Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

rich1231 wrote:You dont have to buy anything related to your hobby. Its a discretionary spend and so isnt required to survive day to day. Apart from stating the obvious, whats my point..

Well accepting the above, how much is your time worth to you, for many the thought of making your own case is a mare and not worth contemplating, and for others making the case is part of the hobby. If you are happy do what ever you want.

+1

For me, it's easier to spend the money than to invest the time. I know it's cheaper to go to Wal-mart and buy some gun cases, or tackle boxes, etc. some pull and pluck foam.... but it's less effort and time on my part just to find something already designed for my minis. I don't use the cases as a status symbol. I know some people who do but I am not one of those.

I'd rather invest my time in furthering my painting and game-playing skills than in making a carrying case. So yes, it's worth my money to buy a ready-made one. YMMV.

Maxstreel wrote:I'd rather invest my time in furthering my painting and game-playing skills than in making a carrying case.

Yeah.. that whole hour or two spent, is going to totally ruin your paint and play. ;-)

GG

generalgrog wrote:

Maxstreel wrote:I'd rather invest my time in furthering my painting and game-playing skills than in making a carrying case.

Yeah.. that whole hour or two spent, is going to totally ruin your paint and play. ;-)

GG

As poorly as I paint, I need every minute I can get!

generalgrog wrote:

mon-keigh slayer wrote:it does come free with some of the sabol cases, if you actually read their descriptions they sell loaded/unloaded of most of their versions.

i bought this after xmas and i love it, http://www.saboldesigns.net/armytransport.html

68$ and it comes fully loaded... holds quite a bit too, 4 waveserpents jetbikes 2 warwalkers and tons of infantry ion mine atm, and i have 3 unused sheets of the 1" pluck still.

I too have a few sabol transports. The big one with wheels and the telescoping handle won't stand up strait and the thing rocks from side to side when I try to roll it for any distance. I hate it for anything except closet storage.

The Battalion case (the aforementioned big one with wheels/handle) suffers from all those problems, yes. But it has one big advantage:

It's carry-on sized.

I didn't buy a "real" transport bag until I needed to fly with miniatures. One year with self-made foam trays in my checked luggage was adequate to educate me - minis must be in carry-on bags, and those bags have certain specific size requirements.

If Battlefoam can make something with the capacity of the (pluck-foam filled) Sabol Battalion bag, I'm willing to listen - their bags are more robust, and the lousy wheels/handle on the Sabol bag are such that I don't even use them; I replaced the flimsy shoulder strap with a heavy-duty one, and just carry the thing.

I've contemplated picking up a higher-end Sabol/Battlefoam bag before, but my desire for more minis always wins out in the end. I've already got one of the Citadel Army cases and seven Reaper army bags, so I don't really need a new bag.

I suppose I could learn to stitch a bag that would hold the sponge foam I made in my chemical
laboratory to safely transport the casted figs that I painted with pigments gathered in the wild,
but really, that's what my privileged lifestyle pays for servants for.

I'm over exaggerating, but I don't have the interest or the skillset to craft these items
that you speak of, nor do I want to put the time into learning them. Could I learn
how to mass produce my own portable, swappable storage system? Sure. And
every iteration of this system would probably get better and better as I improved my
skills.

But that's not what I want to spend my time doing. I want to assemble models,
paint them, and write about them (that last part's kind of insane). So I make my choice and
pay for the good quality product I couldn't make for myself and couldn't match
in quality anyways.

GW case is easy, works with my apoc backpack and is durable. I did pulled foam before with my tool box but it was just odd shaped enough that I out grew it. A gun case would have my car searched if I were to be pulled over and it was on the seat.

I do feel morally superior buying a GW case from my FLGS than a gun case from Walmart. Since my money is going to support my FLGS. Then again, I am a pretentious Bostonian.

to me i kinda see them as someone who spent to much money on what could of been more models or in some cases an entire army.

garret wrote:to me i kinda see them as someone who spent to much money on what could of been more models or in some cases an entire army.

You need to vary the spending, though. Too much army and you don't paint it anyway

It'll never be considered a status symbol for me , never anything gaming related.

Also no army cases is going to be more effective than my towels in a socks box.

LunaHound wrote:Also no army cases is going to be more effective than my towels in a socks box.

Not bad, not bad at all I say!!

GG

edit..although now that I think about towels can get expensive too.

i use right know.
fishing box with mostly carboard dividers holds quite a nice array of models.
2 lr boxes for transport of vehicles/bikes.
reular foam with a laptop carrying case soon to be replaced by assasins creed deluxe box i got with the game with egg carton box.

generalgrog wrote:GG

edit..although now that I think about towels can get expensive too.

