There seems to be no stopping GW prices from increasing, but here are some of the best new ways to shop smart and buy GW minis for less.
So GW prices are continuing to skyrocket, even amongst terrible financial times. We seen some kits go up by $1/month since 2019 after looking at the recent 2020 June price jump.
Painted Warhammer On eBay Right Now
On top of that, there seems to be a “shift” in the eBay climate. It used to be a great place to find minis for less. But for the most part, all you’ll find is objectively over-priced commission work for minis currently. So what are the best new ways to get started on an army for less?
Times Are Changing: New Ways To Shop Smart For GW Minis
The first place we’d recommend is on Reddit. R/Miniswap is a place where people will either trade armies for cash or armies for other armies. It’s all listed in the title. While it’s not as secure as something like eBay, the community is very healthy and there are plenty of precautions in place to protect the buyer and seller.
You’ll have to timestamp your photos with your username and other info to make sure everyone’s identity is real. But like anything on the internet Exercise proper caution.
Next, we have the Barter Bucket on Facebook. This place is essentially the same thing as Miniswap. The only difference is that you’ll more than likely be using your main Facebook profile to make deals there which adds a lot of security. You’ll find all kinds of new things listed there every day from codexes to dice, bits, whole armies, etc.
The final tried-and-true way to get your hands on GW minis for less is going to be with a friend at your LGS splitting a Box Set. If you don’t have a friend, you can always grab a Start Collecting Box as well. We saw their prices go up so you’re going to have to spend a little bit more than you would if you bought a Start Collecting before all the price hikes. However, you should be saving around $30-$50 vs. buying everything by itself.
eBay Has Gotten Worse Over The Years
eBay used to be a sprawl of cheap collections and bulk buys. While you can still certainly find that on their website, for the most part, it looks to have been taken over by commission painters. As we’ve said before, there are always exceptions to the rule and you can still find great deals.
However, there has been a growing trend of commission painters taking to eBay and charging a premium for their work. Whereas we used to think of eBay as a second-hand buyer’s market.
This Necron Pylon, for example, is on eBay going for over $700. It’s a single kit from Forge World that only costs $89 unassembled. That leaves $646.77 worth of assembly and painting for this single model. Yes, it goes without saying that kind of money could buy an entire army’s worth of plastic kits outright.
Painted Warhammer On eBay Right Now
That’s just one example of many. Giving some honest advice, you may want to search the other avenues we’ve listed above before checking out eBay. Or at least explore your options before you click “Buy” next time.
Giving an honest perspective, we might be standing on the doorstep to where GW begins to price certain people out of the hobby. In an age where GW’s line is more expensive than ever, be sure to shop smart for GW minis using the resources around you!
What’s the total sum of money your collection is worth just on plastic alone (not including paint job)? Has your hobbying slowed down from not being able to afford it all? What’s your best resource for shopping smart on all things GW?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today! This post contains affiliate links, as an eBay Associate Spikey Bits earns from qualifying purchases.
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
