Getting Priced Out

[Grim Beasties]

So this is a continuation of the SoB price conversation that was in the rumor thread. I've been in this for most of my life, but these prices are getting to the point where I just can't anymore. If anyone has any ideas on how to help spend less for models please let me know, I don't want to leave this hobby but at this rate I might not have a choice.

[Sonnenspeer]

Play the armies you already own and add a unit or two each year. And collect WU Warbands for painting.

[Lucio]

Getting used to saving up is my suggestion
If you'd buy a £35 box a month collecting a normal army, put that money aside and spend it in 2-4 months time on the model.

 

It's tough but the prices aren't going to drop any time soon

 

 

[SunStorm]

Keeping an eye on ebay or trading forums can get you cheaper stuff. Especially if you're prepared to strip old paint jobs. Sometimes charity shops/garage sales can have cheap stuff, especially as most people don't know how to price it. 

Discount sellers, LFGS, etc can have around 20% off GW prices.

Save up and spend more time painting what you have, until you can afford something new. Unless you're a superhuman, then I guess you'll have a pile of unfinished projects, I know I do. 

Or buy some shares in GW itself, then use the profits/dividends to buy more stuff! 

[sandlemad]

Switch games. That's what worked for me. Blood Bowl, WarCry, Kill Team, Necromunda, Warhammer Underworlds, Lord of the Rings, Adeptus Titanicus, Aeronautica Imperialis, all these offer a lot at a fraction of the cost of going all out on a large AoS/40k army. They're fascinating games working in very different design spaces to mainline AoS/40k and some of them are to my mind just a helluva lot better as rulesets. The crowds tend to overlap a fair bit but if you're concerned about getting games, you could still easily get into even two of them and you'll double your chances. 

And that's just GW. Explore outside what they have, look at Hail Caesar or Frostgrave or Battletech or any number of other games. Not all of them are guaranteed to be meaningfully cheaper but there's good stuff out there.

Edited October 6, 2020 by sandlemad

[Rodiger]

I have no idea what kind of gamer you are, so I have no idea how relevant any of this will be.

I imagine it costs more to be a competitive player and keeping up with the meta for tournaments. So if you do this consider stepping back from that and becoming a more narrative gamer where you play with friends more, you can proxy and use 'counts as' as much as you want, and you don't need to buy units because of the list. 

I'd second getting into the 'boxed games', much smaller buy in, for the same price or less than a few of boxes of units for an army, you can have a blood bowl team, a necromunda gang and a warcry warband. I personally much more prefer these types of games. Other companies games like frostgrave have vitually no buy in at all. 

I'd also second having a hobby budget for each month and saving it for larger releases.

And don't get caught in the hype, I know how strong the urge can be to pre order on a Saturday, but just don't, it isn't going anywhere if it's an army release, and the urge passes pretty quickly once Monday comes round and the marketing hype machine Warhammer Community is turns and starts it's next product hype drive. I quite often can't even remember the release from the week before how quicky it's cast aside for the next pre order.

As I've said in other threads the price rises have seen me spend a lot, lot less, I'm sure GW's price team have moved towards the 'how much can we get away with charging for this and enough suckers will still buy it' model instead of the normal model that takes into account, design, production, staff wages etc. That Arena Mortis for Underworlds had me fuming. 

I've just seen the price of the Mega Gragant and felt my eyes bulge. 

 

[Greybeard86]

My recommendation is to set a budget and adopt a playstyle that works well with it. For example, perhaps you need to focus on only one army.

It is easy to overspend, and GW certainly has some nice models, but I think that's when the rational part of the brain must kick in

[Mattrulesok]

Honestly the only answer is budget, shop within your means and buy 2nd hand or proxies where possible. Ultimately the only thing that will prevent this hobby becoming more expensive is if the new higher priced models sell poorly. Complaining and making noise about the prohitive cost won't make a difference if GW sees increased profits on the new models. 