Play your wargame of choice on Vassal and you have no need for cases and will save hundreds/thousands on models as well...

CT GAMER wrote:

generalgrog wrote:GG

edit..although now that I think about towels can get expensive too.

Play your wargame of choice on Vassal and you have no need for cases and will save hundreds/thousands on models as well...

Hook me up!

I wont play on it , i just want to use it for battle reports.

Id say that for those that put too much stock in the hobby (I.E. the ones that revolve their lives around it, etc.), yes it most certainly is a status symbol. I've seen people sneer at others for the transport systems they use.

chaos0xomega wrote:Id say that for those that put too much stock in the hobby (I.E. the ones that revolve their lives around it, etc.), yes it most certainly is a status symbol. I've seen people sneer at others for the transport systems they use.

And people sneer at people who use transport systems. /shrug

Any kind of sense of superiority is overrated.

malfred wrote: Any kind of sense of superiority is overrated.

Amen. We are all grown adults playing with overpriced toy soldiers.

TBH, I see it as not being too dissimilar to paying someone to paint your army. Yeah you can do it yourself and depending on your skills do an acceptable job of it. That or you can pay a pro to do it and probably get back some better results faster.

At the end of the day , its just a game , for fun.
The day / moment anyone feel that its anything more , they should start reflecting upon it.

Unless they do it for a living , then its ok.

generalgrog wrote:
How many people own T-hawks?

GG

how many people do you see walking around your shop with battlefoam?

some people would rather pay the money for something specifically made to keep models safe then leave it to chance in a home made case...
to me i think its about how much people value their models weighed against how they think something they make will work to protect them...

I have seen some ingenious "scratch built" armies built out of modelling clay and plasticard,(like the kind you can get at any hobby store) for far cheaper than you can get these ultra expensive armies from GW.

My question is, if you can build an army your self for 50% to 75% the price, why go with these ultraexpensive models? Isn't it like the ladies that go into Dillards and pay big money for handbgas when a $30 handbag THAT THEY HAD TO MAKE THEMSELVES AND LOOKS LIKE CRAP will do just fine?

It seems to me that even the plastic wallmart GI Joes would be more durable on flights than a model that can be crushed.

GG

As for battlefoam vs pluck foam, battle foam saves you space. A BF Sabol troop tray nets you 40 infantry where as the standard pluck nets you about 28, IIRC.

I play guard, and I've done the three case ghetto juggle for an 1850 game before. After lugging around all those cases for years, I said feth that, and got a sabol Division. Yes, it's wheels are crap, but it's all in one case, I can take it on a plane if need be, and it fits beneath the seat of an MTA bus. Win.

My question is, if you can build an army your self for 50% to 75% the price, why go with these ultraexpensive models? Isn't it like the ladies that go into Dillards and pay big money for handbgas when a $30 handbag THAT THEY HAD TO MAKE THEMSELVES AND LOOKS LIKE CRAP will do just fine?

Because the armies that you build yourself will look like crap most likely?

Cruentus wrote:I've never thought of mini cases to be status symbols. I never really notice what other people use. I see them strictly in the utilitarian sense - something to store and carry my minis in.

It's certainly about status to me. I can't see myself showing up in public carrying a tackle box or something designed for a set of socket wrenches. The GW cases are even worse with those giant logos and embossed aquilas on them. As such, I went for the KR Multicase, which is gloss black with aluminum corner braces and a small manufacturer's logo. There's nothing to indicate the nature of its contents, which is the way I want it.

I don't see the carry case as any sort of Status Symbols, more just what people can afford or how much people want to protect their models. I've used everything from cardboard boxes, to tupperware food containers. The bulk of my stuff is transported in the Double GW Cases, and the KR Multicases. That was until.......................

My Battlefoam PACK 1532 arrived. Yes it cost 250 (took advantage of the sale) but the equivelent in GW cases would have cost more than this. It is worth every cent or penny (insert currency). I have HIGHLY recommended this case to everyone I know. I will need another case to complete my Ork Army, and this will be the only case I'll buy. If I could afford it, I'd replace the dozens of other cases for these.

I don't look down on anyone transporting their stuff in a carboard box, in some cases I'd more like to admire their indinuity. I can afford to splash out on a decent case, and feel its worth spending the money if it protects 1000GBP's worth of stuff and 2 years of painting effort

For some that travels alot , I rather spend a few extra dollars for protection of my minis... when i travel long distance from coast to coast im going to use a Sabol/ carrion army transport.

But if im going too my local game store, you will see me using my egg crate foam in open top boxes.

If im playing with unpainted mini i use egg cartens...
So I dont think its status its just protection...

