The Loose Association of Wargamers

I put this up on TMP, lads, but I'd also like your opinions, if I may ask?

A couple of mates and I ordered some custom decal sheets for a variety of 15mm/1:100 and 20mm/1:72 WWII vehicles a month or so ago. There were a few minor issues and a misaligned sheet was replaced for free. The printer and I exchanged emails and he is interested in producing, either print on demand or as shelf stock, some wargaming decal sets.

The idea is not to produce a "shotgun assortment" of tac plates, numbers and DIV signs like a lot of people do, but to produce sets based on organisations, eg a 1/100 sheet for a British Squadron for 1 model = 1 vehicle rules like Battlegroup, a regimental set for 1 model=1 troop/platoon set like Command Decision, etc (see lo-res samples below). However I suggested it would be a good idea to see if there's any interest first, hence this topic.

Do you think these sets would be useful and worth buying (at the right price)? Would the P&P costs from Australia be likely to dissuade customers?

Yes, I know there are good decal suppliers like I-94 out there. However see if you can find a set of "15mm" decals for C Squadron of an armoured recce regiment (ie at least 38 white circles on the sheet) for sale. As to what he will produce, I think Geoff wants to see whether it's worth producing anything first.





No, I am not, nor will I be, getting any kickback or benefit from this. I'm just doing some rough "market research" for a bloke looking at expanding his range of decals.

Fantastic idea. Some thoughts:-

1) See if you can get a UK, and possibly also a US, agent to produce in those countries as those will be the biggest markets -no offence to you Horstraylians/Dannundarites, but here and in the US is where the big money is for these things, IMO.

2) Following on from the above, maybe consider a one-use production process that allows people to buy the decal equivalent of an STL file, for home printing their own - and possibly also down-/up-size as well to improve availability. I think 28mm - ie anything from 1/56 to 1/48 - as an alternative scale/size is a must. Not sure about 1/300 or 5/6mm, perhaps others can advise on that?

3) If you're going for the 1:1 figure/vehicle-to-model ratio market, try and rope in the Too Fat Lardies and get them to promote them, as it will carry a lot of kudos.

4) Errr.....that's it.

Spanner, if you use Facebook, you might post this request on the "Battlegroup WW2 Wargames Forum" Group. Bet you'd get a huge response; just sayin'.

Colour me interested....

Thanks for the replies, gents.

BvW, he's a printer who is looking at expanding his range of decals into wargaming. Postage overseas is the main problem I can see him facing. I totally agree- he needs someone in the US and UK, and possibly Europe, to sell them for him because the customer base in Oz and NZ ain't big enough, and P&P prices around the world have gone feral. Postage to the UK would be nearly nine quid, but I don't know how many (A7 sized) sheets you'd get in the mail for that. The three A4 sheets we bought cost $10AUD or so for P&P.

I'm not on Facebook, GS. Hopefully there will be enough feedback from here and TMP for a decision to be made.

ET, that makes six of us down here. Even if Geoff doesn't go through with this he still does custom sheets. Sorting the artwork is the tricky part. If there's something you need PM me and I may be able to help with the artwork.

Just had a thought re the numbers:

You don't really need to put numbers 7-15 on the A Sqn sheet, as those troops would be in other squadrons.

A Sqn would have 1 to 5 (or 1 to 4 in a four-troop squadron)
B Sqn would have 6 to 10 (or 5 to 8)
C Sqn would have 11 to 15 (or 9 to 12)

Alternatively each squadron could just use 1 to 5 (or 1 to 4)

The A B C D system for Sqn HQs was only used by the Welsh Guards, so leave that for the Unbrigaded Regiment (white symbols) sheet.

Might that free up some sheet-space?

(Though of course, there's the can of worms created by regiments that used individual tank-numbers...)

Re selling them in the UK; might Nic at Eureka be interested? They sell AB WW2, after all.

While I can't cover all the possibilities, Mark, I'd like to cover the most common. But from the advice you've given I've redone the 1/72 sheets for your comments again, if I may so impose?

Cracking stuff! Excellent idea in including a few HQ Sqn diamonds in the squadron sheet for any HQ Sqn attachments. A far better idea than doing a separate HQ Sqn sheet.

Oh and you've also got enough numbers there to make up individual tank-numbers, should people feel the need.

by RMD » 07 Jun 2023 22:57
Excellent idea in including a few HQ Sqn diamonds in the squadron sheet

That was your idea, mate. Feeling a bit goldfishy, are we?