Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

How do you make these?

We commission a sculpt from an artist, and they give us an epoxy figure. We create a rubber mold using the epoxy models, then we run the molds in our spincasting machines where our talented casters pour molten metal alloys into the molds. Once the figures cool, they're removed from the molds and checked for flaws. Then they get sealed in blister packs or boxed set cases, and shipped our to our attractive and well-informed customers. All from our factory in Denton, TX.

What are they made out of?

We have three main materials in our lines. Our metal figures are cast in a lead-free pewter. Our various bones lines are created in a thermal plastic injection or a 3D printing process. The various Bones line names (Black, Classic, etc.) do not necessarialy indicate the material or process the figure was created by. From time to time we have been known to release a resin figure.

How big are the models?

The vast majority of our models are 25mm Heroic Scale. You'll find these to be scale-comparable to the other popular figure lines out there. Figures are photographed with two small triangles in the right-hand of the picture. Those triangles are .5" and 1" from the tabletop.
A few other figures are a different scale -- 54mm and 72mm are common. Those scales are reflected in the names of the figures. Finally, our CAV robots are N-scale. Think model railroads.

What do you use them for?

First off, they're really cool. Have you seen the detail of these models? You can use them for anything you can imagine, really. Most of our customers use them in games to represent their character. We've had a number of folks make custom chess sets out of them. Many of our customers never play games with them, and just love to paint them. We have this one guy who uses them in his High School Theater Scene Design Class -- he has his students paint them in costumes and then block them out in little model sets. I've never heard of a couple exchanging them instead of rings, but I wouldn't rule it out.

How can I learn to paint them?

The same way you get to Carnegie Hall: Practice!
Though we have a number of resources to help you on your journey.
The Craft Corner: A little section of our forum where you can show off your paint jobs and get criticism, ask questions, and meet the friendliest painters on the internet.
Learn to Paint Kits: Targeted at a variety of techniques -- skin tones, armor, etc. -- with instructions written by the talented Rhonda Bender.
ReaperCon: take painting classes under the tutelage of some of our industry's most talented professionals. There are classes for all skill levels. While you're here, why don't you enter our Open Painting Contest where you paint to a standard rather than competing against each other. It's the only one of its kind in the Southwest US.

How do I assemble them?

For our miniatures that require assembly, you're going to get the best results with some metal snips, superglue (Cyanoacrylate), and a file. Just snip the bit from the sprue, file the nub down, and a little dab of glue should do it. Then prime it and start painting.

My figure's sword is really wonky. Why?

This sort of thing is very normal in transit, and if we were to send you another, it would almost certainly arrive in the same condition. But fret not! Pewter is a very soft metal. If you were to heat up some water for a cup of tea and submerge your figure in it for a few minutes, you will find that a small amount of gentle persuasion will right your figure's sword.
If by some superhuman feat of strength you break the sword while performing this operation, we will gladly send you another figure.

What do I do with the leftover metal after I clip it from the tabs?

Bring it to ReaperCon! We have a metal trade-in program. You bring us your metal, and we'll trade you out for some of ours.

What is Reapercon?

Every year, we rent out a convention space, open up the factory, and invite everyone down for the best weekend of gaming and painting in the Southwest. With sculpting and painting classes offered by your favorite industry professionals, game tournaments, new stuff we're testing out, and so much more, there's something for everyone. For details, check out our ReaperCon Page.

How did you guys get started doing this?

When we started we were just four people with a dream of getting into their favorite hobby. When we came home from the day jobs, we would go to the garage and start casting figures all night until it was time to head back to the day jobs. It didn't take us long to figure out that we were having way more fun in the garage than at our day jobs. On July 4th, 1992, we decided to take the hobby full-time, and we've been making the best minis and hobby accessories the world has ever seen!

Can I have my custom character/monster/minitaure line made by you?

Your best bet there is to enter Game Trade Monthly's Annual Bring Your Character to Life Contest, sponsored by us. Failing that, we can custom create your dream miniature for you, but prices start around a thousand dollars, for a variety of reasons. If you're serious about a custom contract or entering into a licensing agreement to produce your miniature line, you can contact Dave Pugh: [email protected]

Can I come by and visit?