I love the pistol cases but they get expensive and you cant hold that many minis in them...
Plus those are highly targetted items left in cars too...

A gamer friend was trying to describe this guy's carrying box to me....he said imagine if Homer Simpson made one out of foam and wood.

When I finally saw it...with the foam and the wood and the exposed nails....his description was perfect.

I'll admit I am a snob. If someone pulls out a Golden Demon level painted army out of a tool box that is well padded and the army looks great and not damage, good for him.

If a kid pulls smashed up models out of a Homer Simpson case, and they are painted like crap, I automatically plug that kid as someone who should not be in the hobby, because they don't care about their figures. And I find 9 times out of 10, that person exemplifies all the bad stereotypes about gamers...he's cheap, he is a poor sport, he doesn't shower, he doesn't really know the rules or get that the game is supposed to be fun for both parties, and has never seen a real live naked woman.

And of course, there are the people in between these extremes.

Stereotypes are there for a reason....most of the time, they are true.

I started out using an army case I made myself. It was about 30"x16"x5" and fit ~2500 points of Sisters in it. I used a flat peice of steel for the bottom and magnetized the bottom of all the models so they stood up and were fixed to the bottom of the case.
It worked pretty well, until I realized I was carrying around 40 pounds of lead in a 10 pound box... I then got a Sabol container, one of the mid sized ones, and could fit everything into one container, books included.
Then I meched up the girls, and needed a bigger case. Got the big Sabol with wheels and all. Now instead of toting a backpack with dice and drinks and books along with my army, everything is in one case. I never use the wheels either, but I hate dragging things like that in general.

Status has nothing to do with it really. I got to the point where I had more models than I could reasonably paint, so things like "better carrying ability" became more prominent to how I would spend my dollars. My time stayed allocated to playing and painting.
Now, when I was contemplating modeling up a scale "Black Ship" to tote my inquisitional armies around in, THAT was 100% penis proxy.

My current transit methods are staggeringly practical. For my WFB army the entire affair is in magnetic movement trays, so I didn't really need dedicated foams, just a way to get the trays, hence a platic tupperware container. For my 6x Vendetta GUard army, there simply isn't a case made that accomadates this many ridiculously sized models, so the final solution was and remains...a carboard box (affectionately dubbed the "Box o' Vendettas") accompanied by a GW infantry case for the joes. In either case it has nothing to do with status, just that none of the brand cases would suffice.

In general, hobbies are about buying things you don't need. If wasting $30-40 on the odd army case is the worst splurging you ever do in this hobby, you're probably far better off than the rest of us. There was also a pretty valid point in that you probably won't need an entirely new army case per army and just shuffle in or out foams. For me a status symbol would be a reaver titan, not a useful piece of gaming equipment that cost less extra than the land raiders that it's probably holding 3 of.

Maxstreel wrote:

rich1231 wrote:You dont have to buy anything related to your hobby. Its a discretionary spend and so isnt required to survive day to day. Apart from stating the obvious, whats my point..

Well accepting the above, how much is your time worth to you, for many the thought of making your own case is a mare and not worth contemplating, and for others making the case is part of the hobby. If you are happy do what ever you want.

+1

For me, it's easier to spend the money than to invest the time. I know it's cheaper to go to Wal-mart and buy some gun cases, or tackle boxes, etc. some pull and pluck foam.... but it's less effort and time on my part just to find something already designed for my minis. I don't use the cases as a status symbol. I know some people who do but I am not one of those.

I'd rather invest my time in furthering my painting and game-playing skills than in making a carrying case. So yes, it's worth my money to buy a ready-made one. YMMV.

Actually with pistol cases you don't have to pluck anything. Just throw the minis in and you're good to go.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

General Hobbs wrote:
A gamer friend was trying to describe this guy's carrying box to me....he said imagine if Homer Simpson made one out of foam and wood.

When I finally saw it...with the foam and the wood and the exposed nails....his description was perfect.

I'll admit I am a snob. If someone pulls out a Golden Demon level painted army out of a tool box that is well padded and the army looks great and not damage, good for him.

If a kid pulls smashed up models out of a Homer Simpson case, and they are painted like crap, I automatically plug that kid as someone who should not be in the hobby, because they don't care about their figures. And I find 9 times out of 10, that person exemplifies all the bad stereotypes about gamers...he's cheap, he is a poor sport, he doesn't shower, he doesn't really know the rules or get that the game is supposed to be fun for both parties, and has never seen a real live naked woman.

And of course, there are the people in between these extremes.

Stereotypes are there for a reason....most of the time, they are true.

What if they pool a Golden Demon Army out of a Homer Simpson box?

I 3> battle foam! Just have to see if I can find the money...