What if Warhammer figures didn't cost an arm and a leg?

Everyone would complain because they looked like cr@p and were cheaply made. (i.e., nobody is every happy with figures :))
 

MrP

Banned
They are affordable, otherwise they'd not have the market share they do. Be nice if they were cheaper, mind.
 
I remember seeing a table where they were sold at some fair. The guy was painting one and I asked about the price of paint. It was a lot for that valume. Then I asked him why not simply use paint used in plastic model kits, which while still expensive is a lot cheaper. The guy almost had a heart attack while trying to explain that this are not same type of paints and you need to use original WH colours to paint figures. I though plastic is plastic and if it is same shade use cheaper one. But I saw no point in arguing with him further
 

sprite

Donor
Monthly Donor
i would have probably an extra $1500 as a teenager and would not now be stuck with a few kilos of lead that i don't want.
 

MrP

Banned
I remember seeing a table where they were sold at some fair. The guy was painting one and I asked about the price of paint. It was a lot for that valume. Then I asked him why not simply use paint used in plastic model kits, which while still expensive is a lot cheaper. The guy almost had a heart attack while trying to explain that this are not same type of paints and you need to use original WH colours to paint figures. I though plastic is plastic and if it is same shade use cheaper one. But I saw no point in arguing with him further

That's a bit mad. I tend to use GW paints as I'm accustomed to 'em, not because they're particularly great. I hear Vallejo are good.

i would have probably an extra $1500 as a teenager and would not now be stuck with a few kilos of lead that i don't want.

If you want to sell stuff off, Ebay is your friend. :)
 

MrP

Banned
Perhaps if they were more affordable they'd have a larger market share, what what?

Possibly. They have a fine balance to strike, what with being the only wargaming brand (that I'm aware of) with a high street presence across Britain and (to a lesser extent) internationally. They've been having problems financially of late, what with the cost of the necessary high street presence (as opposed to online retail) and the economic downturn making people cut back on luxury goods, so they've rolled out new products, and closed a few stores, IIRC. I know quite a few of their products are more expensive than comparable ones offered by similar companies, but those companies don't have to maintain a high street presence and often aim at a related but slightly different demographic.

In terms of shopping, if GW were to sell anything other than their branded products, they would have to sell it at high street prices. I can get them cheaper online. In fact, I can get GW stuff cheaper online than in their stores via independent retailers. But GW offers more than just models. They provide gaming facilities, painting tuition for beginners, advice on playing the game. That's their hook. Get kids in to see the shiny stuff. They can sell for less if they dump all the high street stores, but then the kids will be stuck with kitchen tables, and won't get told how to paint, &c, &c. People do end up paying through the nose for branded paints and glues, but they do seem to be prepared to do so for the prices GW charges.

In short, they are a business, and they do a pretty good job of keeping prices at a fairly reasonable level, given what the company as a whole offers across its customer base. But I honestly don't know the minutiae of whether they could increase their market share by 10% if they had a 10% drop in prices.
 
I remember seeing a table where they were sold at some fair. The guy was painting one and I asked about the price of paint. It was a lot for that valume. Then I asked him why not simply use paint used in plastic model kits, which while still expensive is a lot cheaper. The guy almost had a heart attack while trying to explain that this are not same type of paints and you need to use original WH colours to paint figures. I though plastic is plastic and if it is same shade use cheaper one. But I saw no point in arguing with him further

model paints are generally not the water based types, while miniature paints are... water based paints have some advantage over the others, such as being able to highlight/wash, easier to clean up, etc....
 
My office closet would have even LESS room. I managed an independent retailer for three years and got store credit to blow each week. Four 40k and 3 fantasy armies later...
 
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