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Erm, of course "Wargames Illustrated" has a large range of things in it.

They cover everything from Romanic 15mm to 28mm Modern stuff. Pretty much all of it is completely IP free. You can't copyright World War II Allied forces or Dark Ages Celtic tribesmen.

That leads to two key differences:
The first(and most important) difference is the systems and properties involved. There's no real need to pay licensing fees or have agreements to talk about suchandsuch game in suchandsuch magazine. The way Privateer and Games Workshop are, they're geared exclusively for their games.
There's no reason for them to work together when the fanbase is at odds and constantly shouting at each other "MY GAME IS BETTER THAN YOURS!". Which pretty much entirely negates this exercise.


The second difference is they barely give 3-6 pages to cover anything, sometimes double that if they want to use it as a centerpiece for the issue.
Or at least that's how the issues I've gotten have been.

Oh, and as for why it "makes money"?
Advertising for other companies brings in a hefty amount of that profit.

BF44042 wrote:Well you all DO know that buying from Maelstrom is still buying from GW right?

No way! I thought Maelstrom made all their GW stuff in-house? You mean to tell me that they're only a... a... stockist???

Maelstrom make fake copies of GW products, woven and assembled out of the tears of broken hearted and lonely gamers. That's why're they're so cheap.

This news, whilst (sadly) no real surprise, can realistically only be viewed as (another) kick in the teeth for Australian gamers.

If we could refrain from the name calling and general digs at each other that'd be good, people are quiet aware that GW are a company and, allegedly, try to make money, they probably don't really need reminding of the fact in every thread like this/similar.

WARBOSS TZOO wrote:God-fething damnit.

I was just about to start a Space Wolves army too.

Okay, so need to figure out how to order from overseas. Thanks for the heads up, H.B.M.C.

Mate it's simple. Me and my fellow gamers all use Maelstrom games. (I am not advertising for them, just stating facts.) At a games store a Tactical Squad is A$55. At maelstrom it costs 18 pounds. With the current exchange rate that means in australian dollars it is A$32! And that includes shipping it from the UK! If there was only a few dollars in it I would still shop local but when I am saving over twenty dollars (or a bit less than 40%) I would be stupid not to. If you want shipping insurance you have to pay a little more but its still incredibly cheap.

Just thought I would help you save some money there, pricing in Australia is absolutely outrageous. $55 in a store in Oz, $32 to have it shipped from the UK. No comparison.

Cheers


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H.B.M.C. wrote:

BF44042 wrote:Well you all DO know that buying from Maelstrom is still buying from GW right?

No way! I thought Maelstrom made all their GW stuff in-house? You mean to tell me that they're only a... a... stockist???

Lol, I assumed they just use a business model of selling a massive volume at a low price. high volume and low profit is a very effective business strategy


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Tethyr13 wrote:That is it, Australia. Send your "difference bills" to H.B.M.C. - ...its his fault.

But wow, $15.00 minimum wage? I thought Seattle was bad!

Forget about a house, what does a McDonald's cheeseburger cost?

$2, our minimum wage is a lot better than the US

Erm, of course "Wargames Illustrated" has a large range of things in it.

Well, there was a time when WD did have it too...

It's pretty ridiculous that people in Oz can buy items full price in the UK and have them shipped over for less than GW can import and retail their own stuff. They have economy of scale and the fact that they are retailing their own stuff, and yet they still can't compete with GW independent stockists in the UK sending stuff by Airmail?! Doesn't add up. Independent retailers have to buy the stuff from from GW and then post it to individual addresses. As the manufacturer GW make their own stuff and then ship it by freight and they can't even compete on the same footing?

I know some of the staffers at the FLGS are forlorn about getting moved around to try and shake up the profit margins for the different stores around town... as no one is buying the in-store stuff...

Gee... i wonder why?!

Yeah feel sorry for the employees (except for JJ) but since i've tasted online purchases... I'm never going back. GW no longer seem to give value to customers, it's about profit and shareholders. How hard is it to understand?

Can either...

- Give value to customers (both money and product) and be rewarded with customer loyalty and support.

OR

- Don't provide value to customers which disgruntles them, causing them to go elsewhere and no longer support the local scenes alienating everyone.

I can see the day when a bunch of disgruntled, angry hobbyists topple that space marine statue at GW headquarters and then find JJ hiding in a hole somewhere in backwater russia...

The current rate of exchange is, what? $1.00AUD to £0.58GBP?

Looking at a direct comparison on ex rates only a box of chaos terminators retailing at £25.00 would cost $43.05AUD but is actually $69.00AUD!!!!!!

I know you cannot use a direct comparison like this, but seriously, where the fething heck is the extra $26 coming from!!!

is there some kimd of anti geek levy added to such products? how do other products compare, especially those imported from the UK? what are the import tariffs an taxes like?

I actually wonder if shipping the items to Oz is part of the problem? I cant see any way of efficiently shipping retail ready product from the UK. A shipping container would not hold a great deal of product, by volume, and most of GW's boxed packaging is wasted space.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

And yet I have a GW 5 mins up the road from me, which I find hilarious.

