A question oh faithful servants and minions.

[libertee]

I recently received a PM from a friend, an excerpt of which is below.  I am not having a go at the person who sent it as his intentions were based upon concern for us and HF in general.  I can see his point of view and thank him for making me aware of it.   But i am concerned if others are feeling the same way and the only way to know is to ask.

"....i think there are a few of us that are frustrated that it's almost becoming like the GW 3 month schedule. I appreciate you showing us whats's being worked on but it's disheartening that it wont see production for a while (or maybe not even at all). "

the question is what should we do if our current way of working is frustrating people. 

We work this way because:

1: When Kev makes something he is so pleased with himself that he wants to show everyone...not to get loads of "oh that so wonderful, you are amazing " comments but just so people can see what he is doing.    He used to hate the fact when he worked for some of the larger manufacturers that he couldnt show anyone what he had been doing.

2:  Showing WIP's also for us is a way of gauging if we are on the right track with a figure or if we have completely gone off at a tangent.  A few figures have been shelved completely based upon public reaction.  We want to release variety but at the same time we need to sell a certain amount of figures each month to keep Kev in alcohol and food.

3:  We dont usually have a 3 month schedule, it is a temporary thing due to everything backing up whilst i have been ill this year.  I thought that by showing everyone what is going and  what is coming out next it would make them happier, not annoyed with us.  We arent holding stuff back for the sake of it, it is a delicate balance in what we can afford to produce each month that is all. 

So really i am asking for opinions here.  I am not saying i will listen to them or not delete them if they annoy me (lol!) or even if they will change anything but i just want to know.

[Ben Brownlie]

Do what you do, Sal

It works and works well

If anyone is really that frustrated about having to wait a month or two to buy a toy soldier then they need to get a hobby (ba doom tsch)

[Bodhi]

Greens are far more interesting than casts. I'm very happy that you take your time to show stuff that you might not yet be able to cast for one reason or other as soon as it's finished. And I'm sure everybody who has ever tried sculpting figures feels the same way. It's like a little package of free lessons every time new sculpts show up.
THANKS!

[Toosh]

Well I was really surprised to read this thread. I would say that I strongly disagree with the comments PM'd to you. As far as I am concerned, I like to see what Kev is up too sculpting-wise and to know what is potentially in the 'works' so to speak allows me to budget (ha!) on what I want to spend.  There is nothing worse than having a blow-out on models to suddenly have one of your fave manufacturers release a model that you want really badly but you have spent all your cash.

I do not find it off-putting in the least to know what is going to be released in the up and coming months. I'm not sure that you have a habit of disappointing your customers by not releasing stuff after you said you would - people understand that sometimes you have to jiggle releases around to either go with current trends, Kev's sculpting mood swings(!) or to simply make better business sense.

In other words, what Mr Brownlie said above

[caerban]

It's a case of Reality vs Want isn't it? I want stuffs noooooooooow but I realise I have to wait. If you were a multi-million pound international company who have plenty of staff doing all the necessary bit and bobs then I would feel slightly aggrieved that things are late or set back. But you're not. You're primarily a family (and all the niggly jobs that entails) doing all the niggly jobs that running your own business entails. And all to a very tight budget with awfully slim margins. And for all that your service and product cannot be faulted. So I wait and yes it's frustrating seeing greens you can't have yet but at the same time there's the anticipation, waiting is almost part of the fun (except for the dragon... get the hell on with that, boy ). If you can't wait and handle the anticipation and tension well...take up macrame or something

[Bungle]

Yes.. I can find it frustrating to see something that I want NOW, and find I have to wait until January or so.

But thats just me being a spoiled brat.....

I would just urge you to release as much stuff by the beginning of December, to give orders time to roll in for Christmas..... and i won't have to wait too long then.

[stormwolf]

You have to do, what you have to do.

What you have tried to avoid all along, is your setup becoming to much of a  , so just carry on as you have been.

After all for me it is a hobby, along with fishing and cycling etc. and not life or death. And hopefully most people will feel the same way.

