The same week that Games Workshop is summoned to court for the Chapterhouse case, and we have a very interesting yearly price adjustment.
Perhaps most puzzling of all is the fact that there is a very mysterious super early leak of the new Apocalypse July releases (Which according to GW was all Faeit 212’s fault right?).
So is it all coincidence? What do you think? Did GW’s price balloon finally pop? -MBG
Courtesy Apocalypse 40k:
The word is out and Games Workshop has raised prices on paints and brushes.
After 5 years of constant price increases on their models, seeing some models like a Land Raider go up 50%, this year’s annual price increase will be limited to hobby supplies.
Maybe GW has realized it can only squeeze so much out of its customers. Many of my friends have left the hobby because they are so pissed at Games Workshop, and with good reason. With codex 40K models now crossing the $ 100 mark with the $ 115 Wraith Knight, Games Workshop is establishing itself as a rich man’s hobby. In a time of slow economic growth, and almost ZERO inflation, how Games Workshop justifies these price increases is beyond most hobbyists.
Wayne Clark, a good friend of mine, had almost every 40K army. And LOTS of them. He probably owns a quarter million points overall. And last year he rage quit 40K because he was so pissed about the relentless price increases.
Probably the most noticeable price increase is the 40K starter set, which went from $ 50 in 2008 to $ 100 now. For a company dedicated to “recruitment” into the hobby, the whole point of the one man store philosophy, asking someone to buy a $ 100 starter set is a big chore. At $ 50 they would fly off the shelves according to numerous GW managers and game store owners, but at $ 100 it is a tough sell.
Ultimately, the bigger question is whether Tom Kirby, Games Workshop CEO, is setting the company up for a sale. Cutting costs and raising prices to drive profitability is a indicator that this may be the case.
And stay tuned for big news on how Games Workshop ran me out of being a store owner because they didn’t like this blog. (Dice of War, NOT Spikey Bits) That story starts this afternoon.
Loken
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.
