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Let's here it because the old metal minis which are no longer for sale at the dealers means no doubt they will become more sort out over time but let me know what you think??

Metal of course. Does resin even age that well? Most resins I know about go brittle with age (as if finecast isn't brittle enough). Plastic is just a cheap mass produced medium. Metal is the long lasting material that is used for unique figures. It's also the easiest to strip and bring back to almost new condition.

Of course, there will be certain individual models that become worth a lot because the are rare, regardless of what material they are made from.

Nothing will be worth much in x years when large scale 3d printing takes off. Even without that, resin recasts are very easy to get, and it's easy enough to do your own metal or resin recasts so if anything is out of production and in high demand I'm confident you can count on more appearing.

Will the 3d printing be cost efficient though because sometimes the calculated estimate on the DIY route can cost as much as the buy it ready made route

As with all tech it starts out expensive then gets cheaper. Few people had DVD burners initially when they were expensive, slow SCSI things. They've been standard and cheap in PCs for a long time now. It's not unreasonable to expect similar improvements in 3d printing. It's just a matter of time be it 5, 10, 20 years, whatever.

I guess you have a point I guess by then the actual minis being sold by retailers will have something extra over home 3d printed minis as it will be the one step ahead of the home policy.

Or 3D printing could turn out like 2D printing, which we've had in the home for a long time and still isn't better, cheaper or more convenient than buying books, magazines, newspapers, posters and what have you.

In any case collectors tend to want the real deal rather than a forgery. They also tend to want minis in their original state, or as close as possible. Metal minis are easiest to strip and tend to be single-pose (single-part even), so I think those will be worth most on average.

I can't speak too much to printers since I abhor hard copy though I think the problem with 2d printing is the material cost of the ink and good paper for colour printing, not the capability of the printers. 3d printing will have low material costs and the quality at the top end is already there as 3d printed masters are commonplace now.

I gotta second the 3D printing issue that will highly devaluate plastic miniatures in a few years. GW quality can already be achieved by high-end printers and when those get really affordable, plastic miniatures won't be worth a whole lot more than the material they're made of.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
Metal of course. Does resin even age that well? Most resins I know about go brittle with age (as if finecast isn't brittle enough). Plastic is just a cheap mass produced medium. Metal is the long lasting material that is used for unique figures. It's also the easiest to strip and bring back to almost new condition.

Of course, there will be certain individual models that become worth a lot because the are rare, regardless of what material they are made from.

+1.

Plastic minis have close to no value, especially if unboxed/glued.

Metal minis are already worth more than what they costed back then. Even if they were common (or even still sold as Finecast) and come with bend parts and a crappy paint job.

However...
Given its rarity, I'd say a bubble-free Finecast Mangler Squig that's not collapsing under its own weight must be worth its weight in diamonds.

Some plastic kits will likely rise in value once they go OOP. The secondary market for 40K is currently dominated by metals, but there's a few long out of production plastic boxes that go for very high prices if still on the sprue, like the Squats and good old RTB01.

You see I was thought that too when something goes out of production and suddenly just remembered they want one. Or it gets lost in time and picks up value merely because of the fact it's valued as an antique. Or the fact that a web exclusive becomes the topic of conversation for hard nut collectors because they really must have it no matter the cost and then it plays around with the material it's made from. Obviously badly treated minis that are plastic become useless and it's the metal marines who stay fine and dandy through the ages but plastic if kept in good condition lasts too. But none the less would a metal one still be worth more over a super unique plastic one? Sounds like there are too many variables which come into play here.

As for 3d printing I don't think they will have the end finish of a retail product because of the laws bestowed upon us regarding buying retail. The printer which will be available will be affordable lets say and materials cheap. I can almost guarantee the quality won't be up to the retail copy. Other way round would be buying a super expensive printer with expensive running costs to get near perfect minis but then the cost would match retail anyways what would be the point then? Printer manufacturers will deliberately build lesser quality items on purpose to keep retail items in the game it's just standard sense.

Determines what the mini is, too, but I'd say metal.

