The box's artwork probably makes them more appealing to the general public, but I think many people who are seriously devoted to the hobby wouldn't mind a simple box or a bag with a header card, especially if it meant the manufacturer could spend more money on research or producing more sets. I don't think the box is as important as it used to be. Thanks to PSR, we pretty much know what the figures will look like. And the internet can provide a lot of free information on uniforms.

The non-painted box art is appalling. That said I'm sure it was much cheaper to photo-shop re-enactors than pay an artist to paint a decent piece.

My hope is that Strelets regular artist wasn't able to finish the rushed workload of late, and in the future we'll see a return to the normal box artwork.
It's obvious that the Norman and Briton knights were rushed to the market and aren't up to the latest Strelets quality. Hopefully we'll see a return to form.

juba, I think its Good to see the backroom boys and strelets chaps superimposed unto the figures like Jesters in folklore. Good fun and shows a bit of rare personality which seems lacking in other manufacturers.

If the price is right /less artist fees and more bang for your bucks for figures and more figures produced(whimper, did someone suggest cw turks ?) then good move. Blister bag for bulk sales etc.

Dear Juba,

you are right, the artist simply can't cope with the number of the sets that are released recently. If you think about it, he's got to come up with 2,5 pictures per month in order to keep up with the production pace. You know, of course, that artists are usually not the most punctual of all people that just adds to the problem. So unless we will find another reliable artist to help to the existing one, we will have to resort to the re-enactors images.
Earlier we had to give up writing articles for our web site due to similar reasons.
The target, however, remains the same: to have normal artwork for all boxes.

Best regards,

Strelets

Probably overall the box is not too important to experienced hobbiests. But what about the young lad who's in the hobby shop for the first time, and has never bought a box of figures in his life and wants to start. Which do you think he'll go for? The plain plastic bag or the box's such as Strelets have produced for their new arab army range. You see the Strelets producers are I'm sure toy soldier entusiasts, but they are also a business, and to sell their products they need the customer to notice what they are trying to sell. No matter how good their figures are, if they are not presented in the right way they will not sell. They probably would still sell to the likes of us, but a younger more inexperienced customer is going to notice a well turned out product with a wonderfull artists painted impression of what's inside the box long before he will notice a plain and cheap plastic bag. Add to that the fact that a Hobby shop owner is going to give more shelf space to a more presentable product and I'm sure you will realise that it would be economic suicide for Strelets to change to a plain plastic bag even if it is cheaper to produce.

I really like boxes, I collect them. Those new strelets Arabic sets have great box art, a beautiful overflow of colour! :)

I agree that a bag and header would not attract casual buyers, but I was thinking perhaps the single figure artwork you see on Hat boxes might be just as inviting yet quicker and cheaper. Although not as exciting as the old Rava scenes, I like the Hat figures, which are always well drawn. I love the full battlescenes as much as anyone but if it helps keep manufacturers solvent I would accept less so I could still have the figures.

I think a good illustration on the box is very important,and personally I prefer a battle-type scene as it provides more assistance with painting (when your painting skills are as basic as mine every little helps).The HaT-style single figure is just about acceptable for 20th century figures who largely all look much the same,but in sets which contain more than one troop type,a single figure is quite inadequate.

I like box artwork, but it is not a big deal to me. when i used to keep my figs in their boxes, it was cool to look at the artwork, get a feel for the soldiers,etc. I found it kinda cool that a couple of manufacturers actually had opposing armies facing each other on their individual boxes. Now that i keep my figs in plastic containers, the artwork is no longer all that important. if it would cut the cost of sets, i'm all for duller boxes!

I appreciate the artworks but I think they should be secondary important.

With the large competition, due to the many artists, the financial value of illustrations shouldn't be so rilevant...
I wander how many cheap and good suitable artworks would come out if a factory ask for such contributions on a forum or a website, many modellists are artists.
I don't know if I would be clever enough, but I think I'm not the only one that would be pleased to contribute with an artwork, perhaps not just for free, but one or few finished boxes would pay enough a private hobbist (there's the pride too), that could be an althernative to some expensive professional artistic illustrators if the problem is the cost.

The simple plastic bags are too rough, they would fit for artigianal productions (I use those for my small production) otherwise the cost would rise too much for the package.
A commercial factory could use thick transparent blisters on an illustrated cardboard, They are cheap and not bad to see, it could still include an artwork but it would let the figures visible, that's usefull to see what we're buying. I remember some old cardboard boxes with the artwork but also a transparent window to show the pieces inside.

The artwork can be appealing for beginners, for more demanding and experienced hobbists I think a photo of painted pieces, or even better of a diorama, would be much better, they are still great artworks to see, and probably would attract as well the beginners too.
It could show well how the product looks when is finished and well painted, a very attractive thing.
I like to see good illustrations and paintings, but being in the modellistic environment I prefer to see a good modelling artwork on the box.

Finaly for painting informations, historic profiles, eventual wargaming values, etc. perhaps a sheet included inside would be cheaper and let much more space for a well detailed description, instead than trying to fit everything on the boxes.

Leo

Its 2007 .How about a chip/crisp bag like frito lay or walkers(brits) with a mini cd with the artwork on.At least we'd get to see uniform in detail etc for a range of figures.Disc could have order of battles, wargame rules and distance calculator for movement and firing in 1/72 etc.

Plus some figure painting scenic tips.Disks could have advertising by scenic companies and paint makers etc.