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This was in interesting post regarding the Hobby centers in the Houston area:

On Sat, local GW stores are having a trade day. Bring your extra models that you may want to get rid of and put a price on them. If they "sell" then you get store credit (gift card). Thought I would let you all know.

Thoughts?

Sell and get a gift card? You mean GW is BUYING?

Nope, you sell to your mates at the shop and get your proceeds in the form of a Gift Card that you can only use at a Hobby Center.  Sounds like a 'consignment' sale, but in the end GW gets the money.

^

No sounds more like you put a price tag in the display case if someone buys them they credit you. It is a fairly good way to get J Frazell in the store.

The Will Postel is a great guy and unlike some of his fellows he goes out of his way to reach out to Independent events and clubs in the entire state.

J Frazell should come over to my garage, he'd have a field day. 

I'm not knocking Will (for once), he's done a complete 180 the past couple of years and has become a true 'champion of the hobby'.

Sell at a deep discount and buy at retail... don't sound too good to me.

A few months back there was a trade day in the springfield, VA GW but I don't know if it was official or just what the guys who worked there did. They took out bits, some of which were theirs and I guess some of which were extras from store display projects, and players could trade stuff from their own bits boxes for the store's bits.

This idea doesn't sound too bad, if only because it's a pain in the ass to sell old models on eBay. Understandably; everyone, including me, generally prefers the newer, more detailed stuff. Of course the problem is you might only get $2-3/model for some used stuff and it's gonna cost more than that to buy something at GW. But if you're good at painting, I'm sure you can get a fair price.


You could also buy at a deep discount from others who just wanna get rid of stuff. Doesn't sound like GW's enforcing prices here. Or, maybe you're stuck with some models from a steep discount sale because a store was closing down. You gotta get rid of the models you don't want (and won't sell on eBay) somehow and oddly enough GW stores have loyal buyers who won't buy stuff from eBay for some reason. The last part is odd to me since I could understand supporting a local store, but a multinational entity that benefits from your purchase in some % anyway?

seems to me that Will is doing a favour to people that want to get rid of some older models they have. personally, i think its a good idea. i've sold stuff and then went and bought new models on a few occasions, its a good idea for the players to get a few bucks, and the company to get some more profits. the GW stores in houston (perticularly the Katy one where i worked at) have been run really well. i've personally never heard of any complaints from anyone down there.

Except for the errant outrider.

Showcase Comics in PA has been doing this kind of thing for a few years to great success, but they do it as an auction rather than name your price. you then get store credit for the amount your items sell for.

i just called my local gw store and he was nice enuff to tell me there was no limit to what you can bring... the poor poor fool.

A couple of game stores in my area did something similar. You brought in your stuff, and they had an auction. People paid cash for your stuff, and then you got the equivalent amount in store credit (less 10% commission for the autioneer).

As people saw the amount of money being paid for their stuff, they began more and more to want cash instead of store credit. Eventually people stopped putting stuff up for auction.

Will no longer works for GW.    

Apparently another elimination of an employee who catered to the enthusiast and seemed to geniunely care.

Dirty Steve, Jeff Hall, etc.   

 

Watch your back Dave! LOL.

This is a company wide event called the Mercenary Market or something similar. The idea being that you bring in whatever GW armies, models, bitz and other stuff you want to sell while GW provides the space, time and opportunity for your to pimp your stuff and sell it to the limited group of people that frequent GW hobby centers. Oh, but wait, it gets better! If someone likes something your selling, a say some oop fig or something, and you agree to sell it to him for $5.00. Unlike any other flea market, instead of exchanging cash for model, instead you both shake hands and come to the register. The customer buying your model then hands *GW* the $5 cash and they put that on a gift card with your name on it. As the day progresses, (and so long as people are buying yer stuff) you'll get more and more money on your gift card.

Sounds FANTASTIC, doesn't it? I mean, you get to exchange all your "old" figs, which are, you know, old and therefore not new and we ALL know you should reallly only play with NEW figures, right? Cuz the new figures are soo much cooler than the old ones. They also have new prices too that are just as cool! Yes! Wait, what? This kind of thing benefits buyers and GW only, since the buyer can get dirt cheap figs while GW gets the green. The seller, on the other hand, gets bent over as not only is he selling his stuff way below MSRP, he isn't even getting any money, just a GW Gift card which is only good in GW stores for their ridiculously priced merchandise. Uh, no thanks!

Posted By thegrognard on 04/20/2007 6:47 AM

J Frazell should come over to my garage, he'd have a field day. 

