WW1 French

I'm having an eBay splurge at the moment. Some North Star French at:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280811437155?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Imperial Guard

Its been a while but I've finally finished something. The Victrix Old Guard unit is finally done and I dont want to see a blue greatcoat for a long time. In line with my normal practice I cannot think what to do with them so they are currently on eBay at:

http://offer.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&_trksid=p4340.l2565&rt=nc&item=280810933297

Photos below. I'm now doing some Normans as light relief.

Success on eBay?

Well, it's a question rather than a statement. I was reading one of those men's magazines the other day (FHM since you ask, the Jan 11 edition if you want to check) and there was an article entitled 'Get Rich Ideas' and there at number 8 was 'Set Up an E Bay Shop'. I've done a bit of eBay trading in the past so thought that this must be worth a minute or two of my schedule to see if there are any good ideas that I am missing. I'm usually pretty good on irony but when the first paragaph ended with the statement 'buy your products cheap, sell them at a profit' I did think that I was rather wasting my time. This was rather confirmed when a so-called expert was then quoted as saying 'The key to success on eBay is finding items that sell'. Really?

Anyway, all that aside, I do scan the eBay historical figures section on an irregular basis to see what is currently doing well. A few years ago you could not go wrong with Flames of War. If it was decently painted and presented then it was almost certain to sell. As long as you didn't expect to make a living out of it then it was a way of funding your hobby. At present it seems as if Napoleonics are enjoying a bit of a resurgence with once again, well painted figures seeming to fetch good prices. There also seems to be a thriving individual pieces market with gunfighters, generals, pirates and such like being snapped up. There is a Henry V figure on there as I write which is jaw droppingly good and at a current price of £36 (or thereabouts) is typical of the genre although I would stress that this is at the upper end of what people seem prepared to pay.

But what constitutes a reasonable price? I reckon that for the average foot figure that is well painted then if you get £5 you are doing verywell. Given that it must take a minimum of an hour for the work necessary to create the figure in the first place then you have to wonder if you wouldn't be better off getting a job that pays the minimum wage. I see that the painting pros charge about £20 for a foot figure if you go straight for the commission route although even these acrylic gods seem to routinely use eBay.

So I throw the question open. Is it really as simple as well painted, photographed and priced figures or is there more to it? Does anyone have any tricks of the trade they are willing to share? Does timing play a part? I try to launch my sales at early Sunday evening on the basis that this gives the best chance of snaring weekend browsers - and before you ask, this is only a subjective view. I have no evidence whatsoever to back this assertion up.

The V22 Osprey

I'm not an enthusiastic flyer but unfortunately its an occupational hazard. For anyone currently travelling around Southern Helmand this means, more often than not, an excursion in the technological curiosity that is the V22 Osprey. This is the US Marine aircraft of choice these days. It used to be the rather more traditional and hence reassuring CH-53 in which whilst you got liberally showered in hydraulic oil, at least you knew that the rotor holding you up in the air was not going to perform a 90 degree turn whilst you were several hundred feet up.

For those unaware of its party trick, the Osprey turns from a helicopter (see picture) into a conventional aircraft by rotating those very large engines on the end of each wing into the forward position after take off (and back again for landing). Every passenger is grimly aware of the casualty strewn development path that the aircraft followed. Crashes were common and for the more imaginative hold dweller it does not make for a comfortable flight.

I am no aeronautical engineer but the physics of the thing seems to demand a very steep rate of climb. Once you know what is about to happen you hold on very tight as it feels like a 45 degree angle of ascent. Bags have been known to fly out of the very open back doors and even the tail gunner crewmen (normally the most insouciant of individuals) can be seen to be grasping onto anything solid with both hands as they fight their battle with gravity. Once airborne it's fast but blessed with rapid deceleration and a series of alarming clunks and thumps. What was that? Wheels coming down? The rotors rotating? Something falling off?

Helmand has its share of challenges but I am never so grateful for its rocky terrain as when I step off the Osprey.

