displaying for sale - painted or unpainted?

[Mammoth miniatures]

I'll be bringing mammoth miniatures to salute again this year, and during my last minute casting rush I realised that I have a much larger range of figures than last time with very few painted examples (the joys of a busy schedule)

My instinct is to try and paint as many as possible for display, but that got me thinking - do people want to see painted figures, or would they rather see the sculpt as it is before painting?

So i ask you, humble LAFers, When you're at a show browsing for figures do you prefer to see a painted example, or an unpainted one?

(for context I cast all my figures in brightly coloured resin so that the details can be seen easily)

[ithoriel]

If viewing online I prefer black washed, to bring out the detail. In the flesh, so to speak, I prefer to see the casting as is.
I suspect I'm in the minority though. Further posts will tell. 

[Tarnegol]

If viewing online I prefer black washed, to bring out the detail. In the flesh, so to speak, I prefer to see the casting as is.
I suspect I'm in the minority though. Further posts will tell. 

Me too, so a growing minority...

[Deedles]

Agree , simple black wash to bring out the sculpt and casting quality

[OSHIROmodels]

Painted preferably 

[giles the zog]

Blackwash, as  others have said it shows the sculpt quality.

Painted examples an optional nice extra

[Dolnikan]

I prefer having minis bare so you can actually see the casting and details. A black wash can help but paint jobs can do a lot to obscure what you're getting. Of course, I've only shopped online and at stores (so things were always packed when I physically saw them) but I think that the opportunity to see the bare metal is great because it says so much more and provides a canvas for me to imagine my ideas on.

[Elbows]

A quality picture of the unpainted model, no question.  If you want a secondary picture or two of how it can look painted...fine.  I've seen some shops really screw this up - providing no unpainted pictures, and only poorly painted pictures of their products.

If you insist on using painted pictures - they should be professionally painted.  You're only hurting your brand/sales if you post an average painted miniature.

[SJWi]

I'd definitely vote for black or gray washed, especially as the figures are resin which can be quite shiny. I would also re-iterate that if you want them painted they need to be very well done. I can think of several manufacturers over the years whose painting was decidedly average at best and I think it actually became a disincentive to buy. A few well painted samples or vignettes can help.

[has.been]

When Essex miniatures first came on the scene his wonderfully painted
figures certainly persuaded me to buy them. Even more so as most of
the other manufacturers had the same old very tired & battered displays.
Now I too like to see the black wash or bare casting.
It keeps my painting asperations down.

[Mammoth miniatures]

A quality picture of the unpainted model, no question.  If you want a secondary picture or two of how it can look painted...fine.  I've seen some shops really screw this up - providing no unpainted pictures, and only poorly painted pictures of their products.

If you insist on using painted pictures - they should be professionally painted.  You're only hurting your brand/sales if you post an average painted miniature.

I am a fairly good painter if I do say so myself BUT I do wonder if my style of painting is perhaps not suited for advertising.

[nozza_uk]

Black washed for me. I've seen figures so well painted that it's put me off buying them.

[Orctrader]

Both.
I like to see the untouched metal - or other material - and painted examples.

[Elbows]

To clarify, I don't know the OP and my comments were not addressing his painting skills - I'm referring to the general "You".  I've seen several small companies who insist on posting poorly painted miniatures as their only product pictures and I think it's seriously damaging to their sales, etc.

Weirdly, the opposite is also occasionally true.  I've seen some gorgeous painted miniatures and was disappointed when I got the miniatures as the detail or sculpting was really underwhelming...the painter simply did some freakin' magic to make them look better. 

[Fitz]

I would like to see both, a matte primed example (preferably grey) for informational purposes, and a painted example for inspiration/aspiration.

A good paint job can make a mediocre sculpt look a lot better, but a straight primed example will show the potential buyer the actual quality of the modelling, be it good, bad or indifferent.