Of course. We love visitors! For best results, please send an email to [email protected] to make arrangements before hand.

Can I take your miniatures or art and use them in my project?

Usually yes. Send us your request with a brief description and he will usually send you an approval. [email protected] for more information.

May I tell you about my Paladin? He's level 18 and has...

That's great. We love hearing from our enthusiastic fans, but we're also very busy, and can't respond to every email we receive. Feel free to visit our forum, though! We have a wonderful community of folks who would likely love to hear about your level 18 Paladin.

Is it true that if I use a Reaper Miniature for my character I get a +1 to all of my die rolls?

Absolutely! Simply tell your GM to contact us if they have any questions.

How many miniatures can you make in a day?

Factory capacity is scalable so the quantity made each day varies. Maximum capacity is around 20,000 figures in a day. Our record for weight in metal consumed over 24 hours is 24,700 pounds (or 11,203.7 kg, or 18.25 elephants, or 22,407 chinchillas...)

How is it you guys can make figures cheaper than anyone else?

The secret is in our labor contract. We don't have to pay the undead a living wage.

Paint Questions

What's the difference between MSP Core Colors and MSP Bones?

MSP Core Colors

  • Excellent for thinned paint applications like layering, washes and glazes
  • Smooth and fluid right out of the bottle means less thinning required
  • Enhanced flow properties make painting small details easier
  • A multitude of colors, including liners, inks, washes, primers, sealers, and additives
  • Triad system makes shading and highlighting colors a snap
  • Sold in 1/2 oz dropper bottles
  • Dries matte
  • 100% compatible with the MSP HD range
  • Airbrush-friendly
  • Non-Toxic, Water Soluble

MSP Bones

  • Excellent for laying down fast base-coats
  • New high-density pigments give increased coverage with smooth consistency
  • Formulated specifically as a one-layer basecoat for our Bones™ polymer figures
  • The same great flow properties as MSP Core Colors
  • Sold in 1/2 oz dropper bottles
  • Many unique colors and two bonus colors also offered in two sets of 19 colors each
  • Dries matte
  • 100% compatible with the MSP Core Colors range
  • Airbrush-friendly
  • Non-Toxic, Water Soluble

How many bottles of MSP have you sold?

Several million. Not enough to cover the world but enough to paint Rhode Island.

Can I buy MSP in bulk? I want to paint my house with it.

Sure, but the average cost of a gallon is around $950.00. We actually put a lot of high tech cool stuff in it so it's not your mom's Walmart paint.

May I read your privacy statement for the Power Palette?

When you use the power pallette, understand that we don't save your images beyond keeping a temporary copy for the purposes of basic operation of the Power Palette. We take pains to anonymize your image to protect it from snooping with sequencing attacks. We do not store any identifying information from you as a user. After a few hours of inactivity, your images are deleted from our servers.

Store Questions

Do I have to log in?

Not at all. You might want to, however. With a log in, we can save your lists across visits and also save your favorite shipping addresses for you. If you don't log in and have something in your list when you go off to have dinner, there's a good chance your list will be blank by the time you come back. Web server sessions time out after a little while, taking your data with it -- unless you log in first.
We also carry some inventory controlled items that can't be added to your cart unless you log in first. If one of these items are added to your cart and your cookie expires, then POOF, it's gone and we can't account for it anymore until we do a manual recount. So to make it easier to keep track of, you have to be logged in to add these products to your cart.
Registering is painless, too. Just an email address and a password.

Why did something disappear from my cart?

Sometimes some of our products are inventory controlled for one reason or another. If you're ordering from our UK warehouse, everything is inventory controlled. When these inventory controlled items are in your cart for more than three days, the system will flag them for removal so someone else can have a chance to purchase it and we don't have to keep looking at the item sitting on a shelf while it sits forever in a cart that may or may not be purchased.

What currencies do you accept?

We accept payments in Euros, British Pounds Sterling, and Australian Dollars.

Do you offer free shipping for some orders?

Yes! For non-retail customers, we offer free shipping to any US destination orders valued at $50 USD or Canadian destination orders valued at $80 USD or more.

