What *should* a miniature cost?

[A Badger]

'As much as a person is willing to pay for it' is the obvious answer (especially for sheep...). However, obscure rarities aside, had I invested my 1985 50p (the price of a miniature then) in an interest bearing account tracking the BoE base rate tax free, instead of small lead orcs, where would I be now? Probably not on this forum for one!

A crude average base rate for the last 29 years gives an interest rate of give or take 6.14%; so my 50p is now worth around £3.50, which is probably at least £2.50 more than I'd want to pay for an 'average' miniature on ebay today. The fact I can still buy the vast majority of 80's miniatures for £1 on average suggests that barring a few notable exceptions, the price of 80's lead has not kept up with the real world and actually it's cheaper now than it was then. Even looking at inflation alone the price should be £1.32. This is especially odd since the price of price of the raw material lead and tin have risen considerably over this period.

I was thinking about this as I just got a lot of 10 old 40k ork raiders for the princely sum of 24p each. Perhaps not the alternative investment plan I was looking for!

 

[Golgfag1]

Ah, but we didn't buy them as investments did we, we bought them as things to play with; hence the point is: investment - bad, toys - good.

Paul / Golgfag1

 

[Greater Harlequin]

I wish the Rogue Trader stuff I have been chasing averaged out at a £1. Yes some stuff does come fairly cheap...I just won 70 RT era Orks for about £50 and I have picked up some IG for a pound or so, but most stuff is £3 upwards and £6 to £10 for some of the more in demand figures is far from uncommon. However, I console myself by looking at the rrp of finecrap castings and the world suddenly seems ok again

In reality, buying armies of old lead isn't as expensive in a lot of cases as buying current plastic and finecrap models.