First MiniWarGaming, and now a major commission studio and retailer may be in trouble. White Metal Games just announced they may close in 2020.
This year seems to have been especially hard on a lot of hobby businesses. So far 2019 has claimed TheWarStore, and two other major hobby businesses are flashing warnings that things are not looking good for them.
White Metal Games has been a commission studio for the better part of this decade and is frequently featured on the site. They produce amazing work with a great turnaround time here in the States.
Their recent newsletter had a lot to say about their recent woes, citing some overall factors in the hobby world that may sound familiar as well:
For commission painters like us there have been major changes in the industry the past few years that undoubtedly have impacted our business. A surge of ‘freelancing’ services and the rise of content creators platforms means clients are spreading their disposable income around more than they used to. In a struggling economy, pricing is the Wild West and we find ourselves cornered by overseas services that can deliver quality work at untenable rates.
It also appears that we are not alone, as Miniwargaming recently and bravely admitted to facing financial struggles of their own. Being an entrepreneur in such a niche industry is incredibly challenging, and I applaud their efforts as pioneers.
Over the past few years our business has been challenged to find a balance between a steady, reliable stream of revenue and affordable pricing. Many of our past clients have withdrawn support slowly and without fanfare. Sadly, it has reached a critical point and without a source of steady and reliable income in some form (or split between many forms) WMG will be unable to sustain operations beyond Spring 2020.
Our business model has always reflected a wide variety of services with an emphasis on customer service, speed of turnaround, and consistency. To this end, every model is handled by a project manager, assembler, painter, photographer, and at last, a shipper before finally being received by the client. So when you consider the cost of a miniature remember that with WMG you are investing in a service, not a person, and we are hard-working individuals, just like you.
While our rates are often scrutinized, it’s worth noting that we occupy a single building about the size of a small game store that houses a dozen or so employees. The average employee at WMG has no benefits or insurance and is paid less than $15 per hour. Put simply, we are a lean operation. Our greatest expense each month is salary; we employ a team of highly skilled craftsmen with years of experience and thousands of models under their belts. They are ‘pro-painters’ in every sense of the word.
They go on the list the various ways you can still book a commission or support them directly as well:
- Monthy Commission Subscription
- Patreon Video Membership
- Traditional Commissions
- Online Webstore, eBay & More
If you’ve enjoyed their commission service or bought something from them over the years, now may be the perfect time to show some support again. Or perhaps you are currently in the market for some painted minis, either way, hit the links above to see what they have for sale, or start a project with them!
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
Bio: Virginia restless, miniature painter & cat dad. He blames LEGOs for all this, as there was something about those little-colored blocks that started it all. Spikey Bits sprung from Rob staying motivated to hobby on his backlog of projects, while sharing his knowledge with others during the early blogging era.
LEGO maniac and scale model hobbyist in the 80s turned miniature wargamer and trading card player ever since. He’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition), but Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and minatures made of pewter and resin.
