Red Box Games closing down

[Coenus Scaldingus]

From the Book of Faces, some unfortunate news (especially given the reasons):

Red Box Games, 17th of May

Well Folks, I have been agonizing over this long enough...... It is time for Red Box Games to change shape. To that end I am going to conducting a final sell off of Red Box Games figures. Through the end of the month of June I will be taking orders on everything in the Red Box Games store which will include some ( not all ) of the previously discontinued back catalog items as I have had a LOT of inquiries about several discontinued items in the recent months.

There are several reasons for this. Chief most being the past year was BRUTAL for Red Box Games. the cost of metal has increased dramatically and I did not make enough profits to reinvest in restocks of current catalog items. This is why the RBG store has been empty for so long. My eye sight has degraded rapidly over the past 2 years to the point now that is VERY difficult to see what I am doing and trying to work with glasses on has been impossible for me adjust to. So making new product to get the store going again has been off the table as well. And even if i were making new product I don't think I could afford to restock AND produce new product as well.

Shipping rates have been a nightmare as well. I have subsidized shipping costs as much as I have been able but the way things are going I do not anticipate being able to afford to do business as usual in the coming years.

Also the competition has never been more fierce. there are SO many great products on the market and so many new ways to deliver products to the existing and emerging markets.

All in all I just the time has come to make some big changes. So I will be adding several discontinued items back in to the RBG store over the next day or two for this big final sale and then ending July 1st the Red box games store will be closed down.

I will continue posting about miniatures and cool fantasy news items and the efforts of other small studios in the table top industry here on the Red Box Games facebook as I figure out what shape RBG is going to take going forward. But the entire current catalog is going into permanent retirement.
I WILL NOT be selling RBG to any other businesses. So if you want these items you will need to get them from me before the end of June.

Cheers Yall!

   Tre'

[Cubs]

Tre is an exceptional sculptor who has produced some beautiful models over the years. It's a pity that his business has been unable to turn a decent profit for some time and although he has done his best to stay flexible and adapt to the market's requirements, his one-man operation has been hit by rising costs and the demands of running a business. I'm not sure why he's not selling on the rights to produce his back catalogue, because I'm sure he'd have plenty of buyers, but perhaps he has plans for the business in the future that would explain that. I hope Red Box Games comes back bigger and better some time in the future.

[Little Odo]

Sad news indeed. I wish you all the best for your future endeavours Tre.

[Inkpaduta]

Sad to hear. That is the positive and negative of living in the golden age of wargaming.
On the one hand there are so many companies offering an amazing amount of figures
for numerous time periods and fantasy gamers. On the other hand this make it hard for a
company to make a profit as supply outdoes demand. Sigh.

[FramFramson]

Tre is an exceptional sculptor who has produced some beautiful models over the years. It's a pity that his business has been unable to turn a decent profit for some time and although he has done his best to stay flexible and adapt to the market's requirements, his one-man operation has been hit by rising costs and the demands of running a business. I'm not sure why he's not selling on the rights to produce his back catalogue, because I'm sure he'd have plenty of buyers, but perhaps he has plans for the business in the future that would explain that. I hope Red Box Games comes back bigger and better some time in the future.

I also find it a bit odd because he has in fact sold some of his past production minis to other manufacturers already. But best wishes to him; it's distressing to hear his eyesight is degenerating so rapidly.

[Blackwolf]

Very sad,a decent bloke to deal with. Thank goodness I’ve bought a fair few of his miniatures.

[white knight]

Great guy, though I think the business success was somewhat impacted d by butterflying through the ranges, switching scales, discontinuing models, taking new directions, none of which helped to build a stable customerbase. 

[beefcake]

Sad news indeed. One of my favourite sculptors. Hopefully he'll be able to get back into things in some form or another.

[Bloggard]

a remarkably gifted sculptor. I've bought a few of his things from Hasslefree over the years. A great shame - although he seems rather chipper about it in tone, so hope he is indeed feeling positive nonetheless.

Is there not a suggestion in his comments that 3D printing / supply of files and digital sculpting is part of the reason?

I would imagine that such technology is going to hugely change / challenge the traditional design and production models, and sooner rather than later given how popular it's becoming (Stateside at least).

And when you think that printing out fully coloured-in 'stuff' surely isn't that far off (even domestically) ... it's going to be a very different 'hobby'.

* ( I appreciate you can already print-out in colour, at least at the higher end of things - but I mean practical / affordable - which I'm assuming not).

[Mr. White]

I've not see these minis before...they're gorgeous!
They look like they'd work a treat as heroes for my Lion/Dragon Rampant retinues. Any idea how well these human models scale with Footsore's Baron's War?

[gibby64]

I've not see these minis before...they're gorgeous!
They look like they'd work a treat as heroes for my Lion/Dragon Rampant retinues. Any idea how well these human models scale with Footsore's Baron's War?

I'll be able to tell you pretty quick, I bought a truckload from him last week when I heard he was shutting down... Lots of great looking rangers for Robin Hoods gang... his stuff is supposedly a true 28mm... I'll take some photo's when it comes in. Bought a ton of dwarves too! Gorgeous stuff.

[Dags]

Great guy,

Madder than a box of frogs though.

though I think the business success was somewhat impacted by butterflying through the ranges, switching scales, discontinuing models, taking new directions, none of which helped to build a stable customerbase. 

This in spades.

[Elbows]

Really sad to hear, but understandable.  I find RBG stuff doesn't "fit" with anything I own, but I do own most of Tre's sculpts which he's done for Reaper (which are larger and match other common ranges).

Great sculpts though and he has such a peculiar style you can identify it very easily.

[Mr. White]

Recent posts sound as if the scale of these minis are all over the place...
They are a little on the higher end at about $9 each. Maybe I don't go whole hog on buying minis to mix with Footsore...

[Bloggard]

based on the few I have, they're relatively 'small', particularly in fantasy terms.