Old West Wagons and such

[FifteensAway]

So, Peter Pig offers three options: supply wagon, settler wagon, and chuck wagon.  QRF has both a stage coach and a settler wagon.  And Minifig, again, has a settler wagon and a stage coach.  Those are the compatible options that I am aware of.  Yet there were scores of different kinds of wagons through out the old west.  Of course, Blue Moon greatly enhances the options, especially if you are willing to include the generic wagons from the Napoleon range.  But it the old west they have a buckboard - probably the most common wagon - and a doctor's buggy, again quite common, and I think more but the site is down as I type so can't double check.

Just curious why Peter Pig only has the three options.  Stage coach can easily be because of those other companies already having them already and, in my opinion, there's is the best settler's wagon.  And only they offer a chuck wagon.  Oh, and not to forget, they have nice destroyed wagon - which can be supplemented with a nice offering - in metal - from QRF.  I've said this here before - really love to see a fringed topped surrey style wagon.  Can modify the Russian WWI wagon for a brougham style wagon.

I don't expect anyone to offer scores of options but there are some glaring omissions with probably the most glaring being the mud wagon which existed in triple the quantity of the very heavy and quite expensive Concord coaches - the 'famous' stage coach of the movies.

Mind you, my insight is a bit different than most folks because I've laid in a total of 100 wheeled conveyances for my Old West/Plains Wars setup.  And that reminds me, number 100 was a tumbleweed wagon that will need some modification to provide game table durability since it is an MDF version meant for long, long ago that I will adapt to the old west with new and proper wheels (from Stone Mountain miniatures) and seated men inside the bars.  One only need watch Hang 'Em High to find a gaming use for tumbleweed wagon!

[Radar]

Can't help with much of what you ask, but I can suggest looking at Museum Miniatures and Magister Militum. Museum are a smidge bigger than PP, MM slightly smaller.

Both ranges have oodles of carts and wagons. They might have what you are after, or could be a good starting point for conversion.

[Colonel Kilgore]

@Fifteensaway - I suspect that commercial viability / other sculpting priorities more likely to have a wider market appeal could well explain why the Peter Pig range is as it is. Which I for one find impressively wide for 15mm in any case.
Many of us convert what we want if it isn't available precisely as we might like it.
Simon

[Stewart 46A]

I guess it's about time and money, do you spend time sculpting a waggon and parts for a sale of a few or same time sculpting WW2 Germans which will sell lots.
This is probably the reason all those companys haven't made the wagons you mention.

Stewart

[FifteensAway]

Thank you Radar for a useful response.  To the other master's of the obvious, maybe I'll wait another six months before bothering posting here.  No wonder the site is so little travelled.  Sorry, but it is very off putting.

[Smiley Miley 66]

That's a very unfair statement I feel...
Stewart was only telling the truth.
Martin can only sculpture so much at anyone time ?
Peter Pig has to make a profit like any other business.
Personally I would love him to sculpt a load of things but if I am the only customer and only buy 2 of it, not very good business???
Please think about it ?
If you can find 150 guaranteed customers for one thing that you wanted done say ? Then maybe Martin might do that product ?
I am only saying ?
This very much my own opinion, from the view of a close friend of PP work team and play testers.
Miles

[Colonel Kilgore]

Fifteensaway,

I'm sorry you found some of the responses to your query unhelpful. You did ask "Just curious why Peter Pig only has the three options". We tried to answer that question.

Simon

[John Watson]

Perhaps the time has come for Martin to offer crowd funding on the site. Calculate how much it would cost to make a mold and if enough customers pledge the necessary amount, then go ahead with it. If it is not backed then it doesn't get made.
John

[Stewart 46A]

If you speak to Martin he is a one man band and has a long list of sculpts planed or in progress, either new to existing ranges (ACW generals) or replacing worn or damaged moulds.


Stewart

[Radar]

There are some interesting methods of funding being used by various manufacturers. The not-kickstarter method (Pendraken and North Star) seems quite good.
Requests become a list, people sign up for what they would like to buy, if commercially viable they get done. Some discussion on the Pendraken forum about it in action (Napoleonic ranges comes to mind). Seems to work for them. Plus one of their sculptors has done commissions which have then joined the main ranges.

Possibly works for Pendraken because they have a number of sculptors. Now if only Martin had some clones... ECW heads wearing secrets, dismounted ECW harquebusiers, insert the pack of your choice here, etc

[Smiley Miley 66]

If you go into "old glory uk" or "blue moon" they do the stagecoach and the buggies you require.
As they are already available, it could be why PP don't do them
Miles

[Sean Clark]

As far as I am aware, Peter Pig have only ever been sculpted by Martin. Having witnessed the process first hand I am always amazed how you turn a lump of green putty and wire into the miniature marvels we all love.

I forget how long it takes from the initial idea for a sculpt through to it hitting the shopping cart. A typical ìnfantry pack has 3 unique sculpts. That might be 2 or 3 days work.

If there were more people involved in the process then I could see how there might be capacity for a crowd funding type project. Pendraken so this to an extent but have a small cadre of sculpters for their various ranges.

Martin's schedule is divided between entirely new designs and redoing older figures whose moulds have passed their shelf life.

I'm always amazed at the volume of new stuff Peter Pig turn out. Of course, it is entirely within Martin's gift to decide on an entirely new range that has caught his interest, or else producing some of the one offs like the Plague Doctors.

Whichever, I remain a loyal customer, happy with whatever comes, and enjoy seeing how ranges develop. Would I like a stage coach? Yes! But happy to carry on the rebuilding of my collection in the mean time.

In short, keep up the great work Martin!

[Smoking gun]

Well said Sean.

I'm also grateful for Martin's work.

Thank you,

Martin Buck

[Smiley Miley 66]

Most of us on here are grateful for Martins work, especially on his figures.
Miles

[martin goddard]

Hello  readers
Mixed feelings here.
I am always saddened if folk are disappointed with what I get done.
In some ways I am also flattered that folk want me to make stuff that they will buy.

I could list the next few packs that I am intending to do and readers could suggest what they should be replaced by.
That would come across as a bit petulant on my part. I will do that anyway

Here are some thoughts to help the whole move  forward.
1. Do suggest what you think would be a good idea.
2. Do not take it as a negative if your suggestion is not realised.
3.Some suggestions co-incide with current plans. A happy synchronicity.
4.Bear in mind that I get about 3 packs per month done, thus 36 packs per year. Do your ideas take up a chunck of that and why?
5. New packs are limited by my ability/time  to make them, not due to lack of ideas on my part.
6. I have no interest whatsoever in making packs that "help out another company's range". No one does it for PP.
7. I will  not list  packs that are a long way off, as  folk often get annoyed when they are "not out yet".
8. I like to release some new ideas on a regular basis too. Keeps us interested??


Hope that helps.

For interest the next few packs for release will be an ACW general (union), a figure for the gamette. German WW2 in foxholes and German WW2 LMGs.  Which of those should be replaced by a different suggestion?

I still smart for the 14th Army and French motorised projects which were "sure to sell by the bucketload".

martin