How much does it cost to paint an army?

At tabletop level, infantry run about $8–18 each, so 40 models is roughly $320–720. Tabletop+ is about 1.6 times that and display about 3 times. Basing and shipping are extra. See the price guide for the full table.

Do I have to ship my minis to the painter?

If you own them, yes. Ship them padded and insured, and photograph them first. If you have not bought them yet, a printer can make new ones and ship them finished, so nothing travels twice.

Can a painter match my existing scheme?

Yes. Send paint names or recipes and photos of a finished model. Better still, ship one painted sample. Ask for a single test model first, so you can approve the look before the batch.

Can you print a custom sculpt?

Yes. Some makers sculpt from your references and print the result. Others print an STL you already own. Say which you need and the material. A one-off sculpt costs more than a printed copy of an existing file.

What if the minis arrive wrong?

The platform holds your payment until you confirm delivery. If the minis don't match the written brief, open a dispute in the app before you confirm; unresolved disputes are reviewed by The Spool List. Once you confirm delivery, the payment goes to the maker.

Which game systems do makers work in?

Any system with miniatures is fine to post: Warhammer armies, D&D characters and monsters, historicals from 6 mm to 28 mm. Say the system and scale in your post so makers with the right experience can quote.

How long does a commission take?

Twenty tabletop infantry take 2–4 weeks. Display characters take 1–4 weeks each. Add time if the maker has a queue, plus shipping. Post at least six weeks before you need them.

Can I split a big army into batches?

Yes: post each batch as its own job. Ten to twenty models per batch keeps paint consistent and lets you check quality early, and each batch is paid when you confirm its delivery.

How a miniature commission works

Four steps. The platform holds your payment until you confirm delivery.

From box to tabletop

Post your briefHow many models, paint level or print material, scheme references, basing and the date you need them.
Compare bidsMakers reply with a price and a timeline. Check their profiles, completed jobs and reviews before you pick.
Accept and payPay by card through Stripe. The platform holds the payment and releases it to the maker only when you confirm delivery.
Receive and releaseThe maker can post progress photos in the app. When it arrives and you confirm delivery, the payment is released to the maker.

Tabletop · wargames · RPGs

Commission your army. Get it table-ready.

You don't need a printer or a free weekend — a maker who specialises in miniatures prints, paints and ships it.

Post your army →

You're early, not late

$4.2Bminiature games market, 2024

8.5%annual growth forecast to 2033

£618MGames Workshop revenue, FY2025 — a record

Market figures are industry estimates (HTF Market Intelligence, 2025; Games Workshop annual report, 2025).

Why post on The Spool List instead of a DM

Payment held until delivery

You pay when you accept a bid. The platform holds the payment and releases it to the maker when you confirm delivery.

Makers compete for you

Post once and verified makers can send quotes. Compare price, turnaround, reviews and past work before you choose.

No buyer fee on top

You pay the maker's quoted price. No platform fee is added on top for buyers.

Reviews from real orders

Reviews are tied to completed orders, so ratings come from buyers who actually ordered.

No design? No problem

Need a design first? Post that too: CAD, STL repair, vector conversion or 3D scanning. Makers who offer it can quote.

Dispute resolution

Something wrong? Open a dispute in the app. Unresolved disputes are reviewed by The Spool List.

Every commission is a job with a written scope. 'Tabletop standard' or 'match this squad' means what you both agreed before money moved.

On longer jobs the maker can post milestone updates with photos, so you see progress before anything ships. The payment itself is released in one go, when you confirm delivery.

If minis arrive wrong or a job stalls, the dispute process reviews the brief, the photos and the messages. A DM thread cannot give you that.