Games Workshop Sudden Price Hike?

[Baineblade]

I was just browsing the GW site here in the U.S., it's 1:10 in the morning, and from what I can tell, almost everything has been bumped up, the $82.50 Stormraven is now $110.00. Same price for both Land Raiders, and practically all imperial tanks have been boosted up to 83.00 including all similar kits of the other races. The super heavies for the Imperial Guard are now $165.00!! What the heck is going on to warrant this sudden price hike?! How the hell do they expect anyone to keep playing their game with prices like these?! :confused::confused:

[Mr Mystery]

£20 says you're looking at Australian prices.

[eldargal]

Yep, those look Australian prices, the poor barstuds.

[Wolfshade]

Can you imagine what it must be like to assume that you are the only nation that uses a symbol like $...

[Psychosplodge]

Well it be awkward if we let them use a sensible symbol like £...

[spaceman91]

Just checked the uk part of the site. In good old fashioned pounds we are still paying 50 for the raven and 45 for the land raider so no change.

[SteveW1]

when in australia ebay is your friend

[OrksOrksOrks]

set your country to the US, seriously, we get this thread about once a week. Also, lets not get into the "Aussie's pay more" debate because the facts all point to them paying about the same when you take national average wages of demographics into account.

[Wolfshade]

Also, this should be in Wargames corporate...

[lobster-overlord]

Plus, GW doesn't slip in a price change. They do it with great fanfare and you'll know about it before it hits.

[Caitsidhe]

set your country to the US, seriously, we get this thread about once a week. Also, lets not get into the "Aussie's pay more" debate because the facts all point to them paying about the same when you take national average wages of demographics into account.

<chuckles> So someone who makes 10K more a year than me should pay 2K more for the exact same car? :D

[Tyrendian]

<chuckles> So someone who makes 10K more a year than me should pay 2K more for the exact same car? :D

pretty much, yes...

[Wolfshade]

<chuckles> So someone who makes 10K more a year than me should pay 2K more for the exact same car? :D


pretty much, yes...

It is an old one, but it's true.

If you think about it though it is quite true, even within the same region. If I were to drink in London, you are looking at £4/5 per pint, in another city centre that is between £2.50-3.50, then out in more rural areas it drops to £2-3.

[OrksOrksOrks]

<chuckles> So someone who makes 10K more a year than me should pay 2K more for the exact same car? :D

"Something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it" Jonathan Reeves.

Money is a number. If someone has a higher number than another person, they are able to spend more of that number on things. Australians in general tend to have higher numbers than people else where, so things in Australia require more numbers to buy.

Is that simple enough for you?

Can't remember who it was on this board but someone did a great analysis, looking more at the number of hours at the national average wage in countries required to work to earn a Tactical Squad, the differences were much smaller than the actual price differences.

Minis are a hobby, not an essential item, so they can be priced accordingly, so that most people can't afford as many as they'd like to own, thus increasing their percieved value and status.

[Mr Mystery]

Plus there's the shipping costs out to Oz. No company in their right mind absorbs those costs.

[Wolfshade]

Can't remember who it was on this board but someone did a great analysis, looking more at the number of hours at the national average wage in countries required to work to earn a Tactical Squad, the differences were much smaller than the actual price differences.

That person was a real genius, it was the first such analysis on this board.

Pioneering.

Legen....wait for it ....dary

[Wildeybeast]

"Something is worth what someone is willing to pay for it" Jonathan Reeves.

Who's he then? I couldn't find him on the intertron.

[OrksOrksOrks]

That person was a real genius, it was the first such analysis on this board.

Pioneering.

Legen....wait for it ....dary

If only we could find out who this legendary genius is, I'd like to buy him a pint.


Who's he then? I couldn't find him on the intertron.

He's an economist. Its a good quote but not strictly reffering to this context to be honest.

But if the average person in the UK and Autralia sell 2 hours of their labour for x and y, and a Tactical Squad box in both countries costs x and y respectivly, then, really, they both cost 2 hours of labour, so its the same cost. The exchange rate doesn't really apply.

[Wildeybeast]

It is indeed a good quote, though it's an old one. Adam Smith made it famous, but a version of it is found in Sybius Pubillis (sp?) in the first century. Economic principles never change that much

[pauljc]

Person joins to post two exact same threads? Troll smell it does have.

[Psychosplodge]

nah it's probably just the forum playing up, seems to be a lot of repeat posts lately...

[DeadPanda]

Person joins to post two exact same threads? Troll smell it does have.

"Troll smell its does have"

I suspect Master Yoda may have joined the forums :D

No offence intended, just made me smile.

