Price increase! Aarrrgh!!!

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Sturmhalo

Guest
I agree, but what GW have done is confused actual value (money) with game value. They are little lumps of metal and plastic and should be priced as such. Unfortunately whoever comes up with the prices is living in a fantasy world where one figure is perceived to be worth more in the game (not necessarily points) and as such they appear to transfer this over into the reality of actual cost (the world of money!).
 
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Death Jester

Guest
The people who make up the monetary prices are not living in a fantasy world - they are very smart, manipulative, greedy people who have figured out that they can get away with it for the time being. They don\'t care about you or me, they don\'t care about the \"hobby\", they would sell their own grandparents if they could, because they ONLY thing they care about is making money. Until everyone else realises this and starts demanding good value for money, they will undoubtedly continue.
 
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Aschul

Member
Regarding points and prices....

The reason why models with a higher \"points value\" cost more money is because GW is expecting to sell less of them. That\'s all there is to it.

Recently I bought a bunch of the new Bloodletters to paint for a client. I found it a little odd that the Bloodletters in the box of 10 cost about $5 Cdn each but the champion - which was sold separately - cost about $10...even though the champion is almost exactly the same model (just a different pose). The reasoning here? They sell less champions; people who use the models for 40K don\'t need champions.
 
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Sturmhalo

Guest
Yup, the old confrontation rules did have hand to hand combat rules. I think they were published in an issue of WD on their own. I\'ve got them somewhere with the other parts (the rules, not the mags).

Ok maybe the price hikers don\'t live in a fantasy world, but it sure as hell seems that way sometimes. They\'re obviously very good at their jobs as you say. There are times when I find myself thinking \'yeah, that figure\'s affordable. Way overpriced but affordable\'. Dumb I know. Fortunately time and money have dictated that I don\'t buy figures from GW (or anyone else for that matter, apart from damn Ebay!). Maybe GW\'s grip isn\'t as strong as I thought.
 
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Death Jester

Guest
Right, one final rant, and that\'s me....

All salesmen (or saleswomen) do not care what they sell - most don\'t even know what they sell, beyond the name and price.

Let me use a metaphor - \"Used car salesmen\" - EVERYONE knows not to trust them because they will tell you whatever you want to hear to get you to buy a used car. What is the difference, then, with used cars, GW, or any other retailer? They are ALL salesmen, and ALL of them will tell you whatever you want to get you to part with your cash. \"Yes, this food is delicious\", or \"wow, that shirt looks great on you\", or \"this TV decoder will give you access to lots of new programs\", or \"this new model really kicks ass!\", etc., etc. It\'s all the same. Why trust one salesman and not another?

Let\'s remember the old saying \"A fool and his money are soon parted\" - this is the principal that drives salesmen - not the hobby (or whatever) itself.

The items we buy as consumers need to be carefully chosen - I spend as much as anyone else, but I choose items that I need or items that I really want - I don\'t throw money away at expensive gimmicks - if I like a figure, I will buy it, but if it is far too expensive, then I have the common sense to shop elsewhere! It is the same with clothes, food, electrical items - keep buying them, just make sure you get value for money. If you don\'t, then you are loosing out and the salesperson who ripped you off is laughing all the way to the bank!
 
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Death Jester

Guest
Yeah, Confrontation was published in a few issues of White Dwarf - I must not have the one with the hand-to-hand rules! Oh well!
 
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Sturmhalo

Guest
I\'ve seen the sales pitch in action in my local GW store. I mostly go in to buy paint and sometimes get into a conversation with whoever\'s working there. All you have to say to some of the staff is that you like the new whatever and they instantly whip out the latest codex or army book and tell you all about the cool new flashy bits.

I\'ve also noticed that many of the hardened Games Workshoppies find it difficult to differentiate between cold hard fact and the fiction of the hobby. For example, I might say that I like or dislike a particular model, meaning I like/dislike it aesthetically speaking. GW gimp then proceeds to agree or disagree on the grounds that those particular models are easily beaten in the game or the ones with big kill all guns can rule the battlefield. Totally missing my point. As far as they\'re concerned every figure is brilliant. Of course they\'re paid to say that, but when gamers think that way they will buy any old crap regardless of aesthetics simply because it\'s cool in the game! I\'ve found this attitude in every store worker I\'ve spoken to and in the few gamers that I\'ve had the \'pleasure\' to know.

