As another year draws to a close, it's time for our annual evaluation of which projects we managed to tick off, which ones are in progress, and which will be kicked into 2025!
10mm Sci-Fi Expansion! - SUCCESS!
The big Sci-Fi expansion was our main focus for the first half of the year with 6 shiny new ranges all released and available here: https://www.pendraken.co.uk/10mm-sci-fi There are 3 more ranges coming soon, ahead of the launch of Future War Commander 2 at Salute 2025.
28mm Crossover Miniatures - SUCCESS!
Another tick on this job with all of the Crossover Miniatures Superhero ranges back in production on the website here: https://www.pendraken.co.uk/28mm-crossover-miniatures We've also added these to our show stand and the physical shop.
Multi-Scale Flags - SUCCESS!
Another tick here too, with over 700 different flagsheets licensed from Tiny Tin Troops and added to the website here: https://www.pendraken.co.uk/tiny-tin-troops-flags These are a great addition to our catalogue and have been really well received.
10mm AWI Additions - SUCCESS!
Ticky tick tick! These were delayed quite a bit but were finally released earlier this month, adding another 30+ codes to our already comprehensive AWI ranges: https://www.pendraken.co.uk/10mm-18th-century-american-war-of-independence I think we're done for the timebeing in this period and the next Clib release will be the Goths.
10mm Indo-China French expansion - SUCCESS!
More successes here, with a full revamp of our Indo-China ranges released back in the summer and available here: https://www.pendraken.co.uk/10mm-post-war-indo-china
10mm ACW Additions - ALMOST!
These have all been sculpted but sadly we didn't have chance to get them into moulds and released before Christmas. They'll be one of the first jobs to work on when we get back in January, so keep an eye out for them very soon.
10mm Modern Vehicles - ALMOST!
Similar to the above, we've had these all designed and they're in Pendraken HQ ready to go into moulds. I'll grab some photos of them first and pop them up on the Forum for folks to look at. This batch is mainly T-72s, plus a BM-27 truck.
10mm WWII Artillery crews revamp - ALMOST!
This one should have been done a couple of months ago but there was more work involved in assembling all of the relevant artillery pieces and prepping all of the new moulds. All of the sculpts/pieces are in the workshop at Pendraken HQ so it should be one for the first few months of 2025, all being well.
More Red Vectors products - ALMOST!
I'm going to class this one as an Almost as we've got another batch of MDF buildings all prepped and ready to release, but we had some issues with one of our laser machines earlier this month and needed both a service and new extraction fitting. This left us with just one machine for a while and we had to focus on the orders/stock rather than anything new.
10mm TB Line - FAIL!
I'm going to class this one as a Fail although we have made some progress on this task. Techno has completed the repair work on several of the Ancients ranges so those can be put into new master moulds soon and then onto production moulds. The Mongols are still waiting on my desk though, so I'll need to crack on with those asap.
10mm Dungeon World - FAIL!
Sadly we didn't make any progress on this one at all so it'll need to be moved into our 2025 plans. The new Dungeon modules are all designed and the monsters/furniture masters have been spun up, so we just need to get cracking on new moulds for it all.
12mm Fantasy ranges - FAIL!
Complete Fail on this one, as we just didn't get time to even look at these this year.
10mm Bronze Age Middle East - FAIL!
The sculptor has started doing some research prep for these new ranges but we've not made a start on the sculpts yet. I'm hoping to have a rough list soon of what we'll be producing and then I can put it up for everyone to look at.
In total there we've got 5 Successes, 4 Almosts and 4 Fails for this year, so some big projects ticked off but definitely room for improvement!
Most of the Almost projects are sculpted/prepped so it's just a case of finding time to make the moulds and get them released, so I'll optimistically aim to have those done quickly in the new year. We've also got a new member of staff starting soon, who'll be taking on a lot of admin/social media work and easing my workload a little bit.
I think we'll probably go a little easier in our 'Plans for 2025' as well, just to make things a bit more manageable!
As always, thanks for your valuable custom and endless support this year, we hope you've enjoyed our new releases and we'll have a lot of new shiny goodies coming your way in 2025.
Well done, Leon, another great year. Can't wait for Clib's Goths. I've never really worked out what they should look like, so look forward to finding out!
A lot done this year*. Well done.
I particularly enjoyed the SF and am looking forward to the 3 new ranges. Add a bit of alien-ness to the mix - what could go wrong?** :)
Very excited to see the possibility of some bronze age armies.
