What happened to "MINIatures"

[yxalitis]

When I started this hobby back in the '80s, when Ral Partha and Grenadier, ruled supreme, and Games Workshop was still just a stain in it's father's pants, Mini's were these 2-3cm little things.
When Grenadier released Tyronus, the Ultimate Dragon, it was the hugest most amazing thing, Ral Partha had the Golden Dragon of Chaos (Mine is an original release with the numbered certificate of authenticity), and Asgard had some giant on a massive treasure mound...or was that Ral Parth too, anyway, it doesn't matter...

The thing is, all of those "MASSIVE" models are dwarfed by modern miniatures.
Even the Banebeast Chimerae could take down Tyronus on a bad day, and let's not forget the Heresy dragon, Confrontation Titan dragon, Cang, heck, almost the entire Mierce (ne Maelstrom) Miniatures range is over sized.
I stand a human figure from a Hordes set, and it's like 8ft tall compared to some old skeletons from the old days.
I have a Pit Fiend rom Grenadier, and a Pit Fiend from Reaper, about THREE TIMES AS TALL!

Whatever happened to 'mini' miniatures?

(Probably just as well, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be...)

 

[Chrome]

I'd say that the size range that defines miniatures just have broadened, with the details becoming better and better as sculptors find better and better tools(i include digital sculpting here), I've seen great looking human minis in as small sizes as 1:100, and larger creatures and items even smaller.
So, I don't think the minis are "growing", the spectrum is just broadening. With the details becoming easier to both sculpt and reproduce it gets increasingly interesting and fun to try your limits in both increasing and decreasing size of your sculpts. Plus, huge monsters is a fashion at the moment I'd say, and rightly so I believe, I'm sure I'm not alone in having had teen fantasies about a dragon statue in a corner somewhere about the same size as myself(granted, not just a teen fantasy)...

I do remember myself asking a question on the same topic a while ago, the question basically being about what defines a miniature for you. Most people basically answered that it was a scaled down version of a real or imagined object, making the range of what defines a miniature pretty large.

 

[RuneBrush]

So, I don't think the minis are "growing", the spectrum is just broadening.

I do think mini's have grown since the 80's, the old 25mm standard is now 28mm (with modellers creep on top).

I know what you mean, it does seem that most companies that release an "army" end up releasing massive models as a matter of course. As Chrome says I guess some of the reason is because back in the 80's the technology wasn't about to create large models in the same way as you can now, lead/white metal really was the main material in the hobby which limited you due to weight.

Will be interesting to see where things go in another 30 years

 

[marjedi]

Judging by the fad of GW making huge, ugly and odd models....not good

 

[Pygmalion]

I guess exact scale doesn't bother me too much, provided the figures are close enough and look well.

The big dragon on a heap of treasure may have been the Impial Dragon from Ral Partha. I had one, but gave it away with all of my other '80s minis to keep lead away from my children.

 

[Cyn]

lead/white metal really was the main material in the hobby which limited you due to weight.

I remember sth about the old dragons (was it Ral Partha?), some parts were bending under their own weight (like the wings). Soft metal to get good details had some contras. Now resin makes it much more easier (while I wonder if it bends too over time)

 

[uglybug]

Privateer press miniatures are also growing. Have you seen the new collosals and gargantuans?
(Sorry if spelling is off my one eye is swollen shut and it's early in the morning)

 

[Bloodhowl]

What happened to miniatures? Cassar happened! Long live Cassar's bigatures! WOO!

 

[marjedi]

Privateer press miniatures are also growing. Have you seen the new collosals and gargantuans?
(Sorry if spelling is off my one eye is swollen shut and it's early in the morning)

Eagerly awaiting delivery of the Trollblood Mountain King. Just adore that model.

He is the first mini in a loooong tine to put a huge grin on my face and make me go Waaauuuuuv!