The latest unit to be completed for my current Tales from Pendawar project are a unit of Tribal Horsemen from Perry Miniatures' Victoria's Little Wars range. As with all of the twins' work for their own company for me they have both good and bad points to them. On the plus side they are posed in full flow of action and the effects of motion are beautifully realised in their execution. The horses, though limited to three poses, are similarly full of energy and movement. They certainly look the part of angry Bhurpas sweeping down on the Devils in Skirts!
On the down side, especially for this geriatric in waiting, the sculpting of some equipment on the figures, notably belt buckles and pistols could be a lot more pronounced. Of course I have read an interview with the twins where they explain the change of style from their Foundry days and can understand their perspectives, though I still do find the Foundry figures more pleasing to paint. Not only the style though is a continuing issue for me, but also the presence of hard edges in details of the sculpting which is very wearing on the paintbrushes. In my experience their Foundry work is not only easier to see, details easier to discern, but the figures are rounder and kinder on the brushes while perhaps lacking some of the zest of their later work!
I shall pass by the casting issues of flash and vent runs as I've mentioned them frequently and the packaging issue of kaypok which clings to all the vent runs and hard edges like a Jock to loose change!π But I shall mention their P&P rates, or Perrys' Purchase Tax as I call it. A recent order of £55's worth of figures ended up costing over £63 thanks to the P&P charges. That compares very poorly with Foundry's flat rate £5 and free over £100 or Caliver's free world wide postage offer. Their packaging and despatch workers must be really well paid!
Of course none of the above has deterred me from buying their figures, though pre all the coronavirus malarky I much preferred to buy from Dave Thomas at shows as he gave me a generous discount! For the last 16 months it's all been through Mail Order and I've really not been impressed when compared to other companies I've bought from. People seem to cut them more slack than other companies, due to the hagiography their work is subject to in magazines, and I suppose that quantity has a quality of its own in a way. But in my opinion there are better sculptors out there and certainly I've found easier companies to order from. Having given this personal opinion, which you are of course free to agree with or not, I shall now retire to GHQ and await reprisals from any passing acolytes...π³️
Those look rather good, well worth the toil. Until you mentioned it I had not realised that Perry's postage had gone up to 15%. Postage is not something I really think about, if I can't get something at a show I just go ahead and order. Having a look at who I have ordered from recently, if I bought one pack of Perry foot figures with postage it would come out at £1.44 a figure, an Empress figure would cost me £1.93 so they are not the most expensive out there to be fair. You mention Foundry's flat rate but if you only wanted one pack (but if your a wargamer as opposed to a figure painter why would you?) that would work out at £2.37 per figure. I do think there should be some sort of reduction if you buy more though. I think only the most ardent fan boy can argue against those vent runs, I am sure the angularity of the twins sculpting contributes to this. The brush wear is where I also concur, but in the age of fifty figure and plastic armies it goes unnoticed by many.
ReplyDeleteOn reflection if I added in the cost of time cleaning up the Perry figure as opposed to the Empress ones that take little or no time, the cost us perhaps comparative.
DeleteI really resent being ripped off as I see it with P&P in general, I'd rather be charged more per figure and not have to think about costs. Bit like forgetting to factor in local taxes when shopping in the USA.
DeleteGood review, David. As someone in the States, a charge of 15% postage seems a bargain. I regularly pay 40% for postage from the UK to USA. With these high extortionary rates, I am slightly more discerning on what I drop into my shopping cart.
DeletePerry figures are a pain to clean up with all of the tiny venting. How many times have I cleaned a figure and given it a coat of primer only to discover (later) that I missed some of the flashing. Grrr.
Thanks Jonathan! I feel your pain on Atlantic P&P costs too, as it has forced me to cease buying Brigade Games figures sadly for my AWI and War of 1812-15 collections☹️
DeleteI have to agree with you David. Perry Miniatures are hard work. I'm just finishing off six dismounted Imperial troopers which seem to take ages due to the extra work needed. I've used liquid greenstuff to make buttons which should be there, but lost in the mould making. I could go on with other miniatures, however, to be fair I did enjoy the conversion work and making up some of the vignettes with their miniatures. On their ECW range I threw out my miniatures as I could not face all the cleaning and fixing that was needed. I found Redoubt Enterprises have an excellent range of ECW miniatures which I'll be starting on soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughts,
Helen
Thanks for being in my support group Helen. I'm not sure if it's the sculpting or the molding but whatever it's a real issue with Perry Miniatures in my view. As to missing buttons after the molding, that's just cheapskate quality control. Can't think that Military Modellers would expect such poor finish.
