Do you care about packaging?

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.

**Necros**

Just wondering .. do you care about how your minis are packaged? Do you like ripping open a new blister or box of stuff? Or would you rather just get your models in a cheapy little ziplock bag?

For me, there's something extra fun about opening the package, with the exception of some welded shut clamshell packs that you need a lightsaber to open. I don't know why, but ripping off the shrinkwrap and cracking open the box and checking out the sprues that first time is just fun. I often keep the bigger boxes too, I still have my starter boxes for 2nd ed 40k, 3rd, BFG, WFB.. I stuff em with old cards and things I'll never use, or old sprues full of bitz I'm too lazy to clip off. Then I have an old carinfex box full of nid biz, a stegadon box full of lizardmen bitz, and a baneblade box full of IG stuff.

I'm also a fan of Mantic's plastic boxes, I like the idea, but does anyone actually use them to cart around your minis?

**haendas**

If the cheapy little ziplock bag results in less expense to me, give it to me in a cheapy little ziplock bag! Anything to make the hobby cheaper

**Lordhat**

Usually I prefer Boxes to clamshells simply for ease of opening, although in the current era of failcost, the clamshells help decide whether the mini is worth spending money on. Plastic baggies don't bother me per se, but I'd worry about shipping damage if I were to order from a company that uses them.

**CURNOW**

nope dont care ,

carefull or this could turn out like airsoft gun review vids where they spend 3min of a 5 mins vid describeing the box it comes in :]

**chaos0xomega**

It makes no difference to me, though if the product I'm purchasing isn't a plastic kit I prefer the packaging to be clear on some level so I can inspect it for defects before purchase. The other important thing for me is that the package be secure so it doesn't pop open while shipping, etc. (as was the case w/ some FoW stuff I bought) or people dont rip it open to get some bits out when the shopkeep isn't looking.

**Johnny-Crass**

I just use to boxes to spray models on and to move my army around at tournaments so I like boxes!

**Leigen_Zero**

I'm firmly in the school of 'I don't really care what it's packaged in, so long as the mini gets to me in one piece'

And if cheaper packaging means cheaper prices, I say go ahead.

My favourites for packaging were the old-school GW boxes where it was a cardboard box with a polystyrene inner tray, and to be fair GW's foam filled blister packs were always a bonus (kept it safe - check, free square of foam for painting/modelling/protecting a mini - check). But heck if GW got rid of packaging altogether and just hung plastic bags of sprues from the shelves I'd say go for it if it saved me a few quid (although knowing GW, they would see it as an advantage to the buyer that they no longer have to do away with the packaging, brand it as 'Finebag' and raise the prices again

)

**Gorechild**

I don't see why GW replaced the old cardboard and plastic packets that metal minis came in, the new ones that finecast come in are a real pain in the ass.

Generally I'd say it doesn't bother me what packaging they come in as long as the mini makes it to me safely, but that type of packaging that take 5 minutes to get into even with a pair of scissors is a pet hate of mine.

**Necros**

I was always a fan of GW's plastic containers that were inside the boxes, like for the box sets of metal models. I have a bunch of em still that I use for storing bitz. I even have a couple of GW's really old styrofoam inserts from back in the day.

PP has similar inside-box-containers, but I don't like it as much, the pockets are deep and the same size on both halves, so you end up with a big space with your bitz bouncing around all over. But, I guess it's good for their big metal warjack bitz.

**Howard A Treesong**

The packaging has to keep the model safe, I don't want things arriving crushed or broken. Some simple metal models can come in bags though, because they can't really suffer much damage.

**Skippy**

Long as the mini cant get damaged i dont really care how its packed.

**notprop**

Leigen_Zero wrote:I'm firmly in the school of 'I don't really care what it's packaged in, so long as the mini gets to me in one piece'

And if cheaper packaging means cheaper prices, I say go ahead.

My favourites for packaging were the old-school GW boxes where it was a cardboard box with a polystyrene inner tray, and to be fair GW's foam filled blister packs were always a bonus (kept it safe - check, free square of foam for painting/modelling/protecting a mini - check). But heck if GW got rid of packaging altogether and just hung plastic bags of sprues from the shelves I'd say go for it if it saved me a few quid (although knowing GW, they would see it as an advantage to the buyer that they no longer have to do away with the packaging, brand it as 'Finebag' and raise the prices again )

Definitely this. The old blister packs were so useful for mixing glue/paint/whatever, baggies not so much.

I never thought that an army case was needed back in the day thanks to the polystyrene trays in GW boxes. I think I still have minis in all of them, each one has a snapped edge where you opened it using the flimsy middle compartment.

**Samus_aran115**

I usually just package my stuff with loads of plastic bags my mom brings back from the grocery store, unless I have bubble wrap or peanuts. Not sure if people like it, but they never complain, so I guess that's fine

**Ratius**

Couldnt care less!

**MrMerlin**

for plastic and finesnap i want the package to be a somewhat damage resistant box, but i wouldnt miss the fancy photos if it meant cheaper prices.....

**Kirasu**

Zip lock bags tend to be more wasteful than the cardboard boxes for plastic sprues as the boxes fit all the sprues fairly accurately

For metal models, sure just give me bags but clamshells have their uses

**master of ordinance**

2 things 1:the product is secure 2:theres good box art
sadly GW still havnt found out about fancy box art exept from on their Battle Forces boxs-a picture of the minis on some terrain just isnt the same

**Vetric**

As long as my stuff shows up safe and sound I'm happy.

