Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

One day boycott = nothing.

One month boycott= Black shirt saying "slow month guys but we'll make it up next month"

Three month boycott = Regional Manager chewing on blackshirt about low quarterly report.

Six month boycott = Regional Manager starting to worry as two quarters of falling profits are the beginning of a trend.

One year boycott = GW scratching their head wondering if Privateer Press is getting all of their money... and they cluelessly fire Mat Ward because there's only one "t" at the end of his name which is affecting sales!

a boycott cannot work if you're only doing it a day. The reason the boycott of the bus system worked for MLK Jr in the South was that it went for much longer than 1 day. It was several months. The Black Community took cabs driven by black drivers or walked. Unless you're going to make a permanent change, you're not going to make any meaningful impact.

There's no long term plan for GW, they've concentrated on large short term profits by raising prices and cutting production costs and improving efficiency. For a few years, sure, their share-holders will be happy, but in 5 years, they'll start to hemorrhage profits because even those with a large amount of disposable income who can thus afford to buy GW products will leave.

Why not boycott for an entire month...

This way, the managers and front line staff feel it in their revenue targets and an actual message is sent.

They can then relay the message up the ranks.

If there was an actual large scale boycott and they suffered, they would just inflate their prices a large amount to make up for it and rabid fanboys and tournament whores would still pay it and they would get thieir profits back. It's not about the shareholders it's about the top dogs making top dollar.

I have to agree that one day is very trivial. I havent bought anything direct from GW for over a year now and I think they dont really care. Another problem is it is really hard to collectively do something like this on an international scale. It is very possible there are hundreds of people out there who go to GW that never heard of dakka dakka and never use facebook and also never really knew other companies existed

WTF? Get a new hobby if you are that dismayed by GW that you have to do something like this....

I remember a few years ago when there was a nation wide attempt to have no one buy gas in a single day, the gas company was going to loose .02% profit if it actually succeeded.... People that participated filled up the day before and the gas company had a +.03 profit....So the attention brought by the boycott backfired and the gas company made money!

Turned out that all those indipendent gas & convenience stores were the ones that would have suffered (like 3% loss of business) due to the losses from no one coming and buying all those other goodies....

I boycott GW between each paycheck....

What a wonderful idea! ...

everyone's right in saying that won't work. Maybe if you tried getting as much signatures on a petition or a group message from as many people as possible it would have more effect?

If you have thousands of gamers all helping to pitch in their voices to say that GW prices are too high, I think it will be more effective than a one day boycott.

Besides, if you do keep boycotting GW without explicity telling them why, they will raise prices again then they will crash and go bankrupt. And then you can boycott all you want because the only place you're going to buy GW models is on ebay.

I haven't spent any money in a GW for 5-6 years, so I've basically done the work of 1825-2190 people already and all GW has done is increase prices and make inferior products, so if the same number of people (which is doubtful) did the same for 1 day, maybe GW would increase prices and just sell cotton buds, and they would still have screaming preteens spending there parents money in store.

difference made, none.

now if you got every single last perso on earth to not spend money in GW for 1 month, THEN GW might give a damn...by increasing prices further, releasing another god damn space marine codex and making matt ward head codex writer forever.

The idae is good...if you are the staff of Gw, as this"boycott" (or strike as this should be called) won't affect GW. As said already.

As strikes by staff who work for a company hurt the company, a one day strike by customers really doesnt mean anything. As the next day, said customers are still wanting something. day 1, no sales, day 2 oh look we selt twice the forcast amount..sweet.

A boycott should be untill they actually change what you are boycotting them for. So stop buying altogether would be the best way to go about it.

Don't get me wrong, I hate the way GW have been going for for years and price hike after price hike doesnt help. I don't complain much, just makes my free money goes to someone else or stays put in the old bank account.

I'm not going to defend some of GW's policies, but I am going to share with you all something that I hope will cool the simmering pot of rage that seems to be brewing here, and I openly admit, was me to just a few days ago.

The reason for the past few years' price hikes on our metal models has been due to an increased cost of tin, a large component in just about everything since the switch from lead has started to occur once we found out how bad it is for you. Computer parts that were once lead based are changing to tin and that has drastically increased the demand for tin, resulting in higher prices. To further this, an entire region of China that was producing vast amounts of tin was shut down a few years back due to illegal mining. Safety measures were being shrugged off with bribes which lead to a fire that collapsed a few mines and killed some 150-odd people. Compounding this, another large tin mine in the Philippians Islands (I think these ones at least) shut down an entire islands, again due to ignored security measures.

