So I really like to leverage the Lemax/Dept. 56/Off-Brand ceramic lit houses for my layout. It's always winter, and I've found that if I stay within certain boundaries, I can get a decent amount of realism from the structures themselves as long as I stay away from some of the more inane/whimsical pieces (especially since switching to LED lighting). The one thing that eventually drove me nuts was the massive size of the people/figures. Its been commented on before, but if you actually tried to stuff one of them into a building, the result would be a lot like trying to wedge Lebron James into a preschool playhouse. This year I decided to bite the bullet and add some actual O-scale figures to my layout: the results are as follows:
- Not all O-Scale is )-Scale, meaning that the figures vary in size. The Lionel pewter figures seem to be the worst offenders, coming up short (pun intended) on the size scale. The old K-line stuff seems to vary some (some are on the large size), and the Bachmann figures feel spot on. Woodland scenics and Artista are pretty much perfect on as well.
- Diversity: Woodland scenics and Arista take top honors. If you can't create the scene you want with these two, then you might want to rethink your scene (A wizard drinking tea with Vladimir Putin in a tent just isn't going to happen...). Bachmann does OK in this respect, with something like 15 sets or so to choose from. Model Power is about the same. K-Line is very limited because they aren't produced anymore. Lionel pewter is the worst, and one would struggle to do and entire layout with them (plus, that big-headed carney lion is creepy and I don't want him around...)
- Quality: This really depends on what you are looking for. The Lionel pewter figures are very solid, and well painted, but as mentioned, a bit on the small side and to me, the facial detail is weak. Woodland figures are great pretty much all around; I've noticed some facial features are better/worse than others, but overall the figures are very good. Bachmann SceneScapes surprised me - the ones I go were very well painted with good detail - it would appear that by not attempting to paint on many (any?) facial features, the result is a non-offensive, clean look. Artista is also generally very good. Model power and K-line were the worst; some are decent, some are terrible - I put these near the back of the layout where no one really pays attention to them.
Ease of use: At first, I was all about making sure my figures had bases. I figured out very quickly that, depending on the color of the bases, they could ruin a scene by just looking awkward - like they are standing in a puddle of something green/brown/tan/grey. Much better, IMO, is to get the figures without bases and simply glue them directly to the layout, or, do what I do and cut small pieces of clear plastic and Zapp Goo them to it. If you do it right, you can't see it unless your very (too..) close. Bachmann, Artista and Woodland have no bases. Most of the K-Line do have them, as do Model Power. All of the Lionel pewter figures have them. To each his own, but I prefer the look and flexibility of rolling my own for now. I will likely remove the figures with bases at some point unless I can find a place to blend them in.
Price: They're all too expensive for what they are, and like everything, you tend to get what you pay for. MP and K-Line can be found dirt cheap compared to WS and Artista. Bachmann was again the surprise - you can find decent deals on them that make them a good value IMO. You pay more for the Woodland Scenics and the Artista, but you can put them almost anywhere on the layout in any scene imaginable and no one's going to say "Is that a lumberjack... or a Yeti???"
There are some I haven't worked with yet. MTH figures come to mind. I might buy a few just to see how they look. Overall, it has made a world of difference on the layout so far. They actually fit in structures, cars, etc., and they aren't all doing goofy Christmas things. They can be MADE to do goofy Christmas things if you want (I put a fireman on a ladder at the firehouse hanging a wreath...) but they aren't all buying presents/singing carols/playing with puppies. I realize that the set I had was very limited, and that Lemax has a huge variety of figures for almost any scene, but the fact remains that they all have growth hormone issues in an O-Gauge world.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it 
Just another reference point for anyone else making the transition...