I wouldn't beat yourself up - you've delivered a lot this year. I'd also say that delivering 6 full new ranges, plus the many, many ... many .. many additions to the AWI range must be considered major projects. The promised "addition" to the ACW range is nearly 100 new figures. That's more than other brands have in their entire range.
So, Amazons in January; SF in March, May and July and then you have 5 months to do the Bronze age. I think that would be a suitable schedule. :)
Seriously, well done to all at Pendraken.
*Regrettably none of was Amazonian. >:(
**I'm pondering the possibility that the waspy ones could lay eggs in their enemies. :-\ Turn then to zombies or something.
QuoteWell done, Leon, another great year. Can't wait for Clib's Goths. I've never really worked out what they should look like, so look forward to finding out!
The men all look like Dave Vanian, Andrew Eldritch or Nick Cave. The women all look like Siouxsie Sioux.
Put me down for the entire range of Siouxie figures...
Well done to Leon and all at Pendraken =D> =D> =D>
Three of those four fails are nudging into the almost category and as Nobby said several of the 'additions' are bigger than many providers full ranges
I'd say a great year's work ... with much more to look forward to in the coming year. Take care. ;)
I'll be interested in what's planned for the bronze age.
Lots of successes this year - especially when you cross reference the list of released codes - and see how big some of these single item successes are.
Hopefully your new person frees up capacity for mould making - as this seems to be a common bottleneck in several of your Almosts!
Can I ask about the Japanese castle?
I think you've done pretty well to say the least, given all the challenges you've faced this year. A delay in some ranges is not the end of the World! I'm certainly looking forward to the Bronze Age armies, just to see what might tempt me...
QuoteI'm certainly looking forward to the Bronze Age armies, just to see what might tempt me...
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/XIK4hcDZhyKWkmYj_01ZHTOBVDiqw-e8DtVp2KZlNsyftsHbOcaenV1_vSZyk-h0j1SL2EnI8Hn1f5v8AtWtRCufC14PWxKn) C'mon Dendra armour!
QuoteI'll be interested in what's planned for the bronze age.
I am also quite curious as to what this range may entail. Well off my usual radar, but you never know what interest might be piqued.
Well the real success is continuing to thrive as a business despite EU attempts to stop you exporting and our governments imposition of more NI and better wages and conditions even for the casting dwarves.
And your success/almost category greatly exceeds my which armies will I "finish" this year. You churn the ranges out way faster than I can do armies!!
I may be too late to be of influence here.
Lardy Rich (of the TooFats) made a plea during one of his advent calendar broadcasts.
Heading "Bigger WW2 weapon crews" - well OK that's a bit vague.
The most interesting snippet was:
"Soldiers opening (ammunition) boxes have many uses when building a unit".
I reflected, an active "loader" wielding shell, ammo belt or mortar bomb fits a limited range of weapons.
The shell guy won't look right crewing a 37mm and a 105mm.
But a guy tending to a crate, can conceivably crew almost anything.
Thanks for all of the positive comments!
Quote from: fred. on 23 December 2024, 09:08:01 AMCan I ask about the Japanese castle?
That's still pending but we might be able to make some progress in the first half of next year. There's a rough plan currently to build ourselves a resin room and bring the resin products back in-house, but it's reliant on us finding a spare week to build the new room and fit it out.
We'd probably start with some of the simpler products too, as we'll need to train someone from scratch in resin casting, but then we can start working through all of the backlogged stuff too.
Price rises
Wow, another year, another price rise steeper than the last: 18% vs 12% last year. What is going on?
For me, with the exchange rate, prices have risen 63%, which seriously curtails my spending power.
You left out your custom MDF base cutting, a service I used with some extravagance in 2024. I'd call it a success.
Quote from: Leon on 24 December 2024, 12:27:26 AMwe'll need to train someone from scratch in resin casting,
I would volunteer for this if I lived nearer, Resin smells sooo good!
Quote from: Orcs on 02 January 2025, 04:21:07 PMI would volunteer for this if I lived nearer, Resin smells sooo good!
Steady on!
You have done a very good job this year. I am ignoring the announcement about bronze age armies in the hop i don't notice them when they are released ;)
Can I ask about the WW2 Armoured Train, that was discussed a while back. To be done in 3d resin I believe? - why do I feel like Oliver asking for more?