 

This doesn't mean don't support your lfgs, buy proxies from them and tell the staff why. Seriously I've been in the retail industry for 13 years (fashion) and I speak with suppliers on a regular basis. They ask what's working, what's not and why? I have been asked by brands/companies if their new price points are working and seen them adjust accordingly. If the new priced models sell poorly and better priced kits, as well as competitor kits, sell well they may just backtrack on this pricing. 

[zilberfrid]

There are multiple parts of the hobby:

Modeling

Painting

Playing noncompetetively

Playing competetively.

 

Decide what you like more, and go for that!

You like modeling? Build lots of terrain, can be done really cheaply (look at youtube vids).

You like painting more? Get cheaper models. There are kickstarters where model price drops to around 40 cents per model. Perry historicals are about 50ct per model.

You like playing noncompetetively? Try Rangers of Shadowdeep. You can even play this solo.

You like playing competetively? Either play with AoS rules and different models (especially heroes are ridiculous) or a different game, like Frostgrave. Just find out what people are playing close to you, and do that.

[Sputnik]

One tip is to search ebay for half box sets. I recently picked up 1k points of new Necrons on sprue for 50 quid. The same applies for Nighthaunt and Stormcast.

The second hand market takes a bit of exploring to find good deals but I've recently had a few buys which were about half of RRP for used models that were not 'perfect' but easily fixable. 

[Baron Klatz]

Pretty much the same answer with the rising prices of the videogames industry. Budget.

Stay with smaller armies or warbands(or cheaper older ones like Stormcast or Beastclaw Raiders) for awhile and play AoS at 500 to 1000 points and slowly build your forces overtime. It's a hobby, no reason to rush. Plus more time to finally slay that army of grey in your backlog.

And of course keep an eye out for sweet deals like Christmas battleboxes and yearly starter sets they pump out. Then there's good ol' retailers and stuff like the Mortal Realms magazines.

Basically just don't jump on the shiny new hook that comes into the water unless you're absolutely sold on the army. As time goes by that army loses hype and GW keep putting out cheaper ways to buy it in bulk with Start Collectings,  warbands, magazines or battle sets.

If you're feeling priced out then patience is certainly a virtue.

Edited October 6, 2020 by Baron Klatz

[a74xhx]

I suspect no one is going to like this strategy:

Every time you buy GW models, spend the same amount in GW shares. Maybe after a year or two you'll reach a point where the shares are making enough to cover the cost of any future purchases.

Sadly requires double your additional money upfront, and only works as long as you don't sell those shares to get your money back. I know is going to price out most people...... but, that's capitalism.

(Disclaimer: prices can rise and fall. Your money is at risk. This is not financial advice. Yadda yadda yadda.)

 

[Talas]

Set up a budget limit and stick with it. Reevalute every year or so.

[JackStreicher]

3 hours ago, Grim Beasties said:

I've been in this for most of my life, but these prices are getting to the point where I just can't anymore.

Same. I am almost 30 and I‘ve been in the hobby for a Little longer than 20 years. Prices have always been high but this is the lowest point to which GW has ever gotten yet.

The Price of Lumineth put me off big time (I wanted to use the Starter Box Models as CoS Proxies). I didn’t do that.

For the Gargants I even planned how to convert mine. Well that won‘t happen anymore. 🤷🏼‍♂️

My solution: Don‘t buy the expensive kits to make GW feel that it‘s too much they‘re charging.

 

Edited October 6, 2020 by JackStreicher

[Baron Klatz]

That's the main point of it really, just avoid the new expensive stuff. It's made to bait the players who don't care about prices and just want the new hot shiny thing or the competitive edge.

GW know those guys get burnt out eventually so we're already seeing an Underworlds Lumineth Warband(which I'm excited about with it combining their Alarith lore with calming Beastgrave's sentient hungry moutain) and you know a Lumineth Christmas battlebox and Start Collecting are in the future for players whose wallets didn't let them make the jump.

It'll likely be the same with Mega-gargants, huge impressive kit now and by next year or so they'll announce the titans get boxes seperated into cheaper individual kits like they've done with heroes.

Rinse and repeat until we all can get a piece of the pie.

