FAQ About Joining TFM
Ok, this is a little thing I've added to try and ease your mind and make this whole process of submitting sculpts a little easier. Nothing is set in stone 100% but I follow these guides very closely.
Q: How is my IP handled?
A: Your minis are YOUR minis. I mold them and cast them for you, when and if you want them removed I do so no questions asked. I'm an artist myself.
Q: How do I get paid?
A: I use paypal and tend to send lumps in the $50 range unless unless requested otherwise.
Q: Do I pay for materials?
A: No. I pay for the molds, and resin myself. I do everything for you except sculpt your piece.
Q: Can I get casts for myself?
A: Yes. I work out a deal with you on numbers before we even agree to send the miniatures. I also pay to ship your stuff back.
Q: Can I get my greens back?
A: Yes. I always send originals back and 99.9% of the time they are returned in perfect condition. If a miniature is going to have problems I'll say so before you even send it.
Q: How much do you take?
A: After doing this for a little bit I decided 50/50 is a fair split. I'll use this example: If I sell your mini for $8 we both get $4. With my time and materials I make about $2 per mini while you make $4 while sitting back. I think it's the best deal on the net IMO. A well sculpted mini is going to make well over the $150-300 dollar standard for a commissioned sculpt. I have a second option which is the 40/40/20. This method splits half and half but takes a small part to go back into the collective fund. This means I'm not paying for every thing all the time. 
Q: How are prices set?
A: I make your items sell at reasonable prices even if that means I get next to nothing for them. If you want a certain price we can decide upon that as well.
Q: Why do you do this, you must make a lot of money?
A: I make next to nothing off this system. I do it because I am an artist myself and I see many people with talent and skill who might never get a chance to produce their own miniatures because of money. Lets face it, this is not an easy carer or cheap process. Most sculptors work for someone making $200-300 per miniature and that is the end of things. I want to provide some people another option. An option I would have liked to had.
Q: How long does it take to mold my miniatures?
A: That depends upon my workload. I do everything myself right now from casting all the way down to writing text for the web site and moding this forum. I do it as fast as possible but with out sacrificing mold quality. I take pride in making some of the best molds around.
Q: How fast are my casts made?
A: I use a fast setting resin and so can do a single mold 4-6 times in an evening. I work full time as well so most of my casting is done at night. I always place sales ahead of free casts and if there are several molds for a miniature it should go fast. 1-2 days max. If you have one mold and want 50 casts it is going to take some time, might even be 1-2 weeks. I there fore recommend you make variations of your miniature so we can do several at one time.
Q: What bases do you use?
A: I use the bases from my own line with your products so there is no need to make bases of your own. I give customers the same options with your miniatures as I do with my own.
Q: How do I become part of the team?
A: It's fairly simple, all that is required of you is some pictures of the piece and quality needs to be up to standard or interesting might even get you a vote for approval. Kits for options to change or use with other miniatures or my own are also allowed. Bases and terrain are also accepted however I tend to be a little tougher on these as there are a lot of manufacturers out there already. A sure fire yes is a well sculpted and interesting miniature or something not provided by other companies.
Thanks again everyone and I hope this helps answer a few of your questions.
Ed Fortae (aka Hive Trygon)