DeleteAre the buttons at least I’m not the only one to find that annoying, you see the buttons on their plastics are excellent, clear and consistent !
DeleteHeresy!!!
ReplyDeleteWhich particular bit or all of it? If you're not too busy to reply that is...π
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DeleteGlad you could spare a minute in your frantic lifestyle for a good old fashioned rant! Especially amusing as we both know you love a bargain as we all do.π I'd like to say again that 15% P&P combined with a week's turnaround is way unacceptable to me. I'd rather for UK customers the costs were subsumed into the figure/pack price.
DeleteI have hardly any Perry miniatures in my own armies so I cannot give an opinion on them, I have heard dissent from others however.
ReplyDeleteNow postage, that is different altogether, it costs £3.25 to send a very large box weighing up to 2kgs second class. Even adding something for the box and time I find most of the postage I have to pay extortionate and in some cases I simply refuse. The Jock reference aside, I am happy to throw money at my hobby but now and again I just hit a wall and think "how much". There are companies out there who do act responsibly with postage, and like you David I would rather pay more for the figures than have the profit popped on the postage.
Shows you what a rubbish Postmaster I am, £3.20!
ReplyDeleteI confess the Jock reference was to amuse you, I hoped, so don't take it to heart please. I have many good friends beyond The Wall so as to speak. I'm glad you can give accurate figures on P&P to support my view. Thanks.
DeleteIt did amuse me David, besides you are stuck with me down here now.
DeleteWe will cope with you. Do you want to claim political asylum?
DeleteI have many Perryfigures in my ranks. I love their posing and the variety of poses that work together well to give variety in a unit. I like the little boxes as they have many uses afterwards and never really noticed the fluff issue.
ReplyDeleteThe flash issue seems to vary by range, but I never mind it as much as others seem to. Perhaps having cut my teeth on Aotfix soft plastic in the 70s I figure it could be much worse! Shipping to Canada has always been good, reasonable price with speedy service.
Thanks replying from the frozen north! Always interested to hear the views of fellow enthusiasts. I too have myriads of Perry and Foundry figures and just like you can only speak from experience.
DeleteI’ll pipe in again. To quote from the Four Yorkshireman sketch “Luxury”. I don’t think you all realize how good you have it compared to the situation ordering from the Colonies.
ReplyDeletePerry and Front Rank each deduct the VAT from prices quoted to Canadians, so shipping at 33% of net if VAT pricing actually works out to about 15% of list UK prices. That’s better than most general retailers charge for shipping within Canada unless your order exceeds $100 or you use Amazon prime. I am happy to get packages from the UK within a month. Ordering figures from the States across the border is too expensive to even consider in most cases, it’s literally cheaper to order US made figures from a UK retailer! Mr Trump isn’t the only one who fails to understand the benefits of international trade!
As I've bought from Brigade Games in the USA, Bob Much in Canada and Eureka Miniatures in Australia I think I'm well up to speed on International shipping costs, customs duty and Post Office collection duties. In general, in my 71 years to date, I'm opposed to being ripped off and getting second rate service. I've had packages from the States and Australia quicker than from some UK companies. Others of course offer splendid service and more reasonable P&P costs. We'll agree to differ shall we?π
DeleteFair enough. Shipping can be luck of the draw.
DeleteBy the way, please excuse my grumpiness. Should have mentioned that your figures are as always lovely!
ReplyDeleteDidn't think you were grumpy, just had a different experience and expectations. Thanks for the kind words about my painting efforts.
DeleteI totally agree with you David. Like you I hate the kapoc and small hidden pieces of flash that always appear after you have painted them. As for actual sculpting. There is no doubt the twins are amazingly talented especially when you think one of them had an arm blown off but its clear that sometimes they rush their work and it shows. We are lucky there are so many talented sculptors out there but only the twins seem to have issues with poorly finished sculpts. That said their plastics are first rate. For me their best work was the Citadel Wars of the Roses range. But everyone has their own views. Mind I think Foundry are taking the pee with their pricing but thats another post I think.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad we mostly agree, the Foundry issue aside.
