The cost of wargames figures

[eboracomb]

I hope you don't mind me joining the thread as I am a manufacturer but this is a problem I have been giving some thought to lately,it is nice to see all the sensible comments you guys have made as it seems that whatever you do as manufacturer somebody somewhere on the web will be having a go at you while somebody will be praising you for the same decision,as for distributors flick40 I have been considering this but this is a contributing factor in pricing as distributors usually get 30% to 40% discount which means prices have to be a certain level to make anything on the figures,this as been made worse by the postage price raises,I have been trying to work out which course is best find distributors or just have a postage charge of £2.50 for UK £3.50 Europe and £4.50 for rest of the world no matter how big the order,I would be grateful for any feedback.

cheers Nick

[obriendavid]

I have been trying to work out which course is best find distributors or just have a postage charge of £2.50 for UK £3.50 Europe and £4.50 for rest of the world no matter how big the order,I would be grateful for any feedback.
cheers Nick

Personally I don't see why you should have to make a loss on postal charges after all you are running a business and profit is important for you to be able to carry on your business and be able to produce new products for the future. There are some companies that I feel just attempt to rip off their customers with postal charges but I am happy to pay post plus extra for packaging.
As you say no matter what you do/produce/charge some wargamers will always have a pop at you but I think if you are supplying a good product and service then you ignore them as there are many gamers out there who seem to think you should give them what they want at virtually no charge.
Cheers
Dave

[kutusov]

i dont mind paying postage near its actual cost but some people are basically ripping buyers off

[18th Century Guy]

If you can work up the flat postage rates then I'd say go for that. Much less headache then worrying about a distributor. You're a small business and if you're upfront about it I think most gamers will appreciate and understand it.

[eboracomb]

the postage costs in the UK are really quite high especially when shipping metal figures,at the moment I charge 30% for rest of world US,Australia and so on this can add a lot to the cost of an order but this covers the cost of postage and materials but not time for packing or posting,I can understand why this puts customers off this is my biggest problem,if I have basically free postage the US and rest of world customers gain the most then Europe and the UK customers the least or maybe they would be glad just to all pay the same price for a figure,I have been struggling with this for a while and can't decide which is the best way forward.

cheers Nick

[Matt 1805]

I would say that price is important to me but less so than quality. I will pay more for better figures but prices have encouraged me to change my buying tactics. I do not buy a whole army at a time now; simply unit by unit. This way my mountain is less and so is the outlay.

There is a better reason for doing this of course, I have a metal (and plastic) mountain simply because better, newer, stuff comes out (or so I think).Therefore I never get to paint everything if I buy in bulk becasue by the time I get halfway through an army I have been tempted onto other ranges, new figures by the same company or an entirely new project. In any case i end up with figures I may not paint, which is wastful. That said I have been dipping into my mountain more recently - that rainy day has finally come. Some of the stuff is years old (Foundry WW2 ). I have also found myself contemplating armies that have a core of plastic figures.

But there are limits - I love Eureka figures but sadly I have very few of them. But I have absolutely. and finally had it with GW - they changed the layout of WD and put the price up by a quid! And all the character models are in that rubbish resin stuff but twice the price. Enough is enough, I have persuaded my son to switch to Steampunk - by the way thanks to the lads from Glasgow at Kerriemuir - brilliant game.

[Matt 1805]

I would say that price is important to me but less so than quality. I will pay more for better figures but prices have encouraged me to change my buying tactics. I do not buy a whole army at a time now; simply unit by unit. This way my mountain is less and so is the outlay.

There is a better reason for doing this of course, I have a metal (and plastic) mountain simply because better, newer, stuff comes out (or so I think).Therefore I never get to paint everything if I buy in bulk becasue by the time I get halfway through an army I have been tempted onto other ranges, new figures by the same company or an entirely new project. In any case i end up with figures I may not paint, which is wastful. That said I have been dipping into my mountain more recently - that rainy day has finally come. Some of the stuff is years old (Foundry WW2 ). I have also found myself contemplating armies that have a core of plastic figures.

But there are limits - I love Eureka figures but sadly I have very few of them. But I have absolutely. and finally had it with GW - they changed the layout of WD and put the price up by a quid! And all the character models are in that rubbish resin stuff but twice the price. Enough is enough, I have persuaded my son to switch to Steampunk - by the way thanks to the lads from Glasgow at Kerriemuir - brilliant game.

[BerkshireJacobite]

Are the 'postage and packaging' charges to customers reflected in the tax the suppliers pay, or do they claim them as business costs?

[barr7430]

They are both costs and taxable. Any money running through a business is taxable if you make a profit after deduction of operating costs and expenses.
Since the PO in the UK altered its parcel cost rates recently the cost of postage even of modestly small and lightweight shipments is extortionate particularly overseas.

[BerkshireJacobite]

I shall check the postage costs, including jiffy envelope, of my latest figure delivery.

[Ronan the Librarian]

I realise that I'm coming a bit late to this discussion, so apologies. However, I do feel that there is one important matter that has not been mentioned. Until about 3-4years ago (maybe even more recently), Eureka figures were extremely reasonably priced - in fact, almost a steal at barely £1 a figure. Then the world suddenly got its teeth into exchange rates, and the Aussie dollar stopped being a poor relation, currency-wise, and became uber -. The exchange rate has virtually tipped on its head and this, rather than any pricing policies by the company itself, is what has made Eureka products seem so expensive to us in the UK (even when cast over here by Fighting 15s).

Not being a currency specialist, I have no idea whether matters will return to their former state, or if we will have to put up with the current exchange rate for the forseeable future. If the latter, then Nic at Eureka will have to seriously consider what his UK pricing policy - or casting policy via Fighting 15s - will be. I understand he will be attending Salute again this year, so perhaps this is something people can approach him about.

[j1mwallace]

My mrs and I were at the Metro centre shopping on Sunday. I went to buy some paint and had a browse through Games Workshop
For the first time ever I came across their finecast range
Feck me !!! £ 19 for 2 resin dwarfs. !!!

[Friedrich August I.]

.... Games Workshop For the first time ever I came across their finecast range
Feck me !!! £ 19 for 2 resin dwarfs. !!!

[Cameronian]

All about disposable income really and how to dispose of it. I like miniatures, I like going to the pub, running a car, buying books and music, DVDs, etc.

So, to make the cash go further my figures are either 1/72 plastic, smaller scale metal, second hand or selected 28mm from the cheaper end (careful selection of period/faction helps with this one).

[simon boulton]

I can't see the value of the Aussie dollar coming down any time soon. They are rich in natural resources that the world is running out of, plus I don't think they were particularly affected by the banking crisis that triggered the recession.
It must be a nightmare running an international business and trying to set a price.

There are a number of the Eureka ranges that I like the look of but at £2.50 a figure I won't be getting them. If they're cast in the UK though, why do they need to be so much more expensive than other figures made in the UK?