Is there a reliable place to get these? I’m not sure it’s possible to order them from Russia these days. I see figures from them on Alibaba, but I’m guessing those are likely recasts?
I’ve gotten figures from several sources over the years. I’d try Michigan Toy soldier shop, military miniatures warehouse, BNA models, sprue brothers. Have you tried eBay or Amazon? These are some of the ones I’ve purchased figures from but I can’t remember which I got SOGA from- sorry. I have a couple of them. Hope this helps.
You can try emailing them directly. Perhaps Dmitri from SOGA found a way to sell his figures to the western countries.
Mario
I don´t know which figures are you talking about but I´m bought some recast resin figures…
We don’t support figure recasters or any form of piracy here on Armorama so I removed your comment.
Mario
2 Likes
Theorically I agree with you, but I live in the third world, our incomes as workers class are not the same that in the first world, so we had to work much more time to buy a tank in 1/35 for example or a resin figure. Add that there are very very few brick and mortar shops with very few kits and paints. So, the modellers on the south of the world has to buy all around the world through e-commerce, add the more expensive shipping, the taxes, and the custom law in our countries that only allow an amount of $600 per year tax free and you only can buy every purchase for a maximum of $200, if you exceed that, you must pay prohibited taxes. If you make the purchase in the best optimal way the total amount of a kit is 50% plus (or 70%) of their original price on ebay, spruebrother, hannants or whatever. So your reality is not mine. I know what you said about piracy but there are more assimetries between north and south and injustice too. So, sorry about that, but I want to build resin figures too and that is the only way that I can. And no, I´m not a traveller of the world to buy in Europe or the States. Sorry about the infrigment of the forum rules, but I guess that you can understand that there exist another realities.
3 Likes
I understand your point. But I hope you also understand that, by buying pirated figures, you hurt the original companies … usually, these are small companies, run by a single person, a talented sculptor, who does all the work to get the figure to the market. And then, after all this in done, some dirtbag copies the figure and sells it for a fraction of a price. Plain and simple, it is stealing.
Yes, we all live in different realities, but there are always options.
Mario
3 Likes
Yes, there are options.
Not to get into a flamewar here or get nitpicky or nasty as I too understand how expensive kits are.
Recast is almost always sub-standard to the original sculpt and the fit can be poor.
That said, it’s past Christmas where many vendors have discount sales during the end of the year so that helps a bit.
Or…you could ask for free or deeply discounted review samples with the PROMISE of reviewing the kit. Practically everyone has a phone with a camera or a digital camera and a computer these days to conduct online reviews. Review samples can be up to 50% off the list price. Some companies will give you a FREE review sample with FREE shipping if you ask them nicely. Just don’t overdo it and take advantage of asking for free review samples. And please…do write and post a review of the sample that you received because it was a free review sample and not a gift. You do not have to return review samples but you do have to do some writing work to obtain one.
So instead of buying recast, please ask the original manufacturer for a FREE review sample or a DEEPLY DISCOUNTED review sample and pay the 50% owed, not 100% list price. Do not push for more review sample discount and accept the discount offered as most vendors do not normally give 50% off even on sales.
You don’t have to build the kit. You just have to take photos of the parts and write about what you think of the quality and fit. I won’t write reviews for recasts though, and I won’t write reviews for kits that are poor quality, meaning don’t ask for free review samples of kits that are lousy.
Do be aware that some vendors will not mail to some countries for fear of postal theft, but it is worth a try to ask the original manufacturer for a review sample of the kit that you want. If not, you can try elsewhere. It’s better than buying recasts and please don’t be disappointed if you don’t get any free or deeply discounted review samples as it’s up to the original manufacturer to trust you to review a sample and trust that the kit will get to you. What you do with the free sample after your review is entirely up to you as it is now a gift and you have done your review work and posted it. You can sell it for cash to buy another kit that you want.
Bottom line…you can get original resin kits for free…but you’re going to have to work for them by writing and posting reviews. And always thank the manufacturer in the review who gave you the sample, free or discounted. 
2 Likes
Things ain’t always so easy…
Back in November, 2022, I purchased a pair of figures on eBay which I thought were legitimate — even researched the seller. When I received my order, something looked not right — no manufacturer’s packaging, just three randomly sized Zip bags with Sharpie notes on them.
Thank’s to a fellow KitMaker member, (Ryan, you know who you are) I was able to compare packaging. Being alerted to the counterfeit operation, I stopped in my tracks. I spent hours/days attempting to purchase the “real deal” from a certified distributor for said product and was then stopped by a weird PayPal block — went round-and-round with PayPal. This time, they were actually kind of helpful. More time wasted though.
In the meantime, more leg-work and I was able to contact the actual product manufacture who has been very helpful with initiating my purchase — back and forth e-mails slowly did the trick. However, add-up the cost of the counterfeit to the cost of the official manufacture’s product plus double shipping… figure approximately three-times what the two figures would have cost originally. And then there’s all the research burned into my retina. 
I may receive my order in a couple or three additional weeks from now and my little project is still on hold until then. But that’s okay as long as I know that my money is going to the rightful recipient. … A long workaround, but I need to know I can sleep at nap-time knowing I am not supporting counterfeiters.
Now what was I trying to build in the first place? … 
—mike
2 Likes
I don’t think manufacturers send review samples to anyone who asks. Several serious reviews published on high impact modeling sites are a must before one should even consider asking for a review sample. I don’t think many manufacturers would be willing to send their products without actually knowing if the modeler is skilled enough to do a proper review of their product.
Mario
3 Likes
I whole-heartedly agree.
—mike
1 Like
@Maki @justsendit I concur too as manufacturers would like to see samples of review writing before commitment. They will not send blind to anyone who asks because it is a business after all.
But it is an option available and if one is skilled, qualified, and available, can indeed cut down on hobby costs. I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, but again, it is an option besides Christmas sales and the rest is via communications with the reviewer and the manufacturer.
Perhaps manufacturers are more or less generous to give samples nowadays…I don’t know.
I do know that Amazon resin kits are mostly recasts…can hardly find the originals there. The same applies to eBay. It’s best to buy from the manufacturer’s website or a reputable online hobby store source.
Of course I understand. And as I say, agree with your point. If I were in your shoes I would do the same.