GW fumbled the Lion Primarch release pretty badly, and the secondary market prices are already insane for the model and Black Libary book.
This release has been one of the most anticipated releases in a really long time. As we’ve heard rumors of this model for years, and the hype has been building for so long, obviously, a ton of people were going to want it.
Instead of having all kinds of stock ready, from the looks of it, Games Workshop didn’t have nearly enough for stores or, apparently, even their own webstore.
The prices on the secondary market are already sky-high, and it just doesn’t feel good.
If you want to pay extra, here is where you can get them right now:
- Primarch Model on eBay
- Son of the Forest Limited Edition
- Son of the Forest eBook on Amazon (Normal Price)
- Alternative First Kight Model 2 Miniature Bundle & Free Shipping
GW Fumbles The Lion Primarch Release Pretty Bad
First, the Lion, Azrael, and Dante were all super allocated with only a few of each box for stores, and it seems like sometimes when GW allocates this heavily for stores, it means they don’t have enough stock for themselves.
You would think with such a hyped release, they would have enough for plenty of people or limit how many each person was buying, running the queue, or something. They didn’t do much, and the webstore (at least in North America) crashed during the Saturday pre-orders.
Reportedly the UK site was sold out of the Lion minutes after going live at 7am EST.
So, not only were people unable to get the model from their local store (well, a few lucky ones did), the webstore was not working, and the box sold out in seconds. This, of course, always leads to scalpers and the secondary market going crazy.
While this Lion box was technically a limited edition release (and the model should be out before way too long on its own), this just feels bad for something people have waited years for.
You would think they would want to sell as many of these as possible, but not only did the box sell out in minutes, but the special edition Lion Son of the Forest book also went in minutes.
That makes a bit more sense as it was a collector’s edition, but even the regular version of the book sold out as well, leading to scalpers. However, you can get a copy of the story from Amazon for the normal price (at the time of writing this) by clicking here.
Lion El’Jonson Going For Crazy Money on eBay
As you can see, the boxes are already going for over $300, and it just feels bad. We would probably recommend waiting until the model comes out on its own (hopefully soon), but if you do really want the special edition stuff, you can get it from eBay.
The collector’s edition of the Son of the Forest is going for even more on average. Overall, it feels like GW could have done better with the release, but who knows? Sometimes no matter how much they would have had, the scalpers would have bought everything out anyway.
Either way, this sort of thing has to stop soon for stores and consumers alike to trust that Games Workshop can actually deliver the new 10th Edition of Warhammer 40k without another scandal…
If you haven’t seen the alternative First Knight Miniature bundle that makes a great Lion model, you can check that out below.
Click Here To Get The New First Knight Miniature Bundle!
What do you think about all the releases getting sold out instantly and going for insane amounts on eBay?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, or our new Discord server, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
Get ad-free access to our hobby videos, a monthly drop of miniatures, and support some of the best creators out there for as little as $6 a month on Patreon!
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 has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including the Adepticon Team Tournament and American Team Tournaments, and is on a first-name basis with almost every major company in the space.
He’s all gaming all the time. With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. 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 1908s, 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.