[darthslowe]

Plus, GW doesn't slip in a price change. They do it with great fanfare and you'll know about it before it hits.

The fanfare is to let us know the great service they are providing in allowing us to pay more for models. I mean, honestly, how many of us would know what to do with extra money if GW's prices were lower...that's right, none of us. What they are doing is helping the ignorant masses make decisions, of course they are going to have a fanfare. Frankly, I'm surprised it isn't announced over radio and television broadcast as a public service announcement.

[DeadPanda]

If they did lower prices, I guess I would just buy more, and I am sure they know it.

[OrksOrksOrks]

If they did lower prices, I guess I would just buy more, and I am sure they know it.

You would probably spend the same amount of money but get more models, charging you loads of money means they still get all your hobby bucks for the least expenditure. Once they find the point where people actually just quit (rather than saying they will on forums), then they'll stop increasing prices

[daboarder]

set your country to the US, seriously, we get this thread about once a week. Also, lets not get into the "Aussie's pay more" debate because the facts all point to them paying about the same when you take national average wages of demographics into account.

Oh please just no, go away, you are wrong so sickeningly wrong. I am tired of pointing out various inconsistencies with the "it ends up the same" argument.

Sigh we have...

a minimum wage, not a higher average wage
we also pay more as a percentage of what we earn in tax, utilities and cost of living (pertol and milk)

perfect example is digital media, which despite having NONE of those overhead differences you are talking about are still more than twice the price here. IE: It's cheaper to fly to the US, buy adobe, fly back than it is to download a copy in australia,,,

GOOD BYE!!

[Gir]

Oh please just no, go away, you are wrong so sickeningly wrong. I am tired of pointing out various inconsistencies with the "it ends up the same" argument.

Sigh we have...

a minimum wage, not a higher average wage
we also pay more as a percentage of what we earn in tax, utilities and cost of living (pertol and milk)

perfect example is digital media, which despite having NONE of those overhead differences you are talking about are still more than twice the price here. IE: It's cheaper to fly to the US, buy adobe, fly back than it is to download a copy in australia,,,

GOOD BYE!!

And it's been this way for almost 40 years, yet suddenly it is now an issue.

[White Tiger88]

Yep, those look Australian prices, the poor barstuds.

Thats also Canadian prices now =/

[daboarder]

And it's been this way for almost 40 years, yet suddenly it is now an issue.

The internet. And a dollar stronger than the US make rhe issue far more noticable.

[Gir]

The internet. And a dollar stronger than the US make rhe issue far more noticable.

It's only an issue because of our strong dollar. People can't seem to work out that prices are dictated internally, not by global market dollar values though.

[daboarder]

It's only an issue because of our strong dollar. People can't seem to work out that prices are dictated internally, not by global market dollar values though.

look, 10 years ago when the dollar was worth half a US dollar we paid twice as much (fair enough, as given exchange rates that's what it was worth) but now that the aussie is worth more, all I read is BS justification such as wages rent and market affordability, which are continually touted as the reason why imports in australia do not follow international pricing.....so why then we're these not issues 10 years ago when we WERE sold items based on the international value of the aussie dollar?

[bfmusashi]

It's 1:1 this weekend, should the prices be moved to reflect this or should GW keep the prices where people have been paying? I'd keep them exactly where they were so I don't lose a stank amount of market when the exchanges move again and the prices have to go back up.

[Gir]

look, 10 years ago when the dollar was worth half a US dollar we paid twice as much (fair enough, as given exchange rates that's what it was worth) but now that the aussie is worth more, all I read is BS justification such as wages rent and market affordability, which are continually touted as the reason why imports in australia do not follow international pricing.....so why then we're these not issues 10 years ago when we WERE sold items based on the international value of the aussie dollar?

If people have been paying the same prices for 40 years, why change it? The internal economy has balanced itself for those prices.

[Magpie]

The dollar might be going well at the moment but that doesn't change the fact that the guy in the shop and the shop itself costs substantially more than just about anywhere else on earth.

[Wolfshade]

It's 1:1 this weekend, should the prices be moved to reflect this or should GW keep the prices where people have been paying? I'd keep them exactly where they were so I don't lose a stank amount of market when the exchanges move again and the prices have to go back up.

The US$ rate is irrelevant as GW works it's prices out on conversions from £, given that that is where they are based and where the majority of their costs are based.

