There is no scheduled wargame here in GHQ until August now, due to a combination of factors common to the school holiday period. Sue and I have Arthur and Reuben to stay for a week, Phil and Di are off on a week's holiday, and so on. I doubt that the remainder of July will be very productive on the painting front, as I'm finding it very slow going on the Hessian AWI additional bases as I’m trying to match a look on the figures from over twenty years ago while using my current techniques and paints. It's been slow progress I have to say. I have eight more figures to go!
While Sue was working at the University for a week I had planned a day out to Foundry and the wider Lead Belt. Silly me! Health interfered, so I resorted to mail order. Placed my orders with Foundry, Perry Miniatures and Flags of War: two days later packages from the first two arrived in the post, even before the emails telling me they had been shipped! I call that decent service, from them and from Royal Mail. Meanwhile, from Flags of War not even an acknowledgement of my order. Are they on holiday? Perhaps, but I've often noticed the considerable difference in mail order turn around between different companies in our hobby. A mild irritant in the great scheme of things I know; but if some can, why can't all?
Speaking of mild irritants in our hobby, I wonder what galls other gamers? For me, after flash and vent runs, notably on Perry Miniatures, it's the missing buttons on uniforms! Now, as Matt is a sculptor, I know that they are not missed off in that stage by the sculptors, so it is either in the mould making or in the casting process that the fault occurs. Of course, like the issues of vent runs and flash, it's also an issue of quality control. Now, I have never noticed these faults on Griffin cast figures;so if they can do it, why can't all the rest? I shan't hold my breath waiting for an answer...
Good luck with that painting David. As for annoying things flash is high on the list especially when they are cast with the mould down the face, don’t tend to get it too much these days but some older manufacturers were a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteThanks Matt. I'm progressing steadily, if not quickly!
DeleteYeah, split face line bugs me too. Still s problem with select 15mm producers.
DeleteI think the first three times I ordered with Victrix they either sent the wrong thing or had to be reminded that they hadn't sent all the order,oh and mis casting on some footsore horses,feet missing etc! Overall pretty good though I would say and to be fair Foundry and Perry are much bigger organisations than flags of war and therea a lot of one man bands doing the best that they can too!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Perhaps as a hobby we accept poor service rather too easily?
DeleteFor me unreasonabl dealys to orders placed, one of the worst being Blitzkeige miniatures making an offer in a sale and it took six weeks to get my tanks, you would think they would be prepared for when theyplan to amke offers like this, but the worst is retailes who DON't actually have the items in stock and dont show it online.
ReplyDeleteA turn around time of six weeks is more than excessive.
DeleteIve regularly had issues with Flags of War David. There is never an acknowledgement and always a delay. I have found Ian Hinds at Hinchliffe is excellent with the orders as is Ian Kay at Irregular. As for the casting issues with Perry, I get the impression that the twins have little to do with that side of the business and leave it to others.
ReplyDeleteI do like Flags of War flags, but slow service is not acceptable really. I've no experience with Hinchliffe. The Perry brothers shouldn't have that excuse though, their name on the company so their responsibility in my book. After all, they're not slow to accept the plaudits...
DeleteWarlord are dreadful for wrong orders or bits missing, and their 'brilliant' after sales service therefore means nothing to me if they cannot get it right first time. I have had some slowness on orders but only one firm has ever given me grief and I now won't go near them and glare at them at shows. I am sure you will be back to painting soon, good luck.
ReplyDeleteI’ve only ordered from Warlord once or twice and then they got it wrong! I’ve just seen on Facebook that Flags of War have been away. Hopefully I’ll get my Flags this week now.
DeleteMild irritants: flash, missing straps, straps leading to nowhere, missing buttons, eyes that no longer focus as well as they did 20 years ago, painting lights that seem to grow dimmer with age, etc...
ReplyDeleteI think I agree with all of that Jonathan.
DeleteI think it only fair to say that my order from Flags of War arrived yesterday, two days after I saw on Facebook that they were back from their holiday.
ReplyDelete