A quick look around eBay shows you can get the old metal Eldar range for a song compared to the resin, but metal Bretonnian stuff? There's an easy x3 markup!

I know for my personal use I have a little old Metal dire avenger not painted or put on a base yet. When GW finally loses it IP rights from going out of business he will be ready to make me an army of Dire Avengers with a mold and some melted pewter. Its actually surprisingly easy to do. The only barrier is the larger stuff is going to cost more just to make the mold due to the sheer size of it but troops are quite affordable. I think i calculated it and the mold for my dire avenger would run me about $15 and then after that its about $20 a pound for pewter. With a pound of pewter i can make about 8-10 dire avengers. so for the initial cost of the same price of 5 plastic dire avengers I could make 8-10 pewter ones then an additional $20 for a further 8-10 which is far less then GW charges for its multipart plastic kit of only 5.

 kerikhaos wrote:
As for 3d printing I don't think they will have the end finish of a retail product because of the laws bestowed upon us regarding buying retail. The printer which will be available will be affordable lets say and materials cheap. I can almost guarantee the quality won't be up to the retail copy.

All it takes is one person to create a design and share it freely for everyone to have access to an awesome design. Look at the quality of PC game mods - many of which have a lot of highly detailed models. People already share this stuff freely, so when 3d printing becomes affordable at a consumer level there's guaranteed to be good files for people to use to print. Many (most?) people won't care about trademark infringement in printing your own space marines by that point. You know the whole "you wouldn't steal a car" analogy the media industry pushes in regards to downloading music and movies? I'd download one if I could ; )

Your guarantee seems ill advised much when 3d printed masters are already the norm in the industry. If anything, the quality will be superior to the retail injection moulded plastics and cast metals and resins as there won't be mould lines, mould shift, bubbles and so on.

In terms of 3d printers, once companies start to dominate markets, how much will the materials cost? Because ink is so expensive its crazy. It cost more for the ink in my printer than it did the printer.

The only way to get ink cheaply is to have a good deal with the company that makes it. So its all well and good having cheap printers and programs to do it. But whos to say the monopoly companies dont charge heaps for the product needed use it.

But we dont know how laws will react and so forth yet either. While its clear the 3d printer will replace models eventually its just a matter of time really.

From what I have seen, both detail and speed need to be improved before it becomes good enough.

I guess we can only sit and find out what's to come

I'm going to say none of the above.

Just because something gets older doesn't mean it gets more collectable. In fact, a vast majority of things that get old just get old.

The main problem is that the older stuff becomes rarer, but the newer stuff gets progressively better over time. In the case of 40k, that means larger and more detailed models with more options. 40k models now are just better, so if you're going to buy 40k models, you're going to buy the new stuff, unless you're looking for a discount, in which case, older models might be cheaper, or you have some particular romantic fantasy from times long gone.

But not many people are that way. Antiques roadshow might make us want to believe that things appreciate in value over time, but it doesn't change the fact that most things age about as well as fresh produce.

Ayup. The collectibles market is a funny thing. Usually an out of production object is collectible if it had a pleasing classic aesthetic to them, have some history to them and can be enjoyed in their mint condition A 1950's era Chevy is collectible because they are swanky looking cars and are a piece of American history being a relic of America's golden age. Plus you can drive it without ruining the value A metal thunderhawk, while somewhat collectible, isn't worth nearly as much as their owners think they are because they are a bitch to work with andthe current resin one is better. Additionally no one is going to want the weird looking old minis because 1) In their mint condition you can't really enjoy them since they are a bunch of metal pieces, 2) They are weird looking and 3) The newer prints have much greater detailing. I think the only line that will become collectible is the HH character series since they are nice models.

