2001-02-13 - 15:25:58

Grrrh. I'd pout, but I'll just rewrite my entry. It is a pain to write diary entries at work, because people come up and you've got to use your browser to answer their questions. Mantra: "Do Not Hit the BACK button".

OK, so why do store clerks lie? Why? Sure there are some nice ones who give it to you straight up, but why are the other ones such idiots?

Yesterday when my brother got home from work the two of us ran out to hunt for paints for our little metal miniatures (fantasy figures).

OK, backstory time. Starting in Jr. High (when I was a gamer) I got into painting tiny little fantasy figures for fun. It is funny, that I have not artistic talent, but I learned over 4 years how to paint these figures as well as the professional painters. The trick is to use water based paints and either washes or dustings (my names for the techniques).

I got to a point where I was less interested in playing the games than I was in just painting and displaying my figures. I can't draw or paint outright on a raw canvas, but for some reason these tiny figures just come to life.

Examples, horses and monsters I just see exactly what they look like. They start out in just grey, but I fill in all these colours and shadows that I see.

Over the years my eyesight has become very keen and my hand control very steady (which in college meant I rocked at percision and endurance based video games ... I could concentrate forever on small details, but lots of moving things would through me off).

Anyway, back to the story here.

A company that for years has made the best lead figures was Ral Partha. Recently they were bought by a SciFi war gaming company FASA, which has gone out of business. Ral Partha made the best monster figures.

Fast forward ...

So on Monday I was picking up paints made by this company and the clerk leaned over and said, "Picking them up while you can."

Uh, yeah. Then I made the mistake of asking a guy who had not yet discovered the joy of bathing (nor tooth paste) if he had heard if Ral Partha was going to be picked up by any other companies.

He said that WizKids had bought Ral Partha's scifi stuff, but not the monster and fantasy figures. *whine*

OK, that is fine. Then he went on to tell us that Ral Partha hasn't been making fantasy figures for years. *cough BULLSHIT*

Then he went on to claim that the repackaged figures I told him about were just old stock. *cough BULLSHIT*

He said the company just had all these old figures that they were repackaging and selling. While the company web site was warning about defects, because they use the same molds and just make new figures upon request.

Who do I believe? Clerk dude from the Simpsons who doesn't like running water? Or internet web site that I ordered a bunch of supposedly discontinued minatures from and claims that there are quality and time delays as they remake stuff?

It gets better, I pointed out how in Europe they have tons of companies that make these miniatures and can ship over nice ones. He said they are flaky and can't distribute them.

I gave up, I didn't want to tell him about this wonderful new concept ... on-line shopping! This is what bugged me, he is probably reading the same web pages I am. But why didn't he think that maybe I've actually ordered stuff on-line?

I got this month an order of stuff he claimed didn't exist straight from Ral Partha. *cough* And I also had ordered on a whim some figures from a company in Australia (where the US dollar is worth around 2 of theirs).

Disclaimer: I am saving money to fly to Europe late this spring. And I am saving money for other pleasant surprises for people. ;) These figures are very cheap ... and I've been paying back my kid brother for some trains he bought me back in August.

Anyway, I wish store clerks would stop spreading half truths. They want us to keep shopping at their store, but why don't they realize that once we found out we've been lied to that we'll go elsewhere? Then again I guess that is why they don't bath and work at hobby stores (I mean this guy has been there since I was in high school).

-=-

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