I am just forced to read that this way:



"H.B.M.C. calling Azeraoth. I am five minutes away from the Infidel shop, this shall be fun."

*Click* Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick

"Oh Slaanesh! the timer has started early. "

"Blood, er I mean Porn for the Porn God"

I'm sure its not entirely GW's fault. Australia does have extra taxes on 'luxury' items. Even a Lego kit costs quite a bit more here than in the US.

On the other hand, it is now cheaper for me to buy ForgeWorld Broadside battlesuits than it is to buy GW ones in store.

Trasvi wrote:I'm sure its not entirely GW's fault. Australia does have extra taxes on 'luxury' items. Even a Lego kit costs quite a bit more here than in the US.

On the other hand, it is now cheaper for me to buy ForgeWorld Broadside battlesuits than it is to buy GW ones in store.

Oz and the UK have a trade agreement, some tarrifs exist but both countries have a prefered trader agreement. For tarrifs to make sense as an answer they would have to be at about 100% markup and that could not go unnoticed as other industries, not just toy manufacturers, would be effected. Oz customers would also have to pay that markup as customs charges, tarrifs apply to individuals too. I am sure if that happened an H' was slapped with a 100% tax he would have said something by now.

Looks like my SoB army won't be expanding to Apoc size like I wanted. Maelstrom doesn't have them, box of 10 if you can find it costs $69. Yet the WD I have back from 2006 has them for $55.

Also I just decided to start O&G, so definitely glad there's Maelstrom

But a majority of my stuff already comes from there, I occasionally buy the odd model or so from the local GW store because the staff are good, but I doubt I will be doing that at all anymore.

@BF4402: Yeh it is, but it's usually 30-50% off the prices here. You know theres something wrong when I can get a Brigade for a litte bit under the price of a Batalion/Battle Force here.

For those putside Aus, Brigade is $290 and Batalion/Battle forces are generally $150, except some like the empire one can be around $170. Also note that the Australian Dollar buys 0.82 US Dollars at the time of this post.

Mr. Burning wrote:is there some kimd of anti geek levy added to such products? how do other products compare, especially those imported from the UK? what are the import tariffs an taxes like?

I actually wonder if shipping the items to Oz is part of the problem? I cant see any way of efficiently shipping retail ready product from the UK. A shipping container would not hold a great deal of product, by volume, and most of GW's boxed packaging is wasted space.

If the increased prices are a result of factors beyond GWs control they would be better off simply closing the brick and mortar stores in Oz and sell through their website and shiping everything from the UK. I mean if independent retailers can buy stuff off GW wholesale and post it airmail then GW sure as hell should be able to price match them.

Almost as if they've read our minds, the good folks at Maelstrom Games UK are having a 17.5% off sale!

The code for this sale?

GW-BEATER

Such a nice bunch of people working there.

I cant find this deal H.B.M.C, are you sure its not a frequernt customer bonus you have picked up, I have had one of those recently from Miniature Market and it saved me a lot of money/got me to spend a lot of money however you like to think it.

17.5% off their prices or GW prices?

It helps to know the details. This might 'only be a further 2.5% off, which helps but is more a price rise time gimic to keep their own spirits up.

I got the email this evening too so can confirm it isn't a figment of H.B.M.C's imagination

Orlanth wrote:I cant find this deal H.B.M.C, are you sure its not a frequernt customer bonus you have picked up, I have had one of those recently from Miniature Market and it saved me a lot of money/got me to spend a lot of money however you like to think it.

17.5% off their prices or GW prices?

It helps to know the details. This might 'only be a further 2.5% off, which helps but is more a price rise time gimic to keep their own spirits up.

Pretty sure its 2.5, they always have these MASSIVE AWESOME SALES, then it turns out that you save a couple bux

I feel slightly less sympathetic about this after finding out today that Australia got the newest Transformers line 3 months early...

Melissia wrote:7.00 last I checked, but it varies from state to state.

Australia has no tipping however. I lived in Australia from birth to 25 years old and never tipped anyone for anything.

This is why we have a higher minium wage than you. American wait staff are expected to make the difference in tips I believe.

Mr. Burning wrote:
is there some kimd of anti geek levy added to such products? how do other products compare, especially those imported from the UK? what are the import tariffs an taxes like?
I actually wonder if shipping the items to Oz is part of the problem?

Trasvi wrote:I'm sure its not entirely GW's fault. Australia does have extra taxes on 'luxury' items. Even a Lego kit costs quite a bit more here than in the US.
On the other hand, it is now cheaper for me to buy ForgeWorld Broadside battlesuits than it is to buy GW ones in store.

Yeah we play sports in Australia not wargames

Roleplayer wrote:

Melissia wrote:7.00 last I checked, but it varies from state to state.

Australia has no tipping however. I lived in Australia from birth to 25 years old and never tipped anyone for anything.
This is why we have a higher minium wage than you. American wait staff are expected to make the difference in tips I believe.

It's important to remember that Austs minwage of $15 ($14.23 iirc) is only for 'adult' workers - meaning people over 21 (Aust Age of Majority 18) people under this age are paid a 'percentage' which while is usually an appropriate amount can varty wildly, also that even workers who are over 21 can still be on an award or apprenticeship rate which is again around $7/9 depending on the employee.

