Sometimes I Wonder How Companies Stay In Business...

 It's pretty well known, that I embrace the 'go big or go home' ethos when it comes to wargaming.

I'm also not the kind of person who buys armies incrementally. No, I go into it full-on and buy all the lead in one fell swoop, so a project will average £2500 for the figures alone.

Now, let me say that several companies I deal with are generous , offering discounts for bulk (not to mention that fact that I am a bona fide business) and I will, where practicable poay them by the least cost-incurring method.

Now, this week, I proposed an order with a weel known company at the 'boutique' price bracket and was informed that some of the 3rd party items they stock were going out of stock but if I was willing to accept some substitutions the order would be no problem. I agreed.

Now, some 3 days later, I was contacted to be told that it was not possible to fulfil the order in full, it being about 20% less than I needed, and could I get back to them as to whether I would like to contimue, which I did, stating that the order was a no-go.

You will note I was given a choice.

So, when I had the trader in question moaning because I'd made the choice he didn't want me to, having preemptively picked the order, I was a bit nonplussed. Surely you can see what your stock levels are before you assure someone you can fulfil their order and if you can't you should not expect to get the order regardless.

 If I am in a restaurant, I don't expect to be arbitrarily served something I've not ordered.

Well, this got my dander up, and no, I won't name the company because I'm bigger than that, but I did note the sneering tones when I explained when asked, that I was a full time figure painter of 13 years standing, for top end clients. Once again, the derisory attitude of traders who let's face it, get a lot of sales when 1500 of their models are out there in public view, beautifully painted... THAT was what did it for me, but I bit my lip and held my admittedly venemous tongue.

Anyway, I was looking at the prices charged by companies and frankly, the average of £2 per infantry is fucking robbery.

Lets look at it:

Assume we use a third party casting company with skilled staff...

10 packs of 4 figures will cost you £80

Now if we assume that those models weigh 1 kilo, that's about £25 for the metal and about £12 for the spins.

Total expenditure £37 giving a mark up of £43. So, if we say £1 per figure is profit, using a 3rd party casting company, there is plenty of scope for some incentives to buy large numbers of models or simply not to charge as much per model.

Greed is not good. So, either companies are selling loads and making an absolute sodding mint, or, they are selling less, and increasing their prices to make up for that.

I actually suspended production of my own ranges when I realised the metal prices were skyrocketing, because I really could not in good confidence charge inflated prices for my product. I could have and maybe should have, but I didn't because my customers are gamers, and I'm a gamer so I'd be screwing my own kind, in the poop shoot.

Now, that was my decision, but I do think that certain companies in a certain circle within the industry are knowingly taking the piss.

But one thing for certain is, that if you sneer at and deride your customers it will come back and bite you squarely in the arse. Remember what happened to Sheffield Triples?

For my part, I've taken my business elsewhere and I'm being very well looked after, thank you very much.