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Howdy Dakka-rites!
This is my first Post (no surprise there) and I live in the UK and have been 'collecting' GW figures since the mid-1980's (OMG!!!). For 40K I currently have approx 2,000 points each of Tau, Necrons, Space Marines (Green Knights - a homebrew chapter based on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight), Thousand Sons and a sizable IG army [no real amounts of WFB armies, just countless assorted fantasy figures - thanks to my eclectic collecting habit].
I still possess my old first edition of the 40K (Rogue Trader) Rulebook and even remember when White Dwarf used to have articles (and adverts) for other companies [a quick note, I actually possess the 2 Thrud the Barbarian figures too - yes, they actually produced 2 of them].

The point (yes, there is one) I would like to make, or should that be a question I would like to ask you all is -
'I have seen the price of GW figures reach a staggering level over the last few years, and I would like to ask the fellow posters how long do you think it will be before GW reach that level where the average customer will begin to ask themselves (seriously) whether the figures they wish to purchase are actually worth the cost they are asking?
In my opinion, GW are approaching that level now: I mean £18.00 for 5(!!!) metal figures [namely the brand new Dark Eldar Incubi (how long did we have to wait for them to re-work their Codex?)], how on earth do they justify this price? Surely they don't cost that much to design and produce? I appreciate the fact that they are a big company and have serious overheads to cover, but is that sort of price really justifiable.'

I think it will not be long before many of the devout GW followers will begin to look elsewhere for their Sci-Fi wargaming fix (such as Firestorm Armada, Warmachine, VOID, etc.).
What do you think folks? Leofric.

Hello and welcome. The issues you've raised have been discussed many times on the forum, but basically now figure prices do not reflect material costs but what the market can bear instead. Usually these discussions result in some people saying that it's a luxury item, like say a porshe, and that if it's too expensive you should stop or get a better job, while others forecast GW's doom.

One the thing preventing people moving away from GW in masses is that GW have huge market presence and lots of shops, their shops are the only place for many to meet others and play games and so GW lay down the ground rules, ie GW only figures.

Welcome to Dakka

The infrastructure that surrounds Warhammer allows them to charge the prices IMO. Im prepared to pay although I usually shop at Maelstrom even though im on the other side of the planet.

Hello and welcome to Dakka!

Welcome to the Dak!

One way I've found to avoid the huge prices that GW lay down is to either scratch build/convert as much as possible. Almost all the vehicles in the game can be scratchbuilt (excluding eldar, they're difficult) Dont buy metal figures, convert them out of plastic. For example, with marine armies you can make almost every unit in the codex from the same tactical squad box and a little creativity.

Recycle figures as much as possible. By this I mean use your old figs (with a little converting) in new armies as much as possible. Got random eldar figures lying around, and a heap of broken chaos marauders? Guess, what, add some cardboard raiders and you've got a dark eldar army! (I've personally done this one)

Also, trying to find substitute figures always helps to save money. Why pay 25$ for 1 (1!) butt ugly metal fiend of slaneesh when you can pay 22$ and get a seeker or slaneesh box, where you can use the mounts as fiends (on 40mm cardboard bases) leaving you the daemonettes to use as, say, dark eldar wyches (with some random spiky bits from your bitz box)?

See what I'm getting at?

Anyways, best of luck, and welcome to dakka!

Welcome to Daki Dak!

Welcome to dakka dakka!

As for your question bout price increases I'm kinda at this point now alot of the people in my local meta and moved in mass to the dark side (aka warmachine/hordes). Personal I think its

Welcome to dak dak! Your best bet is to find an online store that offers a discount off retail.

The discount online is probably the only way to resolve the looming GW 'Price Crisis'. For us in the UK, Wayland Games are a great place to start, and there fantasy stuff isn't bad either.
Our local toy shop mainly sells GW Box sets (and will get in whatever you ask for), all at a slightly lesser price than what you would pay in a GW shop. So, good news sort of.

Welcome

Hey and welcome to Dakka, i have been collecting since was about 10 way back in 2000! (where the hell has the time gone??) but i have noticed a huge increase in prices over this time, i stop gaming all together about 5 years back purly as i just couldnt afford to anymore, but with the economic climate and inflation i accepted this would happen, though at least they are starting to make plastic box sets instead of the more expensive metal boxes, though certain things i strongly argued against, i am a guard player and the choice to stop making 20 plastic guard for 18GDP and now can only get a box of 10 really bugged me, it seems like a cheaper option but you end up spending more more the same amount of models as you use to, i hope they change this soon or as other have said, eventually even the hardcore gamers will become annoyed about this and "defect"

Hey
Welcome to Dakka!
Having spent almost £50 on 11 figures last weekend, I wholeheartedly feel your annoyance

Welcome! I've bypassed this by trying to build my own. I'm currently pouring my own resin bases, which are sculpted, defeating the need for flocking. A bit more expensive to start, but worth it in the long run!

Welcome! I agree with most of the price comments, part of the reason I started getting orks as they're so cheap. I strongly approve of the thousand sons. I've painted all the ones I own (which is quite a few) in the pre-heresy colour scheme. Note that this is a varied army not just the troop choice. I even converted a not daemon Magnus, with whom I use Abaddons rules. Enjoy the forum!

Thanks for the warm welcome folks, and nice feedback.

Aliasrm13 - they will probably never revert back to the 20 figure sets for IG, it make smore money that way.

loritheladybug - have you posted pictures of the bases you mentioned? It would be nice to see them.
Also, how much did it cost you to set up the resin base idea?

Triskelion7 - Have you posted piccies of your pre-heresy Thousad Sons? I have some and have been debating with myself to re-paint them in that scheme. It would be nice to see some already done.

Thanks to everyone else who replied, cheers folks.

Welcome to Dakka Dakka!

Leofric13 wrote:Thanks for the warm welcome folks, and nice feedback.
...
loritheladybug - have you posted pictures of the bases you mentioned? It would be nice to see them.
Also, how much did it cost you to set up the resin base idea?

...

Cost wise, I spent like $60 on a kit from Hobby Lobby. Its been really easy, and I've made some fences too (those pics are up).

Howl-lo!
Welcome to Dakka Dakka. Also, GW products are made with an addictive chemical.