antics online – The Wargaming Erratic

Supply Chain 2021

My hobby has again been sustained by a supply chain. In my case 2021 has seen my ebay activity trail off while I have increased my buying with a few hobby companies.

Thank you to everyone (in no particular order!)

Cronwallis – ebay supplier from Oz who provided some rare 1/72 plastic figures for my Fauxterre Napoleonic Mythical Realm. Also I secured a supply of Russian Napoleonics who will see life as my Milan Guard – one day!

Model Hobbies supplied a lot of Napoleonic 1/72 figures and many Waterloo 1815 figures for my Wars of the Italian Unification project
Black Forest Hobby were a source of some hard to get figures and rulessets
Other ebay suppliers included ms-plueth (dutch/belgians), model148 (for peninsular war types) and rasweetrampwp who provided some WW1 belgians which I morphed into Neapolitan Chasseurs circa 1860.
buchunversum supplied a very valued book – Funcken 19th century army uniforms with german text – britain/prussia/france 1815 to 1850. Crucially it shows the evolution of french and german uniforms from shakoes and breechs to pickelhaubes, kepis and trousers.
SHQ provided 20mm metal napoleonics
Hannants provided numerous 1/72 plastic figures mainly for my mythical napoleonic armies
Caliver books provided invaluable titles for my new interests in european wars between 1848 and 1866. The Schleswig War of 1848 was probably my most satisfying buy – I just did not expect such a gem of a book. (see lead image for details). America in Algiers circa 1820 was a complete surprise!
Irregular Miniatures have supplied some very useful 20mm figures for my Italian and French forces fighting over Rome in 1848 and all Italy in 1859
Warrior Miniatures have provided 25mm troops for what will be my Fauxterre post Napoleonic forces
Wargame Vault supplied me with “A Gentlemans War” skirmish rules in pdf format.
Perry Miniatures provided their Carlist Wars ruleset
Paul Meekins Books supplied a 100 year old copy of a trilogy on Garibaldi’s wars
Games Lore supplied 5 Parsecs from Home sci fi rules

On the high street I bought figures and kits from Antics in Plymouth and Monk Bar models in York while Wonderland of Edinburgh supplied many sets of 1/72 figures including Crimean era

I managed just two shows where the following traders provided some excellent material.

Pendraken for bases
Colonel Bills for 20mm WW2 metals
Dave Lanchester Books who have provided some really excellent source books most recently on 19th century sea warfare and Vichy France at War
I have written up about Fiasco 2021 traders here and Recon 2021 show traders here.

Operation Hight Street

For some extra fun I have tried where possible to run my sideshow WW2 wargame project by buying in person at shops/traders. It has not been easy. Yet I have bought quite a bit of material from those few trips I did manage.

So I hope our hobby suppliers continue to prosper and provide us with figures, scenery, rules and other materials to enable us all to enjoy a hobby that lets you escape into your imagination.

Thank you

The Supply Chain and the end of the year 2020

“The Supply Chain” is a bit like “hospital beds” a term overly used and missing out the crucial part – “people”. No hospital staff and well beds are useless. The same goes for all suppliers, despite the digital/AI/automation hype, people are still the crucial aspect of suppliers and the services they operate. Their work, largely hidden, is what makes our modern world go round.

Even my hobby activities rely on supply chains, as I do not make my own figures or write books I want to read for that matter.

right now I am gathering some reading material about Italy in the mid 19th Century

My supply chain for wargames has been of necessity online for about 10 years. Although when I think about it I was “online in the 1970’s because if you wanted certain figures you could not buy them at your local store.

I remember back then you could buy the “centre companies napoleonic british infantry” provided that was roughly 5 of each in advancing pose only (hinchliffe I believe) – that was all they had.

So I discovered direct postal sales long before “online” was even dreamed of. And in those days I did not go to shows either, having no means of transport. And anyway I don’t think I was even aware of them as a shopping opportunity.

I bought all my Warrior Miniatures by post in those days. and I still have a few.

So this is a big thank you to all the “people” who provide my miniatures, paints, scenery, brushes, books and the like. Either at shows (remember them) or by post (online).

In some ways nothing has changed although I seem to remember the cost of postage was truly massive to my mind back then – and I was trading in metal too.

superb service from Hannants to drive my latest project – the unification of italy…..

In alphabetical order some of my popular “suppliers” have been

Abe books – various out of print book editions
Antics online – for 1/72 plastics
Colonel Bills – for coat d’arms paints mainly at shows
Coritani (Magnetic Displays) – scenery, paint brushes mainly at shows
e Models – for 1/72 plastics
Hannants – for 1/72 plastics
Irregular Miniatures – 1/72 metallics
Lancashire Games – 1/72 metallics, scenery, rulesets
Models for Sale – for 1/72 plastics
Model Hobbies – for 1/72 plastics
Pendraken Miniatures – for mdf bases
SHQ – 1/72 metallics
Too Fat Lardies – rulesets
Warbases – for mdf bases
Wonderland Models – for 1/72 plastics and kits
World books – various out of print book editions

Tirelessly working to give their customers great service.

Currently reading this great summary of a complex story – needless to say garibaldi looms large yet the story is kaleidoscopic!

So thanks to them all for allowing me to pursue my hobby even in the midst of a global pandemic.

wishing every one a safe and secure christmas and a better year for all in 2021