 TheCustomLime wrote:
Ayup. The collectibles market is a funny thing. Usually an out of production object is collectible if it had a pleasing classic aesthetic to them, have some history to them and can be enjoyed in their mint condition A 1950's era Chevy is collectible because they are swanky looking cars and are a piece of American history being a relic of America's golden age. Plus you can drive it without ruining the value A metal thunderhawk, while somewhat collectible, isn't worth nearly as much as their owners think they are because they are a bitch to work with andthe current resin one is better. Additionally no one is going to want the weird looking old minis because 1) In their mint condition you can't really enjoy them since they are a bunch of metal pieces, 2) They are weird looking and 3) The newer prints have much greater detailing. I think the only line that will become collectible is the HH character series since they are nice models.

You have some interesting points

As others have said, minis seem to only lose value over time. They're sort of like electronics in that way.

Unless you have some limited edition mini that was only available at an event, you'll be lucky to sell them at all unless you find some nostalgic collector.

Speaking as relative "recent" fan of wargaming (I started a few months after 6th edition was released, so almost 2 years, I guess), I'd never pay top dollars for the old miniatures. I understand many people like them, but for me, oh hell no, they are ugly.

The new WE are a nice example: Look at that tree. I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of details, badassery and style. I don't play fantasy, yet I really felt tempted to get one because of it's beauty. Compared to the older miniatures... no, just no.

Really, I don't believe miniature market will ever be a case of "I must have this classic, I don't care how much it costs!".

Wait a second? People want to use forgeries just to play a game with crappy rules?

Wow, I didn't think people thought so highly of GW for their rules.

I don't know, using forgeries, is just like using a plastic doll instead of having the real deal. Different folks for different stokes I guess.

The most valuable minis that other people have will always be to me are the new-on-sprue minis. I'd never us a mini another man painted unless it was a gift to me.

The most valuable minis that I own will be the ones I assembled and painted.

Davor wrote:
Wait a second? People want to use forgeries just to play a game with crappy rules?

Wow, I didn't think people thought so highly of GW for their rules.

I don't know, using forgeries, is just like using a plastic doll instead of having the real deal. Different folks for different stokes I guess.

You've never seen finecast then I take it,.

I think plastic is the most valuable. Easy to assemble and work with. Durable. Good detail. Really is the best overall material I have ever encountered.

Yeah, and on a practicaly note plastics would probably be the best as well. Even if you don't use whole models, plastics can still be used for bitz.

I mean, I have an imperial guard officer...




Wherein one part of the model is like 20 years older than the rest of it. Because the old bitz still work with the new model, it had more value.

Metals, because they're much more like to be rare OOP and so more valuable.

I'd like to vote for metal minis for the simple fact that I buy and sell a ton of them and they are ridiculously profitable. Buy them at local flea markets / yard sales/ FLGS ect..sell on ebay.

I work under the seller name "Wolflord2002" on ebay, and if you've seen any of my auctions you know the prices are high

I only put the prices that high because, believe it or not, the models do move at those prices. Its not an overnight thing, but I'm patient and only use the money to support my hobby.

If I sell a lot of an item at the price I have, I jack it up, I do this with each sale until the item doesn't move for a few months. Then I simply come down a few bucks till they move at a steady rate.

There is a spectrum of conditions for these models that affects their price as follows (only valid for metal minis, plastic and finecast models work on a rarity / paintjob based scale in my exp)

1) (NIB) is your gold standard, charge as much as you can, this is the top of the price scale

2) New out of the Box, depending on top price, take off about 5-10% or so, less if the model is really rare (ie Sgt centurius, or Leonatus)

3) Cleanly stripped models, a bit below the second step, just as good, but some people really don't want another man's cast-offs

4) Primered / basic to average paint job models. These will most likely be painted over or stripped. Generally I'll either strip these myself if justified by rarity, but for common models I simply take a bit more off the price

5) Horribly painted, thick primer models. These you can sell, but you better have good pics and specifically mention stripping them. I rarely sell these in anything other than bulk lots when I build up enough, as if they are rare, they are almost always worth stripping to get to category 3 above.

With the above conditions in mind, you then have to factor in the following

A) Is the item rare? Gamesday, Army Box set models, Black Library ect...any rarity increases price

B) Is this model commonly used on the table top for in game effects? Think Vulkan He'stan, Lysander, ect...

