gangsters !

Started by Sunray, 31 October 2016, 10:23:09 AM

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Sunray

I was researching Forum trends in requests .  Back in 2011, Gangsters (1920s/30s era civilians with guns) was up to number 2 in the request list.
Korea was up there too. As was Yom Kippur war.

The attraction with gangsters 5 years ago may have coincided with VBCW .  Certainly men in suits (not all with hats) with pistols and the odd SMG could be painted up as spy type figures (the sort Copperstone casts in 28mm) or even Resistance types (Danish resistance fighters seemed to favour suits - perhaps a bit like the soccer casual crew - a well dressed man is above suspicion?)

The range would not need to be big. Perhaps 6 sculpts at the most.   Has the desire for gangsters come and gone?   

FierceKitty

I think the point was made that they wouldn't be cost-effective; nobody would buy even a small army's worth.
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Sunray

31 October 2016, 02:03:00 PM #2 Last Edit: 31 October 2016, 02:04:43 PM by Sunray
Quote from: FierceKitty on 31 October 2016, 10:57:53 AM
I think the point was made that they wouldn't be cost-effective; nobody would buy even a small army's worth.

To a point, if costing the retail price as common or garden figures.   Mark them up as 'personality range' and the extra margin makes them viable.  The espionage bolt on to a post war game would give them additionally to these new armies  that are in the pipeline - My adult children will indulge in 10mm wargame if I couch it as role play with high quality sculpts from Phil.   At the end of the day, figures are simply game counters. Like chess pieces we load them with value. The dice (+1 etc) decides their movement and survivalability.   The Cold War game works will with an Intel preamble.

I have used 28mm Copperstone gangsters (overcoat and pistol) with their KKBB spy range.  Dress suits and overcoats don't age much
during the 20th century. (Flares and turn-ups don't register in  1/150).  

I am just ordering BR180 figures. Now you are not going to 'buy a small army's worth' [sic] of 3 British soldiers drinking tea- but in my proposed game they are the specialists who are tasked with seizing the critical parts from the enemy radar site- whilst the Commandos (late war British Korean or 41 Commando hold that perimeter ...
I can think of numerous applications for gangsters - I mean Special Agents !

Cheers

James

fsn

The problem as I see it, Guv, is the question of quantity, or rather, variety.

In 10mm how many different spies etc would you need? If you're quite happy with a set range of GDR border guards with/without Rottweilers, but just need a few "personality" figures, then I can see your point and would quite happily pay extra.

If though, you're looking for 20-30 different poses then Phil would have to chanmge each one individually ... just arms ... legs ... WARBAND! Though I do think Pumpkin Trolls will sell more than Douaniers.
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

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Matt J

Have a look at the zombie survivors range - some of these would be useful

Guy in suit with baseball bat
A bird in short dress on the phone
bird just in towel (Bonds latest conquest)
A guy running with a uzi

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fsn

What about the Home Guard range?
Lord Oik of Runcorn (You may refer to me as Milord Oik)

Oik of the Year 2013, 2014; Prize for originality and 'having a go, bless him', 2015
3 votes in the 2016 Painting Competition!; 2017-2019 The Wilderness years
Oik of the Year 2020; 7 votes in the 2021 Painting Competition
11 votes in the 2022 Painting Competition (Double figures!)
2023 - the year of Gerald:
2024 Painting Competition - Runner-Up!

Ithoriel

A guy in a flat cap, jacket and trousers, armed with a rifle could be a Russian partisan, an FFI member in Paris, a Volksturm conscript "lucky" enough to get a gun not a panzerfaust, a VBCW militiaman or an archvillain's henchman. To name a few.

A bloke in a hat and suit with a Tommy-gun might be a partisan, a gangster, another VBCW militiaman.

Someone in a leather jacket throwing a bottle might be a rioter, a partisan with a molotov cocktail or a gangster proving that "Nice business, shame if it burnt down" wasn't an idle threat.

Seems to me the trick is to get sufficiently neutral clothing and weaponry that you sell small amounts to lots of people doing different things.
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Raider4

Quote from: Matt J on 31 October 2016, 04:56:07 PM

A guy running with a uzi


Is that more or less dangerous than running with scissors?

Cheers, Martyn
--

Leon

I think originally it was purely for some prohibition era Al Capone wannabes, so we were wary of the potential market for them.  It was around the time that Boardwalk Empire was on the TV, so that might have been the catalyst for the initial request. 

It's still something I can't see being much of a runner, as you'd want at least a dozen different types probably.  Plus once you start something then the further requests come pouring in, so folks would want some flapper girls, policemen, civilians, etc. and then it gets very expensive and even less viable.  The British tank crews were easier to do, as it's only 3 guys and we're selling them on the back of a substantial and popular WWII range.

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Sunray

Fair enough.  Sunray QRT.  Out.