Seeing the greens is nice, and if we have to wait awhile so be it, most of us understand

Saying that though; "get on with the bloody dragon!"

Keep up the good work Sal & Kev.

SW (Glen)

[Avicenna]

Hi Sally

My opinion? well, here goes...

I personally thoroughly enjoy seeing what you guys are working on and do not find it frustrating at all. Obviously different people are waiting for different things to be released, but in my opinion letting people see what is in the works can only be a good thing. If anything, the only trouble it might cause is people holding back on their orders until the next few releases

I think another thing which supports the case for showing WIPs in advance is your new Production  Queue - it is made very clear when you intend to release the minis.

BTW, what is wrong with a 3 month schedule?

[AKULA]

Keep doing what you are doing (both of you!) - its refreshing to see WIP, particularly from a sculptor with the skill of the likes of Kev.

So what if we have to wait a couple of months to buy the finished article, at least we all have something to look forward to....and its not like most of us don't have a huge pile of lead to deal with in the meantime, while waiting for you to release {xxxxxxxxx}* 

*insert wishlist as appropriate

[Valloa]

Personally I LOVE seeing what is coming down the road even if it is months or half a year off.  I'm far more likely to buy something I want if I know when its coming out and can plan on getting it than if its a surprise release.  I can see the frustration reaction, sure everyone would like stuff now rather than months off but as you pointed out, reality doesn't allow that and you've been very upfront about why the schedule is what it is.  Maybe some of the anxiety from a few people is not that it'll take that long to produce but fear that Hasslefree might not be around long enough to release that pretty they fancy.  With bad economies and other small businesses no longer open (like Ollie's Armies) and because even companies like Reaper dropped back their release schedules this past year (not saying thats because of the economy or anything but there have been lots of companies going to the longer time between releases) and metals increasing costs also cause worry about future price hikes.  

Maya~

[ink the troll]

A few figures have been shelved completely based upon public reaction. 

Now I'm curious. Will they eventually be reworked/ modified? If not maybe you could sell them on ebay.

Regarding the main question:
I like being able to have a look at the greens, even if something might never be for sale it's still interesting to watch the progress. I also like the release schedule being posted, only having a very restricted amount of hobbymoney this helps planning purchases.

[libertee]

thanks lots for the coments guys...i just needed a bit of feedback.

It is frustrating for us as well seeing a figure like Dom Libby that will fly off the shelves but we have to wait for a couple of months to produce her.  

Maybe some of the anxiety from a few people is not that it'll take that long to produce but fear that Hasslefree might not be around long enough to release that pretty they fancy.  With bad economies and other small businesses no longer open (like Ollie's Armies) and because even companies like Reaper dropped back their release schedules this past year (not saying thats because of the economy or anything but there have been lots of companies going to the longer time between releases) and metals increasing costs also cause worry about future price hikes.  
Maya~

I am not going to say that each month it doesnt get harder because it does but it is still better even with the current situation than it was say 4 years ago.  The first 2 years of HF were hand to mouth literally because of our policy not to use credit but only to buy something if we had the cash to pay for it.  we ate a lot of jacket potatoes those two years!!

[libertee]

A few figures have been shelved completely based upon public reaction. 

Now I'm curious. Will they eventually be reworked/ modified? If not maybe you could sell them on ebay.

i dont know,  once Kev has lost motivation with a project it is really hard to get him to pick it back up again.  He is like a child flitting from one idea to another and because he doesnt draw/sketch the images in his head for future reference he has no alternative but to sculpt what he see then and there for fear of losing the image.  this is one of the reasions why he works so fast on selected figures.  Like a lot of artists and sculptors he hates some of his older work and wouldnt dream of reworking it.

[grekwood]

Personally i like the teasing and sneak previews ..... i myself like to post up pictures of my own stuff from time to time.... i find it's quite exciting waiting....sometimes people will moan, then others say do it like this, you should do it like that, try this.... but it's all good, and i feel really good when i get complements

so keep it up  

here have a joyful banana  

[gi6ers]

personally I love seeing the WIPs, I'm a HF fan and like to know when i'll see stuff but I'm just happy to wait for something to go into production and then spend 6 months sat in the lead pile.

