Why no 1/72 scale and gaming section? (1 Viewer)

[swalterh]

I was wondering why there is no 1/72 scale and gaming section on the forum. It seems that with all of this discussion about improving the industry and making it more interesting to the younger generation, there would be a section devoted to one of the least difficult (financially) avenues to enter into the hobby.

Plus, everyone loves to post and view photos of dioramas. It’s a lot easier for an artist to compile massive armies for dio’s in 1/72 scale than it is in 1/32-1/30. Plus the non-infantry branches are better represented in a lot of instances and don’t break the piggy bank. True the amount of detail per figure would not be as high, but the scope of what can be depicted in the smaller scales equates to some truly epic scenes.

 

[Poppo]

Well, personally I don ' t like 1\72 scale because they are too small and you can' t see the details. This scale is good for war games, and to make a big amount of figures for cheap in a small area but....Since I was a child I preferred to play with 1\35 plastic soldiers and I never bought a box of 72( or better, I never asked my mom to buy me !). But I had like 3 metal tanks of that scale

 

[swalterh]

Well, personally I don ' t like 1\72 scale because they are too small and you can' t see the details. This scale is good for war games, and to make a big amount of figures for cheap in a small area but....Since I was a child I preferred to play with 1\35 plastic soldiers and I never bought a box of 72( or better, I never asked my mom to buy me !). But I had like 3 metal tanks of that scale

I really like 1/35 WWII stuff as well. I'm more of a painter and modeler rather than a true "collector" per se. I view the 1/32-1/30 offerings as pre-primed kits as I try to re-paint all of my figures so the colors and style match. I love 1/72 offerings too. There is just such a huge selection available and as I am an avid military history fan (no matter what era) I enjoy purchasing and painting figures in this scale that depict eras that aren't as well covered in the larger scales.

 

[Fubar]

A small scale forum section would be good.There are a few of us hear that do smaller scales, 15mm, 1/72, 28mm , 40mm. Maybe not enough for our own section.
I know in 28mm , there are vast selections and huge variety for nearly any period you want. I agree also that the amount of 1/72 sets available has grown tremendously over the last 10 years.
As far as detail, there are many metal 28mm that rival their larger scale cousins in detail and all around splendid castings.But, you have to paint them yourself.Most o this forum want factory finished 60mm and not really interested in anything else. Probably just not enough interest to justify a section.
FUbaR

 

[swalterh]

A small scale forum section would be good.There are a few of us hear that do smaller scales, 15mm, 1/72, 28mm , 40mm. Maybe not enough for our own section.
I know in 28mm , there are vast selections and huge variety for nearly any period you want. I agree also that the amount of 1/72 sets available has grown tremendously over the last 10 years.
As far as detail, there are many metal 28mm that rival their larger scale cousins in detail and all around splendid castings.But, you have to paint them yourself.Most o this forum want factory finished 60mm and not really interested in anything else. Probably just not enough interest to justify a section.
FUbaR

Great photos Harold,

What company makes your Naps? Really like the Prussians.

I'm curious that if there was a small scale section on the forum if that would attract more people who are interested in these scales. I think that gaming commands a fairly large interest and we're starting to see some cross-over products into larger scale gaming (Like what Ken Cliffe is doing at All the Kings Men). I think larger scale gamming is going to become more popular in the near future as the bulk of the population continues to age and their eye sight deteriorates.

I agree that there seems to be a bit of snootiness about collecting the finished hand-painted products in 1/30. As though purchasing these products somehow makes one more prestigious. I think a big reason that the small scale stuff doesn’t get more attention here is because TF doesn’t carry these types of products. I suppose there is no sense in facilitating an interest that isn’t going to yield any profit. Still, they could start carrying some smaller scale products. The Foundry and Front Rank ranges are very nice in 28mm. Don’t know how these companies prefer to distribute their products though. Maybe there would be some issues there. I don’t think Michigan Toy Soldier Co. even carries these ranges. I think they do carry some though like Victrix and Perry.

There are some very good options for 20th Century conflicts in 28mm. Brigade Games and Renegade immediately come to mind.

