Pricing starter models

Discussion area for all futuristic GW games.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
squirrelowar ( -2 )
Apprentice Trader
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2014 5:06 pm

Pricing starter models

Post by squirrelowar »

That is the question. How do you price starter set models? Black Reach, Dark Vengeance, Island of Blood. I've usually just taken the average of recent ebay sales. What do you do? Is there a more fair way to do this? Do you ever give full retail for starter models?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
MagickalMemories ( 832 )
Lord Logorrheic!
Posts: 16741
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2003 11:38 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO - USA

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by MagickalMemories »

Your methods are what I would do to sell them and to make an offer on them.
Frankly, if I'm selling them, I price them near the higher end of the averages. When making offers, I do the opposite.
Now, I'm not talking about anything ridiculous. If the average for a unit is $15 to $18, I start at $18 or $19 when selling and $14 or $15 when making offers. Also, my offers are adjusted by my interest. Items I'm less interested in will see me make lower offers.

Eric
Lower rating? You ship first.

Give me a sense of humor Lord. Give me the grace to see a joke.
To get some humor out of life and pass it on to other folk.


I think what this situation needs is some imagination.

"...I'm a nerd, and I'm here tonight to stand up for the rights of other nerds.” – Gilbert Lowell

Want my help with a BTR or backout? All messages sent/posted should be in CHRONOLOGICAL order. Otherwise, I just won't read it.
squirrelowar ( -2 )
Apprentice Trader
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2014 5:06 pm

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by squirrelowar »

I kind of thought that was the general practice. I just caught someone off guard when I explained that I wouldn't trade for their army at full retail since 80% of it is starter models. Since the difference in prices is a few hundred dollars I figured I would check people's thoughts to make sure I wasn't out of line.
Scarapis ( 0 )
Apprentice Trader
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2014 4:15 pm
Location: Stockton, Ca.

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by Scarapis »

well take your typical Dark Vengeance Dark Angels Tactical squad they average from $10 - $13 right now, while your typical Tactical squad goes for about $30, that's a big difference, and rightly so, because starter figs start cheap and stay cheap, unless its a unique item like the chopper from the black reach set or so.
MagickalMemories ( 832 )
Lord Logorrheic!
Posts: 16741
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2003 11:38 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO - USA

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by MagickalMemories »

Yeah. Definitely not.
You can't say, "But there are 100 tactical marines here! They MSRP at $35 a box!" [or whatever], when those Tac marines are from the boxed set. While they're better than many models out there, the fact is that they're an inferior product by virtue of their limited poses, if nothing else, when compared to the standard Tac marines.

Eric
Lower rating? You ship first.

Give me a sense of humor Lord. Give me the grace to see a joke.
To get some humor out of life and pass it on to other folk.


I think what this situation needs is some imagination.

"...I'm a nerd, and I'm here tonight to stand up for the rights of other nerds.” – Gilbert Lowell

Want my help with a BTR or backout? All messages sent/posted should be in CHRONOLOGICAL order. Otherwise, I just won't read it.
Siegebeast2142 ( 52 )
Journeyman Trader
Posts: 156
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:41 pm
Location: Washington

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by Siegebeast2142 »

I see merit in both ways, as long as there is some consistency. If someone were to trade their own tactical marines from an actual tactical box, built in a specific way, and not trading the extra bits with those tac marines, then I wouldn't expect to be trading for the full retail value, as those marines would be in an inferior state from NiB as well. If someone were to trade 10 tac marines from Assault on Black Reach for 10 tactical marines from the box that were built the same way, I understand the lack of variation of poses, but... Are they really worth 150% less than the tac marines from the tactical box?
MagickalMemories ( 832 )
Lord Logorrheic!
Posts: 16741
Joined: Thu Sep 04, 2003 11:38 pm
Location: St. Louis, MO - USA

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by MagickalMemories »

Yes.
I mean, I can't speak for the actual %, but they're definitely worth less.

With the right solvent, you can strip the paint off of all those models (leaving the plastic unharmed). Only the ones from the Tac box will come apart and be able to be posed differently, though.

Eric
Lower rating? You ship first.

Give me a sense of humor Lord. Give me the grace to see a joke.
To get some humor out of life and pass it on to other folk.


I think what this situation needs is some imagination.

"...I'm a nerd, and I'm here tonight to stand up for the rights of other nerds.” – Gilbert Lowell

Want my help with a BTR or backout? All messages sent/posted should be in CHRONOLOGICAL order. Otherwise, I just won't read it.
optimusprime14 ( 100 )
Journeyman Trader
Posts: 299
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:29 pm
Location: Toronto, Ontario

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by optimusprime14 »

Absolutely they are worth less than a fully assembled model (IMO). If I buy 10 assembled tac marine from you and 10 from MM, there's a good chance I'll have 20 different marines. If they are starter models I'll only have (at most) 10 different marines x 2. And they will look the exact same as my opponent's marines if he is using the starter box as well.

Marines from a $100-$120 box set are at most $45-$55 for 1/2 of the box set. That means (in the sense of DV) that your 10 tac marine, 5 terminators, 3 bikes and 2 characters are at most $55. Even on a model by model basis, those 10 tac marines will be $20-$25 at best, more likely less since they are one of the most ubiquitous models in 40K. And that's if they are NoS.

You then can also go into a supply argument stating that there are more of these models available so they are also worth less, but I'll leave that one alone
Positive feedback I have left for but have not received any in return: Stephen, oldgamer56

If you didn't look at my location know that I am in Canada
Good advice for trading to Canada: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=123125
Scarapis ( 0 )
Apprentice Trader
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2014 4:15 pm
Location: Stockton, Ca.

