If you think our hobby is expensive here in America, you may not believe some of the prices for Games Workshop items abroad!
Alistair Allan shared this article with us last week, and we just managed to get it ready for posting since our server upgrades are complete. It gives us an interesting look at Games Workshop’s (GW) pricing schema worldwide on a few select categories of products.
I recently produced this article, highlighting the huge disparity in pricing for GW products between the rest of the world and Aus/NZ. I’d be delighted if you would run it on your site, and help NZ and AUS gamers make good choices when purchasing GW miniatures,
While the aim of the article is definitely to help the folks down under be able to further their hobby more affordably in this day and age, it does shed light on difference in rates world-wide as well.
As to why the prices have become this way since the mid 2000’s we may never truly know…
The Antipodean Tax
Games Workshop customers in Australia and New Zealand have been suffering a huge price difference for Games Workshop products when compared to their UK and US counterparts. It’s really hurting the Games Workshop hobby over here, and there has been no explanation for it from Games Workshop headquarters.
The current pricing structure seems to have been set back in around 2006, sadly at that time the AUS and particularly NZ dollar was at its weakest trading levels in recent history, it was almost NZ$3 against the British pound. This is where the price point for recent releases remain, despite 5 years of a steadily strong NZ$ and AUS$, compared to the British Pound. Current exchange levels are around NZ$2.3 against the British pound, and look set to stay that way for some time.
But words aside, the numbers alone really do all the talking. The table below shows an international price comparison of recent releases from Games Workshop. What jumps out straight away is that the US and UK prices are almost the same, and certainly within a range that nobody would quibble about, the NZ prices however are in some instances cost is creeping towards an additional 50%;
| Exchange rate 09/10/15 | Pounds = | 2.3 | US$ = | 1.4 | ||||
| Product | Pounds | NZ Equiv | US$ | NZ Equiv | NZ$ Retail | Extra Cost NZ$ | % extra cost c.f. £ | |
| Skarbrand | £80.00 | $184.00 | $130.00 | $182.00 | $235.00 | $51.00 | 28% | |
| Wrathmongers | £34.50 | $79.35 | $57.00 | $79.80 | $113.00 | $33.65 | 42% | |
| Skarr Bloodwrath | £18.00 | $41.40 | $30.00 | $42.00 | $59.00 | $17.60 | 43% | |
| Slaughterpriest | £18.00 | $41.40 | $30.00 | $42.00 | $60.00 | $18.60 | 45% | |
| Knight Vexillor | £18.00 | $41.40 | $30.00 | $42.00 | $59.00 | $17.60 | 43% | |
| Celestant Prime | £48.00 | $110.40 | $80.00 | $112.00 | $158.00 | $47.60 | 43% | |
| Prosecutors | £35.00 | $80.50 | $60.00 | $84.00 | $116.00 | $35.50 | 44% | |
| Liberators | £30.00 | $69.00 | $50.00 | $70.00 | $100.00 | $31.00 | 45% | |
| Knight Venator | £25.00 | $57.50 | $40.00 | $56.00 | $83.00 | $25.50 | 44% | |
| Lord Celestant | £20.00 | $46.00 | $33.00 | $46.20 | $65.00 | $19.00 | 41% | |
| KV128 Stormsurge | £90.00 | $207.00 | $150.00 | $210.00 | $295.00 | $88.00 | 43% | |
Skarbrand is an unusual case, you may be aware that we had a mystery price drop in AUS/NZ on it, after pre-orders had been made, this created a mess in the retail shops who had issues processing refunds, but it certainly was seen as a positive step forwards in the community. However it still sits at around 28% more expensive down under.
What is even more frustrating is that Games Workshop has limited the ability for people in this part of the world to order from overseas, they keep trying to close ‘loopholes’, but there are still ways. Our NZ Post service offer a mail redirect service from the UK and US (https://www.nzpost.co.nz/tools/youshop). Shipping for parcels and consolidated parcels starts at NZ$17.25.
The purchases I have made have meant I have made a saving of around 30% against the retail price in NZ.
I would suggest that others should consider these mail redirect services when purchasing new products from Games Workshop, and shopping around you can find discounted retailers in the UK and US that can make you further savings. It is unacceptable to me to subscribe to the ‘Antipodean Tax’, and you may decide to choose that position too.
It is sad to see a growth in community buying from re-casters, but this is the community responding in a negative way to Games Workshops’s business practices. Supporting re-casters will hurt Games Workshop, but it will also hurt the hobby because the money you spend there doesn’t find its way back into product development, and Games Workshop still do make the best toy soldiers in the world.
I am a huge fan of Games Workshop product and the Games Workshop hobby, and I am sad to see them hurt their own business, and resentment build within the community that has supported them in NZ and AUS.
Vote with your wallet and your purchasing decisions, don’t prop up the ‘Antipodean Tax’, but find a way to keep enjoying your hobby!
What do you do to save money on your New In Box (NIB) purchases?
About the Author: Rob Baer
