Is this now taking the piss?

[sebigboss79]

I'm not sure if we've discussed this particular aspect before, (I think we have actually) BUT......

Are they working on the basis that they know they have certain (obviously) extremely wealthy customers who will pay ANY price for the 'kudos' of owning the figures..... for simple bragging rights and 'one-upmanship'
After the initial (feeble) sales they can drop the price to something approaching 'normality' and make them seem like a bargain.

What disappoints me most is the lack of originality in the models as has already been mentioned.
They look SO similar in pose to some Warmaster (tm ) Dark Elf 'strips' I made about 9 years ago for them....Which were completed as far as I was concerned..They then moved the goalposts  for the umpteenth time, and I politely told them to forget it.

Those are still gathering dust in a box....Sadly of no use to Leon, because they're really too small for the PD fantasy range.
There's a limit 'pose wise' with what you can do with little 'spearmen' in metal.....But plastics ?
These aren't just massively overpriced....They're so DULL.

Each time this topic comes up.....It never fails to take my breath away.

Will's note above.....
I believe.....
That was really down to the fact that the WD 'headquarters' was moved from London to Nottingham, and was a final protest from the London bods who didn't want to relocate to Notts.

Cheers - Phil.

As always a pleasure to read this Phil.

Lack of originality? How can they. Uniformity is what they aim for!

How so some of you may ask? Well, they are "the hobby" - nothing else exists beside them (yes we all know better than that but there are poor souls who don't).

Have a look at Mantic Games Elves. Critics keep argueing they are too thin. NO FFS THEY ARE NOT! GWs elfs are the obese ones!

GW has, justly so I believe, achieved a dominating position in the market BUT for a number of years is now abusing their monopoly.

Extremely wealthy customers? Strange I always assume they aimed for the lower end of society as they are easier to influence. Please correct me but the son of a wealthy lawyer, government official... (you name it) would face a severe telling off if his ancestors find out their offspring is mixing with lower class people (no offense, I am one of them I guess).

In my Master we have learned that in a monopoly/ oligopoly your sales volume is not very sensitive to changes in price. In plain english you need to change the prices a lot to achieve higher or lower market share. Hence Price wars do not make sense. GW no interprets this as they can get away from loosing too many players by slowly moving the prices up.

Yet there is a significant error in this thinking. At some point - I hope it is not too far off - the prices have reached a certain level players are no longer willing to pay. The problem is the resulting move away from GW to other hobbies/ systems will not come in a trickling effect but in an avalanche! Has always been the case in other industries and will eb the case for GW. Another problem is that their targeted customers are not collectors and serious gamers, no it is 13 year old who prefer video games over building, painting and THEN playing their Marines or whatever they got.

As said before I have now successfully moved away from GW and should I need another set of pliers some day I will buy it somewhere else. The tool GW offers in this instance is great but I know what the original model is called and know whom to ask where to buy it.

GW may not be interested that they lost me as a customer. Maybe they do not care about all of us here on the forum BUT I believe at one point they will care becuase this move is visible across many forae and many gaming communities already.

[WeeWars]

As said before I have now successfully moved away from GW and should I need another set of pliers some day I will buy it somewhere else. The tool GW offers in this instance is great but I know what the original model is called and know whom to ask where to buy it.

Share! Share! Share!

[sebigboss79]

It is called "a Knippex" in Germany. Basically anyone in electrics will be able to tell you where to get a decent one for the job at hand.

Problem is, you will possibly only buy one in yoir life as they are indestructible.

possibly would go for those:

http://www.knipex.com/index.php?id=1216&L=1&page=group_detail&parentID=1336&groupID=1337

@Leon/Mods if that Link is not appropriate here please delete.

[Leon]

@Leon/Mods if that Link is not appropriate here please delete.

No worries, always good to learn new sources for stuff! 

The clippers we use ourselves are Zuron, which are from the States I believe.  They've got a slight offset where the blades meet, so instead of having to slice straight together and compact the metal, they're able to shear through instead and make the process easier on the hands (which is appreciated when you're clipping thousands of times a day!).  They're pretty durable as well, we replace them every 5 years or so I think.

[sebigboss79]

  have to check those out as I experience immense "Schwarzeneggerism" when clipping. One can always have a third pair of clippers... 

[Leon]

have to check those out as I experience immense "Schwarzeneggerism" when clipping. One can always have a third pair of clippers... 

I stock one of the Xuron types myself through Minibits, which use a similar shear method.  They're not the exact ones we use, as they've got a slightly shorter nose on them, but same method and slightly cheaper! 

http://www.minibits.net/TL8-p804/

[sebigboss79]

Seen and taken a mental note. 


LOOK GW THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE SALES!!!!!

[GordonY]

No the GW method is to bulk buy them, stick a skull or two on them plus their logo and charge 5 times the price.

[sebigboss79]

If it was just 5 times no one would complain 

[Bishop Lord]

I think these maybe old metal stock that they are trying to pass off. I asked a chap I know who used to work at GW heres what he said

"The ones in the link are not plastic, they are the metal models from about 14 years ago.
The only plastic swordmasters are in the current starter set for WFB.
I suspect GW are trying to shift excess metal stock ahead of releasing a plastic kit, probably in a later wave of H/elf releases. Hopefully they've realised that simply chucking unwanted metal mini's into the skip after getting someone to whack them with a hammer so they aren't useable isn't very cost effective (yes, really, this is what was done with old stock returned to HQ when I worked there. Ask Jim).

The character dude with them is a new release plastic model.

£4.10 though for a godaweful swordmaster sculpted by Gary Morley in the mid 1990's is a bit bloody rich though, metal or not."

[Serotonin]

They dont melt them down again?

probably a dumb question but Im astounded if they just throw them away.

[Techno]

I'm guessing wildly....But it's possibly down to whatever alloy was used to produce any figures over a few years old.
Have the regulations changed in what can be used in 'white metal' ?
Leon would know.
Cheers - Phil.

[WeeWars]

Imagine getting caught hammering an elf.

[sebigboss79]

Imagine getting caught hammering an elf.

If she was hot.... 

but: Yes to metal and changing legislation.
NO: These figs are Shicecast (the worst resin available, poured into moulds designed for METAL figures, sold at four times the price they would cost WITH QC, removing QC and seinding out to buyers what Leon would immediately discard as trash).