sculpting and painting of F.L. (2 Viewers)

[sammy719]

I do not collect St. petersburg, but have always admired thier product up close at Monkey depot in Phoenix, and thought.. man how cool would it be to have WWII done in the same fashion as a St. Petersburg form, well I think First Legion is just if not better in it's design.sculpting..painting of thier soldiers, I have not purchased any vehicles yet but plan on getting all 3 in the very near future, but I have collected most of the German sets in my young F.L. history, the detail is incredible, the eagle on the german shirt is so well defined, every metal clip or bolt is perfectly defined and painted to actual color, if your ever on the fence about collecting First Legion, please buy a couple, then decide, I look forward to the future with First Legion as it exspands out into different areas of WWII, once Stalingrad has been completed. keep up the great work Matt and co...Sammy

 

[Gebhard]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

I'm a long time collector of Aeroart and I continue to be so . I can tell you that in my opinion First Legion are producing WWII figures at a level that has never been done up to this point by anyone . The sculpting and painting are so well done, it really is impressive . I'm first and foremost a collector of original Militaria and I can assure you First Legion are dead on . I'm not sure of your comment to the Battle of Stalingrad line , but if they are gonna do with this line as they are doing with their Napoleonic range I would not look for a western front theme for quite a long time . So far First Legion have shown to me that they are dedicated to producing not only the Best figures but also covering a line Battle or line completely . I'm sure before they move on all combatants will be given fair treatment which will take a long time to be done right . Just look at their Napoleonic line, collectors of other manufactures can only dream to see such releases as Bavarians , Nassauers ,Westphalians , Wurttenbergers ect...The image of the upcoming Russian Grenadiers is amazing, they are just so far ahead of anything yet released in both quality and depth its mind boggling . So sit down and hold on and enjoy the ride my friend one release at a time . All the best Gebhard

 

[Andanna]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

I'm a long time collector of Aeroart and I continue to be so . I can tell you that in my opinion First Legion are producing WWII figures at a level that has never been done up to this point by anyone . The sculpting and painting are so well done, it really is impressive . I'm first and foremost a collector of original Militaria and I can assure you First Legion are dead on . I'm not sure of your comment to the Battle of Stalingrad line , but if they are gonna do with this line as they are doing with their Napoleonic range I would not look for a western front theme for quite a long time . So far First Legion have shown to me that they are dedicated to producing not only the Best figures but also covering a line Battle or line completely . I'm sure before they move on all combatants will be given fair treatment which will take a long time to be done right . Just look at their Napoleonic line, collectors of other manufactures can only dream to see such releases as Bavarians , Nassauers ,Westphalians , Wurttenbergers ect...The image of the upcoming Russian Grenadiers is amazing, they are just so far ahead of anything yet released in both quality and depth its mind boggling . So sit down and hold on and enjoy the ride my friend one release at a time . All the best Gebhard

Well said. I think Matt is presently focusing on the "earlier" stages of the battle and that at some point we will progress and see winter camouflage - inside and outside of the "Kessel".

 

[sammy719]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

I'm a long time collector of Aeroart and I continue to be so . I can tell you that in my opinion First Legion are producing WWII figures at a level that has never been done up to this point by anyone . The sculpting and painting are so well done, it really is impressive . I'm first and foremost a collector of original Militaria and I can assure you First Legion are dead on . I'm not sure of your comment to the Battle of Stalingrad line , but if they are gonna do with this line as they are doing with their Napoleonic range I would not look for a western front theme for quite a long time . So far First Legion have shown to me that they are dedicated to producing not only the Best figures but also covering a line Battle or line completely . I'm sure before they move on all combatants will be given fair treatment which will take a long time to be done right . Just look at their Napoleonic line, collectors of other manufactures can only dream to see such releases as Bavarians , Nassauers ,Westphalians , Wurttenbergers ect...The image of the upcoming Russian Grenadiers is amazing, they are just so far ahead of anything yet released in both quality and depth its mind boggling . So sit down and hold on and enjoy the ride my friend one release at a time . All the best Gebhard

Hi Gebhard,

I plan on having all the Stalingrad line in place at some point, one of the reasons I decided to collect First Legion is that I'm at a point of being at the very beginning, and since I have most of the Germans I can start picking up my Russians and the vehicles, then sit back and wait patiently for the next releases.

but yes, I do look very forward to some Americans at some point, Matt has told me personally that it may be a ways down the road though, so no problem here, will wait patiently, I for one like the pace of the WWII releases, it takes time I'm sure to produce these figures, what's the ol' saying..."you pay for what you get" so preying Matt and team never get into a sprinting contest with other manufaturers, I plan on being around for at least another 50 years hopefully, as I hope F.L. does as well...Sammy

 