Edited October 6, 2020 by Baron Klatz

[Mutton]

There are plenty of miniatures manufacturers out there that won't bend you over the barrel. I'd recommend looking for third-party alternatives for units that are too pricey or have miserably old sculpts (Kings of War, Frostgrave miniatures, Creature Caster, etc). You can even find some awesome looking miniatures from board games on places like ebay.

[a74xhx]

1 hour ago, Baron Klatz said:

It'll likely be the same with Mega-gargants, huge impressive kit now and by next year or so they'll announce the titans get boxes seperated into cheaper individual kits like they've done with heroes.

The sprues don't split up that way. 

[Overread]

Sometimes, and this is not every time, being "priced out" isn't actually true. 

It's actually one part of several that combine to lead you to get less enjoyment from the hobby. This might be miniature wargaming in general or just GW brand wargaming. I've quite a few times seen people say they are "priced out" yet at the same time they've been generally hostile/negative for quite a long time and its clear that "imbalance" in the rules and perhaps kits not being how they want in design choices (either aesthetics and/or in options on the kit). Basically they are already heading out the door GW if not wargaming wise and the prices "going up" often adds to the load. Another is new codex/battletomes or even new editions that "ruin the whole game" and such. 

Many times its good to pause and step back from your hobby and evaluate if its the price or if its other things too and perhaps if it is time to take a break. I've taken several and its often only resulted in me coming back with more energy for it when the bug bites once more. A break might be any length; could be a week; could be months; could be years. The key is not to force yourself beyond your fun-factor. Once you're making it a chore and you lose the fun then paying "over the odds" for stuff that isn't giving you the reward is just a painful experience for you. Instead put the hobby to the side, store it up and focus on something fresh and new. Might be a new game from another company; might be board games or video games or heck walking; cycling; fishing; juggling - whatever. 

 

I would say that price rises are something no one likes. Even those who can afford all they want and way way more still don't like paying more. 

I'll also repeat that people DO get priced out; where the prices rise beyond their easy means. There are several points raised above in earlier posts about how to help budget and afford the hobby with less cash in the bank. But if you really hit the wall then it might well be time to refocus and try another hobby. Heck you could get into DnD or many other very cheap geeky hobbies. 

[The Red King]

Hey if it helps Mantics 40 quid giant is the same size as a Mega Gargant so if you want 5 megas for the price of one GW....

[Orsino]

52 minutes ago, The Red King said:

Hey if it helps Mantics 40 quid giant is the same size as a Mega Gargant so if you want 5 megas for the price of one GW....

Oooh that's tempting. As long as you're not expecting to use it in GW stores this seems like a good option. And not spending  such a big chunk of change on the thing would make me feel more comfortable doing some crazy conversion. 

[Neverchosen]

I have been priced out before entering the hobby. If I were to play competitively I would be homeless. Luckily the second hand market is okay for me price-wise...

However, the recent increase of costs has resulted in me trading my incomplete Idoneth  favour of a much cheaper and nearly complete Stormcast army... 😢. It is a rough conglomeration of Sacrosanct and Warrior chamber models and I will have to rebase a few models.

Luckily I was able to arrange the swap to get my friend a solid Nighthaunt army in the process. But I think hobby-wise that is the end of my collecting except adding little pieces to my armies. My goal was to always have two small armies that were roughly balanced so that I can play friendly games in my home and I have succeeded in that regard 🙂

[Lucky Snake Eyes]

