Welcome to the Strelets Forum. Please feel free to discuss any aspect of 1/72 scale plastic figures, not simply Strelets. If you have any questions about our products then we will answer them here.
I guess time will tell. If 3D is the future as it seems it may be, then purchasing your own printer will be the only feasible option. I certainly can’t afford sets at that price, I’m not too sure how much it costs to print your own figures but I’ve heard that it’s reasonable. I think I will always prefer buying a box of soldiers though. You can’t beat it!
I don't think that most small companies that print 3D models are set up for mass retail. Many of them only have one or two printers and so only print a few models per day. Injection molding can print 50 figures every 45 seconds and the molds will last for years.
I think the 3D printer people are undercapitalized and need to have a dozen printers so they can print a greater quantity of figures per day to take advantage of economy of scale and no waiting time while stuff prints. If you print two sets per day because they take 8 hours each to print you need to charge $42 to make a living. But if you have a dozen printers then you can reduce the price and do better.
I think many of them also buy small quantities of resin or filament and that is expensive too. They need to buy industrial amounts so they are not paying mostly for packaging, but again if you only have one printer, you can't justify a drum or resin.
I am not interested in 3D printed soldiers I do not like them and they lack the magic of the boxes, the sprues,the soft adorable plastic and all the old feelings that I used to enjoy...
I am and old man and in some way ,prisoner of my time
No problem, I'll live ten years more or less I have got enough old style soft plastic soldiers to paint, enjoy...and remember
It is only my way of life, of course
it is perfectly reasonable to own other points of view, just my opinion
By the way....love your dinosaurs Mike! I studied Biology at the university in Madrid...love them since I was a child
Anyone knows the movie "The valley of Gwangi"? Cow boys againts dinosaurs...a great film!!!!
Like you I am an old guy and soft plastic figures are my favorites, but I have some 3d printed stuff and while the quality is not the same as the good stuff, the variety of models makes up for it.
So I have some 3d printed stuff and will likely get more, but like you I like the old things.