Please someone explain to me how this pricing makes sense

[plawolf]

Don't worry, this is not another GW is too expensive rant thread.

I was just looking at some GW and FW units and it just boggles the mind why anyone would price things this way.

Exhibit A

You can either buy a 6 men hostile environment melta or plasma squad with either 3 plasma (http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Imperial_Guard/Cadian_Shock_Troops/CADIAN-HOSTILE-ENVIRONMENT-TROOPS-PLASMA-SQUAD.html) or 3 meltas (http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Imperial_Guard/Cadian_Shock_Troops/CADIAN-HOSTILE-ENVIRONMENT-TROOPS-MELTA-SQUAD.html) and 3 regular guys for £12.50, or would you want to buy a single plasma and a single melta guy for £10.50 (http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-40000/Imperial_Guard/Cadian_Shock_Troops/CADIAN-SPECIAL-WEAPONS-WITH-RESPIRATORS.html)?

Exhibit B

Would you rather have a fine cast vanilla apothecary for £9.50 (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440192a&prodId=prod1600014a), or two gorgeous forgeworld ones for £20 (http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/New_Stuff/SPACE_MARINE_APOTHECARY_SET.html)?

Now, I can kind understand things like how they have 3 different kinds of Apothecary models selling at 3 different prices (but strangely all the Inquisitors are all the same price despitebeing very different models) or how the Kasrkin special weapons pair is £2 more expensive than the stormtroopers special weapons pair as they are different models, and the more expensive ones are generally the more attractive models so fair enough.

But I cannot understand why anyone would buy the single pair of special weapons when the squads are just so much better a deal?

Same thing with the GW v FW Apothecaries. There is simply no way anyone could think FW's Apothecaries are only 50p better each than the GW finecast ones.

These are just the ones I noticed from a casual glance, I am sure there are many similar cases where the pricing strategy simply makes no sense. So the obvious question is, why the hell does GW does things this way then?

[wittdooley]

The Hostile Cadians sets ONLY come with 3 torsos. No legs, so you'll need to have a box of plastic Cadians ready. 3 not 6. That picture is pretty darn misleading, that's for sure. The 10.50 set comes with 2 full models, so you dont need the extra legs.

As for the Apothecaries; no idea. I'd much rather have the FW ones, but there are people that dont like the armour marks they come in.

[plawolf]

OK, that makes more sense price wise, but I'm fairly sure what FW has up for the melta and plasma sets constitutes false advertising, especially since they put up not one but two separate shots of the 3 lasgun guardsmen. WTF would you do that if all you are selling is the special weapons heads and torsos?!

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

To be fair, they say "Resin coversion kit containing enough resin torsos to build three special weapon guardsmen equipped with plasma guns." in the product description. It's no different than using a picture of an iPhone when you're selling an iPhone case.

[Houghten]

If an item's picture on the GW site is of the 'Eavy Metal model, do you expect it to arrive assembled and painted?

The item description clearly says what it is, in this case "resin torsos." That isn't false advertising.

Edit: Ninja'd by the Reverend! You sure you're not a monk?

[Denzark]

GW, a company run under UK law (has a duty in law to work for its shareholders) is making profit, is set to make much more with 6th, all during the middle of a so-called 'double-dip' recession.

Funnily enough this tells me that their bosses actually do know what they are doing in terms of not pricing themselves out of the market. These objects must be individually worth what is charged, becuase if not no-one would buy them and they would either go OOP or come down in price. They have not yet reached our point of intolerance.

Simples.

[Psychosplodge]

The only thing with forgeworld is I wish they showed all forgeworld models as just their components in at least one pic...

[Wolfshade]

GW and FW are run as seperate companies and so their prices need not be coherant with each other, anymore than say Fiat and Ferrari.
The basic thing with the prices is that people are prepared to pay it, (brilliant BoLS article http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2012/06/editorial-gw-double-edged-sword-of.html).

[Ssyrie]

The only thing with forgeworld is I wish they showed all forgeworld models as just their components in at least one pic...

or at the very least, paint the FW parts one color and the rest of the model a different color.

[Defenestratus]

or at the very least, paint the FW parts one color and the rest of the model a different color.

Before anyone goes and calls FW models "beautiful, just remember what you're going to get out of the box:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Terw-dxiHrY/T-2qvaVry1I/AAAAAAAAWeI/MQpA7eQrq5o/s800/IMG_20120626_105840.jpg

[Psychosplodge]

I've only ever had half a dozen FW models, but they've all been spot on. Orlando does look a lot warmer than Yorkshire though...:D

[Wolfshade]

I can't believe no one has made jokes about droopy pulsars

[eldargal]

I prefer the term 'flaccid pulsar'.

[Psychosplodge]

Don't be mean, he was very brave sharing his little problem in public...

[alshrive]

"Very Hot Water will soon sort out that problem!" not a sentence normally used in the context of the Innuendo. OUCH.

[Defenestratus]

"Very Hot Water will soon sort out that problem!" not a sentence normally used in the context of the Innuendo. OUCH.

What does it say about me when I tell you that I don't use hot water -- I use a heat gun (not a hair dryer)