Just one more point on sales pitch. I was looking at the LOTR models inmy local GW with a view to buying some in the future to paint and sell. GW guy comes over and asks what I thought of the two towers trailer (before the film was released). I said I hadn\'t seen it and he went to turn on the TV set that was just above my head. I realised that he was going to try showing me the trailer and I quickly explained that I wasn\'t that interested in LOTR and was simply thinking about buying figures to paint and sell. He really didn\'t seem to grasp my point of view (how could anyone not be fully indoctrinated into the GW hobby?!) and ridiculed the idea of selling painted figures (until I explained that some folks truly appreciate the skill and effort and are willing to pay for it). He continued to go on about LOTR so I edged my way towards the door trying to end the rather one sided conversation, made my excuses and left. Sales patter just puts me off.
 
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Death Jester

Guest
Yeah, GW do that to all their customers - mostly kids with no sense go for it, but you would be amazed at the amount of adults as well! Because there is a fresh new batch of 12 year olds every year, GW will most certainly continue to play on this sales technique. As mentioned earlier, people do grow up and realise GW are ripping them off, but because the market is so global now 2 people join for everyone one who leaves. GW could not possibly \"need\" the revenue, they just want it.

Where u from, US or UK?
 
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Sturmhalo

Guest
I\'m based in England and it\'s living up to its cold damp reputation. Playing merry hell with my sinuses! lol
 
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Death Jester

Guest
GW paints were very good about 10 years ago, when Mike McVey was in charge of the art studio. Now they have little or no pigmentation, I use Vallejo acrylics and Windsor and Newton oils.

A good flow enhancer is really needed to get the acrylics to blend smoothly. At the minute I use Cryla acrylic flow enhancer, but Windsor and Newton and Daler-Rowney also make it. They also make really good inks for shading.
 
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nadine

New member
I just smile...

(first post, I hope I don\'t make it completely unreadable due to weird formatting!)

I too, really dislike the \'conversations\' the GW employees try to have with you. I only bought GW minis to paint; whenever I would go in to buy some Eldar, I invariably got accosted by a salesguy trying to sell me some ugly, overpriced, newly released miniature. When told that the more expensive miniature kicks more butt on the game table, I just smile, get a slightly blank look on my face and say, \"But this one looks nicer\".

Of course, being a blonde female might help. Stereotypes are so wonderful when you can use them to your own advantage.

I only buy from discount mail order places now. I do like the figures but the prices are gross and since I\'m not tied down by a game system, I don\'t *need* to buy them.
 
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Sturmhalo

Guest
I bet you have to beat off the GW types with a stick when you go into their stores!? lol Women seem to attract a lot of attention from gamers and the like. They wouldn\'t know what to do with one, but they certainly find them interesting! :D
 
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Sturmhalo

Guest
I\'m in the Midlands Death Jester. Little town called Belper near Derby. Not a games store in sight anywhere in this part of the world, only the dark shadow that is GW!

How long you been over here?
 
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Death Jester

Guest
Still a yank at heart! Really want to go back to NY, but my job is too good at the minute - I would be a fool to give it up!

My mates and I must be the only painters/gamers who go the gym, look fit and have girlfriends. Maybe because we don\'t take it seriously - we all act like it is a hobby, and nothing more! (because that\'s what it is....)
 
Chrispy

Chrispy

Active member
Actually, I\'m pretty sure that mini painters and gamers are two totally different classes. I played maybe 5 games of 40K and got my ass kicked up around my ears. And most of the players were kinda... grody.
 
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Sturmhalo

Guest
Know what you mean DJ.

Sometimes you just have to walk away from the miniatures and get on with something else. Wish I could, only I paint for a living (a living? who am I kidding!). I\'m sure the whole eat, sleep and drink figure painting made me ill last year. My girlfriend doesn\'t see it as a viable career option either.

Can\'t face the gym. I have my daily excercise routine but that\'s it. I could lose a bit of weight though. Ever since my final year at uni all the big meals and lager have been catching up with me! I\'ve got bigger tits than some women for gods sake! lol

A sensible lesson for us all I think.
 
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