We also offer a free shipping option for orders over €60, £50

Australian orders recieve free shipping at $300 USD.

US Retailer Shipping Cost Change
EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 5, 2024

The new minimum order amount to qualify for Free Shipping is $200.00 (net).

Any orders below $200.00 (net) will be charged actual shipping costs (either USPS or UPS).

Retailers are still eligible to receive Monthly Promotional miniatures even if your order has not reached the minimum Free Shipping threshold of $200.00.

Please be aware that the customer is responsible for any local import fees or tariffs regardless of shipping cost.

International customers ordering outside their local currency are responsible for their actual shipping costs.

You can choose to ship with another option, but free shipping will not apply.

When you select free shipping, we will choose the least expensive shipping option for us, regardless of tracking status.

USD and AUD packages originate from our factory in Denton, TX. GBP and EUR packages ship from our warehouse in Nottingham, UK.

If you qualify for free shipping with an international package, we are still required to place the value of the shipping on the export documentation. This may result in tariffs for you.

Be advised that we reserve the right to upgrade your shipping at our expense in order to provide you with a tracking number when we deem it necessary.

International orders may be sent via UPS DDU/DDP, which does not typically incur a heavy brokerage fee to facilitate passing your parcel through customs.

How do you calculate shipping costs?

We've weighed every product we sell, and we calculate your shipping based on this data to ensure the best shipping costs possible. We charge you what the shipping companies charge us.

What is this "Order Protection" option for US orders?

By adding order protection, your shipment is protected for its full value, including shipping charges, from the moment your order is placed. In the event that your shipment is lost, damaged, or stolen, it will be reshipped at no cost to you. If any of your items are no longer available, they will be refunded.

How do you calculate retail discounts?

There are a number of items we sell that have a max discount available that may be less than your retailer discount. To account for this, we calculate your discount on a per-line-item basis. Then we add up the discounted line items, and that's the discount you receive. Because of the way fractions of pennies are dealt with on the line items, this sum will tend to be different than if you just calculated your discount percentage from the subtotal.

Why didn't I get my freebie?

The freebie qualifying amount is calculated off of the pre-tax subtotal of the items in your cart. If your subtotal meets the qualifying amount, and you still didn't recieve your free figure, other issues may be at play.

The small print: From time to time we may run out of stock on a given freebie. We will endeavor to give you the offered freebie on our website, while supplies last. We reserve the right to offer substitutions as required.

What's Hobby-Q doing on my credit card statement?

As of January 1, 2011, Reaper Miniatures reincorporated as Hobby-Q, Inc. with Reaper operating as an independent brand under the Hobby-Q flag. Even though you're shopping on reapermini.com, it's Hobby-Q that's running the show -- at least as far as our accountant is concerned. All transactions initiated at Reaper Miniatures will show up as Hobby-Q on your billing statement.

Is my information safe? Is it safe to shop with you?

Your information: We collect your data for the purposes of communication, order fulfillment, and other internal purposes necessary in the course of doing business. We never store more than the contact information you explicitly provide. We take the responsibility to protect your personal information very seriously, and we will never give away or sell your information to a third party. Your information may be viewable on demand by government authorities during audits and other similar reviews. We will delete your personal account and information upon request to [email protected].
Your shopping safety: When you check out, any communication between our server and your web browser is encrypted for your security. We use payment libraries provided by PayPal and Stripe, who tokenize all transactions and comply with the most stringent industry standards for payment security.

Do you do gift certificates?

Yes we do. You can create a gift certificate by following this link. The gift certificate will be denominated in the currency you select for checkout, and will not be available to anyone using a different currency setting. In other words, a USD gift certificate won't work in the GBP store, and so on.

Where can I view my order history?

Do you sell the painted ones now?

No, we do not. All of our currently released figures come unassembled (in some cases) and unpainted in all. Our forum is full of friendly folks who are willing to answer questions about the hobby.

My order was over the money limit. Why didn't I receive my free figure?