 

[jager7080]

I really like 1/35 WWII stuff as well. I'm more of a painter and modeler rather than a true "collector" per se. I view the 1/32-1/30 offerings as pre-primed kits as I try to re-paint all of my figures so the colors and style match. I love 1/72 offerings too. There is just such a huge selection available and as I am an avid military history fan (no matter what era) I enjoy purchasing and painting figures in this scale that depict eras that aren't as well covered in the larger scales.

Shane ,

I would really like to see some of your work...If you have time maybe you can post some pic's...As you may know from looking at my profile page i have built alot of 1/35 & have repainted 1/32 Britains Deetail...

Joe

 

[jager7080]

A small scale forum section would be good.There are a few of us hear that do smaller scales, 15mm, 1/72, 28mm , 40mm. Maybe not enough for our own section.
I know in 28mm , there are vast selections and huge variety for nearly any period you want. I agree also that the amount of 1/72 sets available has grown tremendously over the last 10 years.
As far as detail, there are many metal 28mm that rival their larger scale cousins in detail and all around splendid castings.But, you have to paint them yourself.Most o this forum want factory finished 60mm and not really interested in anything else. Probably just not enough interest to justify a section.View attachment 122353View attachment 122354View attachment 122355View attachment 122356View attachment 122357
FUbaR

Fubar ,

Absolutely stunning array !! I used to paint up Warhammer , I had an undead army painted-up & goblin wolf riders...Also used to play Axis & Allies on a custom board & had all 1/285 AFV's & 28mm infantry painted by theater of operation on the board for all the different combatants...Just nobody to play any of these games with as you get older...I bet there may be more people on this forum that have WAR GAMED in there day than you think...
Again splendid collection you have there !!

Joe

 

[Fubar]

The Napoleonic are mostly Perry, some Front Rank. Prussians are mostly Calpe { a huge quantity of all troops types and a bewildering variety of poses} and a few Battalions of Perry.
I have an UNDEAD Army of Darkness collection too. Just for fun.
As far as gaming, or even toy solider collecting I do only have a few friends that gather at the cave 3/4 times a year for an epic of one sort or another.Guys I have known 20 years.
I'm hosting a LARGE 25mm Lord of the Rings battle at the end of the month.Started painting all the left over metals and plastics from years ago, and went on a binge.900+ orcs/urak hai, 16 trolls etc etc. vs Rohan and Gondor.About 160 Mounted and 300 foot for the GOOD guys.
Really back into 28mm these days. I buy a few Britains ACW and Napoleonic from time to time but that's about it for 54mm. I just don't need anymore as they generally sit and collect dust.Well over 1000 54mm ACW. It's a chore to set up a diorama! I enjoy collecting and painting.Once in a while a game.
Perry's I think are pretty nice.I do agree there are lots of big headed stout, dwarf looking castings out there. But I found years ago, a mediocre figure with a good paint job is pretty nice. A splendid sculpt with a mediocre paint job is a sad sight.
Fubar

 

[swalterh]

Fubar ,

Absolutely stunning array !! I used to paint up Warhammer , I had an undead army painted-up & goblin wolf riders...Also used to play Axis & Allies on a custom board & had all 1/285 AFV's & 28mm infantry painted by theater of operation on the board for all the different combatants...Just nobody to play any of these games with as you get older...I bet there may be more people on this forum that have WAR GAMED in there day than you think...
Again splendid collection you have there !!

Joe

Loved Axis and Allies. Sounds like you had quite an enterprise going with your custmized version.

 

[jager7080]

Loved Axis and Allies. Sounds like you had quite an enterprise going with your custmized version.

Shane ,

I played Axis & Allies at around ten...Used to have alot of people who would play...We hated the small Milton Bradley board...So we got the idea of a Rand Mc Nally map covered it in plexi-glass , marked off the territories under the glass like the game , used counters to mark initial control...Found a place to buy 1/285 AFV's & 28mm infantry...Painted away & it was great fun while it lasted...