C) Is the model from a commonly used army? I specialize in space marines simply because I play them (thus can keep the models I find that I want) and because there is never a shortage of buyers. This is also why I don't deal in DE models.

Though this seems counter-intuitive, it holds up that space marine models are worth the most long term, even though every Tom, Dick, and Harry have a handful of rares sitting on the shelf / basement. Its just that the new guys that missed the model the first time around really want that old model, and Tom, Dick, and Harry haven't gotten around to clearing out / parting with their stuff yet.

D) Will the model be usable in the game / tabletop in the future? Again Space Marine models trump here. They are guaranteed to be sell-able until GW goes under, and if the IP survives, even more so after that.

However, there are a few caveats on this

1) I have no idea how long this market will last. I've been going since 2009 or so, but I think the issue with 3D printers will be sure to change things in some fashion as others have indicated, but at this point its all speculation. I'd guess I have a few years left before it really starts making a dent in my business, minus some wall street / depression type meta disaster in the real world outside of gaming.

2) I'm just one guy, selling a relatively small subset of the product, with limited experience over a short span of time (buying and selling that is). Take this advice with the appropriate salty seasonings

Hope that helps

 Instinctual wrote:
I'd like to vote for metal minis for the simple fact that I buy and sell a ton of them and they are ridiculously profitable. Buy them at local flea markets / yard sales/ FLGS ect..sell on ebay.

I work under the seller name "Wolflord2002" on ebay, and if you've seen any of my auctions you know the prices are high

I only put the prices that high because, believe it or not, the models do move at those prices. Its not an overnight thing, but I'm patient and only use the money to support my hobby.

If I sell a lot of an item at the price I have, I jack it up, I do this with each sale until the item doesn't move for a few months. Then I simply come down a few bucks till they move at a steady rate.

There is a spectrum of conditions for these models that affects their price as follows (only valid for metal minis, plastic and finecast models work on a rarity / paintjob based scale in my exp)

1) (NIB) is your gold standard, charge as much as you can, this is the top of the price scale

2) New out of the Box, depending on top price, take off about 5-10% or so, less if the model is really rare (ie Sgt centurius, or Leonatus)

3) Cleanly stripped models, a bit below the second step, just as good, but some people really don't want another man's cast-offs

4) Primered / basic to average paint job models. These will most likely be painted over or stripped. Generally I'll either strip these myself if justified by rarity, but for common models I simply take a bit more off the price

5) Horribly painted, thick primer models. These you can sell, but you better have good pics and specifically mention stripping them. I rarely sell these in anything other than bulk lots when I build up enough, as if they are rare, they are almost always worth stripping to get to category 3 above.

With the above conditions in mind, you then have to factor in the following

A) Is the item rare? Gamesday, Army Box set models, Black Library ect...any rarity increases price

B) Is this model commonly used on the table top for in game effects? Think Vulkan He'stan, Lysander, ect...

C) Is the model from a commonly used army? I specialize in space marines simply because I play them (thus can keep the models I find that I want) and because there is never a shortage of buyers. This is also why I don't deal in DE models.

Though this seems counter-intuitive, it holds up that space marine models are worth the most long term, even though every Tom, Dick, and Harry have a handful of rares sitting on the shelf / basement. Its just that the new guys that missed the model the first time around really want that old model, and Tom, Dick, and Harry haven't gotten around to clearing out / parting with their stuff yet.

D) Will the model be usable in the game / tabletop in the future? Again Space Marine models trump here. They are guaranteed to be sell-able until GW goes under, and if the IP survives, even more so after that.

However, there are a few caveats on this

1) I have no idea how long this market will last. I've been going since 2009 or so, but I think the issue with 3D printers will be sure to change things in some fashion as others have indicated, but at this point its all speculation. I'd guess I have a few years left before it really starts making a dent in my business, minus some wall street / depression type meta disaster in the real world outside of gaming.

2) I'm just one guy, selling a relatively small subset of the product, with limited experience over a short span of time (buying and selling that is). Take this advice with the appropriate salty seasonings

Hope that helps

very informative post, thank you