[Gebhard]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

Hi Gebhard,

I plan on having all the Stalingrad line in place at some point, one of the reasons I decided to collect First Legion is that I'm at a point of being at the very beginning, and since I have most of the Germans I can start picking up my Russians and the vehicles, then sit back and wait patiently for the next releases.

but yes, I do look very forward to some Americans at some point, Matt has told me personally that it may be a ways down the road though, so no problem here, will wait patiently, I for one like the pace of the WWII releases, it takes time I'm sure to produce these figures, what's the ol' saying..."you pay for what you get" so preying Matt and team never get into a sprinting contest with other manufaturers, I plan on being around for at least another 50 years hopefully, as I hope F.L. does as well...Sammy

Sammy,
I feel the same way about being in early with First Legion . I see what some of the other manufactures products are getting on the secondary market , I can remember passing on most of that stuff when it was first released and to see what its bringing now is very interesting to say the least . I don't even want to think about trying to pick up some of the First Legion stuff when it is sold out I'm not into paying for some other guys collection , I have to be careful here if I get started on some of the so called " collectors" or speculators I'll get flagged again . Lets just say I'm not a big fan of guys who buy everything up and sit on it and then " Help " fellow Collectors out later on for a small fee of course ( only guys with guilt will feel the need to take offence to that ) . But it appears some guys don't mind . Its the same with Militaria but the profits and in the thousands not hundreds . I could not afford to buy what i have in my collection at todays prices and feel sorry for the new guys just starting to try and build a collection of real items . But that's another story.

I don't think we have to worry about Matt and company getting pulled into some kind of Sprinting Contest, They have some very fresh ideas for their business model and its not like anything we are used to seeing. They don't just throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and hope some of it sticks . Bouncing around all over the place leaving us hanging out to dry all the while wondering if or when they will get back to a range we are already into . When they do a range or Battle it is IMO done right from top to bottom . I hope to be around in 50 years with you guys looking back at my collection of First Legion saying man I'm so glad I jumped on board when I did , and saying to my Grand or great grandchildren hey guys check out Opa's collection and I need more room baby lets move again Happy collecting Gebhard

 

[Spitfrnd]

Well I would add that sometimes you get what you pay for; if you are careful that is. Happily with the FL figures and accessories you are assured that you will get AT LEAST that, or more accurately, quite MORE.

 

[Gebhard]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

Well said. I think Matt is presently focusing on the "earlier" stages of the battle and that at some point we will progress and see winter camouflage - inside and outside of the "Kessel".

Outside the "Kessel" would really open this line up to allot of possibilities . Wow Gebhard

 

[Gebhard]

Well I would add that sometimes you get what you pay for; if you are careful that is. Happily with the FL figures and accessories you are assured that you will get AT LEAST that, or more accurately, quite MORE.

And in keeping with the season i'll send you an Amen to that one brother

 

[nasirkasmani]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

Sammy,
I feel the same way about being in early with First Legion . I see what some of the other manufactures products are getting on the secondary market , I can remember passing on most of that stuff when it was first released and to see what its bringing now is very interesting to say the least . I don't even want to think about trying to pick up some of the First Legion stuff when it is sold out I'm not into paying for some other guys collection , I have to be careful here if I get started on some of the so called " collectors" or speculators I'll get flagged again . Lets just say I'm not a big fan of guys who buy everything up and sit on it and then " Help " fellow Collectors out later on for a small fee of course ( only guys with guilt will feel the need to take offence to that ) . But it appears some guys don't mind . Its the same with Militaria but the profits and in the thousands not hundreds . I could not afford to buy what i have in my collection at todays prices and feel sorry for the new guys just starting to try and build a collection of real items . But that's another story.

I don't think we have to worry about Matt and company getting pulled into some kind of Sprinting Contest, They have some very fresh ideas for their business model and its not like anything we are used to seeing. They don't just throw a bunch of stuff against the wall and hope some of it sticks . Bouncing around all over the place leaving us hanging out to dry all the while wondering if or when they will get back to a range we are already into . When they do a range or Battle it is IMO done right from top to bottom . I hope to be around in 50 years with you guys looking back at my collection of First Legion saying man I'm so glad I jumped on board when I did , and saying to my Grand or great grandchildren hey guys check out Opa's collection and I need more room baby lets move again Happy collecting Gebhard

50 years down the road, i imagine how much would the Erika Stug fetch on ebay?

