Tuesday 22 December 2009

While I am waiting...

I am awaiting some new Pulp City minis to arrive, hopefully soon, depending on the vagaries of both the Polish and UK postal services. I have plenty I could be painting, but glancing over my right shoulder to my figure cabinet reveals a small horde of unpainted models...

Never one to actually keep on top of my miniature painting, I tend to drift from model to model somewhat, finishing models sometimes months after starting them. Other times I will try to paint something quickly just to 'get it done'. I imagine I am not the only one - or do I hope that I am not the only one? I accept more modelling discipline could be 'a good thing'.

Anyhow, a package arrived this morning from the US. Inside were some 'street furniture' type models I had ordered a few weeks ago from Megaminis in the US. For my Pulp City games I have been trying to gather more and more scenery that fits the street furniture label (fire hydrants, trash cans, lamp-posts, mail boxes, newspaper vending machines, payphones etc). To this end I have tried a few manufacturers and here are my thoughts on those I have sourced from:

Megaminis: ostensibly 25mm; nicely cast and sculpted for what they are, with just enough surface detail. I ordered lamp-posts, and a mixed pack (fire hydrants, bench, payphones, trash cans, mail box, newspaper vending machines). Almost everything scales well and looks 'right' for my needs. The biggest weakness may be the hydrants which look small, however it could be that those from other manufacturers are in fact oversized. Megaminis appears to have a pretty comprehensive range, and for those who are interested their lamp-posts measure 85-90 mm approximately (3 1/4 to 3 1/2"). Highly recommended. Their shop is on ebay, but other stockists may be able to help I think. White metal. USA.
RAFM: in their USX Modern Heroes range (under USX miniatures) there are a variety of pieces (including newspaper vending machines, US and Canadian mail boxes, kerb blocks). Not as well cast as Megaminis but nice enough to get some pieces if ordering from them anyway. White metal. Canada.
Fenris Games: a small operation producing mainly resin pieces with a growing range of items useful for modern gaming. I have bought a lot of their sceneic bases which are highly recommended, but the fire hydrants I also bought recently are slightly marred by air bubble holes and some miscasting. Nonetheless a nice company to order from in my experience. They use an ebay shop primarily to sell their products I believe. Resin (mainly). UK.
Old Crow Models: in their Ainsty (under Vacant Lot) line they have all sorts of modern themed resin pieces. Pieces that I have bought and found very useful are the drinks/candy vending machines and a roof-top water tower. I plan to buy more bits from them - and maybe even do the rooftop set-up I have thought about since first seeing their stuff. They do masses of modern orientated pieces including building fronts. Generally well cast and sculpted, and well worth a look. Recommended. Resin. UK.
Black Cat Bases: cheap and cheerful, and really friendly service. However quality of sculpting seems variable, and quality of casting is not very good I am sorry to say. That said, they are relatively inexpensive so they may be worth a look, and they do some pieces I haven't found elsewhere (telephone booths), so it may be worth examining at what they have to offer. Resin and white metal. UK

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