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Just somthing that has been on my mind, obviously it's aimed at Australians, but all are welcome to comment and vote as they wish. Feel free to post your thoughts and ideas on this topic here.

I think its terrible how much certain things cost in australia, but GW products aren't the only thing inflated. I remember chatting on msn with an australian friend and he talked about how much video games cost, which is upwards of 100 dollars each. In the end a lot of australians seem to order online from foreign countries because it is so much cheaper. GW products are probably the same in this regard (with maelstrom games with their free worldwide shipping, for example).

I understand that prices in Oz are significantly higher that both US and UK prices. This can be upto the tune of 40% when buying from a Uk discounter offering say 10-15% on UK RRP.

Naturally this will have something to do with exchange rates but I think that there are other reasons for the higher prices.

1] GW produces primarily in the UK and US, thus you will have to meet the premium attracted with shipping lightweight products to the otherside of the world and then transported throughout a large land mass. So if it dock in say Perth you will still have to get across a continent to get to Sydney?
2] GW Oz will operate as an independant arm [I am assuming fiscally at least] and will have overhead and profit expectations set in line with what is acheivable in bigger markets [UK/US] this could drag the end price up in smaller markets.
3] Oz whilst a significant market will is still smaller than other primary markets and will thus have to share OH&P across a smaller number of sales. Unfortunately Economies of Scale work in the reverse as well!
4] National employment law/working practices could increase GW Oz costs. When I worked for an Austrailian owned company in the UK I gained significantly better benefits than I would have expected. If you factor this into OH&P then this would drag the price up.

I really don't think that this is a question on artificial inflation by evil GW [it could be but I don't think it is?] but that cost will naturally be higher for goods manufactured and imported from a developed country on the other side of the world.

I think that the real test of this would be at what price you can procure GW products in markets in a similar position. Can anyone from Japan or anywhere in SE Asia or prehaps even South America/Africa comment on prices. That would be the cost real comparison.

Just a bit of a Brain dump there, hope it helps.
Of course you could just say feth it and keep shopping at Maelstrom [cue HMBC]!

Ugh -- don't get me started. I have a FLGS that I buy my things from... and this is sparingly, even with the 10% discount the store owner gives members. I buy all my larger orders from England, and I recently came to discover that the things I was buying were up to a 45% discount on the retail prices in Australia. It really hurts to walk into a GW, make an impulse buy and get a single blister for $33, and then realise you could have very well bought two of them for LESS online.

Yes - I think the prices are WAY too outrageous to justify -- even keeping my FLGS afloat is becoming a chore because of how much everything costs...

I'm a little confused as to why this would warrant a poll. Taking the Oz prices, converting them to another currency and comparing them to the relevant overseas prices gives you the answer fairly quickly... It's not really a matter of opinion.

I'm assuming that the person who votes "No" did it only for gits and shiggles, right? GWOZ prices are 40%+ more than the UK and the US. It's not a matter of opinion - it is fact. And it is why people who have more than three functioning brain cells buy from Maelstrom and other such places. I mean, I want to get Battle Missions, and the idea of literally driving 5 mins up the road to my local GW (I live less than 1KM from a GW store - it is literally 2 blocks away) seems convenient. But I'd have to pay $41 for it... whereas I can get it from Maelstrom for $22. Why would I buy it here?

I suppose one of our local 'GW can do no wrong' crowd would say to 'support your local store'. I'm sorry, but how does that justify the price doubling?

Fun Fact: With the (Oz)Dollar-to-Pound ratio at the moment, through Maelstrom we're getting better prices than staff discount. HA!


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ssREV wrote:which is upwards of 100 dollars each

Back in the days when it was Oz $1 = 50c US and Oz $1 = 33p UK, the $100 price tag made sense. US games were $50, and their money was worth twice as much as ours, so $100 made sense. It no longer does.

For the lay person, the AUD/USD is $0.915/$1. There's less than a 10% difference between the currencies.

