage. Not that it makes a huge difference but it is something I take into consideration.

Then again, most times we just end up using spare dice as our minis, so it's not such a big deal.

I have a bunch of Spelljammer ships of that type. I toss them in a router box. They keep nicely.

[Webhead]

I really dug the old paper minis that came with a lot of the Marvel Super Heroes sets. They were three-sided standees which was cool not only for its novelty but for the enhanced visability on the table, sense of perspective and for determining facing (since one of the sides depicted the character's "back"). The only downside being that they had no bottom to attach a weight to, unless you added one.

You can still get them in PDF form, now the only issue is getting them printed in decent color and on cardstock, something that can probably be done well enough at your local print shop.

[tesral]

Everyone needs a color laser printer. They as so cheap now it isn't funny.

[mrken]

Hey Tesral, where do you buy replacement cartridges. I have heard there are places to buy them for $30 or $40 each, but I have yet to find one of those places. Mine are running about $130 each. Would be cheaper to buy a new printer for that price.