There is no end in sight to the Siege of Terra End and the Death Vol III debacle; here’s how GW could easily fix it, and thwart scalpers!
Scalpers supposedly bought out every book in seconds, leaving many hobbyists unable to complete their collections without paying exorbitant prices on eBay. While Games Workshop attempted to fix the issue by doing a second run of the books with a one-per-customer limit, many collectors still missed out. In this article, we propose a simple solution that could help Games Workshop fix the problem and thwart scalpers in the future.
Fixing the End & The Death III Debacle
So, what’s this simple solution? Games Workshop redoes the hardcover books as MTO (or print on demand), but instead of signed copies for the collector’s edition, they simply do a new run without signatures.
That way, everyone who wanted to complete their Siege of Terra (or Horus Heresy) collections wouldn’t have to pay through the nose! Best of all, the books would still look great on shelves around the globe, and no one would have an ‘unsightly’ paperback version sitting in the last spot where a hardback should be!
Sure, hobbyists could still do the signed copies, and they might still have to go to the scalpers for those. However, this would allow people to finish their collections, and since they are collectors, most people wouldn’t mind waiting a little bit if they didn’t have to spend $400.
But why stop there? Why not offer the whole siege of Terra three-volume series as a bundle in the same manner? There are potentially two other volumes that people can’t get, which means many collectors can’t even finish out the series.
I know I would buy one if I could actually get it for retail price.
This would not only help the optics for GW right now (which they could use), but it would also hurt the scalpers. If the scalpers had to wait a couple of months to get their books (and people could order from GW at the normal price), it would hurt their wallets and turnaround times. This might be the easiest way to discourage scalpers from even looking at GW collector items, and real hobbyists could get their products!
Not only would this set another great standard for GW, but it would also let them watch orders and control how who is actually buying them.
Here is what they have done so far to attempt to fix this issue.
Scalpers Corner The Market on Last Signed Horus Heresy Books
As you can see on eBay, the average buy-it-now price was nearly $450 (compared to $80) after the initial pre-order, which is just wild. However, this is one of the few times GW has done something substantial about the issue.
GW’s First Attempt to Fix It…
If you missed out on a copy, there was another chance to score one as GW purged the scalper orders and set up a second pre-order at the same time worldwide for everyone.
With just 2,500 copies available, we expected exceptional demand and set a limit of one per customer on the webstore, to keep things fair and to give as many fans as possible the chance to complete their collections.
Unfortunately, we saw an influx of people trying to purchase multiple copies, some aiming to make a resale profit – underhanded tactics worthy of Erebus himself.
We are committed to only selling one per customer, so we have rejected any orders where a purchaser has tried to get more than one copy. Our tech-savants aren’t revealing their methods, but needless to say they are not to be trifled with.
Perhaps best of all, the stock will come from accounts that bought more than one, which is great news for fans who missed out on the first pre-order. The company’s decision to cancel scalper orders and limit the purchase to one book per customer ensures a fair distribution of the limited edition copies to genuine fans.
However, with both the collector’s and hardcover versions selling out so fast, there is still more demand than supply. Games Workshops’ MTO, or print-on-demand, program can easily fix this issue.
What do you think about this idea to fix the debacle with The End and the Death III?
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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 five 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 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.