 

[MapleLeaf]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

Hi guys
I have two pieces from AeroArt
a four horses carriage of Catherine the Great
and the mounted flag bearer painted to match (special order)
i do not have any FL figures
according to what i read on the forum
u guys put FL on the same line as AeroArt
looking into FL i see so many different action poses
as far as quality of sculpting and painting how do u compare it to KC
are they better details?
i'm seriously considering buying the British Guard
love those flags especially they are comming out
with the Highlanders
any advices or comments? thank u Maple Leaf

 

[sammy719]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

Hi guys
I have two pieces from AeroArt
a four horses carriage of Catherine the Great
and the mounted flag bearer painted to match (special order)
i do not have any FL figures
according to what i read on the forum
u guys put FL on the same line as AeroArt
looking into FL i see so many different action poses
as far as quality of sculpting and painting how do u compare it to KC
are they better details?
i'm seriously considering buying the British Guard
love those flags especially they are comming out
with the Highlanders
any advices or comments? thank u Maple Leaf

Hi Maple leaf,

I collected K&C for about 5 years and still collect thier Civil war sets, and have and will always love the K&C line, but once you get a set or two of the First Legion (WWII in my collection) the detail of the painting and sculpting are second to none, I can easily say they are the best on the market in my opionion, they are smaller in scale and that was the only difference, but on the same scale as Aeroart I think, so do like I did, buy 1-2 sets and you will see what I mean, you will pay a few more snappers for these guys, but once you see the finished product in hand you'll be looking for the next sets to buy...Sammy

 

[DCN1898]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

In my humble opinion, I REALLY like the First Legion sculpting and painting. They are different from King and Country. They are two different styles of art. It is all personal preference. FL at this point in time, gives a more broad range of Napoleonic figures than K&C. ( At least in what is available on the current market). There have been many threads comparing the two companies and a few ruffled feathers. If you try FL, i think that you will be pleased. If you are not, there are people on this forum that will take any unwanted pieces off your hands.
Again, all I can say is that they are different styles and I happen to prefer FL. To me K&C tends to paint their pieces in a clean "from the uniform plate" fashion. FL tends to show a little dirt here and there. The sculpt of the FL is not as robust as K&C if this makes any sense.

 

[nasirkasmani]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

In my humble opinion, I REALLY like the First Legion sculpting and painting. They are different from King and Country. They are two different styles of art. It is all personal preference. FL at this point in time, gives a more broad range of Napoleonic figures than K&C. ( At least in what is available on the current market). There have been many threads comparing the two companies and a few ruffled feathers. If you try FL, i think that you will be pleased. If you are not, there are people on this forum that will take any unwanted pieces off your hands.
Again, all I can say is that they are different styles and I happen to prefer FL. To me K&C tends to paint their pieces in a clean "from the uniform plate" fashion. FL tends to show a little dirt here and there. The sculpt of the FL is not as robust as K&C if this makes any sense.

hi,

some good points on your post.

another thing, i'm not trying to stir something or offend some people, but if possible, i hope you can clarify what you mean as "not robust as K&C".
as an owner of so many K&C figures, i felt you are well placed to comment.
i genuinely wants tio know your opinion.

 

[DCN1898]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

To me, the sculpt of the K&C is taller and is over all, bigger in proportion. Thicker bodies, arms and legs, more robust. The K&C is noticeably bigger when they are placed beside FL. I hope that this is more clear. I own some K&C pieces, though not as many as I used to.

 

[fmethorst]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

Hi guys
I have two pieces from AeroArt
a four horses carriage of Catherine the Great
and the mounted flag bearer painted to match (special order)
i do not have any FL figures
according to what i read on the forum
u guys put FL on the same line as AeroArt
looking into FL i see so many different action poses
as far as quality of sculpting and painting how do u compare it to KC
are they better details?
i'm seriously considering buying the British Guard
love those flags especially they are comming out
with the Highlanders
any advices or comments? thank u Maple Leaf

I own K&C, Figarti, CS, HB, FL, Aeroart, Russian Vityaz, Nevskaya Miniatura etc. and First Legion has much more in common with the Russian figures than with K&C et al. In my opinion the sculpts are every bit as good as any from the Russian studios and I would rate the painting as approaching Aeroart level. There are some variances in the Aeroart figures too so it's difficult to speak in absolutes. They are still a few notches below the top figures from the high end Russian studios but as a value proposition FL are the best figures on the market IMO.

 

[Gebhard]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

Hi guys
I have two pieces from AeroArt
a four horses carriage of Catherine the Great
and the mounted flag bearer painted to match (special order)
i do not have any FL figures
according to what i read on the forum
u guys put FL on the same line as AeroArt
looking into FL i see so many different action poses
as far as quality of sculpting and painting how do u compare it to KC
are they better details?
i'm seriously considering buying the British Guard
love those flags especially they are comming out
with the Highlanders
any advices or comments? thank u Maple Leaf

