lstormhammer Posted August 8, 2002 Share Posted August 8, 2002 So, lacking another place to put this topic, here is rests. How does one proove their insanity, and make it as a professional minis painter? It's about as likely as me, me personally walking on the moon, but what the hey, maybe it can be done... And maybe we'll have peace in our time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mengu Posted August 9, 2002 Share Posted August 9, 2002 I've done a little thinking and research on this. It looks like the really good painters, those who can place in a golden demon contest, can sell some of their standard work for around $100 on e-bay. They put somewhere between 8-12 hours on those miniatures. Around $10-$12 will be spent on supplies (miniature itself, paints, flock, glue, etc). So at best, the hourly profit is around $10. You can put about 4-5 hours but the top money you'll get for it is around $40, but usually more like $25. The hourly profit is much lower in this case. There is another line of painting work. It's mass production. Painting armies is much more profitable if you can find the market for it and sell it. If you can paint 20 miniatures in 5 hours (it can be done), you get about $200 for your 5 hours of work. Unfortunately this is the least fun of all options. And the best of the best, can of course do contract work for miniature companies, and make decent and steady income, but I have little knowledge in that line of business. In other words, my advice is, don't quit your day job. If you have the time, and want to try and gain back some of the money you have spent on miniatures, you could do it on the side, though I can't imagine parting with a miniature I've painted to a high quality, not that I'll get there any time soon. I paint because I like to use miniatures in my games, and I like to paint (duh). Hope that helps. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstormhammer Posted August 9, 2002 Share Posted August 9, 2002 Thanks, Mengu. There's always that point when the user wants to become a dealer. As my roomies put it: "You should take up a crack habit, it would be cheaper". So I'll keep my job as a multi-billionaire CEO, who's also an internationally famous super-spy, and has double-docs in Particle Physics and Dimentional Theories... The real job, while interesting, isn't as interesting as being a Superspy. But the Dental's better. --lstormhammer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scowling Posted August 13, 2002 Author Share Posted August 13, 2002 I have a real day job, which I am getting paid for while posting here...:) However, I regularly paint miniatures and sell them on EBay, and do the occasional commission. My next batch of figures will be going up this weekend (never post just before or during GenCon!) The key is to be able to paint quickly and paint well. If you can only do one of the two, you will not make it worth your while. If you paint well, but not quickly, you'll make more money collecting bottles from wastebins. If you paint quickly, but not well, your selling prices will be low. I disagree with Mengu -- the best hourly profit isn't $10, and overhead isn't that high. Other than the actual price of the figure (which I always buy at a discount), I doubt that I use more than twenty cents worth of consumables (paint, primer, glue, wear and tear on brushes, plastic bases, etc.) on a single figure -- but then, I clean, assemble and prime, on average, 20 new miniatures a week. Check out the Reapers on my website (see my .sig). None of them took much more than an hour, including basing, and I get $20-$45 US apiece on EBay. I've got my painting process down cold. :) For example: One hour to paint, $44. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mengu Posted August 13, 2002 Share Posted August 13, 2002 scowling, you are, I must say the exception to the majority of miniature painters. Most of them I've seen fall into either one of the categories you've listed, either paint slow, or don't paint well. I for one fall in both categories, but that's okay, since I don't plan on selling any of my precious work. I was basing my research on the numerous auctions I've followed on e-bay. Sometimes I also think it could me a matter of building a client base, but it certainly is risky business in my book. Often, I can't believe the high price a mediocre job fetches, and sometimes I can't believe how low the price is, for what looks like a lot of labor, especially for some larger and highly detailed models. Seems inconsistant. But obviously for you and some others it's profitable, otherwise, there wouldn't be a market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mengu Posted August 13, 2002 Share Posted August 13, 2002 errr.. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladystorm Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 I know I could never part with my minis. It'll never be a career choice for me. Kudos if you can. cbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluto Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 Not that it isn't a great paint job, Scowling.. But I personally could never pay 40+ dollars for it.. Can you imagine trying to amass a collection?? Maybe because it's because I can paint myself.. I'm just surprised there is a market for quality paint jobs. I can see someone paying to have their army slop-and-go painted, but for me, it seems weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scowling Posted August 14, 2002 Author Share Posted August 14, 2002 There is a very large market for well-painted figures, particularly among gamers with good incomes. Your average computer programmer, making $120,000 a year and who's been playing D&D since he was ten years old, thinks nothing of paying $40 for a nice figure -- or even $400 for a very nice one. It's chump change. There are several people buying $2000-$3000 worth of painted figures on EBay every month and many more who spend $500 or more every month. Just on painted figures. There are folks out there with much more cash than you or I, and I for one am very happy to take some of it away from them. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord_Ironheart Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 Hear Here! I agree with scowling. Your paintwork is on par with my own, from what I have seen. How long have you been doing it? Me, I've been at it for 14 years, over 12 of that professionally. I worked for Ral Partha from Jan. 99-Oct. 2000, when they dumped all of us freelancers. I'm working on getting my own hobby store open, but until then, it's commission work for me. Oh, and for the Amber Dragon I did for my client, she paid me $50 (this included purchase). I can probably get more than that on eBay if I decide to go that route. I can't wait til my friends get those pics burned to disc......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lstormhammer Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 I'm working on getting my own hobby store open, but until then, it's commission work for me. Where you planning on putting the store in, IH? I'm always looking for a good store to visit, as the WotC in the mall is passible, and the indy game store is well... it posesses funk, and not in the good way. --lstormhammer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFoutz Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 I'm envious of the people who can really crank out the minis. I've sold minis on ebay before successfully, but only a few and a full Warhammer army. Some people just really produce an incredible amount of work, so much so that I can only see painting as being their full time job. I'd like to start selling to make some side cash and increase the number of painted minis I have for gaming. I'd probably paint 2 identical minis at a time, one for me, one for selling. Jim- maybe you can give us some ebay strategies that have worked for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frankthedm Posted August 14, 2002 Share Posted August 14, 2002 Scowling, did you prime that mind flayer white or black? I have heard pro painters prefer white but those shadows on the fig are so nice and deep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scowling Posted August 14, 2002 Author Share Posted August 14, 2002 I only ever use white primer, even if I'm going to paint the whole model black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord_Ironheart Posted August 20, 2002 Share Posted August 20, 2002 I'm working on opening my store in the Otsego/Plainwell area here in Michigan. The name, when open, will be "The Dragon's Edifice", adn I'll be offering my paint services through the store under the business subtitle "Dragonwerks Custom Miniature Painting". I'm sooooooo hoping my buddies get cranking on burning those picture cd's for me..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.