If prices are 40% more, then the extra 30% would have to be due to tariffs and shipping.

notprop wrote:
1] GW produces primarily in the UK and US, thus you will have to meet the premium attracted with shipping lightweight products to the otherside of the world and then transported throughout a large land mass. So if it dock in say Perth you will still have to get across a continent to get to Sydney?

Except they don't ship it to Perth then across the country. The majority of goods that come in by ship come in either through Melbourne or Sydney ports and are shipped out from there (it's cheaper to ship from there to Perth than in reverse). We're on the Pac-rim run for many shipping fleets, so Perth shipping makes no sense. US to Asia and back. The pricing difference is due to them being set when the Pound was stronger and the AUD weaker.

It's not an opinion on the prices, like HBMC said. It is fact.

As an aside, a mate of mine sells GW (online). He got a request from GW Oz (for him) to email GW UK about the possibility of the rest of the world raising their prices to ensure better pricing parity with GW Oz. Ain't gonna happen.

That's crazy... I didn't realize it was that bad!

chromedog wrote:The pricing difference is due to them being set when the Pound was stronger and the AUD weaker.

Interesting how the entire rest of the world, including Forge World amazingly enough, is able to adjust its prices to be in-line with major currency shifts. After all, this requires nothing more complicated than knowing what the current exchange rate is, something that any bank can tell you on the spot.

GW is simply shooting its local branch in the proverbial foot.

I'm waiting for GW Oz to go the same way as GW Canada tbh.

Not in a good way, Several mates of mine work for the evil empire, and it would suck for them to lose their jobs.

Ugh, I hate how much GW stuff costs here. Hobby is expensive as is, so I mitigate it by buying from UK-based webstores like Maelstrom, or Wayland. Only time I ever go into a GW to buy anything is whenever I cant be bothered waiting the 2-3 weeks it takes for Maelstrom to ship something to me, or I feel like burning money.

I've only bought GW gear exclusively from my favourite online store (ebay) in the past 5years.

I hadn't been in to a GW since about 2000 until recently, I was outraged by the prices back then; it has since gone up about 30% (is this right?);

obviously this applies also to most retailers of GW gear in Australia... gaaah.


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ps. my flag alternates between AUS and US (thanks ISP but it really means AUS

sourclams wrote:GW is simply shooting its local branch in the proverbial foot.

When GWOZ staff order FW items they are given a flat 3:1 price ratio for $:£, even though the actual ratio right now is 3:2.

GWOZ never adjusts.

I am an Australian living in japan, and Japan is still cheaper, comparitive with the US/Uk, depending on exchange rate

A squad of terminators here is about 4,400 YEN, which is about 55 Dollars Australian, or 48 dollars US.

Comparitvely, this unit is 70 dollars Australian or 50 dollars US.

The yen however is strong VS the US dollar and weak vs the AUS Dollar atm.

I live in NZ where things get worse (I think) since we get GW Aussie stuff. I do get a 10% discount at FLGS on most things so a bit less than what you pay I think.

oh, the pricing is just horrible! i prefer to order online, but when i cant, or when idont want to wait i practically have to sell my bone marrow for a box of models.

Terminators are $69 for a squad, not $70.
I guess they decided the joke for the extremely immature was worth that $1


This is why I like Maelstrom, but still occasionally buy from the local GW (LFGS for me) and thats because the staff there are pretty good. The thing is though Maelstrom works out to be roughly 30-40% off, in some cases even 50%+ off (Battalions are $150 here, I checked Maelstrom a week or so ago and they were roughly $70).

and yet to think there's some people who wonder why we advocate webstores like Maelstrom.

Feel your pain mateys

it is the same buying aircraft models the UK, which, iirc can be 35-40% more than the country of origin and the USA.

prices of all kits have rocketed in the last couple of years due to oil prices, exchange rates, the outbreak of squigs and any other excuse you care to mention.