I'm not knocking Will (for once), he's done a complete 180 the past couple of years and has become a true 'champion of the hobby'.

All your minis are belong to us! There are rumors that I have a room in Austin and a room in Houston full of minis...

Ayah I was not going to mention the Will thing.

The Chicago Battle Bunker runs bitz swaps twice a year - cash and carry with no middle man.
Games Plus runs a full scale auction for any sort of old gaming material - it's so big they split it into 4 auctions over 2 weekends. Buyers pay cash to the store, sellers get full store credit for the sale.

Stuff like this is ideal for people who don't want to go through the pain of putting stuff on ebay, but want some return on investment. I've sold a lot of stuff at similar auctions, and yeah, I got about 50 cents on the dollar, but I had a good time, and I didn't have to take pictures, package stuff, send it, wait for paypal, etc.

Easily 80% of all gamers will prefer to sell their stuff for cash, but it's a neat gimmick. It's also a good way to buy stuff at a pretty steep discount.

Don't get me wrong, it was a little unsettling watching an O&G battalion and chariot turn into a Crisis suit, Col. Gaunt, and a White dwarf. On the other hand, I got rid of stuff that I wasn't going to use, and was too lazy to throw on eBay.

will got fired? why'd that happen, he was nothing but nice to people. what happened with that?

Posted By Polonius on 04/20/2007 8:56 AM
On the other hand, I got rid of stuff that I wasn't going to use, and was too lazy to throw on eBay.

Too lazy to throw on ebay...

You worked for the money you spent to buy the minis.

You spent time (sometimes countless hours cursing old paint pots and frayed brushes) assembling and painting your minis.

You lugged the minis around in cumbersome luggage (of your own design or from some commercial solution that still fails to be convienent.)

You spent almost as much time unpacking your army and setting up terrain as you did playing the game, only to pack it all up again in the end.

You've endured the personification of the gamer stereotype playing across from you, that overweight, unwashed expert on all things but social grace.

You've argued rules.  You've scrutinized your army list, micromanaging fractions of points.  You've leveraged complex probability formulas.  You've cut your hand with your X-acto knife.  You've superglued the hairs on the back of your hand together.  You've engaged in pointless, circular arguments on an anonymous internet forum on esoteric topics of little interest to anyone outside the pundunts of said arguments.

But you're too lazy to snap a few photos and write a description, even though the cash is far and away much more valuable than store credit.  (When was the last time you even bought GW stock at retail prices?)

Takes all kinds, I guess, takes all kinds.

Dirty Steve is gone?

Or you could just pop on over to Bartertown, which is 100% free, involves no middleman, and you don't have to feed the GW machine....

hehe
no one realizes these guys are gone, and most of them have been gone a year + ( well, Jeff is more recent)

be serious guys, of course GW is going to do this to benefit themselves, it's business.
why the heck would they let these guys use their store as a swap-shop for free? all that would do would be get guys tons of bitz and models that they could be buying from the store, it would be shooting themselves in the foot. This way, people get rid of their old junk, guys get models that they might not have access to normally (and painted armies even) and GW get to make some sales in lieu of the use of their store.
everyone (except 1 or 2 posters who have no intention of attending) walks away happy.
if it's a bad deal, people won't go, but I'm sure lots of people WILL walk away ahppy.

RedStripe, I must say that of all the arguments laid forth, yours strikes true (and was much more tastily done than "lazy people suck"

I probably would not avail myself of such GW services. I went to a store in Minneapolis one day (what a trip that was... I live in podunk South Dakota where gaming stores don't really exist) and they had something similar. I ended up picking up 4 landspeeders for half price. I have no idea what the seller got in return, but it was a good experience (i think) for all parties.

I think this policy fits well with a mentality that encourages new hobbyists. Those like me with lower incomes (MPA student--too po' to afford the last two letters and all that) have an easier time getting into the hobby. It also gives GW a free showcase for models. If you can see what you're buying for $35-50, and it's painted to a decent table top standard (no "stunningly painted" yellow spray painted eldar with blue heads and black guns, no highights, etc.), then it might encourage more folks to buy the product.

I wasn't very intrigued in BFG until I saw a really well-painted Tyranid fleet attacking a small fleet of space marine ships. I never got into that hobby due to costs, but it definitely got me curious.

