...Also pathetic that GW is now selling WHFB plastic characters at the same price as metal ones. Doesn't matter what material they use, cheaper or not, they'll sell it at their over the top prices.

Good news at least that I saw in their new advance order releases is that they have a necromancer model that is metal! I know right, amazing... Could only hope they would release some "Hobbit" characters in metal, but that's wishful thinking.

_________________
My Lotr backlog: 305/952[][][][][][][][][][]32% completed
Painting Lineup: Mumakil x2, Rohan Heroes x8, Haradrim, SKoDA

The reasoning for the price of them is that most people will only buy one or two.. It's not the material, its the cost of the metal mold they have to cut. £8 isn't that bad, I think it's rather good!

_________________
++ THE VANUS TEMPLE ++
Contact for commissions!

Not if your an Australian

_________________
Compulsorily acquired? You know what this means don't you, they're acquiring it compulsorily. - Darryl Kerrigan

Or Canadian.

_________________
Dreaming of getting back to painting...any month now.

£8 is pretty damn good for a character! Pretty much the cheapest character models you can get. And they're plastic!
As Dezert fox says; character prices are set because a single player is only likely to buy one of each- so the price has to be higher to enable profit.

And the metal necromancer is a re-released older model.

Well $25 odd bucks will get you a single metal character model. Now for plastic characters like the empire general box will cost over $40.

_________________
Compulsorily acquired? You know what this means don't you, they're acquiring it compulsorily. - Darryl Kerrigan

Guys I'm sorry, but I'm not going to drink the kool aid on plastic models being greater than metal ones. The excuse before for GW selling metal models at so high a price was because of the material being metal. Now that characters are becoming plastic they're still selling them at that same price!? And why, because they're only being bought once? Just so that they can 'enable a profit' (i.e. eye gouge their clientele).

Well it's great that GW is bringing kids in to change the old guard. They'll be eating those products up at their ridiculous prices. And if the parents don't have any sense to know better, well good on them for having the luxury of just tossing their money away.

Also, what's up with that then bringing an old metal sculpt back on the market in advance order if they're looking to stop production on metals?

_________________
My Lotr backlog: 305/952[][][][][][][][][][]32% completed
Painting Lineup: Mumakil x2, Rohan Heroes x8, Haradrim, SKoDA

They're a business, they need profit, they're not making models to make you happy. They're doing it to make money.

Here's a simple solution: If you don't like it, don't buy it!

We all put a value on what we purchase, some have higher values than others. I see it as I will spend that £8 once, but how many hours enjoyment will I get out of it? A few hours building and painting, then hundreds of gaming hours each year, I think that's pretty good for £8!

_________________
++ THE VANUS TEMPLE ++
Contact for commissions!

That is the problem with your argument a business makes a profit by making customers happy. Games Work shop is known word wide for making customers unhappy and making excuses for it.Games Work Shop has thrown away the good will and potential market share for ten profit making companies.
Profits are down and cost are high. Not all of this is GW's fault. However, GW's reputation and past history preclude the benefit of doubt.
This is not an economics or investment forum so let us not get into why cost are high.

_________________
"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

Pricing all comes down to what a company can get away with. I have been buying miniatures from all sorts of companies lately and have found that quality doesn't vary too much from company to company (the more well known companies); the more well established a company, the higher their prices and usually better their product. GW isn't outlandishly priced in most cases, but they need to bring their quality control back into balance with the Finecast product...then again their customer service is outstanding so if you get a crappy one all you have to do is call them to replace it.

GW is ok, this just isn't a cheap hobby and for that, it makes it hard on a kid to get started due to funds. What does the future hold for this hobby? Not sure, if you cannot get younger people to be attracted to it and grow in the hobby....I am probably in the minority as I started about 7 years ago and I'll be 41 this fall. I would think that these companies need to keep putting out cheaper starter products like Mines of Moria and Assault on Black Reach to reel kids in (not that $80-$100 is cheap, but it isn't horrible either when compared to a single video game for Xbox or PS3 or what-have-you).