DeleteStrange the different perspective being outside the UK can bring. Over here, Perrys are one of the best deals. They take off VAT....as everyone should do exporting out of the U.K./EU should.....but many don't! They also give free post on orders over £200 where once again, many just keep adding 30 or 40% regardless. I doubt I will ever buy Warlord again, due to their ridiculosky excessive postage regime.....and many other companies have similar approaches. Caliver are the best...spend £30 and they will send post free, and they also deduct the VAT or close to it...£20 box of Perry plastics are £17 or £18 and so on. Front Rank are good too, deduct 1/6 of the price (the VAT) and reasonable postal charges. Ebor have been the best for me, I had two packs turn up with £28 postage on each....and Nick had only charged me £29 in total on the order...not sure how he makes much profit on that job?!
ReplyDeleteWell I'm all for fleecing the colonialsπ I think myself that any company that doesn't offer bulk discounts is really motivated by naked greed. As you might guess I'm no friend of rip off Companies.
DeleteAnd I am an ex pat Scot too, so you have managed to offend me twice now! π But on a serious note, the one company I have only bought figures from once in forty years is Foundry. They invented the rip off thirty years ago by moving to packs of the same figure but with no reduction in price...and unfortunately led the way so that now many companies will only sell their figures that way...plus, they have always been overpriced, and still are! I recently looked at getting one pack of eight GNW Swedeas and the shopping cart added about £14 or £16 to the £14 for the eight figures....needless to say, I did not proceed!
DeleteI have only offended you twice?π Goodness me, I must be mellowing in my old age. I'll try harder next time!π I can visit Foundry and if not usually order enough for free postage. But, I agree with you about blistering figures. It's a trend I detest!
DeleteYou post has certainly caused some discussion. Postage I tend not to worry about too much although having recently ordered from the states I certainly realise how lucky we are. My relationship to the figures is slightly more love than hate. Their breadth of their ranges are utterly fantastic, the plastic figures general are much easier to paint than their metals. The moulding/sculpting a little gentler for the painter and importantly for me slightly more consistent. Best example of this would be say buttons, you know where they are you can see them and paint them. Metal figures are so lovely but I too find the angularity harder to paint and using my button example the casting won’t be so clear or regular which requires a different painting approach. To be honest I’ve never had anything other than excellent service, I can live with the vents even if I like others regularly get to the final painting and then realise that the ring on the soldiers finger isn’t a ring at all but a vent pipe bent over ! I wouldn’t be without them. Perhaps the conversation needs to widen into other figure manufacturers ?
ReplyDeleteAs I said, quantity has a quality of its own. Vent runs are really up there in my pet hates, but P&P is close. Mind, flat rate postage irrespective of order size also is not my favourite
DeleteFirst up,lovely looking Bhurpa horsemen! I have to say I like the Perry sculpting style and haven't really noticed much more cleaning up than other metal figures and considerably less than warlord,which are sometimes often deformed in my experience, I also find their in house sculptor can be a bit too cartoon like for my taste, I liked Foundry but find them too expensive now, as Keith says order £200 and the post is free, that's what I do,although I also miss Dave Thomas at shows as it's nicer to look at things before buying them! In terms of plastic ( which I know is generally of no interest to you !)I think the Perry figures are both better designed and with their army deals competitively priced. I guess postage is just one bit of the overall?
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Shows? Remind me...π Glad you liked the figures. Of course personal taste comes into all this. I've painted thousands of Perry sculpted figures in my time, but I'm still aggrevated by issues. I also find the mindless fan boy responses all over the net irritating. As I say, there are far better sculptors out there, but they are in Nottingham along with WI, the rest is history. Oh and don't get me started on Paul Hicks either.
ReplyDeleteSpot on David, I do like Perry miniatures, but P&P, no discount, countless mould problems which didn’t use to be there. I do think some moulds have probably seen better days. It has made me at time reluctant to buy certain ranges. I’m currently buying crusades and my friend had bought this a few years ago and had very little flash etc. now it seems to be on every figure at times. Although i will still continue with the crusades, but whole heartedly agree with your comments. ππ»π΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by and especially for your support. It seems we Brits are more inclined to see it as a bad deal than those ungrateful Colonials, which to say the least is odd...π¬π§
DeleteThey have a phrase for it in NZ and Australia - Whinging Poms :)
DeleteMoi? Whinging? Shurely Shum Mishtake?
Delete