Now that you have stopped drooling all over The Foundry's catalog use the enclosed envelope (although you will have to add a one cent stamp to it) order some figures from them before March 29. You can't beat the 25% off deal. The color cover will also make a great painting guide.

I have a pack of The Foundry's 25mm RugaRuga pack DA 16 (Those Ragamuffin Ruga-Rugas !) to give away free. If you want them, let me know now.

(not available to MagWeb members--Heliograph print subscribers only--RL)

The Minifig Pathans went to Chuck Vadan, use them well Chuck - don't let them take prisoners.

Cost of Figures

I have seen and heard a lot about the cost of figures lately, and I agree that on the surface the cost is high. When I first began ordering figures from Jack Scruby in 1958 or 59, I was paying from 10 to 25 cents per figure. And since I only made 10 cents an hour that was a lot to me. Now that I get a slightly higher salary from the State of South Carolina the amount doesn't seem that bad - ratio wise. Then I didn't have any other expenses, except comic books and they were only 10 cents each.

Now that I have many other responsibilities to consider before I buy figures, like books, ah no I mean utilities, credit cards, essentials what's left after paying bills isn't much so the cost of figures seems high. BUT, based on inflation since 1960 - $1.40 each isn't much considering the cost of research, sculpting, production, etc. etc. My figures are an investment, I still have every figure I purchased since 1958, may be five thousand total, at least three thousand are colonial, and I will never sell the colonials, probably will get rid of the Napoleonics in a couple of years and buy more colonials.

Anyway, getting back to figure prices, think about the figure sculpting when you first bought figures and look at the quality now. Most manufacturers in my collection, mostly Essex and Foundry, are beautifully detailed, some, to remain nameless, are lacking in detail to such an extent they arc barely better than figures available in the 60s, but their prices arc just as high as the better quality figures. The better figure manufactures have much more extensive lines and the cost we pay reflects, to me, the expanding lines that Foundry and Old Glory are able to provide us. New manufacturers, like Castaway Arts, are providing us with figure ranges not available elsewhere. For that I agree to pay the price, may not purchasing tons of figures but it makes me more selective rather than buying everything in sight. And that I really appreciate, otherwise I would have thousands of figures I will never paint, enjoy, let alone play with. Having lots of figures not why I engage in this hobby.

While figure prices seem high it takes a lot to make a figure. No, I'm not standing up for the manufacturers, Since I put this out, I don't make anything on it, I understand about costs and trying to make a little profit. But I don't think I would willing pay $2 a figure for 25s, geez, just be glad were not into Games Workshop figures where they can be as much as $12 each for mounted figs and $3 to $9 for single figures.

I really appreciate the articles that have come in and been printed or will be next issue. This issue marks the last of the Spanish American War and Philippines Insurrection photo-fest. I believe the final count was 91 photos, few seen in any recent books on the war.

The Foundry folks, Neville Carr and particularly Bryan Ansell, have conspired to bring you the enclosed catalogs for your drooling pleasure. They have enclosed a stamped envelope, you'll need a one cent stamp added to it, sorry, to give yourselves a 25% discount on your next order with them. Don't wait, the offer expires at the end of March. I plan to order some figures and when you do please make sure you tell them, as you should all dealers you see on these pages, that the Heliograph sent you, it helps us and of course them make up their minds for advertising and figure production.

Next issue will contain Blake Walker's TSAFT rules variant for the French and Italian colonial adventures, Gerry Webb's Ashanti Rules, and more playtesting and analysis of rules for Darkest Africa all just before Cold Wars in April. I am about out of articles and would appreciate help. I have material for an article on the historic French-Dahomey war if anyone has a set of rules or anything else I can make that go great with the already printed pages of illustrations from two turn of the century French accounts. I would also like anything you have on German Colonial uniforms. Scenarios for any colonial period, country, anything.