_________________
No one feels as helpless as the owner of a sick goldfish.

[quote="Dezartfox"]
Here's a simple solution: If you don't like it, don't buy it!
quote]
That's exactly dead on, and I find that solution is working quite well for me. As well being allowed to voice an opinion on why I don't like it and not buying it. Doesn't mean that I'm not buying some of the other miniatures that I like. I'll just avoid plastic characters out of spite for them being priced like they're metals.

_________________
My Lotr backlog: 305/952[][][][][][][][][][]32% completed
Painting Lineup: Mumakil x2, Rohan Heroes x8, Haradrim, SKoDA

I don't often agree with you Oldman...
Of course GW are making models to make people happy. That's kind of the point! I buy a GW model because it makes me happy and satisfied- if it didn't then why would I ever buy it?!



This I disagree with though. The unhappy people are the vocal minority on the internet. Everyone else just gets on with enjoying their hobby. I can spend a weekend in my local GW and see more happy people than all the complainers I see on the net.



Very few hobbies are cheap to start. As you say with an X-box- the start up cost is way in excess of starting Warhammer. As is say, Skiing, or archery or whatever. People will always pay these costs though if they really want to be a part of the hobby. I see friends getting through 2-3 xbox/PS3 games a month at £35 a pop- that £105 spent on GW models will last me years as opposed to a single month of video game playing. How is that not worth it?!

Start up cost with GW is always going to be high. Those starter boxes though are always a good deal though and I see new kids at the local GW getting them every week.

I'm going to have to side with Dezartfox on this one, he's right. It's all about the almighty $ now and not making customers happy. Stop trying to sugar coat things Lorizael

Listen even though this forum establishes itself as a fanbase for Lotr miniatures, it's GW that makes those miniatures, therefore this is a GW fanbase forum. Along with all those other forums out there for WHFB, WH40K and more, with thousands and thousands of members all into this hobby, all GW clients. And with GW's recent actions which prompted up a storm of anger and disappointment lighting up the internet boards, you're going to tell me Lorizael that the internet fraternities are a small voice among millions!? And just where are you going to hear the voices and opinions of the rest of the customers if not the internet where you're free to have an opinion? In the GW store? Who the hell is going to show up to the GW store just to outright blast the company on their business decisions!? That must be one hell of a dedicated GW fanatic. " I HATE THE DIRECTION GW IS TAKING THEIR WHOLE GAMING LINE AND DEMAND THEY TREAT US CLIENTS BETTER!!! Oh by the way Bob can you pass me a blister of those Waywatchers over there, thanks."

Of course GW employees are on these forums listening to what their fanbase has to say. This is kind of our way of communicating. But if it is true that we can rant all we want our complaints are only going to fall on deaf ears, or in this case blind eyes. Well then my message is just for the newbies that starting up into this hobby that just happens to be coming across reading this, "Beware of being ripped off by the man!"

You guys say that 8 GBP is nothing for one model. I don't know how much that translates into Canadian but it costs $16+tx over here. For $16 cdn I can get 12 litres of milk or 5 loafs of bread. Does one small plastic model (and forget about the idea of it being a character, but taking it for what it really is) equals to that? Then you get this one character model plus another different plastic character model, then you're up to $32 cdn quickly. You can buy a bloody box of 10 plastics or more for that amount! And you guys think that this isn't a bit devious?

If GW was still at affordable prices I would already be making a second WHFB army, but thanks to their price gouging that stopped that idea. All for the better I suppose.

Still I like you Lorizael, nothing personal

_________________
My Lotr backlog: 305/952[][][][][][][][][][]32% completed
Painting Lineup: Mumakil x2, Rohan Heroes x8, Haradrim, SKoDA

I am sure Games Work Shop wishes that were true.

I can't find any happy people at a GW shop because they all closed because they made their customers un-happy.


They don't sell at all when the Kids are exposed to the other games.

"It is not horrible" that is a compelling argument!

