Sorting and Reading the Bones

I finally got all of my Bones unpacked.  As you can see, there are a heap of minis on the desk (the Chronoscope and modern minis are not pictured except for those that can be used for my Legends of the Old West campaign. I will probably sell the rest).  With my particular package, I received well over two hundred Bones miniatures ranging in size from tiny rats to dragons and giants.  For the most part, I am pleased with the outcome. 

As I said... for the most part. Unfortunately, many of the miniatures will need a bit of repair before they can be used.  A full third of the minis are bent in some form or another.  Weapons, arms, legs...the issues are many and varied.  Yes, I know that all it takes is a dip in boiling water then another in cold water to remedy the problem (I used to do that with my Axis and Allies War at Sea ships) but this is an additional step in the preparation process and one that I was not expecting (at least not on this scale).  Removing mold lines and flash, washing, and assembly - basically the entire prepping process, already ranks incredibly low on the ol' excitement meter.  This additional layer of no-fun really puts a damper on my purchase.

Perhaps my experience is not the norm and other shipments arrived in better condition.  And maybe the process of repairing nearly eighty miniatures will go much easier/quicker than I think.  So just maybe I'm writing a rather harsh review.  As it stands now however, I do not think I will be purchasing any more Bones miniatures unless I can actually see the product in the package and ensure the integrity of the model.  Living on an island and having a fifty-five mile one-way trip to the nearest hobby shop (that may or may not carry the mini I want) means that the likelihood of me acquiring more Bones will be quite small.

Despite my disappointment, I will let stand my initial review of the Kobold Bones back in March of 2012.  The integrity of those miniatures were spot on and I had no problems with bending.  What the difference between the two shipments is I do not know.  Bad luck?  Different material?  Poor packing?  Whatever the reason, my Reaper Bones Kickstarter Reward was not as I hoped and certainly not up to the standards of the original batches for sale.  Granted, the math says that I still received a great deal on so many models.  But time is money as they say and spending extra time repairing mistakes from Reaper lessens the overall value to the customer.

For those of you who took part in the Bones Kickstarter, what has been your experience?  In what condition did your miniatures arrive?  Are you generally pleased with the outcome or do you have issues as well?  Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.

Thanks for reading...