So, metal models prices have been skyrocketing as tin, large component of our models, has had its prices going up and up. This switch to resin, while a temporary increase of price, will halt continued price raising over the next few years. It's a kick to the gut now, but not a punch to the arm every 4 hours.

You know...I was going to comment that this idea will work about as well as the Facebook "No Gas Day" things I see all the time. And by that I mean not at all. This thought was based solely on reading the title of this thread in the forum.

And then I saw the first post.

Figures.

Wow, this crap is getting so old and worn out. If you don't like the prices, leave GW. I left for all of 3rd edition and most of 4th and GW did just fine. It is what it is, they are a global business(not so global anymore...) and need to keep the lights on.

All this is really distracting to the content of the site. Dakka is essentially a fansite. What sense does it make to constantly have the members attack the very company you technically exist to support.(free speech, I get it, still distracting to the site IMO)

I get it, other games are discussed here. However, the majority of the content is GW. Is the first impression to new members that we want to convey is all the haterade drinking?

Hypothetical situation -

Majority of GW gamers unite & Boycott GW for several months to even a full a year...

GW goes through financial woes, delays new releases, no new models or updates scheduled, unemployment for some GW staff and hobby store employees, delivery companies profits go down due to boycott of GW and lack of deliveries, independent retailers suffer lack of sales, people bore of GW due to no new items or growth or life in hobby.......GW goes belly up by 2013....

No more GW Warhammer of 40k.....

All the (ex )GW gamers find a new(miniature) hobby...after all, there's 48 of them out there to choose from....

Months into it, they complain about that hobby being to expensive....

"let's boycott again" some genius posts....

LOL...

Byte wrote:Wow, this crap is getting so old and worn out. If you don't like the prices, leave GW. I left for all of 3rd edition and most of 4th and GW did just fine. It is what it is, they are a global business(not so global anymore...) and need to keep the lights on.

All this is really distracting to the content of the site. Dakka is essentially a fansite. What sense does it make to constantly have the members attack the very company you technically exist to support.(free speech, I get it, still distracting to the site IMO)

I get it, other games are discussed here. However, the majority of the content is GW. Is the first impression to new members that we want to convey is all the haterade drinking?

I guess it helps that I came over from Warseer. The complaining here seems very moderate by comparison.

1. It is not constructive to whine or mimic about a complaint.

2. Attachments are for wargaming related images.

-malfred-

here is a tip, use warhammer rules and buy alternative miniatures....saves you money and stops you whining.

What I don't get is that this is a hobby, if you cant accept the fact that its an expensive hobby DONT START IT. GW makes money on first time buyers who don't continue i.e they go in buy 1 starter set and never come back.

SO instead of boycotting every time a new customer comes into a GW store tell them GW is the most expensive hobby ever, you will loose an arm and a leg to it so you might as well not start...tell them they care more about profit then customers and do it in front of GW store staff and if the staff gives you lip tell them to F off and that you spent so much money on this game they owe you a fragging house and if he doesn't like what you said tell them to prove it otherwise.

I support the idea of a boycott but 1 day isnt going to get you anything or anywhere not to mention you need a great number of people to participate and im sorry to say this but despite all the people crying and complaining most of them are too apathetic to do anything so they continue to buy and whine.

However there is the possibility that if this does go somewhere more people will join. Just remember this isnt a civil rights movement or something nearly as important so you really have to work at this and show a huge amount of effort.

Me personally I dont buy from GW its too expensive and I dont have the extra cash to spend (college) though 22$+ USD for roughly one poorly manufactored resin model dosent appeal to me anyway

The only way to have an impact is FULL STOP.

Anything else is pissing in the wind.

I'd wish you best of luck, but that would just get your hopes up.

kronk wrote:I'd wish you best of luck, but that would just get your hopes up.

As a Space Marine Librarian once said

"Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment"

The way to make an impact is to stop buying directly from stores. This video that somebody has made basically sums up my views:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atE28xX4_wk&feature=related

kenshin620 wrote:

kronk wrote:I'd wish you best of luck, but that would just get your hopes up.

As a Space Marine Librarian once said

"Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment"

Papa Nurgles Likes this.

