Dear Hasbro: about those minis

[Renfield]

Greetings,

Sadly I lack the desire to read through the entire thread so I hope I'm not repeating anything here. My local hobby store did something interesting with the D&D Mini's. They would purchase the packages sent to them by hasbro and open them and then make thematic packs of them or sell individual 'rare' or 'uncommon' minis in clear packages so you knew what you were getting. They were priced per price guides and included the cards.

Considering Hasbro likely won't bend (because face it, it's all about the buck in this case, not so much about the customers, unless you manage to get a large boycott on the items you're not going to get anywhere with them) in such a situation perhaps you might petition your local hobby store to make such packs as well. I know it might be a stretch but if you want it enough it might be a worthwhile stretch. Just my two cents.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Considering Hasbro likely won't bend (because face it, it's all about the buck in this case, not so much about the customers,

We know. Hasbro is a company. They are supposed to pay all their bills, pay all their employees, and still have some money left.

I must say that Wizards do listen to the customer. After all, you make the most money if you make those products most people will buy.

It's probably not a question of whether Hasbro/WotC will "bend", it's a question of whether they could sell those and make a profit (which is not an evil act. These guys do this for a living, they need that money). If they don't (and indeed, make losses selling those), you can do what you want, they won't bend.

unless you manage to get a large boycott on the items you're not going to get anywhere with them)

Not going to happen. A lot of people are happy with the current situation, and they'll keep on buying, no matter how many people who don't want to buy at eBay will pout.

 

[diaglo]

...oh, BTW, for those on my side of the debate, I will be collecting signatures for an online petition to email to WotC soon - if we show them that there really IS a consumer base out there for non-randomized and/or theme packs, they MAY just listen...

you have my signature and support

 

[Storm Raven]

A lot smaller than what DDM has, that's for sure.

However it is still a large range of figures.

Deathknell never cost 15 quid. The official price was $13, I think - and you hardly ever pay that: Usually, the shops sell individual boosters for several dollars less, and if you buy by the case (12 boosters), it gets even cheaper.

Nope. I looked it up. Deathknell booster packs MSRP in the U.S. was $14.99 per pack. And saying "if you buy 12 booster packs it's cheaper per pack" isn't really a selling point to me.

 

[Henry]

Err, no. They're too big for D&D. Base size is 1.5" rather than 1", and the scale is larger as well.

Cheers!

A neat thing about heroscape minis: They're small enough to mostly fit in a 1" square, and big enough to double as a Large mini when you shift the base over on the map a bit. One of our players used a heroscape mini, and when he was under an Enlarge spell, he just shifted the mini so it took up 4 squares instead of 1. Doesn't work so well with a D&D mini, because you've got a LARGE amount of space around the 4 squares.

 

[Henry]

However it is still a large range of figures.

I think we're finding out that "large range of figures" is a very subjective term. Take a look at the heroscape minis -- how many of those would you likely use in a D&D game? Are you going to use the stormtrooper-like figures with guns, or the WW2 figures with howitzers and katanas, or the chicks in the 1970's sci-fi-disco-looking attire? "Foxy Brown, Interstellar Agent" in a D&D game? This cuts the available D&D-esque figures available to maybe 60 or 70 out of that 130 or so over two years. So "wide range of figures" is limited by what genre you're doing.

And this feeds into what one thing Heroscape does excel at: Historical minis! You don't easily find pre-painted roman legionaires, cowboys, samurai, ninjas, ww2 figures, scots highlanders, secret agent and spec ops figures, except in Heroscape. That's mainly why I've bought the heroscape stuff that I have.

 

[rgard]

A neat thing about heroscape minis: They're small enough to mostly fit in a 1" square, and big enough to double as a Large mini when you shift the base over on the map a bit. One of our players used a heroscape mini, and when he was under an Enlarge spell, he just shifted the mini so it took up 4 squares instead of 1. Doesn't work so well with a D&D mini, because you've got a LARGE amount of space around the 4 squares.

And it's easy enough to whack the Heroscape mini off the base and glue it to 25mm gw minis base if you find the larger base annoying.

 

[Jedi_Solo]

I will be collecting signatures for an online petition to email to WotC soon

Sign me up.

I'm won't ask WotC to stop their randomized mini line. If they are raking in the dough - I say "Congrats! Make the money! Stay in business!" I don't wnat them to stop the old - only add in a new. I would want the Box 'O Orcs, Box 'o Skeletons and the like. As far as the rule that was discussed above I choose Limited Variety as the draw back. I'm only interested a few items. If I want some odd ball mini then I go out and buy through eBay or something like that - but why have one or two minis of odd ball critters if I don't have the masses of skeletons and the like.

That's only part of my reason for not using eBay. I've been burned a couple of times through there so I have developed a slight aversion to buying things sight unseen from non-businesses or companies I don't know very well (Yes, I can see what Orc #X looks like on line, but I have no guarentee about what that exact orc I'm bidding on/purchasing looks like and that is assuming that I even get it).

To add another voice here I have a friend who won't order anything on-line for security reasons. Even he makes fun of his paranoia but he still won't order at all over the internet.

The reason my LGS doesn't sell singles - I don't know. They used to but have since stopped. Maybe it's from a lack of space they have. Maybe it didn't bring in as much as they hoped that it would. Whatever the reason I don't have a gaming store within an hours drive that sells singles.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Nope. I looked it up. Deathknell booster packs MSRP in the U.S. was $14.99 per pack.

That's a recent change. Shortly before Bloodwar was released, the MSRP was increased to 14.99, apparently retroactively for all sets.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

That's only part of my reason for not using eBay. I've been burned a couple of times through there so I have developed a slight aversion to buying things sight unseen from non-businesses or companies I don't know very well (Yes, I can see what Orc #X looks like on line, but I have no guarentee about what that exact orc I'm bidding on/purchasing looks like and that is assuming that I even get it).

There's a difference between bidding on an auction from a new account named wellripyouoff2007(0) and buying from the big shops with a score in the thousands and nearly 100% positive feedback.

To add another voice here I have a friend who won't order anything on-line for security reasons. Even he makes fun of his paranoia but he still won't order at all over the internet.

His loss. My advice: Take his Enemy of the State DVD

The reason my LGS doesn't sell singles - I don't know. They used to but have since stopped. Maybe it's from a lack of space they have. Maybe it didn't bring in as much as they hoped that it would.

Which does bode quite well for an "official" single minis line, don't you think?

Maybe he had over-inflated prices? If so, he may have invertandly charged what he'd have to charge for Wizards single minis.