And yeah No-Tipping - except forcab drivers them guys don't have to put up with us - they can just kick you out anytime and claim insurence

Tipping? What's that?



And in other Australian news, GW will be opening a New Store in North Sydney, New South Wales.

God knows why...

Oh my gawd, I remember the days of TWO yes TWO stores in Perth City - 1.66 million people (1.26 centrally), 310/km² (802.9/sq mi) around the area - only 6000 people actually live there thou

Roleplayer wrote:

Melissia wrote:7.00 last I checked, but it varies from state to state.

Australia has no tipping however. I lived in Australia from birth to 25 years old and never tipped anyone for anything.

This is why we have a higher minium wage than you. American wait staff are expected to make the difference in tips I believe.

$7.25 in the federal minimum wage for non-tipped employees. For tipped employees it's $2.13, though the employer does have to account for the per hour difference with the regular minimum wage if it doesn't average out.

Just thought I'd make you feel better about yourself and your country. Go America...

ARGHHH! (composes self) im no finacial guru or any thing but will this affect the ausy economy in any way, and also wasnt there a price increase just like 3-4 monthes ago.

Alright time to start ordering from uk or something, even thou it might affect my flgs :(

The cadian 45th

I'm glad I ordered some stuff before the price rise.

I also find it hilarious that when the dollar reached 60 pence, the cost of me ordering a battleforce from Maelstrom actually beats the 50% discount that GW staff members get.

Especially with the extra 7.5% off from this sale.

Note that UK prices do vary from AUD - so a battleforce is extremely good value at 45 pounds from Maelstrom = $75 AUD (half the $150 Aus GW local shopfront price), while a Land Raider retails at 32.5 pounds = $55 (vs $96 shopfront). The discounts are always far, far better, but the percentages change depending on the product. Do the maths before you buy - sometimes combinations or boxed sets can save you even more cash.

What amazes me is just how quiet GW has been about this year's price increase. Usually they do put up some kind of formal announcement weeks ahead of time on their website, email their customers who get the e-newsletter, etc. I have not heard anything "official" from GW about this imminent increase at all. Even their stores seem to be a bit in the dark and the increase is only a week away. All info we have so far seems to be strictly from independent sellers, Internet and by extension word of mouth.

Oh - added point - part of the reason that the GW local prices are so high is that the Australian dollar about a decade ago underwent a massive correction after the Asian financial crisis and for a while after - we went from approximately 80 US cents to the AU$ to about 50 cents, and stayed quite low for a while. Over the past 3 or 4 years, the strength of the dollar rose slowly on the back of higher interest rates attracting foreign investments looking for better returns and China/India and Japan wanting to buy all of our iron, coal etc for steadily rising amounts.

However, a fair few retailers kept prices up long after the terms of trade improved to return their profits as they had eaten some of the shortfall when the dollar took a hit, and then kept it there because people had become adjusted to it.

GW never readjusted the prices down after the large hikes cause by the original falling dollar, and kept on raising prices locally in line with global rises they were charging.

The final reason I have seen for the price hikes is that labour laws here in AUS and the rent deals they have made with the large shopping centres to get their hobby stores in good locations in Westfields everywhere has meant that they have to have staff on from at least 9-5 every day, and 9-8 on Thursdays - they can't choose to be closed, so they have to eat the wages, and the very high rents charged.

I think the nature of the hobby in Australia means that there isn't a large enough tabletop gaming culture to maintain a chain only off of older customers, so they also like to remain in the shopping centres to get walkby business, keeping them trapped in a vicious circle. However, I don't see another way to sell product to the public and still stay in business.

And finally - British post is extremely cheap to use - things which cost up to 50 Euro or $50 US to ship to Australia (such as a couple of battleforces and a blister or two) can cost anywhere between 4-10 pounds through British Mail (or whatever their official title is). A massive savings, which is why places like Maelstrom and the Book Depository can and do eat the cost of postage themselves.




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BrassScorpion wrote:What amazes me is just how quiet GW has been about this year's price increase. Usually they do put up some kind of formal announcement weeks ahead of time on their website, email their customers who get the e-newsletter, etc. I have not heard anything "official" from GW about this imminent increase at all. Even their stores seem to be a bit in the dark and the increase is only a week away. All info we have so far seems to be strictly from independent sellers, Internet and by extension word of mouth.

Its the same logic for the cigarette tax increase over here - do it without much notice, you don't get people stockpiling or forward ordering - it should push the higher profits forwards.

I tip pizza delivery dudes.

I'd hate to own a FLGS right now.

Also :( face about cigarettes.

Can anyone confirm where they got these claims of price rises for Australia from ? Over the last week I've ben to 2 independent FLGS's and 3 GW stores , and no one seems to know anything about any price rises .

I SHOULD be angry about this but as I have only bought 3 pots of paint from my local GW (5km away) and only buy sprays and non GW gaming stuff at the FLGS on the other side of town in the last 18 months or so I just don't care.

UK prices are all I care about anymore, and as long as Maelstrom keep having their sales every 3 months or so I don't even get hit by the UK price rises.