A word from the Man

Mithril keeps mentioning that they will put a video on YouTube, but I have yet to see one. Maybe as a community we all could personally put our own videos on there to promote it ourselves?

Just a thought. I have been wanting to put some videos on YouTube anyway at some point and maybe we can do this somehow.

I dunno, I pop down into the cellar for five minutes, and all of this takes place! And the fact that the MMP system unsubscribed me for some reason didn’t help, or I’d have commented sooner.

Basically, how can I do anything but agree with all of the above? I too received an email from The Man a few days back asking to be disassociated from Mithril’s “absurd price increase”, about which he knew nothing until Gildor told him. But what kind of way is that to run a business, where the boss-man (i.e., Lars) doesn’t tell one of his business partners what he’s about to do regarding product prices? Very strange indeed. (Has anyone here met Lars? What kind of person actually is he?)

The website is certainly uninspiring and uninspired by today’s standards, and its unchanging content doesn’t encourage repeat visits. I’m involved at a peripheral level with one of the larger wargame figure manufacturers, and their guy changes elements of the website daily, sometimes more than once a day, to ensure that it’s always current – mind you, they produce more figures than Mithril (and at far greater speed…)

Advertising is the key to sales. Always has been, always will be. It won’t necessarily persuade people to buy something, but it does ensure that people are aware of a product’s existence. Mithril’s frighteningly low profile is a direct result of their failure to advertise for years and years. That’s what has led to those people who we’ve all encountered at some point or other, who think Mithril went out of business “years ago” – they could remember seeing advertising in the modelling and wargaming magazines a decade ago, but have seen nothing since.

And why can’t Mithril simply get one of the independent shop outlets to represent their range at the shows? That alone would boost public awareness (if anyone has already suggested this in the posts above, my apologies). Even many of the large companies use such ‘agents’ rather than traipsing round to every show themselves. If the agent finds that he doesn’t have sufficient stock and people leave a show disappointed, even that’s good – it will generate demand for Mithrils.

Certainly no one should depend just on the internet to generate sales. The wargame company I mentioned above used to buy several pages of advertising in issues of the monthly wargaming magazines some years ago, but once they’d built up a customer base they stopped doing that and started depending on their website alone. And now their sales are only about a third of what they once were. Need I say more?

Finally, on the subject of seeing advance photos, I doubt that I’m the only one to have seen them, but I can confirm that the Helm’s Deep 2 figures (“Death to the Strawheads”) look superb. Oh, and my clue regarding the content of the Helm’s Deep 4 release is no longer valid. It now applies to Helm’s Deep 5 instead. All in all there’s some terrific stuff coming once TE have approved it all and the factory have got off their butts and produced it. I’m particularly looking forward to sets 3 (contains several figures I’ve been wanting for years) and 5. Chris says that set 3 is already “nearly complete”, but I’ve not yet seen any pictures – has anyone else?

. . . haaaaa- looooo ! I also want to see pictures of set 2 . . .

Maybe Master Gildor can arrange a place here for The Man to put “HIS” pictures from HIS workbench to show.
Like all fellows do in the Mayor Samwise-section !
I suggest The Man should become a member here and I found a name for him also: Phaeton, Master of design department !
Just being member in the right place !

The future can look like this :

[imgz url=http://mmp.faerylands.eu/uploads/32_phaeton001.jpg]http://mmp.faerylands.eu/uploads/thumbs/32_phaeton001.jpg[/imgz]

Please Gildor, tell him . . .

As for plans and future releases I only know that The Man at the moment is busy with “something special”.

Having talked with Mr. Corless at MFCA (a big show/painting competition in Delaware) this year, I can attest to his continued passion for Mithril. (I also learned how he met the man and stuff.) At the last three shows I’d been to (MFCA, Chicago, MFCA), I usually see one other Mithril per show (not counting mine), but in the Manufacturer line of the registration they leave it blank or put a question mark. They don’t even remember what brand they are.

I’m wondering how much the folks at Mithril keep an eye on newest developments in minis. One thing I know: sometimes the box art alone sells a figure. The standard in painting of minis has changed dramatically even in just the years I have been painting. Large, traditionally historical painting competitions are beginning to take fantasy subjects seriously. I hope the people at Mithril peruse coolminiornot now and again. Some of the minis are mind blowingly good. (I really do hate to say it, because I don’t want to be mean, but the painters at Mithril don’t cut it anymore. They are on the right track by using that one guy’s minis…Fahey? What’s his name? They need well painted examples for each figure.) There are so many small manufacturers, but there are only two officially licensed LOTR mini companies. They need to use this to their advantage. Just having some kind of presence at shows like Salute and Historicon would be helpful too.

It is to Mithril’s advantage to sell their minis from their website. That way they maximize the profit for each mini. If they are sold in stores, they have to be sold wholesale to the store owner. This may explain their lack of marketing to stores. Still, they can’t just expect people to visit the site on their own. It need not cost a lot in advertising to be a presence. Linking Mithril and PA would certainly be a start…it’s the same company! More people have heard of PA than Mithril.

One thing that’s bugged me a bit (and this is a little off track). When I painted the Dol Amroth knights, I completely removed the primer. It is so thick that detail is being hidden (plus, in that case it was already flaking off…that doesn’t make for good painting). They need to go lighter on the primer so the man’s hard work can show through better. That or make unprimered figures available also. On a happier note. I really appreciate how nice the casting generally are (they don’t overuse a mould) and how well parts fit, especially compared other companies.

Now I’m rambling, so I’ll shut up… 😆

Agree with both of you re the Mithril primer – it absolutely floods the fine detail, especially mail armour! I find it a real pain; and for the record I don’t prime my figures at all – never have – but then that’s one of the advantages of using enamels.

Of course I was referring to that, Master Erchamion, and I really felt happy reading that, as you might imagine. It is about something special that was introduced with the GFM. Huoommm …. one figure for 12 months ….. rhuooommmm … though I am aware that this puts more workload on The Man’s list … so if he cannot find the time, I wouldn’t be sad about it …. rhuoommm … it’s just my way of trying to stick to some Mithril-traditions, such as the Christmas figures, you know … huooommmm … though …. considering … such a figure mustn’t necessarily be for free, methinks … hom

huoommmrhuoommm … that’s good to know, Master Gildor … huom … and let me add that I also share your respect about certain matters you just explained to Master Rita.de … … huom

Ahhh … that good old “repetito non placet” … rhuoommm … don’t mind, Master Rita.de … once you grow old as me you won’t mind … rhuoooooommm .. hom hom hom