Okay transport costs and any duties will bump up the cost. But if you are buying items cheaper online it begs the question how is it cheaper to send individual packages half way around the world than to send in bulk?

someone is having a laugh- all the way to the bank

Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:Okay transport costs and any duties will bump up the cost. But if you are buying items cheaper online it begs the question how is it cheaper to send individual packages half way around the world than to send in bulk?

Indeed, it's absurd to think that it's cheaper for people to pay UK prices and ship items individually via airmail than it is for GW to send their stuff around the world in bulk freight.

The value of the pound has clobbered UK prices for european/chinese kits though, we've slumped terribly against the Euro and it shows.

Like hell they are!
Why should I have to pay $95 dollars fro 5 fething Grey Knight Termies.
Same goes for Chaos Raptors, Warbuggies, in fact every metal model.
Despite the flag, I am an Aussie, I just havn't gotten round to pestering Legoburner or a mod to lock it in for me.

H.B.M.C. wrote:I'm assuming that the person who votes "No" did it only for gits and shiggles, right? GWOZ prices are 40%+ more than the UK and the US. It's not a matter of opinion - it is fact. And it is why people who have more than three functioning brain cells buy from Maelstrom and other such places. I mean, I want to get Battle Missions, and the idea of literally driving 5 mins up the road to my local GW (I live less than 1KM from a GW store - it is literally 2 blocks away) seems convenient. But I'd have to pay $41 for it... whereas I can get it from Maelstrom for $22. Why would I buy it here?

I suppose one of our local 'GW can do no wrong' crowd would say to 'support your local store'. I'm sorry, but how does that justify the price doubling?

Fun Fact: With the (Oz)Dollar-to-Pound ratio at the moment, through Maelstrom we're getting better prices than staff discount. HA!


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ssREV wrote:which is upwards of 100 dollars each

Back in the days when it was Oz $1 = 50c US and Oz $1 = 33p UK, the $100 price tag made sense. US games were $50, and their money was worth twice as much as ours, so $100 made sense. It no longer does.

Back up in Norway we pay almost 50 pounds a Land Raider, and 34 euros for a pack of MEQ. On the website a Land Raider costs 30 pounds, yes? That`s +66% of the cost

It'd probably cheaper for you to drive to France, catch the train to England, and go to the nearest GW to the station than to buy locally then.


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n0t_u wrote:Terminators are $69 for a squad, not $70.
I guess they decided the joke for the extremely immature was worth that $1

The reason they're $69, and why we have boxes for $41 and other odd prices like that is so that the next price increase is already built into the current prices. It's hard to justify a price increase any day of the week. It's far easier to spin it as a 'price adjustment' to 'even out' some of the 'odd' prices, so $69 becomes $70, $41 becomes $45 and so on.

Yes, we are being sold goods at inflated prices, biut who says we have to buy from GW? H.B.M.C. could give you plenty of reasons to use Maelstrom, so there is nothing saying you have to buy Australian. Unless you are really young, and your parents are not going to give some website their credit card details.

Boss 'eadbreaka wrote:Like hell they are!
Why should I have to pay $95 dollars fro 5 fething Grey Knight Termies.
Same goes for Chaos Raptors, Warbuggies, in fact every metal model.
Despite the flag, I am an Aussie, I just havn't gotten round to pestering Legoburner or a mod to lock it in for me.

God you whine like me (thats a compliment )

First time i saw the GK termies i thought "im definately buying those" (this is a few weeks after joining the hobby) anyways..... I look at the the prices and nerd raged


Still day dreaming about those termies :(

Oh yeah, and what I didn't mention is that there are plenty of Aussies like myself who love converting or scrath-building models, and the high prices give us more reason to do so.

Converting and scratch-building.... The main reasons i had to join this hobby, like i mean painting matters, but you need a good model and there, masterpiece (when youre a pro of course). Anyways what im saying is i agree with you.

I should check out Maelstrom, is it that good?

Maelstrom is the only place I buy from.

Right now we're getting close to 50% off Australian prices thanks to them.

Sweet, thanks ill go check it out.