Stop buying GW merchandise...period. No one day boycott. Mine has been going on for 5 years now and I refuse to give the entity known as GW any money. I applaud the movement, but one day means nothing. Pick up a system from their competitors. If you have enough to keep playing 40k that's fine too. just don't buy from them.

curtistandoh wrote:The way to make an impact is to stop buying directly from stores. This video that somebody has made basically sums up my views:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atE28xX4_wk&feature=related

If by stores you mean ALL stores, then yes. You are 100% correct.

If you mean stop buying from GW stores and only buy from online shops, ebay, and FLGS, then you are 100% wrong.

Only a full and total boycott of GW products will work. Full Stop. No nothing that was a GW label.

Anything short of that is face-palm laughable.

I think that anyone and everyone that has a beef or rant about GW, or qualms, or concerns, or issues with prices & getting started, or reservations about this hobby, SHOULD stay away from GW stores & the hobby, sell off your minis, and get a new hobby....

That'll show GW!

& Give the rest of us gamers who enjoy the hobby a break!

And for that, I thank and support you!

Now get going TODAY!

libstermiles wrote:We decided to do it for one day, then tell Games Workshop we'd redo it for a couple of weeks, because of course, like you said that one day wouldn't make too much of an impact, but if we tell Games Workshop the numbers, it may create an impact, hopefully.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Ok, its 04 July at 00:00 - 05 July at 00:00
Basically don't go into Games Workshop and buy anything, for one day, then if enough people have decided to join this capmpaign then we were going to increase it to a few weeks, to create a much larger impact.

Actually people should go into GW stores. Ask tons and tons of questions and then not buy anything. You're making the employees work, making GW pay employees but not buying anything. Not that this will really affect anything but to me it'd be kinda mocking to GW.

libstermiles wrote:Always remember although Games Workshop has a spanning sphere of influence they aren't worth a huge ammount. A month in summer is enough to catch anyones attention, so long as the people attending are determined enough


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I see where you guys are coming from, something would have to be done about the independant retailers, the ones selling stock at %20 off.........

'Done about...'? Yeah, let's elaborate on that one. You offering me a month long vacation so I'm not around to order? Going to convince Maelstrom that instead of selling thousands in GW, you'll make it up to them by somehow? Businesses are set up to make money, I don't see how this plan of yours makes them money, so why should they go along.

Hell, I be Maelstrom and Wayland clink champagne glasses when GW raises prices. They know gamers will still buy models, but the higher the price goes the more likely they'll buy from a discounter. Price increases and neardrage are their bread and butter.

And if you do follow through with this, how about picking a date when GW one man shops, and US independents are actually open? July 4th was a date designed to fail in the first place. Doing something like this and failing is worse than doing nothing. It proves to GW they can sit back and not care.

One day boycotts don't work.

SilverMK2 wrote:Isn't July the 4th a national holiday in America anyway? I assume all the shops are shut?

But even so, a single day is utterly pointless. If you want to make a statement, give up buying from them entirely.

True on all accounts.

Single Day Boycotts have no impact what so ever. Business look at income on a monthly level, not a daily. The only way this can work is if you have a loarge enough base, and you would have to boycott for several months. Remember most people don't purchase every day or even every week. Most of my friends will go a few months between purchases. And they are supporting GW.

Also the way GW is set up if you Boycott GW stores or online sales, then your base is either those in driving range of a GW store (Most in this country are not) or shop on line. The people would be hurt the most by this is the Indy retailers.

Two things:

I'm no expert on this, but I worry that a significant boycott will shoot us (gamers) in the foot. GW aren't loyal to their customers, but shareholders aren't loyal to GW. What we don't want is for profits to plummet, shareholders to walk and GW to fail. A big enough boycott to make GW take notice is big enough to make the shareholders take notice. (And anyone schooled in economics can tell me if I'm wrong!)

Secondly, you aren't forced to buy GW minis. You need the rulebooks. From then on, you can buy minis from competitors. You can even make your own models. You can use cardboard cut outs in card stands (GW itself used to supply these for early editions), or plastic tokens.

With GW, you pay a premium for several things:

Convenience (their product range matches their rule sets) Official status (you can enter official tournaments)
Realism (tokens and card stands look crap)
Quality (their minis look nice, though judgment on Finecast is reserved)

Until the price exceeds what people are willing to pay for the above, GW won't drop them.

This isn't defending GW, by the way. I think they treat us, their customers, abysmally. I just think they have no motivation for changing when we continue to feed their coffers.