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Just wanted to warn anyone getting ready to place any orders on Amazon for hobby stuff. I have a number of things on my list to pick up this month and a number of things have doubled or tripled in price. Double check those prices before you hit confirm.

I noticed that a lot of their prices have shot up as well.

We are seeing the Amazon end game when all other competitors are destroyed by them undercutting them all the time.

Amazon is subject to heaps of price-bots. I'd always consider shopping around - compare to the eBay sellers, or basic MSRP, etc.

I'm avoiding them until this whole thing blows over. Rather save my money this month and blow it all at my Local game store once quarantine ends.

Yeah I blew all my money at my FLGS before this kicked off. Both the owners are older and I wanted to make sure I gave them some business before they had to shut down.

You think amazon is bad? Check ebay. Those prices have gone up so badly GW prices starts to look reasonable...You literally have to pay same price for 1 model when you get 3 model(including the 1) for same price from GW or same model for higher than RPP.

Ebay prices have gone nuts. Thought about getting couple LOTR models I would like but after looking at prices decided I just wait for GW to open.

Never ever I expected to look at GW site and think "damn these prices are cheap!" But compared to ebay GW is cheap atm...

Quickly looks up Varanguard and Start Collecting boxes on eBay. Same as they ever are. What boxes have gone up?

Maybe it's LOTR specific thing? But for example sauron. 5£ more(broken badly painted at that). Or knight of umbar that I would like to get JUST MOUNTED to carve up horse away and make one on fellbeast. I found one for exact same price(at least free shipping...) as GW sells box with 3 nazguls including that knight.

Isildur is going around 10£, GW asks 12£ packed with Elendil.

Warg riders you can at least find for same price but primed black so who knows what's the condition.

Imrahil? GW sells cheaper. Ditto for knights even plastic(you don't even want to know what metal mark up is though at least there's the actual OOP factor if you really, really, REALLY prefer the old metal versions....).

Sauron broken badly painted 5£ more(plus shipping) than RPP.

I have yet to find anything I have been looking for cheaper than RPP. And paying same or most likely more for badly painted models isn't my cup of tea. Paint stripping is pain in the butt. I don't want to pay to have to do it.

Amazon hosts a lot of 3rd party sellers, and some of those are downright criminal in their price gouging at times. It's sometimes very worth it to click the "See all buying options" for an item to see if it's a 3rd party or sold directly by Amazon. For whatever reason, it sometimes will default to a 3rd party seller, especially if it's not in stock at Amazon warehouses (and of course, sometimes it is only available via 3rd parties).

 timetowaste85 wrote:
Quickly looks up Varanguard and Start Collecting boxes on eBay. Same as they ever are. What boxes have gone up?

Different countries react at different rates.

Also sometimes it depends where you look. UK side there's always a few stores way overcharging - somewhere in Germany often has high prices or just the same as GW prices but then in both cases very high postage. There's also the gougers who have things at ludicrous prices. Either out of production or just straight up daft prices on things.

In general you'll also likely see open bidding take the prices higher where people get stuck in bidding wars and are either ignorant or willing to pay more during a time of shortage; even though technically you can't get out of your house to play and everything should fall back in stock before the end of the year .

SirGrotzalot wrote:
Just wanted to warn anyone getting ready to place any orders on Amazon for hobby stuff. I have a number of things on my list to pick up this month and a number of things have doubled or tripled in price. Double check those prices before you hit confirm.

Why should you even feel the need to post this warning? If the person hitting confirm isn't smart enough to look at the price? Then they deserve to get soaked & they will learn. It's a form of natural selection.

 Easy E wrote:
I noticed that a lot of their prices have shot up as well.

We are seeing the Amazon end game when all other competitors are destroyed by them undercutting them all the time.

More likely, we're seeing pricing set by an algorithm reacting to the current global retail shenanigans.

