Galen's Thoughts: Reaper Bones Miniatures

DISCLAIMER: THIS IS NOT A REVIEW! THESE ARE MY OWN THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS. I LIKE REAPER MINIATURES AND HAVE SEVERAL BONES THAT HAVE HAD LOTS OF FUN PAINTING!
So in the past few years Reaper Miniatuers has kickstarted their newest line of miniatures, "Bones". They are plastic minis that come in a white colour, hence the name. Their three Kick-starters have been wildly successful, and for good reason. The Bones Miniatures are incredibly cheap and numerous.  I've backed two of the three Kick-starters and haven't regretted it. But I do have a few complaints.

The miniatures are of a soft plastic which is somewhat similar (based on my own opinions) to the pre-painted models that Wizards puts out. They are easily bent and very easy to cut up, making them great for conversions. But what I don't like is how hard it can be to get the miniatures to straighten, even with the tried and true: heat and chill method. (For those unfamiliar with the method, here is an article). For me, who is currently working on a massive commission of Bones, it can be a pain to do hundreds of minis; and some just won't stay in the position I placed them in.

Now, since I've been painting literally hundreds of the things, here is my biggest complaint. The models have an immense variety of sculpt quality! Oh the lamentations! Some like the Pathfinder RPG models, are beautiful! and I can't explain how nice they look when painted. But then there are some where I have trouble distinguishing where certain details begin and end. I'd like to think I'm a somewhat decent painter with good eyesight, but I hate having to fabricate details on a mini.

Another problem I have with them is the annoyance that is removing mold lines. I have many variations of files to clean mold lines off models. They work fantastically with the Metal, Hard Plastic, and Resin models that I have painted; but due to the soft plastic of the Bones, it doesn't work so well. The recommended method is using a hobby knife or Exact-o to clear the mold lines. Again the soft plastic is easily cut and you need a steady hand to do this. It's also very time consuming.  So with my commission I've opted to not clean mold lines. Ive told the customer that due to the vast number and variation of the models, they aren't going to be winning any painting contests. They are painted to a table top standard; which is perfectly okay.

In summation, I like the Bones models. Do I prefer them? No. But I see them as a way to get a bunch of minis for a low price, which is great for beginner GMs and painters. I've used Bones to practice new techniques with out messing up on a more expensive model.  So I don't hate the Bones miniature line. I just would much rather paint and model with other mediums.