Possible GW price increase?

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**ruricferrinwheel**

My local gaming store was recently shut down due to a policy change at GW. Apparently, effective June first, only stores meeting a specific set of criteria will be able to sell GW product, and ebay will be forced to remove people selling new product, 2nd hand will still be fine. Additionally June first will also see an increase in GW products across the board.

**pretre**

This is very old news.

**ruricferrinwheel**

That may well be true, it was new to me, wanted to share was all.

**phatonic**

Can't stop people selling the stuff on Ebay tough.. You are allowed to resell stuff you allready bought.

**pretre**

Here's the thread with the actual detail of the changes and 34 pages of discussion:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/514316.page

Automatically Appended Next Post:
And here's the link to the post where the official document is quoted:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/90/514316.page#5396021

and the quote itself:

Warboss Gubbinz wrote:
Here is a link to the PDF on Google Docs:

https://doc-14-cc-docs.googleusercontent.com/docs/securesc/f2u2j42j0ioq2j9uqecikflho41lbo7a/u777h85jbii7h41q7h5p3stigjue225k/1363442400000/04079268591086403494/09650871989658418762/0B2zne5ewd4fBemhzRE5KM3BlUGs?e=download&nonce=qgcm8g4v98mfe&user=09650871989658418762&hash=85kurtcv2g1d904ep0gkaeqb9dlv5uoj

Here's the section, some mod may want to put this on the first page.

For the reasons set forth below, Retailers are not permitted to remove GAMES WORKSHOP
product from its original packaging or otherwise break such products into components prior to
resale. In recent years, GAMES W ORKSHOP has observed a practice among some Retailers in
which GAMES W ORKSHOP products are removed from their original packaging for the purpose of
reselling separately individual, unmarked components. This practice is now prohibited for the
following business reasons:

Protection of Brand Image: GAMES W ORKSHOP’s original packaging, which
bears GAMES W ORKSHOP’S trademarks and copyrighted imagery, is specifically
designed to be consistent with GAMES W ORKSHOP’s established brand image.
The resale of GAMES W ORKSHOP products (or components thereof) in unmarked
or generic packaging is inconsistent with that brand image and can serve to
devalue the product.

Protection of GAMES WORKSHOP’S Intellectual Property: Through its use of
GAMES W ORKSHOP’s trademarks and copyrighted imagery, the original packaging
provides clear and reliable identification of the product as a genuine GAMES
W ORKSHOP product. The sale of GAMES W ORKSHOP products (or components
thereof) in unmarked or generic packaging, if left unchecked, can be injurious to
GAMES W ORKSHOP’s intellectual property rights.

Avoidance of Confusion: The resale of GAMES W ORKSHOP products (or
components thereof) in unmarked or generic packaging also can lead to
confusion as to whether the product being sold is a genuine GAMES W ORKSHOP
product or a generic imitation. Such confusion is detrimental to the GAMES
W ORKSHOP brand and the intellectual property rights that protect it.

Ensuring Proper Labeling: GAMES W ORKSHOP’s packaging and labeling is
specifically designed to inform the Consumer as to the contents, quality and
safety of the product he or she is purchasing. When GAMES W ORKSHOP products
(or components thereof) are sold separately in unmarked or generic packaging,
the Consumer does not receive this valuable labeling information at the point of
sale. Preservation of the original packaging and labeling prior to resale,
therefore, ensures that the Consumer is receiving accurate and reliable product
information.

Uniformity in Product Configurations: GAMES W ORKSHOP products are
packaged and sold in certain configurations designed to appeal to the Consumer
and maximize the marketability of the products. Such configurations are an
integral part of GAMES WORKSHOP’S marketing strategies that drive consumer
expectations. The resale of components in unmarked or generic packaging
undermines those strategies and the ability of GAMES W ORKSHOP to offer a
uniform line of products to the marketplace.

FINAL 15 MARCH 2013

To the extent GAMES WORKSHOP, in its sole discretion, should manufacture, package and
label individual product components, GAMES W ORKSHOP may make available such individual
components for resale only as originally packaged and labeled by GAMES W ORKSHOP. For the
reasons explained above, Retailers are prohibited from removing any individually packaged and
labeled GAMES W ORKSHOP components from their original packaging for the purpose of reselling
such individual components to Consumers.

**chaos0xomega**

Wait, ANOTHER price hike?? Details on this? WTF....

**Ailaros**

It turns out that the supreme court of the United States disagrees with games workshop on this one, and only one of those two entities has the force of law.

As for price changes, welcome to inflation.

