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HoundsofDemos wrote:
I know it's frequently mentioned that GW is under the impression that many if not the majority of it's customers buys models and doesn't play but at least in my area I've never really seen that to be true.

The claim makes a lot more sense if you remember GW's "three purchase" business model, where the goal is to get a kid to beg their parents for an initial starter set and then get a birthday and christmas present before the parents realize that the kid is no longer interested. Customers like that are probably counting as "collecting but not playing" because they buy some stuff but lose interest in the hobby before they can get an army assembled and play games. Taken in that context "most of our customers collect but don't play" is a sign of failure by GW! It's an implicit concession that they are building their business model around high turnover impulse purchases and do a poor job of retaining customers in the long run. And I suspect that if you take out those "three purchase" customers and focus only on people who make a long term investment in the hobby you'd find that the majority of customers play the game at least occasionally.

 Brother Castor wrote:

HoundsofDemos wrote:
I know it's frequently mentioned that GW is under the impression that many if not the majority of it's customers buys models and doesn't play but at least in my area I've never really seen that to be true.

Same here, but if people were just collecting and not playing perhaps we wouldn't even realise?

I agree that gathering that data might be difficult, particularly due to 3rd party retailers but I'm a stats and numbers guy so I've always been curious with how GW came up with that conclusion.

 JNAProductions wrote:

 Excommunicatus wrote:

 JNAProductions wrote:
I don't see much of a point to just collecting models. That seems like a waste.

I do see the point of painting them only, since that's a difficult task that you can take pride in and show off to others.

The collecting part opens up a whole other aspect of the hobby, IMO.

The main object of my hobby is mindfulness. Focussing on the build is great. Focussing on painting can be a slog but when I get something done it feels amazing. Focussing on a game is great mindfulness.

But I also get to fart around thinking up little stories about my dudespeople, which I write down and accompany with silly pictures. I make propaganda posters.

I mean, it's all terrible crap objectively, but that's not the point. The point is that "collecting" vs. "here are my minis" presents more opportunity for mindfulness and - since ich bin ein nerd - it's all tremendous fun, too.

All of which is a longwinded way of saying I get why people focus solely on the collecting part. Different strokes for different folks, innit?

But then you're not just collecting-you're writing stories and engaging with them.

I mean, I'm sure there are people who DO just collect, never painting, never writing, never playing... And that's fine. It's their money, their time. But I don't get the point myself.

You have to realize that when posting stuff on the interwebz people sometimes omit important details which warps their message. I don´t believe people buy minis ONLY to collect and NEVER to paint or play. Sorry, but this is such an outlandish notion to me. Just imagine someone buys a gaming console plus a dozen of games and then claims he only collects the games but never plays them.

 Strg Alt wrote:
You have to realize that when posting stuff on the interwebz people sometimes omit important details which warps their message. I don´t believe people buy minis ONLY to collect and NEVER to paint or play. Sorry, but this is such an outlandish notion to me. Just imagine someone buys a gaming console plus a dozen of games and then claims he only collects the games but never plays them.

It's not outlandish, it's exactly how GW presents it: "collecting" is separate from painting or playing games or conversions or whatever, and seems to consist entirely of giving your credit card to GW in exchange for more boxes of space marines.

 Strg Alt wrote:

 JNAProductions wrote:

 Excommunicatus wrote:

 JNAProductions wrote:
I don't see much of a point to just collecting models. That seems like a waste.

I do see the point of painting them only, since that's a difficult task that you can take pride in and show off to others.

The collecting part opens up a whole other aspect of the hobby, IMO.

The main object of my hobby is mindfulness. Focussing on the build is great. Focussing on painting can be a slog but when I get something done it feels amazing. Focussing on a game is great mindfulness.

But I also get to fart around thinking up little stories about my dudespeople, which I write down and accompany with silly pictures. I make propaganda posters.

I mean, it's all terrible crap objectively, but that's not the point. The point is that "collecting" vs. "here are my minis" presents more opportunity for mindfulness and - since ich bin ein nerd - it's all tremendous fun, too.

All of which is a longwinded way of saying I get why people focus solely on the collecting part. Different strokes for different folks, innit?

But then you're not just collecting-you're writing stories and engaging with them.

I mean, I'm sure there are people who DO just collect, never painting, never writing, never playing... And that's fine. It's their money, their time. But I don't get the point myself.

You have to realize that when posting stuff on the interwebz people sometimes omit important details which warps their message. I don´t believe people buy minis ONLY to collect and NEVER to paint or play. Sorry, but this is such an outlandish notion to me. Just imagine someone buys a gaming console plus a dozen of games and then claims he only collects the games but never plays them.

What did I omit?

The confusion on my part stems from the fact that, to me, 'collecting' necessarily includes painting and I hadn't paid attention to the OP's premise that they're separate things.

stroller wrote:
Gamer first.

Builder second.

Painter and collector about equal third.

"You should never grade evils aspects of the hobby, Kruber, for if one is the worst, then you might be tempted to kinship with the least."

I definitely both paint/collect as well as playing the game. To me, that's the wonderful thing about Warhammer 40k; it's kind of like two hobbies in one. You get to build and paint models, and you get to play a fun little game with them!

Play, collect/build/model/, paint - in that order of importance.

Though for a an edition & a half (6.5-end of 7th) & nearly a year of 8th I wasn't playing 40k/AOS. I bought a few models during that time but it was because A) I like building models, B) I knew I'd return to playing eventually & would want those anyways - so no reason not to pick them up & be ready...., C) Most of them were AOS stuff & also got used in our D&D game.

I think that we have collecting, painting and gaming as pillars of our hobby enjoyment. I would have thought that most of us do all three to some measure, and you can't paint or game without collecting to some degree. We can add to that the phenomenon of thinking/talking about 40K without actually collecting, painting or gaming! I do know some folks that seem to hate the thought of painting but they love collecting and playing. At least they are opponents to enlarge the gaming community!

