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I’m so fed up I wanna throw up. I keep seeing “pro painted” models for sale on eBay and elsewhere and they look garbage. Are people so delusional or narcissistic that they think they crappy paint jobs are pro painting. Or that they are fooling anyone else? Makes me wanna punch my mom in the face. More than normal

I think it's just to get views on ebay. The word "new" is used with even more flexibility.

Well, when I worked for GW way back when, I was literally paid to paint models.

So I was a pro-painter. Nevermind I wasn't terribly good at it, I was still paid to do so.

It's just done by everyone as click-bait and to land in searches. 95% of them are sub-tabletop trash, but I can't say I blame people for putting in the words that will get them hits. It makes searching things out longer and far more annoying, but it's not like someone calling their trash 'pro' is going to fool your eyes in the end. It's an annoyance, but it can't trick you.

Just because you get paid to paint minis doesn't mean your good, but it does mean you could legitimately call yourself a 'professional' painter

another one to look out for is 'Top Museum Quality' (which also tend to mean shoddy)

Pro painted is a loose term that means a lot of things. Its also a marketing gimmick.

One, the tone of your post is childish and it makes it a struggle to take it seriously or as anything other than a troll post. Two, 'Pro Painted' listing on ebay has been a known inside joke for years, often used sarcastically or in a self deprecating way.

Hint: Heroclix models are probably the most legitimately pro-painted models out there....

First off, you're late to the party. "Pro Painted" is an internet meme when it comes to gaming miniatures. There are entire threads (even on here on Dakka), facebook pages, reddit columns etc. all about the joke that is "pro painted" minis on eBay.

However, the real purpose is simply to get clicks and views in the hopes someone's standards are low and they'll buy your item anyway. eBay preview pictures are small enough that it normally requires a click to see how bad or good the paintjob is. Another method is simple false valuation of one's own products. You see White Metal Games do this constantly on eBay, where they offer a generic table-top level commission for $600 or Best Offer. The "best offer" part is the key. They throw up a ridiculous price that only the occasional loon would pay, and then likely accept a third or less of that as a genuine offer.

Personally, I sell loads of 40K stuff for local folks, including painted stuff on occasion. My listings state "Painted" and then in the description I'll list them as "low table top", "table top" or "nice table top". If it's a particularly heinous model I'll put the word RESCUE in the title and state as much in the description. Personally I don't care about clicks and I price my stuff reasonably.

It's best to not get wound up over this stuff...and simply embrace the hilarity that is "pro painted". It's always worth a laugh.

 Zach wrote:
'Pro Painted' listing on ebay has been a known inside joke for years, often used sarcastically or in a self deprecating way.

Yeah, I had to check the OP's posting date to make sure I didn't stumble into a necro'd thread.

The "pro-painted" thing is annoying, but it is what it is. Like MajorTom says, labels are fine but pictures are what do the selling.

The pro-painter thing is so bad when I do sell my professionally painted (as in commissioned, I can't paint that well) figures on eBay I just say "painted" and let the pictures do the talking.

Yeah, way back when I used to sell painted models on eBay, I simply listed them as "Fully Painted" because that was, in my opinion, far more accurate, and the stigma with "Pro Painted" was enough to actually turn people off of looking at things.

I know I would check out one listed as "fully painted" before I bothered with one listed as "Pro painted"

Technically, if you are paid to do something, your are considered a professional - whether or not you are any good at it.

Some Ebay listings using that term really chap my hide, since I do not consider some hack painting slop and selling it on Ebay should really be considered getting paid for painting; therefore, is not a 'pro' in my mind...

warpedpig wrote:
I’m so fed up I wanna throw up. I keep seeing “pro painted” models for sale on eBay and elsewhere and they look garbage. Are people so delusional or narcissistic that they think they crappy paint jobs are pro painting. Or that they are fooling anyone else? Makes me wanna punch my mom in the face. More than normal

Dude, relax. Seriously.

