For the past few months, Games Workshop has hyped every release like crazy but then has allowed scalpers to take over just days after the actual release.
It feels like every week, we see caps and allocations for every big release, which are generally quite harsh. However, it’s not just the stores that get the short end of the stick, as the GW webstore also sells out in what feels like minutes.
This has not only made it hard for people to get the new releases, but it also forces people to the secondary market, and the scalpers are taking advantage and basically controlling every release.
Betrayed by GW, Hobbyists Left to Fight for Scraps From Scalpers
For the most part, every release since February (except Agastus) has been heavily allocated. If you don’t get on the release within a few hours, you have to go to the secondary market or wait a really long time to get the minis.
However, that’s another problem, as a lot of these releases are meant to be a way to not only get new models but also save some cash. With the box sets generally having some good value, if you have to go to the secondary market, you start to lose out when boxes are generally going for 1.5-2 times the original price than the release price.
Plus, for something like Lion, it’s one of the most hyped releases in a long time, and basically, no one was able to score it. 
It really seems to make no sense for GW to devote all those previews and additional marketing resources to these products, to have them just immediately sell out.
AdpetiCon previewed the Lion, and Warhammer Fest had a special Monday 1/2 hour preview for Ashes of Faith. Not to mention all the social media posts, articles, and of course, sending a reported two copies of each release to all of their influencers online.
That has even led to them getting attacked on their own social media by angry hobbyists who are tired of not being able to get what is being marketed to them.
At this rate, it’s not looking good for the release of 10th edition Warhammer 40k… Let’s hope these shortages of late is GW ramping up production for 10th Edition so the supply can meet the demand.
How to Fix it All:
We had previously suggested that GW put all of these allocated items on Made To Order to satisfy both stores and hobbyists, but four months into this debacle, Games Workshop seems to be the only one satisfied with how things are going and doubled down on recent allocations of Ashes of Faith.
Strangely they even put last year’s event-exclusive Primairs Champion model (pictured above) on MTO instead.
Instead of offering things that just went out of print or previously exclusive items (which is nice to get at lower prices, don’t get us wrong), how about doing MTO for all the items that have been seeing allocation/caps that have robbed stores of much-needed revenue, and hobbyists of affordable access to new releases.
Just think, if they put The Lion on MTO? They would have made way more money, hobbyists wouldn’t be mad, and people wouldn’t have to spend a ton of cash for a non-exclusive miniature.
Currently, if they keep making it nearly impossible for people to get the releases they want, the release of 10th edition Warhammer 40k might just flop on its face sadly…
Have you been forced to go to the secondary market for your Warhammer minis yet?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