One of the reasons why they do not do a simple conversion from £ to local currency unit is to stop a local currency fluctuation, e.g. one day your tactical squad costing $50 the next day $55 the next $47.95. The cost involved in changing all the prices would be difficult. Then you need to consider the local tax that would then vary based on the price, which would make any local tax returns a bit of a headache, especially, if the reporting was done monthly or annually.

[Gir]

The US$ rate is irrelevant as GW works it's prices out on conversions from £, given that that is where they are based and where the majority of their costs are based.

One of the reasons why they do not do a simple conversion from £ to local currency unit is to stop a local currency fluctuation, e.g. one day your tactical squad costing $50 the next day $55 the next $47.95. The cost involved in changing all the prices would be difficult. Then you need to consider the local tax that would then vary based on the price, which would make any local tax returns a bit of a headache, especially, if the reporting was done monthly or annually.

You'd also have to change staff wages daily.

[bfmusashi]

The US$ rate is irrelevant as GW works its prices out on conversions from £, given that that is where they are based and where the majority of their costs are based.

One of the reasons why they do not do a simple conversion from £ to local currency unit is to stop a local currency fluctuation, e.g. one day your tactical squad costing $50 the next day $55 the next $47.95. The cost involved in changing all the prices would be difficult. Then you need to consider the local tax that would then vary based on the price, which would make any local tax returns a bit of a headache, especially, if the reporting was done monthly or annually.

The poster I responded to used the USD as an example, I was keeping it simple and their use of that exchange was not flawed as the USD is the world's primary reserve currency. It is not irrelevant, it is basic and since the exchanges between the USD, AUS, and the £ have all had steady exchanges with each other the distinction is moot.

[Wolfshade]

The poster I responded to used the USD as an example, I was keeping it simple and their use of that exchange was not flawed as the USD is the world's primary reserve currency. It is not irrelevant, it is basic and since the exchanges between the USD, AUS, and the £ have all had steady exchanges with each other the distinction is moot.

When GW are working out their costings, the price of every other curreny is irrelevant.
Their costs are (virtually) all incurred in £ so the $(USD ASD, BND) move to be 10:1 or 1:10 and that would not affect the cost of the items to be produced and hence not affect at what price the item needs to be sold at. While the point of sale price is based on an average currency value, to the end customer the abstractions that this has been manipulated by are largely irrelevant as the price is moreover based on average disposable incomes rather than a straight conversion.

[bfmusashi]

The price of other currencies is not irrelevant when you have to import the raw materials for your business.

[Wolfshade]

The price of other currencies is not irrelevant when you have to import the raw materials for your business.

While I do not know what the cost (or source location) of raw materials are, I would venture that the cost of materials is a tiny fraction (negligable) of the miniature/product, otherwise there should have been a huge price drop when metals were converted to finecast.

[Psychosplodge]

They absorbed it as "profit"/ offset it against re-tooling.
The resin is probably bought on a long term contract due to quantities purchased so is probably less affected by currency fluctuation than buying it as and when...

[bfmusashi]

While I agree the cost of materials is not the majority of a model's price I do not think it is why prices did not drop with the introduction of finecast. They did not go down because there was no reason for them to go down. I think it would be really neat if they did a miniature from extraction of raw materials to customer purchase story for White Dwarf. Maybe for one of the event issues so it could be framed as a celebration of the company's craftsmanship and the efforts that go into manufacturing. Or, for US History Channel addicts Modern Marvels: Miniatures.

[Wolfshade]

While I agree the cost of materials is not the majority of a model's price I do not think it is why prices did not drop with the introduction of finecast. They did not go down because there was no reason for them to go down. I think it would be really neat if they did a miniature from extraction of raw materials to customer purchase story for White Dwarf. Maybe for one of the event issues so it could be framed as a celebration of the company's craftsmanship and the efforts that go into manufacturing. Or, for US History Channel addicts Modern Marvels: Miniatures.

Which is why the currency exchange rates do not really matter to GW, because the price of the item is disconnected to the raw materials that are required to make it.

I believe that historically they have done from concept art to blister before now in WD, certainly at GamesDay they have the production staff and dies and what not and a video from pellets to purchase.

[Psychosplodge]

But how would they attribute it to aliens? O_o

[jonsgot]

While Games Workshop did once look at the cost of materials in setting prices, they have quite openly stated they will charge as much as they believe people will pay. The cost of the material and production just determines if a product will be made or not. (i.e. the mythical plastic thunderhawk, that won't happen any time soon). GW have a very good understanding of what volume they can sell at what price. They set their prices based on the product value to the collector in order to make the maximum profit for their shareholders. Why else would we pay almost the same price for a single plastic space Marine Captain, as 9 snap fit tactical marines?