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So, now that I'm on my second foray into warhammer 40k, I'm back to trolling ebay for cheap models. One thing I used to avoid with my Dark Angels, and now the same with my Orks is metal models! Every one I look at on ebay looks like a dung beetle. I mean you can see zero detail in the model and the unpainted ones generally look like a blob, while the painted one appear to always have tons of paint flaking off them. I've probably bought about 3-500 dollars of models off ebay, and I just can never bring myself to bid on metal models because of this.

Anyone have an explanation? I know I played at my FLGS with people who had metal models, and most of them didn't look like crap. Is it just something with the camera? Or are metal models generally less detailed?

The metal reflects more light, making it harder to see the detail in photos. Also metal models do shed paint a lot more easily than plastic when they haven't been sealed properly.

Metal models photograph very very badly when raw. That is why companies like http://www.hfminis.co.uk put a very slight wash on their bare metals before photographing them. People on eBay aren't doing this.
The majority of flakey painty metals on eBay are done by people who're selling off collections or dealers, and they care very little for the minis, which were likely done by someone without intimate knowledge of the painting process. Someone who spent months or years painting their army to a high standard is not going usually to bang it on eBay, the internet's bargain bin.

There's very little discernible difference in quality between good metal and good plastic for most miniatures.
The limitation of metal is minimum thickness, not its ability to hold detail.

I actually ONLY buy metal models. metal models can be perfectly stripped. also who cares what THEIR model looks like, its metal and most likely has no or minimum flaws (FAR LESS THAN FINECAST) and will be fine'

i NEVER buy plastic as stripping plastic weakens the plastic, ruins detail, or wont get paint completely off

thought this topic was going to be about "pro painted" models which are def pro if they are doing it for a living but by no means are they well painted

eosgreen wrote:
I actually ONLY buy metal models. metal models can be perfectly stripped. also who cares what THEIR model looks like, its metal and most likely has no or minimum flaws (FAR LESS THAN FINECAST) and will be fine'

i NEVER buy plastic as stripping plastic weakens the plastic, ruins detail, or wont get paint completely off

thought this topic was going to be about "pro painted" models which are def pro if they are doing it for a living but by no means are they well painted

^This. I only buy plastics if they are basically unbuilt and as-new. Metal: There is not much acetone cannot (dis-)solve.

I generally stick to metal eBay buys as they easier to paint strip.

Part of the fun is rescuing old beat up models.