That is quite alright I don't agree with you either But isn't that what forums are about?

_________________
"the same as a duck you must be made of wood"

I think the problem for most of, who don't just play GW products but are aware of the greater gaming community out there, and other rules systems and other mini manufacturers, is that when you buy GW figures, compared to other manufacturers, you really are getting ripped off... I only stick with GW for LOTR as they have the licence to make the ones that look like the movie characters... and even with that, and waiting on the new Hobbit releases, if they are all going to be FinecOst;

then I think even I may be put off buying them, and there probably wont be any cheap ones on ebay for a while as there were with the glut from the BGiME fall out...
I was looking forward to the Hobbit movie, not only for the movie, but for the new figures. But now thanks to FinecOst, I am viewing it with trepidation - I'll no doubt want the figures, but I'll be damned if I am paying those prices for them... especially here in NZ - it will depend on whether I can source them globally cheaper, as to whether I buy any...

_________________
www.scottswargaming.blogspot.com

I'm with you on that jscott. I'm going to resist the temptation because I hate Finecost, though I'm a Middle-Earth junky. So as you say, E-bay or idependent store liquidation clearances. Hate it when a local independent falls, but love those clearances!

_________________
My Lotr backlog: 305/952[][][][][][][][][][]32% completed
Painting Lineup: Mumakil x2, Rohan Heroes x8, Haradrim, SKoDA

LOVE the FInecost banner jscottbowman, brilliant made me laugh on a monday morning!!!!

I hope GW realise what a mistake they have made with Finecast and release the Hobbit figures in metal, or get the resin figure quality sorted from the current substandard product.

_________________
Harfoots-The first of the Hobbit people to cross over the Misty Mountains and enter Eriador.

Great banner, definitely worth 1000 words or more...

The thing I find amusing is that when some people complain, the "hardcore GW supporters" leap to the company's rescue. Resin, typically and as seen with Mantic's and Privateer's resin/plastic hybrids, is a cheaper material than the white metal that was being used. With tin prices soaring, I can understand the desire and the NEED to switch away from using it. Frankly speaking, that tin has more practical uses in manufacturing, especially if it's running into short supply. So no, it isn't the change that angered me to the point that I'll never EVER pay retail price for a Finecast mini. I have three reasons for that:

3) The (lack of) quality control. Sure, they'll replace the mini if it's malformed and that's all well and good. My local shop closed down early this year. I don't really want to wait a few weeks while they ship me a replacement, because of a problem they should have caught in the first place.

2) The secrecy behind the change. The internet forums (this one included) were choked with theories and outcries when the metals started to become scarce. Not once did GW even attempt to ease peoples' fears, even by something as ambiguous as "don't worry, we have something big planned for them." Not only that but with a change-over of materials and retooling of molds, this must have been in the works for quite some time. Tying into #3, with all that planning time you'd think they could have made sure the results weren't utter [word deleted].

1) They are charging MORE MONEY for what should be a CHEAPER PRODUCT! Mantic switched from metal to resin on their Wraiths and not only did the price remain the same, but you get TWICE AS MANY now! A metal 5-pack and a resin/plastic 10-pack cost the same. How is that possible? Now, before the GW Defence Force starts talking about how GW uses a special resin touched by the hands of Jesus Christ himself I'll ask them to post mix ratios comparing GW to Mantic and Privateer resins, if they can find them. Simply put, just because GW propaganda says it's more special and higher-grade (and thus more $$$) than the competition's stuff DOESN'T MAKE IT TRUE.

_________________
Gondor: 2339pts
Rohan: 1318pts
Dwarves: 2482pts
Elves: 1091pts
Mordor: 2305pts
Isengard: 1762pts
Moria: 1463pts
Evil Men: 381pts

I also make Forge World models,there is NO DIFFERENCE in the materials between Finecast & Forgeworld. No matter what people write.

_________________
Harfoots-The first of the Hobbit people to cross over the Misty Mountains and enter Eriador.