Sometimes you just get lucky: In two small suitcases, a user found several figures from the various worlds of Warhammer – some of them quite old. Seeking help, he asks what exactly he has in front of him and realizes that it is a true little treasure.
What kind of figures are these?
- In a “free to give away” pile at work, a user found two suitcases containing several Warhammer figures, packed in red foam – many of them painted. He shares pictures on Reddit.
- He writes that some figures feel really heavy. They could be made of pewter, which speaks for particularly old models. In the past, Warhammer minis were made of pewter and were so heavy, that some users even wanted to use them as improvised weapons.
- The suitcase mainly contains Beastmen from Warhammer Fantasy or Age of Sigmar as well as some Chaos Warriors and even a few Tyranids. In total, there are almost 200 minis.
What are they worth? The price of “used” models varies greatly. Already assembled, primed, and especially painted minis are sometimes significantly more expensive than their original form, but only if the work was well done.
Normally, Warhammer figures come in parts and without color. On eBay, there are fully painted armies for between 25 and 350 euros. A user in the comments estimates:
- Two such foam inserts contained an army of around 2,000 points – maybe not an elite unit, but hordes of specific peoples.
- Per insert, there are 36 figures. A set of 32 Chaos Warriors costs new 84 dollars in the official store. With 6 inserts, roughly estimated, you would get at least 6 x 84 = 504 dollars.
- Additionally, there are the two suitcases themselves, which would cost at least 100 dollars.
- Converted at the current exchange rate (September 9), that would be 429.53 or 85.22, so around 510 euros.
Another user interjects that no one would pay so much money for these figures – but the new price amounts to a decent sum. Especially the pewter figures, if there are any, should significantly increase the price. Because they are a rarity, as a fan has already noted, who received old figures from his grandma.
“The Curse of Red Foam”
In further comments, users pay tribute to the one who left these suitcases in the pile. It seems a collector from the early 2000s is going through a marital crisis and has to part with his favorites.
Another user explains that it is fate, because the suitcases are equipped with red foam:
That is the curse of red foam.
My original army as a teenager was 4,000 points of Blood Angels, which a guy in our local gaming store gave me. He came in, saw me painting my first box of tactical Marines, and said: “You like Marines? Here you go, kid,” and gave me 5 or 6 boxes full of models (in red foam). His fiancée didn’t like them, so they became mine.
A friend found a suitcase at a flea market with Orks in it. He asked how much, and an old man said: “Take them, my useless son doesn’t pay rent, so he doesn’t need toys,” or something like that. Again, red foam.
A guy in our local game store had his windshield smashed on the highway by an oversized Citadel case from the back of a pickup truck. There was a Bretonnia army inside. Red foam.
Surprisingly, other users added similar experiences. One got a T’au army in red foam, another a whole bunch of Space Marines. In the comments, there is agreement: red foam damn the figures to be passed on, intentionally or not.
Whether the user will keep or sell his find has not yet been revealed. Perhaps he might lose them or have to give them up for reasons – after all, it’s red foam. What is clear, however, is that a collection can quickly… take on large dimensions: Warhammer 40,000 has helped a fan through tough times – his collection is worth thousands of euros