A lot of the price increases on Games Workshop product on Amazon is most likely due to product scarcity. As the retailers notice that the certain items are becoming scarce, the few who still have those items tend to up the price. For example, most of the current Warhammer Underworlds Nightvault and Beastgrave warbands can be purchased for $25.50 US (retail minus 15%). However the original Shadespire warbands (which are now OOP) are going for a significantly higher price. For example, The Chosen Axes are listed for $90 US . Right now with GW shut down until at least May (and probably longer) the prices on Amazon will be going up.

Yep especially as those sold at sensible prices will get snapped up quicker, leaving behind the higher priced ones that no one buys except the very affluent/desperate/ignorant. Eventually only the really high priced stuff remains.

This can affect the secondhand market for a while as often when people come to sell something secondhand they will search and see what prices are being charged and price at a similar rate. So if the only prices left are obscenely high, the prices new sales can go up at can also, sometimes, be artificially high as a result.

 Commodus Leitdorf wrote:
I'm avoiding them until this whole thing blows over. Rather save my money this month and blow it all at my Local game store once quarantine ends.

Assuming the local game store is there anymore...

Eh. I needed more resin glue and a new Exacto knife, so I just bit the bullet and went through Amazon, but then to get free shipping I ordered a total of 24 oz. of succulent soil. They just know how to keep me there.

I was looking at picking up some Vallejo game ink or scale 75 inktensity set. They were around $25 the other day but when I went to order them this morning they had jumped to $51. Think I’ll just hit up Micheals for some FW inks instead.

 insaniak wrote:

 Easy E wrote:
I noticed that a lot of their prices have shot up as well.

We are seeing the Amazon end game when all other competitors are destroyed by them undercutting them all the time.

More likely, we're seeing pricing set by an algorithm reacting to the current global retail shenanigans.

....Hence the smiley.....

 Ghaz wrote:
A lot of the price increases on Games Workshop product on Amazon is most likely due to product scarcity. As the retailers notice that the certain items are becoming scarce, the few who still have those items tend to up the price. For example, most of the current Warhammer Underworlds Nightvault and Beastgrave warbands can be purchased for $25.50 US (retail minus 15%). However the original Shadespire warbands (which are now OOP) are going for a significantly higher price. For example, The Chosen Axes are listed for $90 US . Right now with GW shut down until at least May (and probably longer) the prices on Amazon will be going up.

This is an annoyingly common trend I've noticed with Infinity and Star Wars Legion stuff on Amazon.

The other Amazon thing to consider is that they claim to be prioritizing ‘essential’ shipments. A lot of hobby stuff is not considered essential by them, and frequently has a one month or so future delivery date. Check those times!

Also, with GW shutdown indefinitely and no replenishment, some items are going to see prices go up as the availability dwindles. They were suffering periods of out of stock on some stuff before the virus, just from operating more or less at capacity already.

Not sure if anyone is interested, but Chaos Orc still has supplies at good prices. And he’s got stuff that’s been OOP for a while. Like the Skullcrusher/Blood Warrior/Slaughterpriest SC box...he’s got 5 left. It’s about 40% off retail getting the stuff individually. I bought one box already myself.

 totalfailure wrote:
The other Amazon thing to consider is that they claim to be prioritizing ‘essential’ shipments. A lot of hobby stuff is not considered essential by them, and frequently has a one month or so future delivery date. Check those times!

That's why when possible you don't choose a retailer who uses Amazon to warehouse, pack and send their product but one that does it themselves.

 Vulcan wrote:

 Commodus Leitdorf wrote:
I'm avoiding them until this whole thing blows over. Rather save my money this month and blow it all at my Local game store once quarantine ends.

Assuming the local game store is there anymore...

Fortunately they have an online store! Our Quarantine here has been extended until May 4th so I may just end up buying from them online. I've seen enough game stores in my city close down, I will not allow that to happen to this one as well!