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by Scarapis »

optimusprime14 wrote:Absolutely they are worth less than a fully assembled model (IMO). If I buy 10 assembled tac marine from you and 10 from MM, there's a good chance I'll have 20 different marines. If they are starter models I'll only have (at most) 10 different marines x 2. And they will look the exact same as my opponent's marines if he is using the starter box as well.

Marines from a $100-$120 box set are at most $45-$55 for 1/2 of the box set. That means (in the sense of DV) that your 10 tac marine, 5 terminators, 3 bikes and 2 characters are at most $55. Even on a model by model basis, those 10 tac marines will be $20-$25 at best, more likely less since they are one of the most ubiquitous models in 40K. And that's if they are NoS.

You then can also go into a supply argument stating that there are more of these models available so they are also worth less, but I'll leave that one alone

actually the models from the Dark Vengeance set are priced around:

$11 for the 10 tac Squads
$15 for the Bike Squad
$15 for the Termy Squad
or $35 - $40 for the entire DA portion of the DV set. which includes commander and librarian

these numbers are based on averages of these models sold on eBay.
optimusprime14 ( 100 )
Journeyman Trader
Posts: 299
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:29 pm
Location: Toronto, Ontario

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by optimusprime14 »

hence why I said "at best"
Positive feedback I have left for but have not received any in return: Stephen, oldgamer56

If you didn't look at my location know that I am in Canada
Good advice for trading to Canada: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=123125
spiralingcadaver ( 456 )
Millenium Trader
Posts: 1471
Joined: Thu Jun 25, 2009 1:56 am
Location: Portland, OR
Contact:

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by spiralingcadaver »

Yep, anyone attempting to sell you those boxed set plastics for anything close to the cost of equivalent full sets is gouging you, whether they're intending to or just have an inflated sense of their models' value.

As a point of reference, breaking down the DV contents:
3 characters = $45-60
hellbrute $54
tactical squad: $40
cultists: $40
RW bikes $41
DW squad $60
chosen--raptors are closest in value/size/detail $35
small rulebook $58

=$300+ for equivalent non-starter stuff, or around triple the price.
True, we love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving. There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.
-Nietzsche

I expect honesty about models' conditions, thank you.

If I don't respond in a day or two, please check back, I've forgotten-sorry.
squirrelowar ( -2 )
Apprentice Trader
Posts: 48
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2014 5:06 pm

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by squirrelowar »

So then $210 for the contents of Island of blood is too much? lol [Admin edit - Let's not try to embarrass other members. "Play nice." It's a rule!]
Scarapis ( 0 )
Apprentice Trader
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2014 4:15 pm
Location: Stockton, Ca.

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by Scarapis »

squirrelowar wrote:So then $210 for the contents of Island of blood is too much? lol [Admin edit - Let's not try to embarrass other members. "Play nice." It's a rule!]

well considering you can buy the game for new for only $90 I'd say yeah.
Doctari ( 504 )
Resident Trader
Posts: 419
Joined: Sat Aug 07, 2004 4:58 pm
Location: Lexington, Kentucky 40515
Contact:

Re: Pricing starter models

Post by Doctari »

Not to state the obvious too much but... "A model (or anything else) is worth exactly what you can get someone to pay for it" or as the Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #2 states "The best deal is the one that brings the most profit". Having said that everyone, every single person on this board, can go online and find a 25% discount for GW merch, normally with little to no shipping.

Island of blood is 99 dollars, bought online the most any sane person would pay for it would be 75, the starter stuff (mini-codex, dice, template) lets say are worth 5 (though you could probably get a little more than that out them) which leave us with both armies being worth roughly 35 each.

The HE army consists of:

High Elf Prince on Griffon
High Elf Mage
10 High Elf Lothern Sea Guard
10 High Elf Sword Masters of Hoeth
5 Ellyrian Reavers

The retail on these is:
High Elf Prince on Griffon 35
High Elf Mage 15
10 High Elf Lothern Sea Guard 32.50
10 High Elf Sword Masters of Hoeth 66
5 Ellyrian Reavers ~20 based on a box set of silver helms

Or 170 dollars retail.

If you tried to get retail (and many do especially when factoring them into trades) that is a 500% markup.

Rather long winded rant for me to say that when I personally am buying stuff if I always ask if it has starter stuff in it. If it does I pay 40% of whatever 1/2 of the boxed set is going for (assuming unpainted, completely there). Paying anything more is simply poor business. When I'm selling I always value them at roughly 1/2 of the retail of the boxed set (in this case the "elf half" of the island of blood would be priced at 50 dollars) this gives me wiggle room to come down and for the customer to feel as if he or she has made a good deal and still allows me to get what I paid for the item back out of it.

Note that this does not include anything limited edition. The secondary market dictates the prices on these. Limited edition BSBs from the earlier box sets, or the chaplain from the early DV box sets being excellent examples of being able to almost get back what you paid for the entire set in a single model.
If we're trading: Lower ships first, even if its me.
If I'm buying: If you have a REASONABLE (>20) rating with no negatives, I'm paying first.
If I'm selling: You're paying first.
I always check Ebay before making/accepting offers. You should to. Fair market value >>>> "I feel they are worth X"

Offers good for 24hrs.

Well, well, well. If it isn't the consequences of my own actions.
Post Reply

Return to “Grimdark Futuristic”