Cheap (toy) Dragon as a Warhammer/RPG miniature

[Frugalmax]

Hi all,

Long time lurker, recently joined, this is my first thread. Quite a while back I got a bag of dragon toys from the dollar store. They sat around for a long time, then I decided to make a video of trying to turn one into a gaming miniature. That video took a lot longer than I thought to make, then it sat for a long time unpublished. Well, I've finally gotten around to joining the forum, publishing the video, and sharing the dragon that started it all.

This dragon (and it's buddies form the same bag) appear to have been slightly bent or repurposed rejects that are also available for a heftier price under the "Safari Ltd." brand at stores in the U.S. like Michaels (or from Safari Ltd.'s websitehttps://www.safariltd.com/collections/dragons). Seeing them so cheap at the dollar store makes me wonder if they're made by an independent party and Safari Ltd. and others pick them up and brand them for resale in the U.S, or if they are made specifically by/for Safari Ltd, and I got some that mysteriously appeared outside their supply chain or didn't make the quality control  or something. Anyway, that's not the point, the point is Cheap Dragons!

Hope you enjoy!

(Note this is the first time I'm posting pictures, and using the attachments function, but the images don't appear in the preview, so I'm just going to hit post and hope for the best. I clearly don't know what I'm doing, but oh well.)

[Frugalmax]

Hey, the pictures worked!

Here's the video:

[Spinal Tap]

Love your video, have subscribed and look forward to more.

The cheap dragon looks really good too.

Thank you for posting.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

That is a nice chunky dragon.

I ,ook forward to seeing more of your work.

[Tactalvanic]

Well done, great repaint/repurpose, hope to see the rest and more projects sooner 

[Little Odo]

That dragon turned out rather nicely

[Aethelflaeda was framed]

I wonder if the dragons are really overstocks/seconds or just pirated knockoffs relying on a low profile and Safari’s lack of ability to enforce its IP rights.

[dickiegranthum]

That’s a suitable Warhammer dragon!

[Daeothar]

I did the same a couple of years ago with a dragon I got for nigh to nothing (I believe it was €3,-?) at a local dollar/euro/pound store. I repositioned its wings by cutting and hotglueing them back at a more pleasing angle (they were perpendicularly straight up when I bought it). Painted it in an afternoon and I'm still really satisfied with the result

I went back the next day and bought all the other variants they had, so I still have 4 or 5 different ones in storage. (For when I need a differently coloured dragon )

It's amazing how these cheap, bendy toys transform after a nice paintjob and the addition of a proper base. Yours looks excellent! 

[Luigi]

Turning toys into miniature has to be among the best wargaming experiences.
Both the examples in this thread are great and I absolutely love your video.

[Frugalmax]

Thank you all for checking it out and the comments and feedback!

@Spinal Tap - I appreciate it!

@Ultravillainsmurf - thanks! Yes, it's a big one, at least compared to the miniature dragons of yore. Though from what I've seen online, modern dragons from the likes of GW are pretty huge, which, while I think they are sometimes a bit over-sculpted, they are more in line with my mental picture of dragons- anyway, the cheapo is big enough!

@Tactalvanic - thank you! I'm working on some more videos (real life permitting, I'm going to try to post one per week for a bit and see how it goes)

@Little Odo - Thanks!

@Aethelflaeda was framed - Thanks ofr commenting! Yeah, it's a mysterious world of intrigue, manufacturing, shipping, and quality assurance. Who actually makes these dragons or and is there an exclusive owner of the rights to sell them?  And if you have the capacity to make knock-offs  of plastic toys, why pick a somewhat obscure line of dragons? And if they're not knock-offs but ones that failed inspection, what is a manufacturer allowed to do with thousands of pieces of plastic if they don't pass your customer's quality requirements? And is underselling your own customer for a quick turnaround shooting yourself in the foot in the long run or a way to please the boss and clear the factory floor? Someone could make a noir film out of this dragon's backstory... hmm... anyone know a movie producer?

@dickigranthum - Thank you! I have yet to use it in a game (truth be told we've sort of moved past warhammer into a more homebrewhammer anyway), but I'll try to update this thread with a photo when I do.

@Daeothar - Hey, your dragon looks great! I agree that the toys definitely do the job- they may not win any competitions, but they're good enough for fun gaming. Thanks!

@Luigi - Agreed! In addition to my pile of sprues and "official" miniatures I've got a small pile of old toys that await the appropriate conversion. Thank you very much!

[sir_shvantselot]

Really great concept. And it came out so well.

[Daeothar]

I wonder if the dragons are really overstocks/seconds or just pirated knockoffs relying on a low profile and Safari’s lack of ability to enforce its IP rights.

Having dealt extensively with Chinese manufacturers in the past, I can confirm that one practice is the following: a company orders a run of a certain item, let's say 5000,000 pieces. The factory will oblige, but will probably make a run of 7000,000 (or more) with the customer's mould.

They will then ship the required 5M items as agreed and will sell the remaining 2M to another party, which will often sell it through sites like AliExpress, Temu or what have you. But older channels will sell them via knock-off and other off brands through dollar stores and the like.

And they can do this due to China's interesting IP laws. In that China does not recognize IP that is registered elsewhere and who's owner's headquarters is not located in the PRC.

GW had their production in China at one point too (maybe they still do, I don't know) and all of a sudden the knock off market was innundated with retooled plastic kits that were very clearly of GW origin...

[Battle Brush Sigur]

Yeah, one of the many reasons why one does not order on AliExpress, Temu and the likes and why the EU is putting fines/court stuff on them pretty much constantly for a year now.

Anyway, I really like those dragons on showcase here. These cheap toys are a great source for monsters. And I actually very much enjoy the slightly more classic look.

[Brian Smaller]

Not a dragon but a cheap orc toy I got online.