Originally Posted by
Xen
Wow. Ok hold my drink, find me a soap box, here comes a dose of optimism, fuelled by first hand experience wholesaling and retailing Wings of Glory, FROM A COUNTRY the other side of the globe from the main warehousing facility....
Guys... The game is stronger today than it ever has been. With ANY new product, you get a wave of hype that peaks. Its a bubble. THEN you get the crash. The doom and gloom, the fear. THEN the REAL value, the REAL market reveals itself.
Sure, lots of board game stores won't stock it any more due to all the problems listed above. But its a niche game! It really is an extremely niche game. The fact that we are getting multiple releases per year is incredible. And, I can guarantee you if the wholesaler makes personal connections with the retailers, you can often convince them to take a core set or 3 to have on the shelves. I've never had a retailer not come back for at least a few additional items be it some squadron packs or more starter sets. Its not a huge seller, but it DOES tick over.
Naturally, I am biased as I play/love the game myself. So, I think the real problem here is the impact of globalisation on retail. NOT how frequently Ares is releasing items.
Fact 1.
Miniature Market and at least 2 other USA online stores have been selling Wings of Glory for a 30% discount of the MSRP for a very long time now.
please take a step back and reflect on this fact for a moment.
Fact 2. The major warehouse for all Wings of Glory stock, is in USA.
How much do you think it costs Miniature Market and other US online stores to get Wings shipped to them?
$0. Nothing. Nada. Zip. No shipping costs over $300 in orders (I work with this warehouse myself) No customs charges or import brokerage fee's. Nothing.
Fact 3. Every single other market for this game around the world, then has to compete. In Australia, I pay shipping from USA to here. I pay 10% GST plus 5% duties. (shipping cost included in the valuation) I also pay brokers fee's, and a final trucking charge from the port to my door. My starting price, before I pay my own personal business costs, is therefore, at a massive disadvantage to any USA store. And this is true for every single UK/Euro/Asian/South American etc wholesaler.
You can see how helpful it would be if stores stuck to the MSRP!!! If Miniature Market and others sold their items at the recommended price, there would be a margin left for other countries around the world.
Guys Ares is not the problem. We buy at the lowest possible price. And this is not a criticism, I used to do the same thing when i first got into the game. No judgement here. Just perspective!
When I wholesale to board game stores in Australia, I make a very small margin on every large item (starter sets, Staakens, 0400's, Mats, etc) and I make a slightly larger margin on the planes themselves. Shipping is charged on volume not weight, so large items cost me a lot to import. But the reason I price it this way, is to ensure the Aussie retailers have a chance to compete with the international market. And it works.
But I'm a die hard fan of the game, most wholesalers won't choose to do this. Again, wouldn’t it be nice if Miniature Market and the other stores stuck to MSRP.