Joe

 

[Fubar]

I considered a giant RISK board of the Ancient world. Give me an excuse to buy 1/72 plastics which are so plentiful now. It would have been cool, but we seldom do any gaming at all with the tons of toys we already have.
fubAR

 

[maddadicus]

I placed Axis and Allies for a number of years, but it became a real war, as gamer after gamer added their own rules to the original. ( Mostly the guys stuck with defending USSR )..I also played with a 1/72 plastics line of WW2 soldiers. Cannot remember the mfg. ( maybe Airfix ? ) Had battles with them on my HO layout. I still have Warhammer 40K mini armies as well as a 15mm - 25mm ACW scratch built fleet. I have a gamers heart but a working stiffs' time schedule.. Michael

 

[jager7080]

I placed Axis and Allies for a number of years, but it became a real war, as gamer after gamer added their own rules to the original. ( Mostly the guys stuck with defending USSR )..I also played with a 1/72 plastics line of WW2 soldiers. Cannot remember the mfg. ( maybe Airfix ? ) Had battles with them on my HO layout. I still have Warhammer 40K mini armies as well as a 15mm - 25mm ACW scratch built fleet. I have a gamers heart but a working stiffs' time schedule.. Michael

maddadicus ,

Axis & Allies was great , probably my favorite game of all time...We also added our house rules to the game that is before all the expansion rules & such...
For example we would call fighter escorts on strategic bombing raids , any fighters the other player had could go up & challenge also getting to bring their AA gun for a single shot against each plane coming to the contest...Also had light mechanized units which were priced between infantry & armor...Ahhh , was great fun...Now it is a distant memory !
i played warhammer also...fun !

Joe

 

[The Military Workshop]

Shane,
My shop was next to a War Gaming shop for five years. We went to that spot together deliberately. He had wargaming tables set up and a lot of Flames of War played etc.

Whilst my customers admired the war gaming stuff and his customers admired the 1/30 stuff there
was no cross-over despite the subjects/eras being sold being similar (ie Naps, ACW, WW2). The only
current TS collector I know who has a wargaming background is Fitzgibbon.

Personally I like seeing the dios in wargaming scales but the biggest drawback for many is that they come unpainted.

The wargaming business is a totally different business to the TS business and the variety of product is
huge. I recall the shop next door had massive wall space devoted to Flames of War and the range has
increased considerably since then. Not only that you have to know the rules, sell paint, run games, selling Magic cards etc. I think you will find this is why few if any TS shops sell wargaming products.

I have thought about selling plastic 1/72 and 1/32 such as Airfix and Italeri but there is a huge variety of product available in a hobby shop not far from me and that is where I encourage parents to take their kids (they reciprate by referring guys looking for painted figures to me).

The argument you use to support promoting 1/72 could equally apply to selling diecast such as Corgi
but again not many TS dealers do.

Brett

Great photos Harold,

What company makes your Naps? Really like the Prussians.

I'm curious that if there was a small scale section on the forum if that would attract more people who are interested in these scales. I think that gaming commands a fairly large interest and we're starting to see some cross-over products into larger scale gaming (Like what Ken Cliffe is doing at All the Kings Men). I think larger scale gamming is going to become more popular in the near future as the bulk of the population continues to age and their eye sight deteriorates.

I agree that there seems to be a bit of snootiness about collecting the finished hand-painted products in 1/30. As though purchasing these products somehow makes one more prestigious. I think a big reason that the small scale stuff doesn’t get more attention here is because TF doesn’t carry these types of products. I suppose there is no sense in facilitating an interest that isn’t going to yield any profit. Still, they could start carrying some smaller scale products. The Foundry and Front Rank ranges are very nice in 28mm. Don’t know how these companies prefer to distribute their products though. Maybe there would be some issues there. I don’t think Michigan Toy Soldier Co. even carries these ranges. I think they do carry some though like Victrix and Perry.

There are some very good options for 20th Century conflicts in 28mm. Brigade Games and Renegade immediately come to mind.

 

[swalterh]

Is anybody into Flames of War, Battle Front, GHQ or Rapid Fire?

With the new WWII armor options from Armourfaust, it could be really easy to build a few units in 1/72 and get a small tactical level game going. The GHQ and Battle Front OOB's look kind of complex. I think that Rapid Fire was developed for 1/72 scale and they have a few scenarios available as PDF downloads on their website with more simplistic OOB's.

