You might want to go to www.solegends.com - pictures and info of most of the serious miniature ranges
Good Luck!

lucyjoyce wrote:Many of mine at least have a year stamped on the bottom.  Some though just have initials scratched in - ASI, KF, HM.  It's kind of mind boggling.  But interesting!

HM is Heritage Miniatures, and they are always in demand.  I'd willingly remove you of their burden.  

Heritage and Custom Cast miniatures are related; Heritage bought the rights to Custom Cast figures or molds or bought the company or something similar.  Heritage Miniatures and Custom Cast generally have flat, square bases, though some have a raised brick/tile texture.

Minis with Elan Merchandising in a typewritten font are Lord of the Rings miniatures from Heritage.  More unusual minis can get pricey.

Minis with E.R.B. on the base are John Carter, Warlord of Mars, from Heritage; E.R.B. = Edgar Rice Burroughs.  These are more uncommon than normal Heritage minis and may be more valuable than the Lord of the Rings minis.

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And, as always, beware of recasts.  One eBayer actually owns the original molds and has one of the original sculptors clean them up and make "new" original molds.  He is legit, and his minis look great.  Another eBayer sells primed "white metal" recasts that are not legit; his are not so great.

lucyjoyce wrote:So, did he put the colors on himself to use in certain scenarios, or did they come in the box that way?  None of them have any paint on the figure themselves, only on the underside of the base.

Heritage minis didn't come pre-painted, so the paint must be a code for his own use of the figures.

I recently read an anecdote about an early manufacturer that sold miniatures paintsets (a box of minis and paints, like the Paint-n-Play boxes from Grenadier).  Instead of using closeable plastic tubs for the paints, the maker decided to use non-reusable plastic film.  A large number of these paintsets were returned from stores after people discovered that the paint had leaked onto the miniatures.

I think I may end up keeping some of these.  Much to my husband's dismay, I am sure!

Just remember to wash your hands after handling them; the minis do contain lead.  And beware of lead rot (do a google search for it) attacking unprotected minis.

Thanks so much for the info.  Heading back to Stuff of Legends - awesome website, that!