Finding something new to say

I haven't posted recently because I'm back in Afghanistan so I cannot show you my latest photos of a fully painted British Napoleonic Regiment of the line because neither they nor the figures exist. I once brought a small painting set out here to see if I could get something done but it was just all too difficult with the dust and the general topsy turvey life. So my only exposure to miniature painting is through the web and the various forums. This pretty much means the TMP and the Steve Dean site so if there's anything that I'm missing out there then do tell me. I tried Frothers but frankly it tries too hard to be different - its the web equivalent of that Frankie chap from X Factor. You're not really a rebel just because you swear on live TV. Nor are you just because you paint fantasy model figures.

Anyway I was sorry to see on TMP that the magazine Battlegames is closing down. I have to say that I have never seen an actual copy of the magazine itself but I have skimmed the website and I think I get the niche it sought to fill. It's always easy to be wise after the event but I remember thinking when it was first launched that the publisher was taking a very big risk. I've commented before on the economics of model soldier businesses (to a resounding silence I must say so I won't labour the point) but wth a magazine the challenge to find something new to say every month that attracts and retains readership must be daunting. I find it hard enough keeping a blog going. I like having a magazine I can read in the bath rather than getting everything on the web so for me pictures and adverts are enough but with the cost of a magazine such as WI fast approaching £5 a copy its not a cheap thrill.

So I wish Henry Hyde the best of luck. Labours of love are all well and good but no substitute for good risk analysis.

On a separate note I once bought a unit of Elite Austrian Napoleonic infantry and it took me the best part of a year to paint the wretched things. They are probably no more complex than any other figure but all that white.... I wont be buying the new plastics that seem to be everywhere at the moment. The Russians though? I'm not sure.

Back again

I've had a short rest and am now back in good old Helmand again. At least now the weather is cooling down - it's hard to forget after a summer where temperatures are routinely in the high 40's just how cold it can get here in winter especially at night.

I was able to get a little bit of painting in during my leave. The Victrx Old Guard are coming along and I managed to finish 11 of them. I was quite pleased with them and had intended to put some work in progress pictures up but didn't get around to it so I'll aim to do that when I'm next at home. I even managed to get a dark blue for the greatcoats that I was pleased with. Given that they are pretty straightforward figures once you are used to them I aimed for 4 layers - 1. VMC Black and Dark Prussian Blue. 2. DPB 3. DPB and a touch of grey blue 4. DPB and a bit more grey blue.

I also bought a copy of Wargames Illustrated for the first time in a while. It's the copy with the Saxons on the front - I'm not sure what month it is - but I think it's very good. Very heavy on pictures including an impressive ECW layout. I'm not sure what the general consensus is on the magazine these days but I find it to be an enjoyable 'read in the bath' experience.

Vallejo Dark Earth

I bought a pot of the relatively recent Vallejo base covering. I mentioned before that doing bases is something I always find a little trying. Putting down sucessive layers of polyfilla, sand and paint is a time consuming business and I would support any product that speeds up and simplifies this. So I hoped that Vallejo had come up with a solution.

I don't think they have. Anyone who has previosuly used their pumice ground covering will instantly recognise the product. Its simply that with added colouring. It says that it can be painted on with a brush but unless I am doing something incredibly wrong I dont think that is the case if you want an effective finish. Its hard to layer the stuff and as it dries it goes very thin. This means you need a lot of layers to build up a base layer that properly disguises the standard 28mm base. And its this thats the problem. In the end its no quicker than using the tradional sand method. To be fair it does dry quickly but leaves an ultimate finish that is too smooth. I think that it may be more suited to 15mm figures in this respect. I used a lot of flock to cover up the 'difficult' bits

I'll persevere and will try mixing it with sand to see if this helps but thats rather defeating the object of a product that is supposed to offer a one-stop, convenient basing material. At just over £8 a tub its not going to break the bank and you do get quite a decent helping of the stuff but for me it just did not deliver. Sorry Vallejo, my table is covered with all your other products but this one will probably sit gathering dust as the back unless someone comes up with a bright idea for a means of employment.