2016 does not sound like it is going to be a banner year for 1/72 soldiers! PSR has already announced early indications from Nuremberg already indicate not much is coming out new this year! I wrote to RedBox about their plans & they said they will have nothing until a spring announcement! This is all sounding not so good for a productive year!

It takes three to ten years to develop a set of soft plastic figures. A slow economy means that companies slow or stop development of new figures to cut expenses and because they anticipate slow sales. Figure molds are very expensive and you have to make your money back quick on the investment in order to both make a profit and to make more sets.

The world economy has been very slow the last 8 years and so fewer and fewer figure sets are being released. Imex and Pegasus have done no new sets in recent years, HaT has slowed a lot, Revell has had no new sets.

The best thing you can do to get more sets made is to buy more sets yourself and bring friends into the hobby so they can buy more sets. It's a hobby for us, but it's all business for the companies.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

I agree that its a matter of economics for the companies making figures, and
with the World's poor economies now, production has slowed. That's why it would be
a good idea for Strelets to re-release some of their most popular sets that are no
longer being produced - such as the American Civil War command sets, and their
Norman and Saxon mini sets. Also the British/Austrian command set has been sold
out forever. These would cheap to produce and would sell quite well if their past
performance is any judge.

Mike;
I have over 200,000 soldiers & I buy almost everything that comes out! I think I'm doing my part above & beyond the call!
Bert

"I have over 200,000 soldiers..."

Who doesn't?

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

Good news HARON. Can let us know what's the 6 new sets ?

4 of the Alliance releases will be:

Fantasy Trolls, Medieval Turkish Cavalry
http://cs633328.vk.me/v633328863/9195/eQUvdaMYIA0.jpg

Fantasy Barbarians and heavy armored Amazons (not sure about the last one exactly)
http://cs623817.vk.me/v623817863/56662/zMxsf19O-nI.jpg
http://cs623817.vk.me/v623817863/5666a/B5TpECgLnL8.jpg

Pictures from http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/

Àny future plans for Orion, HARON? Would love to see some more Russian/Eastern European subjects.

Will you still be making WWII US Tankmen and US Artillery figures?

"Will you still be making WWII US Tankmen and US Artillery figures?"

Yes, please. Lots and lots of them.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

Haron, please do more Jacobites, Artillery, Cavalry, both sides, French infantry, and the missing poses on the government side/British Army, ie loading regular infantryman, Firing kilted infantryman, and both firing and loading for the militia, the figures would have uses in other conflicts too.

Absolutely agree with Allan, Please can we have a completion of the Jacobite range. The sets that Redbox and Streletz have already made are some of the best 1/72 figures I've ever seen and I'd love to see more sets in this style.
Allan's list is great though I would add that a mounted officer who bore a passing resemblance to a well fed psychopathic Prince would not be unwelcome.

Can't say I'm particularly disappointed with 2016 so far, actually I haven't really finished being happy with 2015 yet.

Happy with that, thank you

Excellent news that you plan to make more sets for the Jacobite rebellion in the future, that's really something to look forward to.

Thank You very much.

i see red box is coming out with european mounted men at arms for their wotr series.add another one to my list i have to get.

Um, no I didn't quite word it that way! Here is the email I sent;


Hello;

Was wondering as to your plans for 2016? Last year was a great year with plenty of interesting sets from you! Any info &/or photos you could share would be greatly appreciated! Especially on your "Alliance" fantasy line!

Thank you for your time!

Bert

My last line asked; "Especially on your "Alliance" fantasy line!", but the rest of the email was asking about your entire line! Sorry there was a misunderstanding!

I am never disappointed over my hobby! I can always scratch build missing forces ... and with more central European, Kiwi and early ww2 US sets in the offing, there is still a lot to buy.

Even though I dont game past napoleonic era, I can see many sets upcoming for those that do. For me Strelets are providing French Nap. Sappers, the re release of the Norman/Saxon ranges in big sets with additonal figures, Praetorians, and I still have to get my hands on the Republican romans in ranks. Hat just announced two Nap British cavalry as well. With their re issue of 60 sets I will pick up some extras I missed first time around, and these are all on top of the backlog of 3000 figures patiently waiting to be painted.
..and we still have another 11 months to go.

I see it as a respite. Quite a few things that I would like to buy from 2015(and 2014) so I am not disappointed.
I accept the argument about economic conditions but it doesn't mean that I will take up baking, wall painting(DIY), ski jumping etc or anything made popular by our quality TV channel if tiny plastic figures vanish altogether. My supermarket stopped selling fresh egg spaghetti and when I complained they said why don't I try another pasta. Now I shop at another supermarket for my spag pasta. Then I went to my daughter's house and coincidently a parcel came to the door and in it was a professional pasta maker. So many choices now as one door closes twelve open. If nobody wants to make 1/72nd scale figures then I will do something else of my choosing. I have just converted my integral garage to a room but I am not quite sure what to do with it- a mini cinema? a little workshop? a flat to rent out? an aquarium? air raid shelter?(it is semi underground and would make a real bunker, Mike) and/or more space to store plaggy figures?
If it hadn't been for Caesar, Zvezda, Hat, Strelets, etc who have served us well then I think the "toy" companies would have ditched plastic 1/72nd scale figures production long ago as it too niche for their brand led ambitions.

David

It's okay to watch TV and build Army Men in your bunker.

A few years back, I actually commissioned my own line of metal 1/72nd scale figures for my own use when things were slow. Very expensive and the sculptor / caster flaked on my after only 8 of 24 contracted poses.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

What were you having made?
Arlin

WWII US Army robot soldiers.

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog