carronade and plastics

bibio · Post by **bibio** » Wed May 12, 2010 3:58 pm

at carronade on saturday i was suprised at the price variations of the plastic boxes most traders were discounting them or had deals,the actual manufactures were not which i found suprising-any thoughts?
iain

sharnydubs · Post by **sharnydubs** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:23 pm

And I couldn't find anyone with stock left of the Napoleonic British plastic artillery sets.

j1mwallace · Post by **j1mwallace** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:50 pm

Got mine £17. Excellent. Very well cast

Post by **barr7430** » Thu May 13, 2010 1:53 pm

Yep I have some thoughts....

Many of the traders undermine and undercut the manufacturers by buying their stock heavily discounted and then discounting to the public. I think this practice is shabby because ultimately the manufacturer takes longer to recoup costs and therefore cannot bring out new products. In the short term gamers may benefit because they get 2 or 3 extra quid discount but it is actually very stupid. The boxes are good value at the RRP.. so why discount? I personally think we often want everything, we want it now and by the way, we want it for nowt. I am very much is favour of no discounting. I would rather put money back in the pocket of a company who are going to bring out new products and make me happy in the hobby that save a couple of pounds and have crap choice or be dispapointed becasue a range goes uncompleted because the manufacturer ran out of working capital.

Churchill · Post by **Churchill** » Thu May 13, 2010 2:02 pm

J1m & I got in before you mine was £17 also, excellent value.

I was also suprised to get two boxes of Perry Napoleonic British Line Infantry 1815 for just £12.48 each from Bob McLeish of Rubicon Scenics.

Ray.

CoffinDodger · Post by **CoffinDodger** » Thu May 13, 2010 5:31 pm

barr7430 wrote: ...I think this practice is shabby...

Hear, hear.

From a retired marketing manager.

Jim

kutusov · Post by **kutusov** » Thu May 13, 2010 9:28 pm

Perhaps the problem is caused by the manufacturer trying too be both a manufacturer and a retailer.

If the manufacturer sets his discounts to the trade at a level that allows him to achieve the margin he requires to recover his costs and allow reinvestment in new products within a reasonable period of time.

Then what other retailers sell his product at is not really his concern if they wish to cut their margins to sell more then it's they who are losing margin.And will have to come back to the manufacturer for more stock.

Of course as a sales man why anyone would want to give away the bulk of their profit on something that is sure to be in big demand and will sell at full price ( for instance Perry miniatures) Beats me but people do it in all sectors of the retail market.

Atheling · Post by **Atheling** » Fri May 14, 2010 7:11 am

CoffinDodger wrote:
barr7430 wrote: ...I think this practice is shabby...
Hear, hear.

From a retired marketing manager.

Jim

I have to agree. It's couter productive in the long run and is also a snub to the manufacturer.

The quality of most of the new plastics is outstanding and with this in mind I think it's important to examine why you are buying at a discounted price- OK, it's a few quid cheaper, but it's cutting into the investement of said manufacterers and their ability to stay on course with their plans to produce more lovely miniatures. Oh, and it's also a measure of averice on behalf of the folks responsible for doing the undercutting.

Just my two pennith. Or should I be saying poundith?

Darrell.

bibio · Post by **bibio** » Fri May 14, 2010 7:39 am

i take it that manufactures are not selling to retailers at a loss so therefore they are making a profit on what they sell ,the retailers are not making a loss or they would'nt be selling . With what is about to happen when the robber barons in the treasury get started I can see a lot more discounting coming as dispossible income dwindles, companies other alterantive is the gw route huge price rises to increase your stock value but dwindling sales this works for gw because they have a captured market I do'nt think it would work for historicals
iain

j1mwallace · Post by **j1mwallace** » Fri May 14, 2010 11:14 am

Chaps, as you are all intelligent enough to know by now its called Capitalism. I'd agree though, the majority of plastics are very cheap compared with their metal counterparts and are every bit as good if not better.
I've always said that wargamers are a strange lot. I heard this conversation at Sheffield over some very well painted French Cuirassiers on the bring and buy.
"£60 for 12 plastics? bit of a rip off. they would only have cost him a tenner."
These were very nicely painted and snapped up within the next 2 minutes.
The guy actually bought 10 considerably less well painted metal figures for £50. Same price per figure for lesser quality.
Aye. we are a strange bunch!!

CoffinDodger · Post by **CoffinDodger** » Fri May 14, 2010 12:24 pm

I was never in favour of reducing the individual price of a product. I have always felt that any such discounting denigrated the product itself. A bulk discount is fair enough as it can be seen to reflect economies of scale.

Jim

Atheling · Post by **Atheling** » Fri May 14, 2010 3:19 pm

j1mwallace wrote: Aye. we are a strange bunch!!

I have always thought this statement to be a 'given'

.

Darrell.

Der Alte Fritz · Post by **Der Alte Fritz** » Fri May 14, 2010 8:34 pm

One other possibility is that the retailer needs liquidity and thus is willing to sell his boxes of plastic figures at a discount in order to turn the inventory into cash.

Post by **barr7430** » Sat May 15, 2010 2:32 pm

Fritz you seem like a nice human being

always thinking the best of people

I admire you

I , unfortunately am a cynical, sceptical, doubting, untrusting little sod and these negative qualities have protected me very well since I got into long trousers!

The business side of our hobby is peppered with characters possessing dubious bona fides

dashing blade · Post by **dashing blade** » Sun May 16, 2010 6:26 pm

The problem with wargamers is that we're human,and fall prey to such sins as greed, avarice and the inability to think straight when we think we're saving money. This forum is blessed with people with noble ideals and the ability to think ahead. Alas, men like you are few. The people Jim overheard in Sheffield are unfortunately more common. Still Jim was in Yorkshire, and this may be a factor!