Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Predictable: Price Increases and Overreactions

In the category of completely predictable announcements; Games Workshop is raising prices. Equally predictable is the flood of rage over the event, or 'slap in the face to the entire warhammer community' as some would say; even more predictable are threats of leaving the hobby. Prices go up and down, commodities rise and fall, labor wages go up and down, tuition to attend ‘university’ even goes up, hell – even the tides come in and out.


Right now we all sound like the college kid that upon waking up in a strange garage on a Saturday morning with a blazing headache pronounces: ‘Uggghhh. I will never drink again’. Yet we all know that come Friday night he’s gonna be right back in that same garage at that same house doing a keg stand while some fat man named Carl, who graduated 4 years previous with a degree in ‘women’s studies’, holds his feet.

We might buy less, and certainly we will consider whether or not to start Dark Eldar a bit more carefully now - even though the models are so damn cool. But at the end of the day we are no more walking away from a hobby we have poured so many hours into than Carl will be putting down his fork and spoon at Granny’s $5.99 buffet. At this point we are too invested to go cold turkey, and just like Carl – we love them baby back ribs too much to give ‘em up.

So climb down off the ledge guys, the view is just as good back inside the warm comfort of the old gaming place as it is out there. Sure, we won’t be able to build huge new armies as fast as we used to; but hell I can’t buy as many cheeseburgers from McDonalds as I used to either.

Two years ago I could get almost a 30% discount by ordering from Australia because of the trade rates; today the Australian dollar is just as strong as the American one. 10 years ago I had to spend $2.20 to get one British Pound, now I can get one for $1.60. Things are different now than they used to be and in a global economy Games Workshop is trying to figure it all out, same as any of us.

still practicing_

Tallarn

7 comments:

  1. I appreciate your voice of reason amongst all the shouts. However, I still line up with the shouts. Viva la Revolution!

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  2. Hey, at least I tried lol.

    *patiently watches everyone waking up from their hangovers*

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  3. Well said mate I agree with you. I have seen many changes in the 16 years I have been doing the hobby. Some good some bad and some thing's that have really ticked me off.

    I think people are just venting steam as the cost of living keep's rising at a rapid rate of knots, and wages are not. Unfortantly the steam venting at the moment is directed at GW. All I can say is get over it people. Keep playing and painting and the situation will right itself in no time.

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  4. Well the price increases are hardly surprising but they still sting.I haven't purchased any GW products direct from GW in a long while (Hooray ebay!) so i'm pretty moderate on this. But... Cadians were the one thing I still dropped into my FLGS to buy every now and again.

    How did we go from 30 bucks for 20 cadians to 30 bucks for 10 cadians in a span of what, two years?

    Well I'm off to the corner across from Kellens, before the horse turns to mush...

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  5. Waves at Wrath in the corner across the way...

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  6. I like voices of reason! tbh, Im not as upset about the price rises for the reasons you mentioned, (hey, it happens), but I am kinda surprised at GW getting all Gestapo regarding the internet shopping and dropping australia etc. At the end of the day, when Maelstrom sell GW stock, GW are still getting their usual trade-price cut, it shouldnt matter to them how much profit (or not) other companies are making...

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  7. I'm waiting to see how this effects things online and locally.

    I read that they did it to stop people from making money off the 'established' company without giving back to the 'established' company.

    I do lament the days of 30 marines for 30 bucks... but I'm old and quality has changed.

    I'll be in the corner doing flight training...

    CK

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