Quote from: Orcs on 02 January 2025, 04:21:07 PMI would volunteer for this if I lived nearer, Resin smells sooo good!
Quote from: d_Guy on 02 January 2025, 05:38:17 PMSteady on!
Its almost a good as the smell of the laser cut bases.
Anyway we all know Leon is already a purveyor of addictive substances - namley lead, resin and MDF :)
Quote from: Aston on 02 January 2025, 04:38:27 AMPrice rises
Wow, another year, another price rise steeper than the last: 18% vs 12% last year. What is going on?
For me, with the exchange rate, prices have risen 63%, which seriously curtails my spending power.
Aston, You may not be aware that the latest UK government has hit businesses with a big increase in the National insurance tax that employers have to pay, plus increased the National minimum wage.
For each employee on minimum wage the two increases have added approx £2000 per year onto the employers costs. For every £1000 per year they earn above this, the employer must pay another £150 in National Insurance.
Many companies in the UK have frozen recruitment and laid staff off because of it.
Added to this Gas and Electricity bills have risen in the UK over 50% compared to pre-Covid levels (2019). They are due to rise another 3% in April.
Most Insurance has risen by 25% in the last three years.
Obviously the exchange rate is something that Pendraken has no control over, and cannot be reasonably expected to take into account, as it would vary from country to country.
So you can see that far from being an exorbitant price increase over the last few years Pendraken are probably taking a hit.
Quote from: Aston on 02 January 2025, 04:38:27 AMWow, another year, another price rise steeper than the last: 18% vs 12% last year. What is going on?
A lot sadly! As Orcs says above, the National Insurance, staff minimum wage, business premises taxes, metal costs, energy costs, are all going up.
Last year's price increase was largely a reactive change to get us back on an even keel, but then we saw other unexpected increases come along that we had to try and manage through. The higher increase this year is more proactive in that we've built in a bit of a buffer, in the hopes that we can get ahead of any potential hits for a change.
The exchange rates are frustrating at this end too, all of our metal costs are priced in dollars so the $ strengthening again hits us directly. It only takes a few cents in either direction to cause £1000's of difference to our material costs.
QuotePrice rises
Wow, another year, another price rise steeper than the last: 18% vs 12% last year. What is going on?
My local cafe has gradually raised the price of its breakfast & drink from £4.95 pre-covid to £7.95. C'est la vie.
As several have said before we would much rather see Pendraken raise its prices and remain a successful business able to invest in new codes and ranges
Leon has always provided advance notice of price rises and explained the reasons behind them. Both very rare from any business
Quote from: Orcs on 02 January 2025, 07:02:53 PMAston, You may not be aware that the latest UK government has hit businesses with a big increase in the National insurance tax that employers have to pay, plus increased the National minimum wage.
For each employee on minimum wage the two increases have added approx £2000 per year onto the employers costs. For every £1000 per year they earn above this, the employer must pay another £150 in National Insurance.
Many companies in the UK have frozen recruitment and laid staff off because of it.
Added to this Gas and Electricity bills have risen in the UK over 50% compared to pre-Covid levels (2019). They are due to rise another 3% in April.
Most Insurance has risen by 25% in the last three years.
Obviously the exchange rate is something that Pendraken has no control over, and cannot be reasonably expected to take into account, as it would vary from country to country.
So you can see that far from being an exorbitant price increase over the last few years Pendraken are probably taking a hit.
Thanks very much for the explanation Leon, that is very tough. God, the UK is a mess. Sorry times are so tough for you and the business and really appreciate the transparency. Makes it a lot easier to accept the price increases. Good luck to you and Pendraken in the year ahead!
Another successful year. Sadly many businesses and people feel the pain. Out of 5 people at my level I am the only one left and went from FT to 0.5 FTE :'(
That being said, after massive buys for two specific games, I am getting hooked on WWII British paras again. All out of kidneys to sell so not making promises for Carronade just yet.
On the plus side my own rulesets are selling not too badly and I may have some cash. On to another successful year, Adele, Leon, Dave, and all you lovely people here and at Pendraken.
Quote from: sebigboss79 on 11 March 2025, 07:18:36 PMOn the plus side my own rulesets are selling not too badly and I may have some cash. On to another successful year, Adele, Leon, Dave, and all you lovely people here and at Pendraken.
Cheers, we'll hopefully see you at the Falkirk show.