I got into the hobby like 6 years ago as a broke high school student with the dying breaths of fantasy (I picked a hell of a time to buy vlad and isabella a month or so before end times started), continued as a broke college student through 7th edition 40k and later age of sigmar carrying over my handful of vamps and skeletons into legions of nagash. Through the latter half of college I had a part time job working for the college and mostly purchased models preowned or traded with friends (my local flgs deals in used models and gives good discounts due to dirt cheap overhead thanks to low rent and minimal staffing). I got an actual job after graduation and suddenly could afford to buy new so in came emperors children for 40k and slaanesh and obr for aos after milling out a bunch of my legions. As a side note obr was surprisingly reasonably priced even if the harvester and crawler being the same points but vastly different in size and cost is confusing. Having lost my job and unable to find a new one thanks to the pandemic I'm back to my old habits for keeping up with the hobby but I am more fortunate than others being 22, no kids, living with my parents and no student debt (which in itself feels like an exclusively north american problem but hey 2 years of banking half of every pay i got in college was a good idea after all). Thankfully I'm at the point where I can burn out a year on my savings till the job market improves (rip house downpayment money) and only pick up the necessities to keep playing (broken realms books, 40k codexes for my armies whenever those come out). I know folks who weren't in as fortunate a situation as me and had to sell armies to make ends meet. Honestly if wargaming or painting is a hobby you're really into then do what I did for about a year of being unable to afford to keep up with GW and look to another game. For me that was Infinity, a sci-fi skirmish game where $90CAD got me a decent army at the games standard points bracket, dice, terrain (albeit cardboard) and all the rules where available online for free. I do love AoS and even run tournaments out of a local cafe for it but I know firsthand there's times when you need to sit back and reassess your personal situation and social/financial relationship with the hobby.

[zilberfrid]

2 hours ago, Overread said:

Sometimes, and this is not every time, being "priced out" isn't actually true. 

It's actually one part of several that combine to lead you to get less enjoyment from the hobby. This might be miniature wargaming in general or just GW brand wargaming. I've quite a few times seen people say they are "priced out" yet at the same time they've been generally hostile/negative for quite a long time and its clear that "imbalance" in the rules and perhaps kits not being how they want in design choices (either aesthetics and/or in options on the kit). Basically they are already heading out the door GW if not wargaming wise and the prices "going up" often adds to the load. Another is new codex/battletomes or even new editions that "ruin the whole game" and such. 

Many times its good to pause and step back from your hobby and evaluate if its the price or if its other things too and perhaps if it is time to take a break. I've taken several and its often only resulted in me coming back with more energy for it when the bug bites once more. A break might be any length; could be a week; could be months; could be years. The key is not to force yourself beyond your fun-factor. Once you're making it a chore and you lose the fun then paying "over the odds" for stuff that isn't giving you the reward is just a painful experience for you. Instead put the hobby to the side, store it up and focus on something fresh and new. Might be a new game from another company; might be board games or video games or heck walking; cycling; fishing; juggling - whatever. 

I would say that price rises are something no one likes. Even those who can afford all they want and way way more still don't like paying more. 

I'll also repeat that people DO get priced out; where the prices rise beyond their easy means. There are several points raised above in earlier posts about how to help budget and afford the hobby with less cash in the bank. But if you really hit the wall then it might well be time to refocus and try another hobby. Heck you could get into DnD or many other very cheap geeky hobbies. 

For Necromunda, I got priced out when I calculated what I'd need in paper to play the game (the outside of the rulebook doesn't say you can't play the game with that book).

Then I spent that money in scenery (mostly trees) and models for Rangers of Shadowdeep. And purchased some Snotlings (blood bowl Ogre team) to make me happy.

It's not that I can't pay it, but I don't think it's worth it to pay GW that much for paper.

I like sets like the Necromunda sets which can be built a multitude of ways, while still being very detailed and dynamic. They are pricy per model, but I think they are worth it.

I don't think things like the Necromunda rulebook are worth it. For the price of that book (which is not enough to play the game), you can buy the Frostgrave rulebook and your whole warband. And you'd need no extra paper to play the game.

And I know, I was never really in the game, actively dislike the whole 40k deal and am mostly neutral on newer AoS lore (old AoS lore is almost as awful as everything in 40k). I don't think I'll ever really be in this game, though I'll probably get a Kharadron boat to round them out.

[SirSalabean]

There are quite a few retailers that offer up to 20% off. I support my local GW store but I also take advantage of these discount as it adds up and I don’t have crazy money to burn 

[Oceanic_Eyes]

Yeah I've turned to places like Miniswap, Ebay, or third party retailers that sell GW stuff at a discount. Always worth it to save money in this hobby.