Can't find that on your website mate!

[Angel Barracks]

When I started my own 6mm sci-fi line many years ago I released under my own brand just 1 pack of off-world animals to begin with.
With such a very small in house offering there was no way I could a show cool kick ass 6mm sci-fi game using just that 1 pack of alien creatures.
So my promotional images contained lots of models from various 6mm sci-fi companies.
However by the time I eventually sold the 6mm sci-fi range I produced everything I needed to make cool looking games/images, there was no need to promote the goods of other companies.

Now, Crom’s Anvil is in a sort of half way stage of that journey.
It has enough buildings and terrain that I don’t need to look elsewhere to make some cool looking tabletops.
For the most part I have a varied enough selection of figures to be able to show off some interesting 15mm fantasy games too.
Though I noticeably lack animals and civilians.
So at this stage I am using other peoples 15mm products in my images and games.

Now, as a customer and gamer in general, when you see a company show off an image such as at this page:

LINK

Do you expect that everything in the image is available from said company, do you differentiate from when the company does it and when the owner as a gamer does it on a personal page?

Do you think it is good that a company uses other people’s models or do you think it bad?

Thoughts?

[Not Connard Sage]

If you produce buildings, use third party figures for illustration purposes.

If you produce figures, use third party buildings for illustration purposes.

If you produce both, use all of your own product for illustration purposes.

Keeps things simple, and save the bother of doing the ‘full disclosure’ disclaimers.

Not that it bothers me much in any case, but there’s some other funny buggers out there who can’t read wot is wrote 😉

Obvious contrarian and passive aggressive old prat, who is taken far too seriously by some and not seriously enough by others.

[Alan Millicheap]

Not Connard Sage wrote:

If you produce both, use all of your own product for illustration purposes.

I agree

[Rhoderic]

It’s a grey zone for me, so I’m not in either camp.

For a company at the stage Crom’s Anvil is at now, producing both scenery and figures, I think it’s good to have at least some photos that only display the company’s own commercially available products (not counting vegetation, landforms and such), composed as “full scenes” where scenery pieces and figures/models complement each other, and to give these photos pride of place. This is mainly just for the practical reason of not making potential customers become confused by first impressions. Continuing from there, additional photos that include products sourced from third parties are perfectly alright, but perhaps better not placed so they’re the first thing a customer sees upon visiting a webstore, and preferably with a brief note (“disclaimer” is too severe of a word) stating the use of third-party products.

I do like seeing indie manufacturers acknowledge each other’s existence, or rather, I think it’s silly when manufacturers pretend that other manufacturers don’t exist. I’m also slightly concerned that the perceived need for manufacturers to be able to offer everything “in-house” drives them to make miniatures of subjects that can already be sourced perfectly well from elsewhere, instead of subjects that aren’t yet available from any alternative manufacturer. Of course that’s a consumer’s point of view, concerned only with a consumer’s wants and needs.

For a company that doesn’t produce all categories of product (figures, scenery and model vehicles where applicable), I find it perfectly natural, and preferable, for them to fill in the missing categories in photos with third-party products. “Full scene” photos make me feel more inspired and consequently make me more likely to buy.

On a tangential note, I appreciate manufacturers who post their own comparison photos with other ranges, so I can assess compatibility without any further hassle.

[OldBen1]

It never bothers me.  I always assumed the other manufacturers appreciate the cross business.

Crom’s Anvil seems pretty comprehensive in my mind.

[Deleted User]

Don’t really bother me but I have been frustrated more than once seeing a miniature I like that wasn’t in the shop. I totally agree with NCG.

[irishserb]

As a consumer, it doesn’t matter a whole lot to me either way.  If it were my stuff, I would stick pretty much to what Not Connard offers above.

[Darryl Smith]

I like Not Connard’s thought process, and if you are going to have other manufacturers in the piccies, give them credit and a link. When I look at the picture in your link, I would initially think that all would be available in your shop, but having the disclosure helps. 🙂

Buckeye Six Actual
https://ambushedinthealley.blogspot.com/
http://foragecaps.blogspot.com/
http://germancolonialgaming.blogspot.com/

[deephorse]

I would expect a company using the image you linked to to produce all the items pictured unless they clearly indicated otherwise.  Using your figures and their buildings, or vice versa, doesn’t bother me as long as it’s clear that that is what I’m looking at.

Play is what makes life bearable - Michael Rosen

[Autodidact-O-Saurus]

I don’t mind as long as I can tell what’s for sale on the site and what is not. I think it’s a nice touch to identify the manufacturers of other items shown but wouldn’t think less of someone who didn’t.

Self taught, persistently behind the times, never up to date. AKA ~ jeff
More verbosity: http://petiteguerre.blogspot.com/

[Phil Dutré]

As long as it’s mentioned in the caption of a photograph, it’s ok.

[Author]

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