TB Line - 10mm figures from Italy.

[jchaos79]

Aster wargame reach me with the following text:

"our shopping cart has miscalculated the postage, they are euro 16.00 and not euro 25.00.

Soon we will make a refund of euro 9.00.

Excuse the inconvenience"

Still a high bt not acceptable. The figures are not here but I had a response.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hello Bren

Aster's ebay store postage calculator:

http://www.ebay.it/itm/TB-LINE-4182-Russian-heavy-knight-with-lance-10mm-/121995958648?hash=item1c67869978

No mention of a free postage level on orders but a set price with additional blisters free, so a big order will not increase the postage cost.

Economies of scale seems the way to go. I think I'll wait until the full range is available and put in an order with a couple of friends.

Here is the pdf link http://www.poste.it/risorse/postali/pdf/POE_listino.pdf for the postage rates. Economies of scale won't work too well when the package gets too heavy or if the size becomes too large. It's a matter of finding the happy medium. Might be hard for me with a base postage rate of around $40 Au  .

Incidentally I noticed that they changed the Russian Heavy Cav to Islamic Heavy Cav. Although they didn't thank me, I'll post here that they're welcome.

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[Bren]

Thanks for posting the postage PDF Grumps. I think I'll keep an eye on both ebay and the Aster website before I order anything; if they don't amend the postage charges on their ebay pages I could try a paypal claim if the postage charge goes above the advertised rate. 

Looking at the postage PDF: Indonesia is band 3 and NZ is band 5. Why is Oz at band 6 I wonder. Have you been upsetting the Italians perchance?

[GrumpyOldMan]

Hello Been

Thanks for posting the postage PDF Grumps. I think I'll keep an eye on both ebay and the Aster website before I order anything; if they don't amend the postage charges on their ebay pages I could try a paypal claim if the postage charge goes above the advertised rate. 

Looking at the postage PDF: Indonesia is band 3 and NZ is band 5. Why is Oz at band 6 I wonder. Have you been upsetting the Italians perchance?

The problem with buying through the eBay site is that the figures are more expensive, presumably to cover eBay charges .

As to the different postal levels the logic of postal services are beyond me. I haven't asked because they may tell me and I'll have to stay up nights stewing about it .  Maybe there are more people of Italian extraction in Australia than Indonesia or Enzed so more parcel traffic likely.

As for Italy I don't think we've done anything lately to upset them but I could be wrong - its been known to happen rarely in the past .

Cheers

GrumpyOldMan

[fred.]

As for Italy I don't think we've done anything lately to upset them but I could be wrong - its been known to happen rarely in the past .

from wiki

Australia and Italy have played each other at rugby union a total of 15 matches, all won by Australia

[jchaos79]

Today Package from Aster arrives.

Impressions:

- The shipping cost is what I paid to Aster. Could be high but is what it is to ship from Italy with guarantee of succed.
- There is no original TB blisters/package
- Package is solid and miniatures well protected.
- Triptic enclosed with advertising of Aster wargame showing images of TB line. No reference of TB line in the trptic. This is coherent with the thesis Aster own the moulds.
- I did not check yet is the content of the references is exactly the same as TB line blisters.
- Very nice figures and I could not see exceed of flash or signs of wrong cast.

[fred.]

Sounds good.

International small parcel postage is getting more and more expensive.

The original TB casts were in a quite soft metal (I guess high lead content), it will be interesting to know if these are soft too, or harder like Pendraken and GW.  While the soft metal could be good for cutting off mould feeds, it did make the models prone to bending very easily.

[jchaos79]

They are in soft metal, (high content of Pb).

If someone is really interested I am user of a scanning electron microscope with Xray energy dispersive analyzer among other techniques, so I could compare GW, Tb-line Aster, Pendraken pewter alloy, expending an extra hour in my work on frayday afternoon.
I have some Tb line original  horses I bouhgt to dry-erase to make my tritons for  poseidon and fishmen army (half mongoltbn line half fish) so I could compare the alloy and see if there is consistent or have differences (in the case Ater wargames are casting with other alloy).

Anyway as long as alloys content is information own of each manofacturer I think is not very polite to publish without permisson of the manufacturers, but I could let you know if the alloy of Tb line orginal and Tb line aster is consistent or not (if there is enough interest)

[fred.]

While this would be very cool - its probably not really necessary.

But it would be cool, in a very geeky way

And even if we knew the different lead contents, we would then not know if Aster are casting new stock, or using up TB stock, or even if manufacturers change their metal mix over time.

[jchaos79]

That is true my friend, there are few cases with no uncertanty at all.

[nikharwood]

I'm going to say it...and it applies to us all as wargamers...

You need to get out more 

[jchaos79]

That is also true my friend... 

[Leman]

Where's the door? 

[jchaos79]

the door is beyond Pawn Patrol and Little Kingdom of Ben & Holly

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Oh... Someone else with young kids!
(Think it's Paw Patrol btw)