Is there a big price increase for Forge World coming our way here in the States? Join us as we take a look at how things are now, and where they may go.
As you may know, Games Workshop and Forge World are both based out of the UK. Currently, Games Workshop has their mail order website set to take different currencies based on the location you select, with delivery from their previous manufacturing facility in Memphis, TN.
But with for Forge World, we still have to convert our own money and buy things because they only take Pounds, with delivery from Nottingham, UK.
Which presents two issues, your probably get dinged with an international currency fee on your credit card, and you still have to pay state sales tax here in the US as well for buying something, in England.
Outside of Forge World, Games Workshop’s Mail Order site can take USD and the Great Britan Pound. However, the problem is that when you compare the USD and GBP price there’s roughly a 20% markup on the price when the dollar is listed.
Looking at Forge World, everything costs the same no matter where you set your location. But with the talk of Forge World being shipped from the US, will they be converting to USD to make it easier for people to buy? If they do that, will we also see a 20% price markup?
Let’s take a look at the facts:
Buying From the Games Workshop Store GBP £ vs. USD $
Let’s look at Games Workshop’s website and pick an item to look at in Pounds. The Betrayal at Calth / Burning of Prospero box bundle is a good start.
This HH bundle sits right at 190 Pounds. So now let’s look at the cost in US currency from the US site, delivered from the US.
The USD version of Calth costs $300. Now by using XE.com, a money converting site, we can check the mark up between the two.
So going by the price of Betrayal at Calth in Pounds, the box should only cost $246 here in the states. Why is there almost a $60 increase just because we’re buying from America?
Another example is a simple 40k codex. Listed at 25£, which converts to $32, we pay $40 for the same item online or in store here in the states.
Forge World & Games Workshop Items
As we’ve said before, Forge World doesn’t take US currency on their website yet. Their prices stay the “same”. But let’s look at two similarly priced items with one from Games Workshop and one from Forge World.
Now looking at Forge World:
Both of these items cost 72 Pounds. Now let’s look at the conversions into USD from Games Workshop for the Crux Terminatus.
If Forge Worlds new USD feature follows the same pattern as Games Workshop Mail Order a Leviathan from Forge World would actually cost you $93 currently.
But if you were going to buy something from Games Workshop for the same price (In Pounds) you’d actually be shelling out about $20 more dollars than normal ($115).
Buying Forge World Items at Conventions in the States
Forge World sells some of their items at conventions in the States, with payment in USD and delivery from here as well. This is the only time where their things actually cost “more” that we can reference.
Look at the Telemon Heavy Dreadnought:
46 Pounds should actually cost $60, but instead, it costs $76 NEARLY 30% MORE.
Forge World Warehouse in the States
We know that a Forge World warehouse (for distribution) is coming to the States and it’s designed to make it easier for US players to get their hands on models faster and easier. We’ll be allowed to pay in our own currency and shipping times will be cut down.
With that being said since we can pay in our own currency, will there be about a 20% increase on the items there as well? Or will everything cost the same as a 1:1 scale from Pounds to Dollars since the warehouse will be sitting on US soil?
Nothing has been confirmed yet so we will have to just wait and see once everything gets up and running, but as we pointed out above there is some cause for concern.
Why Forge World’s USD Pricing Model May Be Bad For Us
What do you think of the price conversions when you buy from Games Workshop? Where could the price jump be coming from? If it was something like Customs, wouldn’t that be included in shipping? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group.
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
