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Tarmogoyf
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 12:10 pm

Is there a guide to collecting and appraising minis? I come across many "vintage" lead figures and the newer painted figures all the time when I am looking at books, but I never touch them. I think they're cool, I just dont know anything about them. What makes one vintage, rare, etc?

benjoshua
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 4:09 pm

Tarmogoyf wrote in Minis:Is there a guide to collecting and appraising minis?

If you are talking about a book regarding 25MM or 32MM minis used for D&D, not that I remember, know of or have ever seen. There are articles written on-line with basic collecting information. There are several threads where collecting and appraising is discussed. However, there are lots of books written about 54MM military (toy soldier) miniatures. For example:

Richard Scholl, Toy Soldiers: A Century of International Miniatures, Courage Books, 2004
Stuart Asquith, The Collector's Guide to New Toy Soldiers, Argus Books, UK, 1991
Bertel Bruun,The Confident Collector Toy Soldiers Identification and Price Guide, Avon Books, 1994.
Johnathan Crawford, World Toy Soldier Directory and Compendium, Cullen & Coolidge Publishing, US,1998

Tarmogoyf wrote in Minis: What makes one vintage, rare, etc?

Mostly its age and if the number produced was low. Some have become rare because they were produced with a lead alloy that oxidized (called lead rot) to a powdery mess and were not protected with paint/varnish/etc... I personally call anything produced before 1985-86 vintage, but not everything prior to 1985 is rare.

Overall, I would say that most people on these threads don't bother with minis that much. While I have an large collection, most collectors here prefer paper productions.

Truth is worth finding and life is too short to work for money.

Blackmoor
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 5:44 pm

Generally speaking most licensed minis are the most valuable (Ral Partha 11 series, D&D and AD&D licensed, Games workshop and Marauder older metal warhammer and 40k minis, Dragontooth, Heritage D&D minis, Grenadier Greyhawk Packs and AD&D boxsets, Gamma World and other specialty minis). When I mean "Valuable" I mean anything that is actually worth Retail or more after release dates. In package minis are of course worth a great deal more than loose ones, limited release minis from poplar lines are more valuable. For example an in package Selune from Ral Partha 11 series would probably fetch $100+ at auction, a loose one $25.00. Some old Marauder releases such as the large multi part limited Giant (100 copies IIRC) would be in the Neighborhood of $800 - $1200 in package, and $400 - $500 loose. Typical Grenadier mins from the old gold line are $1-$3 each loose or $50+ when in there box (about 10 per box) and double or triple that if the box is sealed.

Mini collecting is very popular, lots of people looking for the right one or sets

Games can get you through times of no money but money can not get you through times of no games!!

Tarmogoyf
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 7:44 pm

So the next time I get a chance to buy an assortment of random lead minis for $1-2 a piece it would be a smart buy? I just flip them anyway.

benjoshua
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Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2017 8:32 pm

Tarmogoyf wrote in Minis:So the next time I get a chance to buy an assortment of random lead minis for $1-2 a piece it would be a smart buy? I just flip them anyway.

I would say shoot for cheaper than that. For example, here's a lot where the minis were closer to 50 cents each:

** expired/removed eBay auction **

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Tarmogoyf
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Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2017 11:22 pm

Well I just bought 21 of them for cheap as an add on to a book buy I did today. Bought from the original owner who said his kids are not into D&D and the wife wants to "make space" in the house. Ever wonder how much this hobby owes to wives?! :lol:

I'll post some pictures of the minis. Some of them have some dates on the bottom I could make out 1977, 1978, and 1980. I'd be interested in a valuation.

I never used minis as a kid. We always used the extra dice.

Tarmogoyf
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 1:26 am

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Tarmogoyf
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 1:28 am

This is the last of the lot. What do you think for the lot? Any standouts?

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benjoshua
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 8:27 am

The only ones that stand out to me are the Wizzards and Warriors Wyvern and Manticore. This line of minis was made by Grenadier prior to 1980 and their manufacturing photo identification is verified here:

Wizzards and Warriors - Lost Minis Wiki

These two are not that rare. I personally own the manticore, and it's a bad sculpt. The wyvern doesn't look much better. It was created with a lead alloy and is more vulnerable than most to lead rot, so I'd sell it or paint it sooner rather than later. It can be stored to minimize oxidation, but I don't recommend that. Most of these minis are Grenadier, and I would not be surprised if all of them are. Although, the centaur looks like a Wizards and Lizards sculpt and the unicorn may not be a Grenadier sculpt. Anyway, you probably could get $5.00 each for the manticore and wyvern, maybe a little more or a little less. The other monsters are worth roughly $1.00 to $2.00 each and the humanoids are worth roughly $1.00 each.

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grodog
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 10:56 am

The Grenadier W&W ogre is a fun sculpt. Mike Monaco recently painted one that I traded to him as a yeti (along with the earlier cone-head version of the yeti); you can see them here: Are you ready yeti? | Swords & Dorkery

Allan Grohe ([email protected])
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benjoshua
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Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2017 11:04 am

grodog wrote in Minis:The Grenadier W&W ogre is a fun sculpt. Mike Monaco recently painted one that I traded to him as a yeti (along with the earlier cone-head version of the yeti); you can see them here: https://mikemonaco.wordpress.com/2017/02/20/are-you-ready-yeti/

Ooo! Cool little article and decent paint jobs! Thanks for sharing that.

Truth is worth finding and life is too short to work for money.

Tarmogoyf
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 1:29 am

Great info, appreciated. Is there a mark "S" maker? I looks like the unicorn and the centaur have that mark along with 1980. A couple others said Ral Partha 1979.

I'll probably toss the entire lot up on eBay within the week.

benjoshua
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Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2017 12:19 pm

Tarmogoyf wrote in Minis:Great info, appreciated. Is there a mark "S" maker? I looks like the unicorn and the centaur have that mark along with 1980.

The Wizards and Lizards line of minis was made by Superior. The S is for Superior. If you look them up on The Lost Minis Wiki, the unicorn is WL-019 and the centaur is WL-020. It takes a while to get the hang of the The Lost Minis Wiki, but it's one of the best mini identification resources available.

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Deadlord
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 9:34 pm

Intellect devourer, cave fisher and yuan ti are from Grenadier 2012 Dwellers Below.
Anyone know what that first wizard with a staff is? I'd love to get hold of one for my kid, it's basically his character in lead form.

If you hit a Rowsdower, you get to keep it.

SimperingToad
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 10:04 pm

Deadlord wrote in Minis:Intellect devourer, cave fisher and yuan ti are from Grenadier 2012 Dwellers Below.
Anyone know what that first wizard with a staff is? I'd love to get hold of one for my kid, it's basically his character in lead form.

Heritage Dungeon Dwellers 1201b

Art of dragons doing what dragons do. Site of a friend. Dragonstuff

misterspock
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 10:19 pm

btw, some mini's do go for big bucks

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Deadlord
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Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 10:21 pm

I'm an idiot. I meant the SECOND one, with the snake staff (obviously Adder version).

If you hit a Rowsdower, you get to keep it.

grodog
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 12:09 am

Deadlord wrote in Minis:I'm an idiot. I meant the SECOND one, with the snake staff (obviously Adder version).

I'm pretty sure that's a RP sculpt, Frank, although I don't know which offhand.

*checks Lost Minis Wiki*

Aha!

is apparently the v2 (and much improved) version of the original cleric with snake staff:

It's # 01-004 from the Personalities & Things That Go Bump In the Night line @ Personalities and Things that go Bump in the Night - Lost Minis Wiki

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