Edit: If you want to get pissed about something, aim your rage at the scalpers who buy sixteen of the newest release and then put it on Ebay when it sells out fifteen minutes later for 1000% increased price. 'Pro-painted' models are annoying but these scabs actively damage the hobby.

Scalpers are only a problem when it's something on limited release. If it's something like a new model being released at Warhammer Fest a couple of weeks before the proper release, then all they're doing is relieving the impatient of their money.

Listing stuff from 4th edition and later as ‘Rogue Trader’ gets me. What a joke. Sure you can go through the auctions and spot the rubbish but there’s so much of this crap it clutters your searches with nonsense making it harder to spot stuff you’re actually searching for.

It's mostly bait/clicks to buy the items

I consider anything "Pro Painted" to be from an established studio that has painted thousands of minis.... on the other hand a company like BTP paints to a 'table Top" level.

Made hundreds of sales of painted models on eBay and have never used the term.

Cheers,

CB

It makes me want to punch your mom in the face as well... Lol

It's a useless term at this point. So much so that when I WAS painting professionally I never used it.

If people want to say God himself painted it it won't matter much without good pics which will tell the tale.

As long as price is under RPP all fine. I strip paints and do it myself anyway regardless of paint quality so it's irrelevant.

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
Listing stuff from 4th edition and later as ‘Rogue Trader’ gets me. What a joke. Sure you can go through the auctions and spot the rubbish but there’s so much of this crap it clutters your searches with nonsense making it harder to spot stuff you’re actually searching for.

A friend of mine does this with his Instagram tags. "Oh, it's just to get them visible". But if I search for "Horus Heresy", I'm not interested in seeing your Dark Eldar crap cluttering up the search responses.

I used to joke when I painted models that "it wasn't pro but it's painted" since my appeal was a quick but half decent paintjob (namely I paint it, and wash it and give it back in good time).

Though most of the time I had a loose team who would paint most everything for me and I would pay them in unneeded miniatures.

 Zach wrote:
One, the tone of your post is childish and it makes it a struggle to take it seriously or as anything other than a troll post. Two, 'Pro Painted' listing on ebay has been a known inside joke for years, often used sarcastically or in a self deprecating way.

Thanks for saving me the trouble.

Also, "pro" printed models vary hugely. If you play BTP or whoever for their lowest-end jobs they're still "pro painted". The mistake is when people assume that "pro painted" means "golden demon/crystal brush finalist quality". That's on the reader more than the seller.

 Azazelx wrote:

 Zach wrote:
One, the tone of your post is childish and it makes it a struggle to take it seriously or as anything other than a troll post. Two, 'Pro Painted' listing on ebay has been a known inside joke for years, often used sarcastically or in a self deprecating way.

Thanks for saving me the trouble.

Also, "pro" printed models vary hugely. If you play BTP or whoever for their lowest-end jobs they're still "pro painted". The mistake is when people assume that "pro painted" means "golden demon/crystal brush finalist quality". That's on the reader more than the seller.

Except when BTP promises 'Golden Daemon Quality' and delivers, weellll, more like 'Golden Shower Quality'....

But, yeah - professional painters cover a wide spectrum. (Heck, somewhere out there are a few hundred mins with either D13 or TAG and a year painted on the underside of the base that I painted when I was taking commissions. (On a scale from 1-10, I give my very best paint jobs an 8, with most hovering between 6 and 7.)

The Auld Grump

I've heard of cases where Ebay re-sellers literally buy painted models, then turn around and sell them as "pro-painted." Just a scam in many cases.

Is this what the OP gets upset about? There are a lot of things on the internet that don't live up the hype. It's also not a scam unless the picture is fraudulent.

Step 1: Is there a legit picture of the model?
Step 2: Use eyes to view said picture
Step 3: Process image with your brain and decide if you like it or not.

Who cares if the paint job isn't what you consider professional? Just don't buy it and move on, unless your job is to troll Ebay and get outraged on the internet. Do you also go through art galleries and yell about paintings you don't like?

Don't feed the troll...