Getting Started (1 Viewer)

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Basilhare

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I have just started in the Hobby. As a miniature wargamer, I have always been interested in the Napoleonic Genre and, after visiting a Shop in San Antonio, picked up a few pieces to start a collection.

My initial goal would be to make some small diroma type displays to put in my office, in the den at home, etc.. After that, Im not sure if building up towards a larger display cabinet will be in the works or not.

A couple of newbie questions if I May:

Is there a source for small to medium size (6" to 12" square?) acrylic (to start - glass later?) display cases/boxes. Im assuming that the cheapy car display cases you find in the model sections of your hobby store wont do - I would guess that something with a wood base would be desirable? I want to "terrain" the bases though and thus I was thinking that you would not want to ruin an expensive case by doing so.

Im guessing (with total ignorance) that there are 2 ways to approach the hobby - (1) By simply displaying the soldiers themselves in a nice case (unmarred by terrain) and (2) in static, diroma like, displays...

What is the thinking of glueing the figures to a base for a static diroma? Is this the cardinal sin of colecting, since i would guess it ruins the value of the piece?

Any thoughts and advice for a newbie collector would be appreciated...
 
Hi and welcome to the forum,hope you have fun.

I am a display only kind of guy and have my figures and vehicles in cabinets.However despite not creating dio's as of yet,i would think it would be a big no no to glue any K&C Figures down.Not glueing them also allows much more movement in different dios in the future.

Rob
 
Actually, there are several alternatives for a good way to display the figures. I have not created any fullblown dioramas but do have several semi-dioramas (i.e., I set up scenes but not on large foam or wood bases - not yet anyway). I buy accessory pieces such as trees, walls, destroyed buildings and set up scenes in my case. Sometimes I buy a grass or sand base to sit them on, sometimes not. This allows for flexibility of moving items around into different scenes and to different shelves as my collection grows and as my mood changes.

I definitely wouldn't glue collectible figures.
 
Welcome Basilhare. I would agree that permanently affixing the bases would not be the best approach. Not only would it detract from their value but it is really not necessary since they can be easily arranged to stay as you like them in any form of diorama. You can also easily cover the bases temporarily with ground cover material as several here suggest. Take a look at UKReb's excellent civil war scenes for example. Another reason for not permanently placing your figures is that if you don't, you can change your displays as often as you like to represent different scenes or even variations of the same scene. I found that a large part of the appeal of having them.

Also if you like the Napoleonic range, you should also definitely consider the First Legion figures. Their sculpting, detail and painting cannot be beat at the price.;)
http://www.firstlegionltd.com/54mmgallery.aspx
Their scale also fits great with K&C or Britain. You can also see the discussion of some of their current and upcoming releases in the Matt by Manufactuer, More Manufacturers, First Legion Forum area, as you can see from this thread.
http://www.treefrogtreasures.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9201
 
Welcome to the Hobby and to the TFT Forum.
Dioramas and display cases each have their own special appeal. I hope to have both. Some of the fun with the dioramas is building all the "objects" that will add flavor and interest to the dio, for example, roads, fences, bunkers, buildings and such.

There are a lot of ways to construct excellent "large and small" scale dioramas. As in every case you want to protect your investment and construction with an enclosed case. (Dusts, Cats, little fingers,...)
The magazine and website "Fine Scale Modeler" has some great examples as well as RR mags. IF you look in the local newpapers for "store" auctions many times you can get a fantastic store display case for next to nothing.

Look in the TFT diorama section for "unbelievable" works of art from many of the artists here.

Good luck but most of all have fun. We will be lookng forward to seeing your work.
 
If you have a Michael's crafts store near your home, they carry display cases as well. They are designed for the size of sports collectibles for the most part but could work fine with soldiers. They don't have airflow like curios, and this is probably a negative. I was just in today, and they got a new line of completely clear cases, so no frame around the edges. You could use those for a small diorama. Michael's often runs half price sales on display cases, and this is the only time I have purchased any there.
 
Thanks to all of you for the advice and help. I will look at Michaels and also check out the mags that were mentioned for the cases....

question: Are the First Legion Figures considered a "better" piece than a similar K&C figure, or is it all a matter of taste? I have noticed a wide range of prices from various companies and K&C seems to be on the less expensive end of the metal figures...
 
I also note that there are both 60mm and 54mm figures offered by various companies...do collectors mix and match these figures within their diromas or is the best way to get started is to pick a single company and collect only that scale and from only a single company?
 
Basilhare said:
Thanks to all of you for the advice and help. I will look at Michaels and also check out the mags that were mentioned for the cases....

question: Are the First Legion Figures considered a "better" piece than a similar K&C figure, or is it all a matter of taste? I have noticed a wide range of prices from various companies and K&C seems to be on the less expensive end of the metal figures...
Click to expand...
I have both and I think the First Legion figures are quite a bit better in terms of their accuracy and detail. Each person has to judge for themselves but for starters you can review the various comparative comments and photos in the threads below for other views. Their size makes them compatible with K&C and Britains with is around the 58-60mm size.
http://www.treefrogtreasures.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9587
http://www.treefrogtreasures.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8341
http://www.treefrogtreasures.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8883

The fact is that you don't have to take anyone's word for the difference, get one or more of each and compare for yourself; that is what I did. Since they fit together, it is not a waste no matter which way you go and you may end up with some of both since the K&C figures are a bit cheaper. I would recommend the First Legion French Infrantry for this purpose, unless the new Guards are out when you order.
 
You might also want to look at the Napoleonics made by GM Miniatures, which are being carried by Treefrog. I saw them in Chicago and they looked quite good. Shannon also had some prototypes of forthcoming figures and they looked even better.
 
jazzeum said:
You might also want to look at the Napoleonics made by GM Miniatures, which are being carried by Treefrog. I saw them in Chicago and they looked quite good. Shannon also had some prototypes of forthcoming figures and they looked even better.
Click to expand...
Are they in that same 58-60mm size range?
 
Yes, they are. They're designed to complement K & C.
 
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