Archive for the ‘Wargames Shows’ Category
Fighting 15s, Colonel Bill’s and the future of wargames shows
Comments (2)From August, it will be all change on how Fighting 15s deals with wargames shows in the UK as we expand our relationship with Colonel Bill’s.
Since Salute in April this year, Ian of Fighting 15s has been helping out on the Colonel Bill’s stand, which means that 15mm AB Figures have been available to buy at selected shows. Our agreement with Eureka/AB, however, has meant that AB Figures can only be on the Colonel Bill’s stand while Ian is physically present, with the result that the figures have not been available at other shows.
This situation will change in August. As a result of discussions with Tony Barton and Nic Robson, Colonel Bill’s will be able to carry 15mm AB Figures in prepackaged units to shows even if Fighting 15s is not helping out, meaning that AB’s fine 15mm Napoleonics will be available to buy at the 40 or so shows a year that Colonel Bill’s attends. Britcon in Manchester will be the first show to work this way.
All the 15mm AB Figures sold this way will be licensed castings made by Ian at Fighting 15s, cast in lead-free pewter. Units will be sold in packs comprising 24 foot or 12 mounted figures. AB Figures, however, will not be available by mail order through Colonel Bill’s; Fighting 15s remains the EU mail order outlet.
Ian, however, will still be attending shows and working on the Colonel Bill’s stand, according to Fighting 15s’ shows schedule. Ian is able to take advance orders for those shows only. The remaining shows that we plan to attend with Colonel Bill’s in 2017 include Claymore, Colours, Derby Worlds, SELWG, Crisis and Warfare.
Fighting 15s’ ability to provide figures for Colonel Bill’s to take to shows relies on them being licensed castings made in the UK. Therefore items cast in Australia, including the whole of the 20mm WWII range of AB Figures, will not be available at shows except to advance order through Fighting 15s.
Colonel Bill’s remains Fighting 15s’ sole authorised outlet at shows for our own 15mm medievals, Eureka’s 18mm Seven Years War range, and Bartek’s pin-up playing cards, all of which can be ordered in advance for shows through Colonel Bill’s.
Fighting 15s and Bartek’s playing cards at Salute 2016
Bartek’s decks of fully illustrated 17th century pin-up girl playing cards, Wild Wild Fields, will be available at Salute through Colonel Bill’s, Fighting 15s’ authorized reseller for the cards at UK wargames shows. Colonel Bill’s has been taking the decks around the UK for us since their release, and Fighting 15s is pleased that Stuart (yes, he’s called Stuart, not Bill) has decided to restock for the UK’s biggest wargames show. Colonel Bill’s is on stand TD19.
Salute is on 16 April at ExCel London in the Royal Docks.
Please note that Fighting 15s is not trading at Salute. With Eureka Miniatures bringing the ranges that Fighting 15s would ordinarily take to Salute, it is no longer commercially worth Fighting 15s trading at Salute by taking a separate stand.
Ian will be present as a paying member of the public, although he will from time to time be on the Eureka Miniatures’ stand as Nic Robson’s EU representative. Eureka Miniatures is on stand TM07.
Ian is also likely to be found near Loughton Strike Force’s game at table GL06 – LSF being one of Fighting 15s’ biggest customers. He may be holding dice and looking distant…
Because Fighting 15s is not trading at Salute, Ian cannot take orders for collection by members of the public, no matter how big or small, and no matter where the transaction takes place. Traders pay a lot for the privilege of attending Salute and it is not fair to undermine them by diverting sales to someone who is not trading. Please do not ask Ian to bring orders up for Salute – he will simply refuse.
Please note that Eureka’s deadline for advance orders for Salute for Eureka and AB Figures has passed – it was 16 March.
Salute: www.salute.co.uk
Fighting 15s and Carronade, Triples and Walk the Wight 2014
Fighting 15s would ordinarily be attending Carronade in Falkirk this coming weekend, followed by a short holiday on the mainland and then an appearance at Sheffield Triples the weekend after. This year, however, Fighting 15s’ owner Ian is taking part in Walk the Wight, which falls on the same weekend as Carronade, and which therefore makes attending Carronade impossible.
Walk the Wight is the annual charity walk in aid of the Earl Mountbatten Hospice, the only hospice on the Isle of Wight, and it is the major fund-raising activity of the hospice. The hospice is self-funded and does invaluable work on the island.
The walk, which this year is on 11 May, takes participants from Bembridge in the east to the Needles in the west and covers roughly 27 miles. Ian has done the walk just twice before, making him a considerable lightweight among veteran walkers, and it takes him just under 10 hours.
Ian’s walker number is 2929 and he has a Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/Ian-Marsh3 – any contributions are welcome.
Fighting 15s’ attendance at Sheffield Triples is affected because Carronade and Triples are only economically viable when done together in one trip, and to justify a short holiday as part of that trip. We will not, therefore, be at Triples this year. Revenues at wargames shows are, alas, falling year on year, and Fighting 15s has decided to limit the number of shows it attends each year, with the main purpose being to meet and talk to old and new customers. Attending fewer shows brings the benefit of allowing the burgeoning internet side of the business to be better served.
On Monday 12 May Ian will largely be unable to move and Fighting 15s will be closed for the day.
Black Hat Miniatures
As advised earlier, Black Hat Miniatures will be available in the UK and EU by mail order only through Black Hat itself from 24 April. With Salute looming large on the horizon and no real prospect of dealing with any orders for Black Hat figures until 24 April, we have removed Black Hat's listings from the shop. Please go to www.blackhat.co.uk for further news about the new Black Hat online shop.
Black Hat and Fighting 15s will still be on stands together at shows; a selection of Black Hat figures will also be available at shows that Fighting 15s attends alone, such as Cannonade and Claymore.
oozlumgames.com 
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