**Lordhat**

Leigen_Zero wrote: But heck if GW got rid of packaging altogether and just hung plastic bags of sprues from the shelves I'd say go for it if it saved me a few quid (although knowing GW, they would see it as an advantage to the buyer that they no longer have to do away with the packaging, brand it as 'Finebag' and raise the prices again )

Sigged!

**Piz**

I like the boxes, they're useful to store extra bits and such.

**Ignatius**

I love the boxes that the bigger models come in. They are real useful for holding the sprews that still have a lot of bitz on them. I hoard all the plastic sprues to make the shells of
buildings and rubble. Those boxes are perfect for it.

And they are all I use to spray paint my models on.

**Optio**

I was slightly bemused when my order from Gripping Beast turned up yesturday in a box for Wiskers cat food.... £10 P&P for a box of catfood (minus the food), a few bags and a bit of bubble rap, it was a good job the models themselve were dam nice else I would have been livid.

**notprop**

I think that just highlights the joke that is P&P.

12% for FW, but atleast they give you a decent box and those big pillow things?

**Necros**

Optio wrote:I was slightly bemused when my order from Gripping Beast turned up yesturday in a box for Wiskers cat food.... £10 P&P for a box of catfood (minus the food), a few bags and a bit of bubble rap, it was a good job the models themselve were dam nice else I would have been livid.

Funny, but then I was actually planning the same thing for the minis I'll be selling... I've been hoarding leftover boxes from Amazon, etc, to reuse for shipping larger quantities of blisters & box sets. Would that be tacky if I did use them to ship out my products? Or did you mean it was the actual cheapy cardboard box that the food itself came in?

What about really fancy product boxes? Like, would you mind paying an extra couple bucks if your minis came in a nice, sturdy box with cool artwork and foam inserts for storage & carrying them around after you build & paint them? Or would that kind of thing be a waste in this day & age of Battlefoam, etc?

**Balance**

Necros wrote:
Optio wrote:I was slightly bemused when my order from Gripping Beast turned up yesturday in a box for Wiskers cat food.... £10 P&P for a box of catfood (minus the food), a few bags and a bit of bubble rap, it was a good job the models themselve were dam nice else I would have been livid.

Funny, but then I was actually planning the same thing for the minis I'll be selling... I've been hoarding leftover boxes from Amazon, etc, to reuse for shipping larger quantities of blisters & box sets. Would that be tacky if I did use them to ship out my products? Or did you mean it was the actual cheapy cardboard box that the food itself came in?

What about really fancy product boxes? Like, would you mind paying an extra couple bucks if your minis came in a nice, sturdy box with cool artwork and foam inserts for storage & carrying them around after you build & paint them? Or would that kind of thing be a waste in this day & age of Battlefoam, etc?

if you're in the US, for actual shipping the 'bulk rate' boxes are generally free, I think.

For product packaging the big dividing line is if you're getting into stores or not. if you're just selling online, I see nothing wrong with dressing up plastic bags and such. Stores are likely to want more attractive packaging with barcodes and stuff.

**Necros**

yeah, I meant for retail. it's a long ways off, but the ultimate goal... I was looking into Mantic's plastic cases and may go with them for my starter sets. Not sure I like the idea of shipping tons of them across the atlantic, but the wholesale price is decent. I like how they have the foam inserts, and since you only need like 5-10 models to play my game, the boxes will be able to function as a carrying case for your whole gang too.

I had another idea to have something custom made by a jewelry & cigar box manufacturer, where the box would be designed resemble a book and you open it up and there'd be foam pockets for 10 minis. Price wasn't too bad, but about 3x higher than mantic's plastic boxes. It would look nice on the shelf, but I was afraid it would crank up the retail price too much, all for a glorified cardboard box.

**bbb**

Use the cheapest, safest, best looking you can find. I have a soft spot for the classic blister packaging and you don't see it as much nowadays. Lots of manufacturers are using clamshells and I don't know if that's due to looks or cost or what, but the classic cardboard and plastic blister served the hobby well for decades and I wouldn't mind seeing it used some more.

**Necros**

I like the good old fashioned blisters too. But, for me anyway, clamshells are easier and will come out to be about the same price per pack as if I had my production company pack in blisters for me. If I have them do clamshells it will be a bit higher.

I think to do blisters you need some kinda special equipment, like to glue the plasticy piece to the cardboard properly, print the mini's name on the card, and then you have to get blister cards printed up in the 1000's.

Whereas a clamshell costs a bit more individually, but I can pack them myself. I get some inserts printed for me, stick them mini in, snap it shut and it's done. So for now I'll be doing clamshells myself since I'll be doing batches of around 100 at a time. Later on when I get set up with distributors and all that stuff and need 1000's instead of 100's, I'll probably switch to a traditional blister and have them package and ship right to the distributors for me. But, that's a long ways off

**Milisim**

I like boxes my self....

Although with the epic failure that is finecast... I would like those models shrink wrapped and placed in giant titanium cases with liquid gel bubbles, as it seem that if a butterfly flaps its wings in indonesia... Failcast breaks somewhere in europe.

**filbert**

The Mantic boxes are an excellent idea but it may prove to be costly, even more so for a new mini company start up where the margins are already wafer thin. To be honest, I think Mantic have stopped doing the cases themselves, which probably shows that the expense is too much (its a shame because they really are handy).

Having said that, Brushfire comes in similar boxes so maybe it is feasible?