The system calculates your eligibility for the free figure offered during various promotions off of the subtotal of the items you're ordering, pre-tax and shipping. If the cost of your items doesn't hit the advertised threshold, then the system won't flag you for the free figure. As a sanity check, after you select your shipping option and before you finalize your order, the checkout process will display a nice table with the items your order qualified for.
Due to rising costs, we are currently unable to offer the free figure to customers who place orders in AUD. We are looking into solutions to address this, but until it gets sorted out, we apologize for the inconvenience.
If your order qualified for the free figure, but didn't receive it, there was likely a shortage or some other mitigating circumstance. Please contact [email protected] and we'll try to help you out.

I need to change my address or some item in my order!

Please email us as quickly as possible. Our shipping department gets started pulling orders very early in the morning. If you don't catch us quickly, your order may have already been put on the truck. Swapping out items can be a little trickier. We don't store your credit card information, so it's not as simple as just running your order through the processor again. Again email us, and we'll work something out.
In short, if you don't catch us before 5PM CST, M-F, it's unlikely you'll catch us in time. On the weekends, we'll be unable to catch these requests at all.

How do I order a catalog?

We're currently investigating our strategy with using paper catalogs. With the rise of the internet, the need for printed catalogs has waned.

My weaselmancer is broken/missing. What do I do?

Those weaselmancers can be tricky at times. If something in your order is missing or damaged, simply email [email protected] with a description of the problem. Please include your order number. If you don't have an order number, please include your shipping address. We'll get you fixed right up.

How do I make a return?

You can return items to:

In the US

Reaper Miniatures
Customer Returns

P.O. Box 2107
Lake Dallas, TX 75065

Or in Europe

RHQ ZombieCo, Ltd.
43 Evelyn Street
Beeston
Nottingham
NG9 2EU
GB
Please include your order paperwork to help us process your return. Once we receive the product, we will issue an e-gift certificate for a full refund via email to be redeemed online for a future purchase. Your gift certificate code does not have an expiration date and will be issued immediately. With it, you can purchase anything in our online store.

I haven't received my package and it has been 4 weeks, now what?

We're sorry you don't have your stuff yet, but there's likely an explanation.
If you're in the US, we have a delivery confirmation number on your package. We can tell you when it was supposed to arrive, and you can take the number and your beef to your local post.
For deliveries from the US: International customers have a different minefield to navigate. Unfortunately, selecting US First-Class Mail International doesn't produce a tracking number so we can't track you package per se. However, we do have a customs declaration number (CDN) for you. Please use your CDN to claim your order at your local customs office. That number is used (most often, but not always as we have learned in some countries) at your local customs office for locating and claiming your package. Have you checked with your customs office to see if your package has been received there? Sometimes there are delays with customs and packages have taken up to 4 or 5 weeks for delivery. If your local post hasn't seen the package, let us know and we'll work something out.
Royal Mail International Standard service (the free one) doesn't provide a tracking number. In most cases, if you haven't received your package yet, it's because your postal carrier didn't properly notify you of the arrival of your package, it couldn't fit through the letterbox, and it's now languishing in your local delivery depot. If it stays in that depot for a month, it will be returned to us. Often, a call or a visit to the depot will let your local postal service get your package to you.

I'm international and I had to pay an extra fee before I could receive my package. What gives?

We're terribly sorry this came as a surprise to you. Depending on the origin of your package, there may be duties to be paid when exporting to another country. Since we don't collect any taxes or fees at checkout on behalf of your local government. You're responsible for those, and they're completely beyond our control. Please contact your local representatives or postal system for clarification on this matter.
Please Note: Even if we don't charge you for shipping, our shipping cost is declared on your import invoice. This amount will be accouted for when your customs officials calculate import tariffs.

How does IOSS work for parcels going into the EU?

EU customers who do not quailfy for a retailer discount now can pay VAT at the point of sale on our website. For parcels under €150, the carrier will deliver your minis to you, duties paid. In order to qualify for IOSS imports, you must select EUR or GBP as your currency.
Please keep in mind that the €150 limit applies to the total declared value of the parcel. This includes the shipping cost whether you qualify for free shipping or not! Unfortunately, declaring the shipping cost is a requirement of the shipping carriers, and is not something we can turn off on the export declaration.
In order to come under the €150 IOSS ceiling, your working limit for mini value should be about €120 before shipping, to be safe.