 Commodus Leitdorf wrote:
I'm avoiding them until this whole thing blows over. Rather save my money this month and blow it all at my Local game store once quarantine ends.

I agree with this. As much as I really don't need to push back by painting cue even more, I am seriously considering starting a Lumineth army. I like the recent previews (my current D&D elf cleric uses a warhammer) combined with the idea of going more Atlantian (thanks AoS discussion) is fueling the idea of starting my second AoS army. Add the saved up money (I am still working), plus the stuff I will have from paint commissions, it doesn't seem like that bad of an idea to spend a little money to help my FLGS and gaming space out. Besides, I kinda want another AoS army to loan out to friends that are only kinda interested in the game/can't afford to start an army in it. I have few weeks to mull the idea over.

 Jjohnso11 wrote:
Yeah I blew all my money at my FLGS before this kicked off. Both the owners are older and I wanted to make sure I gave them some business before they had to shut down.

I did the same - literally dropped a huge wad to get paints/glues/everything I can need plus a stack of kits

Not so much the prices for what I order have changed much, but the delivery time has more than tripled. i am not a Prime member, so just the $25 or more kind of orders.

 MDSW wrote:
Not so much the prices for what I order have changed much, but the delivery time has more than tripled. i am not a Prime member, so just the $25 or more kind of orders.

Again, that depends on who fills the order and how it was shipped. I ordered some paints two weeks ago from California and received it in four days through the post office, the same amount of time as all of my past orders from this retailer.

 Overread wrote:
Yep especially as those sold at sensible prices will get snapped up quicker, leaving behind the higher priced ones that no one buys except the very affluent/desperate/ignorant. Eventually only the really high priced stuff remains.

This can affect the secondhand market for a while as often when people come to sell something secondhand they will search and see what prices are being charged and price at a similar rate. So if the only prices left are obscenely high, the prices new sales can go up at can also, sometimes, be artificially high as a result.

I've found some good bargains on ebay lately, although I have mainly been buying oldhammer stuff, and a few LOTR items, and I don't mind paying a little more for a nice piece to paint. prices have varied wildly due to the reasons you've listed. I had the old mordheim aenur sword of twilight in my watch list for £5, it sold, and all the others are in the £12-15 range.

 queen_annes_revenge wrote:

 Overread wrote:
Yep especially as those sold at sensible prices will get snapped up quicker, leaving behind the higher priced ones that no one buys except the very affluent/desperate/ignorant. Eventually only the really high priced stuff remains.

This can affect the secondhand market for a while as often when people come to sell something secondhand they will search and see what prices are being charged and price at a similar rate. So if the only prices left are obscenely high, the prices new sales can go up at can also, sometimes, be artificially high as a result.

I've found some good bargains on ebay lately, although I have mainly been buying oldhammer stuff, and a few LOTR items, and I don't mind paying a little more for a nice piece to paint. prices have varied wildly due to the reasons you've listed. I had the old mordheim aenur sword of twilight in my watch list for £5, it sold, and all the others are in the £12-15 range.

The problem I've found with Ebay now is really long, or even indeterminate delivery times. Amazon makes greater use of courier companies, which seem a bit more reliable at the moment.

Amazon has its own fleet now (well ok it has its own company that hires independent contractors who basically are employees in all but name and benefits) and a lot of their Prime is going through their own delivery firm.

It just shows how big they are that they reached a point of service coverage whereby it was cheaper for them to do deliveries in-house than to farm it out. Their drivers also work long hours and can deliver up to 9pm.

Personally if Amazon continued to grow it wouldn't shock me if they attempted to adopt a postal service system approach - ergo drivers with set routes who just head out every day. I mean they aren't all that far from it I suspect. That said their back-end system still has issues. I've spoken to drivers who have to manually check their inventory as they go because the system just lists things in order; it doesn't link up the same deilvery to the same address, so they can end up going to the same place several times if they don't catch it in advance - which makes me wonder how efficent the system is in giving them a route to take.