I enjoy collecting (goals/completionist), assembling/painting (built model kits as a kid) and gaming. I don't see the point of collecting or painting 40K without playing, but I can recall a three year stretch when my kids were toddlers and we were posted to a tiny base. My 40K hobby during that time was pretty much just collecting and painting. That was by necessity, though, and not by choice. Once they were a little more independent and we we posted to a larger community I was able to get gaming again (and recruit my eldest).

I can think of a couple of pieces I bought that I didn't really think I would play - the Land Raider springs to mind. I have an Armorcast Shadowsword that was just a display piece until fairly recently as well.

TangoTwoBravo wrote:
We can add to that the phenomenon of thinking/talking about 40K without actually collecting, painting or gaming!

And reading - Black Library fiction doesn't necessarily fall into any of the other categories either.

I like the building/converting part of the hobby the most, because I find it very relaxing. Therefore, most times I'll choose to spend a few hours building over playing. I'm definitely not a painter and mostly paint out of curiosity, to see how the miniatures turn out in the end. Not a collector either.

 Brother Castor wrote:

TangoTwoBravo wrote:
We can add to that the phenomenon of thinking/talking about 40K without actually collecting, painting or gaming!

And reading - Black Library fiction doesn't necessarily fall into any of the other categories either.

Absolutely! I should have thought of that. In my own case, reading Felix and Gotrek plus Gaunts Ghosts was a way to stay connected to the hobby when I was not able to play.

More modelling than painting, but painting and collecting have not managed to play a game in 16-17 years, shame really, but hey ho.

Just love collecting and building stuff.

I mean, I picked the first option... Only because I am on a break from 8th edition, and stopped finding it fun. So, I am just collecting models to finish up my army right now.

Sure, plenty of people just paint and collect without playing the game. I'm not one of them, but I know a few. Hell, I've been tempted to pay them to paint my minis for me...

Mine life but not mine will consents to collect and paint only.

I got two girls, one five, one two. On Saturday we went to a birthday party. On Sunday we went to a birthday party. Next Saturday we’re going to a birthday party. I might actually be in a simulation testing just how many children’s birthday parties I will consent to.

Until this sheet cake phase passes, my World Eaters seethe and grow in numbers...

these days I do waaaay more painting and modeling then playing, it's a relaxing hobby

I just build and play. Paint isn't necessary to play the game so it can be delayed until far down the road.

I'm mainly in the hobby to paint and read the lore. I have the BRB and the Chaos Marines Codex, but I don't really intend to play much 40k. Or AoS, for that matter. Especially since my Fyreslayers are a horde army priced the same as an army of elites. When I do want to use them in games, I use games that are fairly rules-lite, like Grimdark Future Firefight.

I collect and paint. I move every couple years to a new place and it’s hard to find a good group to play with. And my wife is ok with me painting, but less keen on me leaving the house for a few hours on one of the two days we have off together.

I'm working on a beautiful collection but mainly so that I can show it off in games

I don't get why even "collectors" would want to make a beautiful army and not show it off. At least take it to narrative events! We'd love to have it on the table

 Jjohnso11 wrote:
I collect and paint. I move every couple years to a new place and it’s hard to find a good group to play with. And my wife is ok with me painting, but less keen on me leaving the house for a few hours on one of the two days we have off together.

"You can ask me for anything you like, except time."

- Napoleon Boneparte

Anyone else chuckle because both options included "Paint" as the first part of the option?

 Elbows wrote:
Anyone else chuckle because both options included "Paint" as the first part of the option?

It's why I didn't vote.

I've always told myself I bought them to play, but the past couple of years I've come to realize I buy to collect. I own oodles of models, but have played maybe less than a half-dozen times, and then primarily in a very casual environment.

At least for 40K. X-Wing, I've played much more of it, and in the end I've been a long time RPGer with a sizeable model collection.

 Stormatious wrote:


I really want to take them to war eventually though. But that might never happen since im so anti social or shy.

Just do it mate. The club local to you, the GW in LH and the one in Welly as well as the Warlords group are filled with really nice people. They are always ready to help out new people and have a chat or throw some dice. There are a couple of less than pleasant people but you will work out who they are in about 10 seconds.

 Peregrine wrote:

HoundsofDemos wrote:
I know it's frequently mentioned that GW is under the impression that many if not the majority of it's customers buys models and doesn't play but at least in my area I've never really seen that to be true.

The claim makes a lot more sense if you remember GW's "three purchase" business model, where the goal is to get a kid to beg their parents for an initial starter set and then get a birthday and christmas present before the parents realize that the kid is no longer interested. Customers like that are probably counting as "collecting but not playing" because they buy some stuff but lose interest in the hobby before they can get an army assembled and play games. Taken in that context "most of our customers collect but don't play" is a sign of failure by GW! It's an implicit concession that they are building their business model around high turnover impulse purchases and do a poor job of retaining customers in the long run. And I suspect that if you take out those "three purchase" customers and focus only on people who make a long term investment in the hobby you'd find that the majority of customers play the game at least occasionally.

Obviously we have no numbers and this is all conjecture. But this makes me wonder how effective GW's business model would actually be if they focused purely on developing for hardcore 'whale' customers. It may not be possible to sustain a business of this scale without relying on those high turnover impulse purchases as your primary revenue source.

Only through the long dry spells where life is too busy for the games stores (or they're too far) and when I have no friends to game with.

@ Slave: I think that plan is code-named Forgeworld.

 greatbigtree wrote:
@ Slave: I think that plan is code-named Forgeworld.

Hence the lack of scale and development support I suppose...