**Blaggard**

Possible? Probable.

**Praxiss**

OK, i need to get myself a Scythe kit before they are priced up to StromRaven levels.....

Also, if they are now kicking off about sellign components outside of their packagaing...does that mean that GW are going to start cracking down on bitz sites?

**Purifier**

Praxiss wrote:
OK, i need to get myself a Scythe kit before they are priced up to StromRaven levels.....

Also, if they are now kicking off about sellign components outside of their packagaing...does that mean that GW are going to start cracking down on bitz sites?

That seems to be exactly who they are targeting.

**Praxiss**

Purifier wrote:
Praxiss wrote:
OK, i need to get myself a Scythe kit before they are priced up to StromRaven levels.....

Also, if they are now kicking off about sellign components outside of their packagaing...does that mean that GW are going to start cracking down on bitz sites?

That seems to be exactly who they are targeting.

/sigh

Which would be at least understandable if GW themselves sold bitz - or even if the staff in their stores woudl allow you to buy stuff from their butz box. As it is the staff just deny all knowledge of any spare bitz in store - whihc i stupid IMHO.
There have been several times when i've been after a certain bit for a conversion and have gone int he store quite willign to pay money for it - only tohave them say no thus forcing me to go to an online bitz sie.

**Ailaros**

Once again, though, they can't shut down all bitz sites. Any one based out of the US, for example, can just not care. A bit pricier in shipping, though, I suppose.

Plus, I'm pretty sure England has a court system as well. There's a chance that they'll likewise block attempts from companies like this.

**BrotherVord**

The bits thing is old news....the price hike I expected but hoped against hope that gw may realize that the price hikes aren't helping their business

**Baronyu**

Praxiss wrote:
Which would be at least understandable if GW themselves sold bitz - or even if the staff in their stores woudl allow you to buy stuff from their butz box. As it is the staff just deny all knowledge of any spare bitz in store - whihc i stupid IMHO.
There have been several times when i've been after a certain bit for a conversion and have gone int he store quite willign to pay money for it - only tohave them say no thus forcing me to go to an online bitz sie.

They do "sell" bits, in that you have to buy a whole box of space marines for that one heavy weapon each time!

**Kroothawk**

chaos0xomega wrote:Wait, ANOTHER price hike?? Details on this? WTF....

They have been doing this June price hike for years, so I don't understand this reaction. The price hike is usually 5-10% to "compensate" for 5-10% less sales, so above inflation.

Ailaros wrote:It turns out that the supreme court of the United States disagrees with games workshop on this one, and only one of those two entities has the force of law.

Following the Chapterhouse lawsuit, I am not certain that GW is aware of that. They don't show any respect for US law institutions.

**Purifier**

Kroothawk wrote:
chaos0xomega wrote:Wait, ANOTHER price hike?? Details on this? WTF....

They have been doing this June price hike for years, so I don't understand this reaction. The price hike is usually 5-10% to "compensate" for 5-10% less sales, so above inflation.

Ailaros wrote:It turns out that the supreme court of the United States disagrees with games workshop on this one, and only one of those two entities has the force of law.

Following the Chapterhouse lawsuit, I am not certain that GW is aware of that. They don't show any respect for US law institutions.

It is a quite common tactic by big companies to sue smaller to force them to fold, even when the bigger one knows it's a loss going in.
Nintendo did it to everyone that said the word "videogame" at the start of the company history.

**FarseerAndyMan**

Im telling ya guys --

The annual price hike is nothing more than GW trying to make up for the dismal excuse for a magazine called "White Dwarf".

Well i guess we just get used to it right?

Im hoping my Eldar Codex doesnt jump from 49.95 to 59.95...

**Ailaros**

Right, when GW doesn't respect american law, americans don't have to respect GW.

It turns out that GW's opinion isn't as legally relevant as a supreme court justice's.

**Baronyu**

FarseerAndyMan wrote:
Im telling ya guys --

The annual price hike is nothing more than GW trying to make up for the dismal excuse for a magazine called "White Dwarf".

Well i guess we just get used to it right?

Im hoping my Eldar Codex doesnt jump from 49.95 to 59.95...

I don't think anyone is in any doubt about why they're increasing the price every year, I have no issue with any company trying to make money either, but the issue is really that do we really want to pay £30-40 for a box of space marines that doesn't have the necessary bits to build the unit that you want, that's legally allowed in the codex, so you'd have to buy another box or two just for those extra weapons...

**Shas'O Dorian**

ruricferrinwheel wrote:
ebay will be forced to remove people selling new product, 2nd hand will still be fine.