I disagree that the seller gets shafted on this deal. Selling products on ebay & getting paid via paypal takes cuts away from your profits. Sometimes significantly. Shipping & handling can also get pricey. Considering that unless your models are very well painted, they won't sell above MSRP, well you just might be better off selling that 2nd edition squad of space marines at the GW store. Especially if you don't use them. Make $5 off something you may never sell on ebay & suddenly the MSRP of the GW product doesn't sound AS terrible. Sell $15 and it's suddenly cooler. I'd love to sell enough of my OOP models to buy a box of terminators for free...

Granted, you can't spend that money on a sandwich or gas or rent... but it encourages you to stay within the hobby. Who can fault GW for wanting that?

I emplore folks to refrain from ad hominem attacks. It's okay not to partake in the process; it's okay to voice your dislike; just don't mock the people who would use the service.

there are a few stores in my area that allow trading and swap meets every quarter.. bitz, minis, stuff just laying around.. no cash is used as all deals are done in store credit.. it seems to me that GW is just using something that is already being utilized by other stores.

club members get together and off load sprues, old armies.. some people just trade like for like, but where there is a "price" agreed upon it goes onto a store credit coupon and everyone is happy..

for the naysayers.. must be nice to sit on all that stuff you plan on never using and plan on never selling cause you think it worth 1500 dollars and quite frankly no one is man enough to tell you it's only worth 500.. good luck with that anyways..

I've been to events like this at FLGS's and the main difference between GW's and those events is that the FLGS trading day didn't feel the need to shove their nose into the player's business.  What makes this promotion icky is that GW utterly refuses give their hobbyists anything for free or without some catch.  It seems reasonable that a hobby store devoted to a specific brand would have a day where people could bring in their stuff to trade without forcing them to spend all the money on GW products.  I know that at FLGS trading days, the people who brought things in typically spent at least some of their money at the store or just wanted to arrange a swap without cash.  It was a boon for the store and the hobbyist.  By setting up an officious system for in store trades, the  store alienates hobbyists and thereby torpedoes their own event.

On the one positive it avoids the hassle of online selling. If you don't have a decent digital camera its an extra bonus.

oh and the time. for some of us the time spent selling on ebay costs more then we ever get for the minis

Posted By redstripe on 04/20/2007 9:42 AM

Posted By Polonius on 04/20/2007 8:56 AM
On the other hand, I got rid of stuff that I wasn't going to use, and was too lazy to throw on eBay.

Too lazy to throw on ebay...

You worked for the money you spent to buy the minis.

You spent time (sometimes countless hours cursing old paint pots and frayed brushes) assembling and painting your minis.

You lugged the minis around in cumbersome luggage (of your own design or from some commercial solution that still fails to be convienent.)

You spent almost as much time unpacking your army and setting up terrain as you did playing the game, only to pack it all up again in the end.

You've endured the personification of the gamer stereotype playing across from you, that overweight, unwashed expert on all things but social grace.

You've argued rules.  You've scrutinized your army list, micromanaging fractions of points.  You've leveraged complex probability formulas.  You've cut your hand with your X-acto knife.  You've superglued the hairs on the back of your hand together.  You've engaged in pointless, circular arguments on an anonymous internet forum on esoteric topics of little interest to anyone outside the pundunts of said arguments.

But you're too lazy to snap a few photos and write a description, even though the cash is far and away much more valuable than store credit.  (When was the last time you even bought GW stock at retail prices?)

Takes all kinds, I guess, takes all kinds.

Hehe, yeah, I suppose it does.  No, you raise a great point.  Right now I'm in school, and I find time to be at an absolute premium.  I'm borrowing obscene amounts of money to go to school, and I get to play 40k a couple of times a month on average.  Being able to dump some unused minis down for 40 bucks in store credit was more appealing than spending time and energy to make $60 in cash. 

Back in undergrad, I did that all the time.  I used to love breaking down grab bag lots of eBay and resell them.  Now, my time/money ratio has shifted pretty wildly. 

Obviously for anything major you're better off selling online.  But to get rid of odds and ends?  These sorts of things are great.

Don't forget, GW does a large amount of it's sales in the US at it's shops, at full retail.  Not everyone lives in the margins.  

Posted By Big O on 04/20/2007 8:00 AM

Will no longer works for GW.    

Apparently another elimination of an employee who catered to the enthusiast and seemed to geniunely care.

Dirty Steve, Jeff Hall, etc.   

 

Watch your back Dave! LOL.

You have to be kidding me?!  I even sent nice letters of praise to his regional boss about what a great  job he does.  I hope he found something he loved as much with better pay.

You know there's aplace called Bartertown where you can trade or even sell your models with no hassle.

GW's method is a ponzie scheme. As someone said, you sell at a discount and buy at full pop. Doesnt sound like a good idea.