RAFM Miniatures has closed

[Mammoth miniatures]

As a younger-ish hobbyist I have to say rafm really weren't on my radar. They seem to have fallen into the trap quite a few of the older companies have, and simply decided to ignore social media and promotion, instead pinning all their hopes on an ever dwindling and largely already well supplied existing customer base.

They were one I knew of but I wouldn't think to look at their range simply because their name never crossed in front of me so they weren't in my mental checklist of "does x company make y" for a given project.

There are lots of stalwarts that are the same - posting on Facebook and getting lost in the algorithm whilst completely ignoring the feast of potential customers that Instagram/bluesky/YouTube can bring in.

People seem to lament the closing of these old companies as indicative of the death of the hobby, but really we're in an absolute renaissance of new miniature producers - they just aren't promoting themselves via an overpriced quarter page advert in wargames illustrated.
And sadly if you don't make yourself visible then there's going to be no one to notice when you disappear.

[carlos marighela]

Unless this counts as social media, it's not something I do and yet I am constantly finding new sources of figures and terrain either through this forum or the simple act of typing a query into a search engine.

I'm not so sure that a social media presence is vital, although it can't hurt to have one but some form of web visibility absolutely is critical. Even folk of my generation who can remember such practices are unlikley to want to go down the old route of send a self-addressed, postage paid envelope to receive a typed list of goods, typically without pictures and only occasionally with hand written strike outs of unavailable stock.

Still, some small manufacturers don't do this a business but more as a pastime. So taking along a selection of their stock to the occasional show meets their needs, even if it's never going to make them rich.

[Funkmachine7]

Rafm is the 3rd by maybe 4th mini supplyer to stop tradeing inside a year. (Denizen minis, Wargames Design Workshop, paypall has stop takeing black tree design, an now Rafm.)
if people say "you don't need thouse minis you have load already" remmber they may not be there next month.

In the past year or so i've gotten in to minitures mostly by way of wantingmodels for DnD, RAFM where on  the list of "i don't need that now" and "but for shipping", usa to uk shipping adds $20-30 to the order, so even with a good exchange rate thats still needing a weightly order an a few month's hobby budget to make sence.

[Chief Lackey Rich]

In the past year or so i've gotten in to minitures mostly by way of wantingmodels for DnD, RAFM where on  the list of "i don't need that now" and "but for shipping", usa to uk shipping adds $20-30 to the order, so even with a good exchange rate thats still needing a weightly order an a few month's hobby budget to make sence.

They shipped from both Canada and the US by request, so a little better there.

My usual way of dealing with UK to US orders (mostly GZG and and Brigade) was to get some locals who also wanted stuff and do a group order, dividing the shipping as fairly as we could work out.  IIRC we hit the $500 mark at least once, and $300 or so was commonplace, which really kept relative shipping costs down - plus we always did the big orders when there were discount vouchers or a sale (which ironically makes the shipping feel worse, but you get more stuff).  Worked great for a decade or so, but two of the other people who were involved have died in the last few years, and I'm hardly painting since I lost an eye.

[Cat]

In related shopping, Fighting 15s retired and stopped casting last year, but is still selling remaining stock while it lasts.  Poked at the website this week and got lucky — they had just enough packs to put together a Mixtec army for DBA, plus a few other packs for others.
 
I hope that lovely Gladiator range of Aztecs & Enemies finds another good home in the future!

[Dubbya]

For me, Magister Militum closing was a bit wake up call.

I remembered Essex Miniatures had an Australian branch of some sort. An incredibly dated website and not even a real Webstore with photos, so I had never ordered, but I thought I better give it a go finally!

Sure enough, they wrapped up not that long ago! My own fault for waiting so long.

[Rick]

I think that some of the political situations of the last few years have had enough of a knock-on effect that it has brought matters to a head for many wargames businesses. Many of whom might have carried on for a few more years are now deciding to close the doors and call it a day as its become quite bothersome dealing with all the red tape.
We can only hope that some ranges will carry on with other suppliers in the future.

[carlos marighela]

For me, Magister Militum closing was a bit wake up call.

I remembered Essex Miniatures had an Australian branch of some sort. An incredibly dated website and not even a real Webstore with photos, so I had never ordered, but I thought I better give it a go finally!

Sure enough, they wrapped up not that long ago! My own fault for waiting so long.

Good God! He's finally gone? I can remember ordering from him pre-internet. Essex Australia is yet another of those companies that when you hear of their demise, you think 'you mean to say they were still going?'

I shared a house for a while with a bloke who had an enormous collection of Essex 15mm figures. This was when painting in enamels was still the norm and my housemate switched me on to acrylics (Gunge Sangyo, all that was really available back then). Don't recall purchasing anything from them in 30 years or more. What a blast from the past this thread is.

At one stage we had a distributor for Minifigs and a host of other ranges, who had a shop not far from where I am now. Michael, AKA 'The Mad Irishman', obtained considerable notoriety for shooting an intruder in his shop with a .22 rifle. He moved  and ran his business out of his garage for a while. I suspect he disappeared at least a decade or more back.

[marianas_gamer]

I was reading this thread and immediately put in an order to Dixon for some more Monks!

[Rossco2]

With several old-time miniatures companies closing, it is making me look at my collection to work out what I still need so as to fill in gaps. I think I better do some of those 'One Day' orders soon.

[Cat]

Was poking about last night for information on Lurkio — they are still in suspended animation since last summer and an aborted attempt to move their operations to Spain.

[ced1106]

Unless this counts as social media

Definitely does.

For forums, find your target audience. Search for your company name and discussion of your product. Learn the etiquette. LA has [Commercial] threads, and Dakka has a News and Rumors forum. Announce your product this way, including unpainted miniatures, professional paint jobs, and YouTube videos?. If you paint and play with your miniatures, post pics and brief session summaries in "Post a pic of your recent game" threads. Include an unobtrusive link to your website in your signature. Establish a relationship with a painter and have them post painted miniature threads of your product. Dunno about YT, Twitter, and Discord, tho.

[syrinx0]

But great at telling you it was someone's birthday a week ago.

Truth.

[carlos marighela]

Was poking about last night for information on Lurkio — they are still in suspended animation since last summer and an aborted attempt to move their operations to Spain.

The clue is in the name.

[Cat]

The clue is in the name.

Indeed.  With Lurkio pulling a Gummo Marx, I went digging a little deeper.  Poking through Irregular's website, their relatively recently updated Inca range has some nice figure options to build a Chanca (Chinchaysuya) army for DBA.