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I.E. could a person with access to an OOP figure add to it (via sculpting) and recast it if he so wished?

OOP figures are protected by copyright until the terms of the copyright expires. Whether or not the figures are still in production does nothing to change that fact.

Yeah, it's a big problem with a lot of OOP books and music that the owners won't reprint and no one else can touch.

Trademarks can be abandoned if they're not used (so you might be able to make a game called Star Frontiers) but not copyrights.

So unless the mini is over 100 years old, its still illegal.

Whether or not it's illegal is a complicated question which needs more information to be decided. Things like "How much of a copyrighted work are you copying?", "Is the original work 'original' and subject to protection?", "Are you the US government?", etc.

It's obnoxious at times that out of print or out of production things are still protected by copyright, and that the terms of copyright last so very long, but it wouldn't be much of an exclusive right if it didn't include the right to not produce an item.

ok. thanks guys.

If you altered it enough that it could not be confused as a (insert company name) model, you're not breaking IP. But then if you're altering it that much you might as well design your own and use one of the blanks that Reaper sells for such use.

Just live in a country that doesnt really care about british laws (Russia) and make tons of obviously copyright infringing space marine models (lady on ebay)

Her models are awesome tho! Yet totally against copyrights