No not mine....although I do eat a healthy veggie diet and workout everyday,...no I'm talking about plastic figures. N & HO. I was reading a thread on another forum and they were critiquing an HO diorama that was an ebay offering. Two posts called the figures that he used, cheesy! I had to agree with that but truthfully it the first time I've ever thought about it. Some figures are better done then others. My question to you is, ...Who, in your opinion, makes the best figures? I'm speaking of quality mostly but variety is also important.
Well in my opinion Candy Pieser makes the best detailed figures I've sen on the market, and also the widest variety, then of course Woodland Scenic comes a close second. The figures that the folks in China & Japan sell are marginal in comparison. But that is my opinion
I like the woodland Scenic car scenes,...if that's what they call it,.... I used two on my module. They are a bit pricey though. My LHS....not so local.....has a good discount on them. Pieser is a Germain company, aren't they? How do we know where they are made? Couldn't they also be made in China? Seems like most everything is!
True Candy, but Preiser's factories- wherever they are, have a markedly better casting for the lil plastic peeps than the China bulk packs you see on Ebay. That said, if you are looking to fill a train or an interior, those bulk packs on Ebay can go for quite a bit cheaper, and considering your looking through something slightly larger than a pencilhole and a sheet of plastic, you don't eed to worry so much about quality. The main difference is the sheen on the plastic. First thing I look for in one of those "real or model?" pictures is if there's people. The heads all reflect the same way the clothes do, and too much at that. But, the Presiers do a good job at not doing it so badly.
I agree with everyone else. Preiser seems to be able to get the arms and legs right. Woodland Scenics is pretty good, but the arms and legs are thicker. The Life-Like and other cheap figures all look like they spend more time in the donut shop than in the gym. It's not just the plastic casting, though. The paint jobs on Preiser figures are better, too. Of course, the prices reflect the quality. Unpainted figures are a lot cheaper. I pick up the Walthers catalog every month, and watch for the sales. Then I order them through my LHS, which gives me the sale price and saves me shipping costs. This place: www.rocousa.com has a great web site for viewing Preiser figures. I've ordered from them, too. A lot of the Preiser figures have a very European look to them, so I like to check them out before I buy them.
Thanks for the link. It's that European look that I've noticed about them, but there are lots without an ethnic distinction. I wish they would make children in school uniforms. I would like to make a Catholic school scene. I can get nuns but no school kids. No school kids in Catholic uniforms, that is.
I've used Preiser figures in both N and OO/HO. There's a great variety, with unpainted figures too, if you want to to that bit yourself. Regards, Pete Davies
Preiser is real good, with a good variety. I think Woodland scenics are the best though, although a bit expensive. OK cheap joke time. Candy, If I told you you had a nice figure, would you hold it against me??? Yes I know I shoudn't have gone there, its hard to resist these easy ones though.......Mike
There are a few sets that should work, but you would have to paint the clothing over. (I don't know where you would get plaid paint, though.) Try Preiser 14074, School Children, or 14139, Children.
Plaid Paint I know you can get Camo paint at any LHS, sooooo, Go ask for plaid and record the reaction. lol Pics or video would be appreciated :tb-wink:
Actually they do make some Lutheran nuns with children. you just have to repaint them. Oddly enough them in z scale as well. Yes Preiser is the best. Although they are mostly European, depending on the time period you are modeling, you can do quite a bit of modifing with a bit of putty hear and a nip with a file there. I modify the very limited variety of figures that they have in z scale, and can pretty much make any figure I want to. HO scale would be even easier. Woodland Scenics / Noch figures have more American type figures in HO, and with a bit of wash and dulling, they can loose the toylike look.
Yes, one of the differences between Preiser and WS figures is the finish. When I get them home, I open the package and dull-coat them right away. On some, I find that a very light application of weathering powder, followed by a second hit of dull-coat, will enhance the details of the figures. "Weathering" the exposed flesh-colored parts is also a way to give yourself some people who aren't of Northern European descent.
It looks like they were trying to think of all kinds of people doing all kinds of things except something that is so common around the world like school kids in school uniforms. I think they really missed that one. I think it would be a big seller. They could make a package of girls and another of boys. I want to make a Catholic school scene but I'm modeling the early 60s and if they did make these figures they might make the girls skirts too short. That wouldn't fit my era. So many variables in this hobby. Oh yes...I did go to Catholic school. I have strong memories of it. I wore a white blouse and a short gray pleated skirt. No tartan plaids.
If you decide to paint figures, (and there are some recent articles out there on how to do it) you have to open up your imagination and look at other figures. I use the unpainted farm kit for a lot of things. Even though they are German peasants that could be used from say 1890 to 1950, they could be modified as American workers, farmers, housewifes of 50s and 60s ect ect. The unpainted figures give you more value. Limbs and heads can be cut and repositioned. If there is not enough children to be found, a trick taught to me was cut a bit out of the middle of the torso, you can make tweens and teens out of adults.
I was thinking I might try painting some figures. I want to see if I can do it. I did make a 1950s bouffant skirt out of Sculpey clay. Came out nice. The figure had a straight white dress but it was short enough so I could cover it with a circle skirt.
Thanks ! Just got the nuns but I still need uniforms. I think I can do something with one kid. I'll give it a try
I was thinking of using a home-made decal for a plaid skirt. If I paint the skirt on the model gloss white, then the application of the decal should work out pretty well. The decal would have to wrinkle a bit to fit the odd shape, but cloth does that naturally anyway. I'd make the decal oversized, and then trim it after it dries a bit.