Zvezda is coming out with some very impressive WWII infantry and support troops.

 

[swalterh]

Shane,
My shop was next to a War Gaming shop for five years. We went to that spot together deliberately. He had wargaming tables set up and a lot of Flames of War played etc.

Whilst my customers admired the war gaming stuff and his customers admired the 1/30 stuff there
was no cross-over despite the subjects/eras being sold being similar (ie Naps, ACW, WW2). The only
current TS collector I know who has a wargaming background is Fitzgibbon.

Personally I like seeing the dios in wargaming scales but the biggest drawback for many is that they come unpainted.

The wargaming business is a totally different business to the TS business and the variety of product is
huge. I recall the shop next door had massive wall space devoted to Flames of War and the range has
increased considerably since then. Not only that you have to know the rules, sell paint, run games, selling Magic cards etc. I think you will find this is why few if any TS shops sell wargaming products.

I have thought about selling plastic 1/72 and 1/32 such as Airfix and Italeri but there is a huge variety of product available in a hobby shop not far from me and that is where I encourage parents to take their kids (they reciprate by referring guys looking for painted figures to me).

The argument you use to support promoting 1/72 could equally apply to selling diecast such as Corgi
but again not many TS dealers do.

Brett

Brett,

Thanks for providing some insight from an in-siders perspective. Some of the distributers in the states like Michigan Toy Soldier, Hobby Bunker and the Toy Soldier Co. carry the 1/72 plastics in addition to many other products including hand-painted metal. But, they don't carry many of the metal ranges in 28mm. I suppose the commentary you provided explains some of the reasoning behind this. Carrying gaming miniatures sounds like a lot of extra work and extra inventory of support products which would require added storage and display space.

 

[swalterh]

The Napoleonic are mostly Perry, some Front Rank. Prussians are mostly Calpe { a huge quantity of all troops types and a bewildering variety of poses} and a few Battalions of Perry.

Fubar

I am a great admirer of the Calpe Prussian Range. I haven't purchased any yet, but have spent many hours reading all of the commentary about Prussian uniforms from the period that was on the website. The amount of research and detail put into this range is extraordinary and in a way a bit intimidating. He has definitely set the bar very high as far as historical accuracy and variety of poses in this scale.

 

[TomB]

I was wondering why there is no 1/72 scale and gaming section on the forum. It seems that with all of this discussion about improving the industry and making it more interesting to the younger generation, there would be a section devoted to one of the least difficult (financially) avenues to enter into the hobby.

Plus, everyone loves to post and view photos of dioramas. It’s a lot easier for an artist to compile massive armies for dio’s in 1/72 scale than it is in 1/32-1/30. Plus the non-infantry branches are better represented in a lot of instances and don’t break the piggy bank. True the amount of detail per figure would not be as high, but the scope of what can be depicted in the smaller scales equates to some truly epic scenes.

Very good idea..and...it could attract younger people with less money in their pockets.....War Gaming is not known generally and I think it would be very interesting to learn about.....this would be a good forum to expand the knowledge of the game to both the members and the public ...TomB

 

[HistoryfortheAges]

If I started into this hobby today, I would collect 54mm plastic or 28mm figures that I would have professionally painted as I am a very slow painter and could never amass enough figures to create a meaningful diorama in a reasonable amount of time... Nothing like Harold's presentations below! {eek3}

54mm and 60mm matte-painted figures are now at a too high end range of pricing for my taste. Glad I started my collecting a dozen years ago as I would never have entered this part of the Toy Soldier market today... I am only collecting selective pieces and also, picking-up some glossies which in most cases are still in a reasonable price range for me.

1/72 scale is too small for me.

As far as having a section in this forum devoted to smaller scales, I think that is a good idea but not sure if it would generate enough interest. If someone wants a host of information in the smaller scales, there are numerous wargamming sites to visit.

 

[HistoryfortheAges]

BTW, having said all that, I've been noticing recently that 54mm to 60mm matte-painted metal figures on the secondary market have been dropping in price below retail... Maybe, we are beginning to see Toy Soldier price deflation finally... {sm3}