I'm happy to wait a while for Bruce Campbell, I know a few of us are frustrated at the delay

[weirdwolf]

Do as you do.

I love seeing greens/browns going up. I can imagine Kev frustration at not being able to show his other (commission) work off.

Keep'em coming....there's nowt like being teased 

[The Commissar]

Carry on as you are - I like to see the greens and I know you will get them out as castings as soon as you can.

[Balgin Stondraeg]

Okay late's see.

1: I like seeing pictures of greesn because that lets me know there's something I'll want cming.
2: Sometimes it can get frustrating waiting for greens to get released.
3: Knowing which greens are coming lets me delay orders (and save on postage costs) and wait for two or three things I like to get released rather than just buy one and wait a few months. Yes. I'm a poor man.
4: Sometimes knowing I'll have to wait 4 months for 3 minis is annoying but nowhere near as much as not knowing what's coming, seeing something I like and trying to decide if I should buy it now or wait to see if something else comes out too to justify placing an order.

I think that pretty much covers it.

Oh wait, 5: we, the Fodders, can discuss improvements to an unfinished green before it gets released. That kind f fan con sultation process simply doesn't happen with non fod companies and sometimes you see a release of theirs and go "that would be prefect if they'd just changed that one bit there - why did they make such an ugly mistake and turn this mini into a munter when it could've been pure gold?"

[Kellys Eye]

It's good to know what's coming out over a period of time as it lets you plan your purchases. I don't find waiting frustrating - the anticipation of the miniatures coming out is all part of the fun!

[dizbuster]

Just keep doing what you're doing. Patience is a virtue after all.

[Orctrader]

You know this already.

Whatever you do, some people will be happy, some unhappy and others, I would guess the majority are easy whatever.  (That is, they have no opinion either way  )

What you (probably) don't know already is, personally, I only buy what is available at the time and have a steel-like will and bottomless patience that predisposes me to, er, just buying what's available. 

[Ritual]

Go on and do things the way you want to do them! Someone will complain about it, or have issues with it, but if you change your ways then someone else will start complaining instead. Yes, sometimes it can be frustrating to know that a mini or two that you really, really want don't get released for a couple of months, but then I always rummage through my box of unpainted HF lead and I'll find a dozen of minis that inspire me every time as much as the ones I'm waiting for and I can start painting some of those instead.

[keeper40k]

I'm always appy to see the greens, even as WIPs.  I can build myself up and get more excited about buying a mini when it is released which just makes my hobby more fun!  Whenever I feel frustrated abou not being able to buy a particular mini straight away, I only need to think of my lead mountain and my frustration is immediately replaced with guilt about not having painting all of the fine HF minis I've bought And I'm also happy to know what you plan to be releasing over the next few months - it helps me budget better

So, keep bringing on the fun please, Hasslefree

[grekwood]

Personally i like the teasing and sneak previews ..... i myself like to post up pictures of my own stuff from time to time.... i find it's quite exciting waiting....sometimes people will moan, then others say do it like this, you should do it like that, try this.... but it's all good, and i feel really good when i get complements

so keep it up  

here have a joyful banana  

  reading back what i wrote late last night.... taken out of context it could sound totally different  ...
note to self.... never post when your too tired to think

what i was trying to say is what everyone else is saying...... we like the previews  

[Jimmy]

I dont post here very regularly but Im always checking this forum and I am always impressed with the way you guys operate - always recieving fantastic service on the orders I place. The reason Im always on here is to check what new greens are in the pipeline and what awesome new minis I can add to my pile of lead - which is primarily Hasslefree lead. Looking at the above posts i think that the PM in question is of the vast minority viewpoint. It seems that 99% of people here love Hasslefree and love to check out the sneak peaks but also understand that you cant do everything at once. Maybe it should be taken as complimentary that people want your new sculpts now!

I think you guys do an incredible job and shouldnt change the way you work. If it aint broke dont fix it.
Best wishes,
Jim