Hi ML,
It sounds like you have two very nice Aeroart pieces .I know they were not cheap , so you don't have a problem paying for something that you like and that you feel is worth the extra money, That's Great and the first step . Some of the other guys have addressed the FL and K & C comparison for you . IMO First legion have more in common with Aeroart then with K & C , Thomas Gunn , Britains , CS, HB , John Jenkins ect .. All are nice at what they do and all have their fans its all a matter of taste . I have been collecting Aeroart for years and still do . First legion have for me bridged the gap between connoisseur figures and massed produced products coming out of Asia . FL figures are sculpted in Russia like Aeroart and then a Master figure is painted and then sent to Asia to be dissected . Then skilled painters paint the figures during the production process , the end result a Great sculpted figure painted almost to Russian master standards at a fraction of the price . Also FL figures come in a greater variety of poses which opens the collector up to the possibilities to build a large display. That is just not possible with Aeroart or other connoisseur grade producers . Best thing would be to pick up one or two Figures and give em a shot , I'm sure you will not be disappointed . Just beware they are very addicting . Happy collecting Gebhard

 

[Spitfrnd]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

Hi guys
I have two pieces from AeroArt
a four horses carriage of Catherine the Great
and the mounted flag bearer painted to match (special order)
i do not have any FL figures
according to what i read on the forum
u guys put FL on the same line as AeroArt
looking into FL i see so many different action poses
as far as quality of sculpting and painting how do u compare it to KC
are they better details?
i'm seriously considering buying the British Guard
love those flags especially they are comming out
with the Highlanders
any advices or comments? thank u Maple Leaf

I think you have gotten some very fair and complete comments so far but for what its worth I must say that you really owe it to yourself to try some First Legion figures. I would wager that you won't be disappointed and will see the quality of sculpting and painting we have all described in various posts here.

I love the British Guards. In fact if you want to try a couple (other than the flag bearers or drummer, of which I have enough) and don't like them, I'll buy them from you. There is always room for one more lad in the line.

 

[MapleLeaf]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

THANK U guys
I really appreciate ur comments
I will buy a few pieces and take it from there
Thank u again Maple Leaf

 

[Rutledge]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

Hi ML,
Some of the other guys have addressed the FL and K & C comparison for you . IMO First legion have more in common with Aeroart then with K & C , Thomas Gunn , Britains , CS, HB , John Jenkins ect .... First legion have for me bridged the gap between connoisseur figures and massed produced products coming out of Asia . FL figures are sculpted in Russia like Aeroart and then a Master figure is painted and then sent to Asia to be dissected . Then skilled painters paint the figures during the production process , the end result a Great sculpted figure painted almost to Russian master standards at a fraction of the price .

Clearly FL has some great figures and nice prices. Collectors are benefitting, no doubt. My contention is still the reason they have "bridged the gap" (price/value-wise) is their distribution model. Going direct for their US sales (for the most part), with no dealer network, effectively allows them to sell at prices that are at about half of what they would if they had dealers in place.

So while the quality of FL's work cannot be contested, their value proposition is vastly improved for the collector by not having dealer intermediaries. However, as dealers like TreeFrog play an important role in building demand and boosting overall industry sales, whether that is long term sustainable for FL remains to be seen.

 

[Gebhard]

Re: sculting and painting of F.L.

Clearly FL has some great figures and nice prices. Collectors are benefitting, no doubt. My contention is still the reason they have "bridged the gap" (price/value-wise) is their distribution model. Going direct for their US sales (for the most part), with no dealer network, effectively allows them to sell at prices that are at about half of what they would if they had dealers in place.

So while the quality of FL's work cannot be contested, their value proposition is vastly improved for the collector by not having dealer intermediaries. However, as dealers like TreeFrog play an important role in building demand and boosting overall industry sales, whether that is long term sustainable for FL remains to be seen.

I also believe that First Legions current business model , that is buying direct most assuredly keeps the cost down for the collector . I don't see how buying from them direct or some other mail order or web based dealer would make a difference except raising the price . Cutting out the middleman is fine by me the more people handling the product the more the mark up . Treefrog has a shop in MN which is to far from MD . So buying from them for me would be know different then buying direct from FL it would be just another online experience . Would having tons of dealers selling First legion increase sales ?? Maybe, but it would also force the price up , Making First Legion no longer what they are .
I do think that some people like to see something in person before they make a purchase and having First legion in front of as many eyes as possible is a good thing . George at Minutemen does a Great job attending as many shows as possible and gets the products out there for people to see .As most people don't attend toy soldier shows , IMO it is a good idea to take out adds in Military Magazines that's how i discovered Aeroart all those years ago. I think most people who have an interest in History would be open to buying a few of their figures . I attend Millitaria shows all across the country and remember a dealer setting up at a big show some years back , he was selling 1/6 figures and he just about sold out the first day . The average History nut knows nothing of toy soldier forums or of TS shows and would only need to see it once . I have been in Gettysburg at the antique mail many many times and have seen people come in off the street and go crazy at the site of all the other manufactures on display there , most people have know idea of the choices available . I can only say that the current system works fine for me but I'm sure Mr Matt and company are looking into ways of growing the business to be sure. Best Gebhard