I opened the shrink wrap, no longer new.

Edit: Also most people I know are willing to have the box opened & contents put into a smaller box to save on shipping costs

Ailaros wrote:
It turns out that the supreme court of the United States disagrees with games workshop on this one, and only one of those two entities has the force of law.

As for price changes, welcome to inflation.

In the U.S. we have first sale doctrine. If I buy it, I can legally resell it however the feth I want, with regards to copyright / trademark. As for inflation, their price increases are generally above inflation.

**generalchaos34**

Im beginning to think that they are trying to price out all of their customers. When i started playing 15 years ago I was in high school and i was able to scrape together some allowance and other earning and go buy a Raider or some warriors and be able to make progress on an army. Nowadays you can only get into if you are single, independently wealthy, or your parents are rich. I dont see the point in trying to market to kids like they are now (to some extent) if they are out of the price range of that demographic to purchase it.

**Demio**

Would the price increase include Forgeworld models? Sorry if its a stupid question.

**pretre**

No.

**Experiment 626**

Do we have any rough idea yet of which sets are getting "re-adjusted" in their prices?

Wondering if I should go ahead and get myself that Soul Grinder I've been wanting, then give it to my parents to hold onto as a Christmas present...

**pretre**

Nope. We have no confirmation of a June price increase other than tradition.

**BrotherOfBone**

Again??!! Ugh, GW are bloody ridiculous.. If they put up the prices again, I can probably handle it, but if they do it a second time... I'll probably be forced to quit... Not like they care ._.

**Purifier**

Experiment 626 wrote:
Wondering if I should go ahead and get myself that Soul Grinder I've been wanting, then give it to my parents to hold onto as a Christmas present...

... wat? That's the weirdest deal I have ever heard.

**Xenocidal Maniac**

Ailaros wrote:
It turns out that the supreme court of the United States disagrees with games workshop on this one, and only one of those two entities has the force of law.

As for price changes, welcome to inflation.

Right, I was wondering how GW got away with shutting down the bitz sites here in the US. Spikey Bits has already stopped. PRIVATE property is the foundation of capitalism and democracy. What you buy is YOURS to do with as you will, and that includes breaking it down into its component parts and reselling it. The US Supreme Court has affirmed this right time and time again. Not sure how GW is flouting this very fundamental capitalist concept, especially here in the US...

**Experiment 626**

Purifier wrote:
Experiment 626 wrote:
Wondering if I should go ahead and get myself that Soul Grinder I've been wanting, then give it to my parents to hold onto as a Christmas present...

... wat? That's the weirdest deal I have ever heard.

Kinda a family tradition...

If you see something you really like, grab it, hand it over, get it back 3-4 months later as an Xmas present and just make sure you "act surprised!"

Makes the shopping much easier though!

**RicBlasko**

Price jumps ever June.
As for needing to meet guidelines, that has always been there. People just got around it.
When I had my store, GW wanted pictures of the inside and outside, which is normal for game companies, so they know you have a store and not selling out of a basement in your home.
GW took it a step more. They wanted to know how big the walls where, and had a set number of feet that was to be GW only on a wall. They also wanted you to sign a deal that when you order, It was from pre set lists, so you got WHF as well as 40K, and they sent you what they wanted you to have. So I could not order say, 20 blisters of IG, 10 Landraiders, and a few starter boxes. I had to order a package that had all races, and had so many of each that they picked for me. Re-guardless of what I was or was not selling.
The other kicker was I got 25-35% off of the list price. So it was not like I was going to make a lot off the sells (since a lot would just gain dust.)
Compare that to when I used my distributor, I got 40% off of all books (D&D, Vampire, Cyberpunk, ect) and could display it as I wanted. If I wanted to use the same distributor for GW, they only had so much around to order, and I only got 15-20% because they needed to make money on it too.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Xenocidal Maniac wrote:
Ailaros wrote:
It turns out that the supreme court of the United States disagrees with games workshop on this one, and only one of those two entities has the force of law.

As for price changes, welcome to inflation.

Right, I was wondering how GW got away with shutting down the bitz sites here in the US. Spikey Bits has already stopped. PRIVATE property is the foundation of capitalism and democracy. What you buy is YOURS to do with as you will, and that includes breaking it down into its component parts and reselling it. The US Supreme Court has affirmed this right time and time again. Not sure how GW is flouting this very fundamental capitalist concept, especially here in the US...

Easy, they have lawyers, and sometimes it's cheaper to not fight it, then to toss money at someone who will go to court for you, while GW has money to burn in order to run you out of cash and time.