D&D 5E Price Increase on D&D & MtG coming

[Vaalingrade]

I didn't read the whole article, but it will be interesting to see if PDF prices rise as well.

Amazon tacks on like 30 cents USD on top of their 30% to 'deliver' my books to customers. I can't say WotC would do it, but they have precedent.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

It's bananas reading folks complain about price increases for D&D books... they go on sale on Amazon constantly. Heck, I pre-ordered Witchlight and it was on sale. That's an entirely new book for $29, with free shipping (if you choose the one that takes a week, its free. And its almost always like 3 days early).

I don't love price increases, but if this is what breaks your loyalty... well, you CRAZY.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I don't love price increases, but if this is what breaks your loyalty... well, you CRAZY.

Not D&D, but the rapid acceleration in comic book price inflation and Diamond's monopoly on it ended my patronage of the Big Two.

 

[Blue]

Minimum wage or near-minimum wage employees tend to be unskilled, teenagers, or people with disabilities (blind, autistic, low-IQ, etc.).

This is a common misconception. There are much stronger ties to ethnicity and gender, and the age assumption is just wrong. in the US, 2/3 of those making minumum wage or lower (tipped jobs) are women of any age. The majority are age 25 or older. These incorrect stereotypes mislead people into mischaracterizing who is getting paid minimum- wage and making the same assumptions that this is labor done by the unskilled and those who are young and don't need to support a family. That is dreadfully incorrect.

Source: https://www.bls.gov/opub/reports/minimum-wage/2020/home.htm

If the cost of that labor goes up substantially, it makes more sense to fire several low-skill employees and replace them with a kiosk and one mid-skill employee.

Plus creating additional jobs in the creation and servicing of the kiosks - a net win as we still have people employed but in more productive jobs. But to be serious, many jobs require physical, social or service aspect a kiosk can not provide. A supermarket may have a few self-checkout lanes, but can't have only self-checkout lanes.

Walmart will make some new higher paying jobs either directly or indirectly, and will employ less low paying workers. Historically we've moved down to 40 hours weeks from much, much higher. Well over 80 a week for agriculture (the primary job) back when the US was founded, down to 68-74 as an average during the Industrial Revolution in the early 1800s. In other countries besides the US it is already lower than 40, and in many of the European ones you are starting with 4-5 weeks vacation and the like. Automation will and should reduce the total hours of work done overall.

Source: History of the American Workweek | Timesizing®

Minimum wage hikes have (citation needed, it's been a while) been associated with decreases in employment opportunities for teenagers and others who fill entry-level jobs.

There's been studies of these in the various places that have upped the local minimum wage, and we aren't seeing this. But then again, it is a myth that they are the majority of minimum or lower paying jobs in the first place.

If you are going to college and can get an internship, this doesn't matter. If you're lucky to get out of high school and have no support network, having a hard time finding a job to start with can really hurt your chances of getting started on life and staying out of poverty.

Don't forget lots of great trade jobs. No college required, but skilled work that pays well. Plumber, electricians, etc.

In some ways it's "better" and "more efficient" but there's also a human cost to those policy decisions, and it's usually overlooked by the front row kids who are involved in the discussions.

There is not a human cost in moving from 40 hours of low paying to say 35 hours of mid paying. Automation is making everyone more efficient. Reducing the total hours needed has been a historic tread for centuries, and is playing out well in other countries.

To cycle this back from economics to D&D, I like looking for the unintended consequences of decisions, and at least making them visible to the players. You introduced magi-tech cloth spinning? Great, everyone has more and cheaper clothes, but now 80% of women have 6 hours per day of time that's now unproductive and not generating income or value for their household. Did you just push them below the survival line? If so, they may be upset and try to smash your new factory. Fixing the problem via Fireball will just get you thrown out of town.

But this brings back the myth that less work means less pay, when less but more productive work can mean the same or more pay. There may be an adjustment period where there is unrest - there often is during times of large change - but it will work itself out.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Not D&D, but the rapid acceleration in comic book price inflation and Diamond's monopoly on it ended my patronage of the Big Two.

Out of curiosity, why did "Diamond's monopoly" factor in to that decision?

(I completely understand your feelings about the "rapid acceleration (of) comic book price(s)")

 

[Zardnaar]

It's bananas reading folks complain about price increases for D&D books... they go on sale on Amazon constantly. Heck, I pre-ordered Witchlight and it was on sale. That's an entirely new book for $29, with free shipping (if you choose the one that takes a week, its free. And its almost always like 3 days early).

I don't love price increases, but if this is what breaks your loyalty... well, you CRAZY.

A lot of people don't like Amazon due to their treatment of employees.

By buying off then you're essentially supporting that corporate model.

 

[Zardnaar]

This is a common misconception. There are much stronger ties to ethnicity and gender, and the age assumption is just wrong. in the US, 2/3 of those making minumum wage or lower (tipped jobs) are women of any age. The majority are age 25 or older. These incorrect stereotypes mislead people into mischaracterizing who is getting paid minimum- wage and making the same assumptions that this is labor done by the unskilled and those who are young and don't need to support a family. That is dreadfully incorrect.

Source: Characteristics of minimum wage workers, 2020 : BLS Reports: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics


Plus creating additional jobs in the creation and servicing of the kiosks - a net win as we still have people employed but in more productive jobs. But to be serious, many jobs require physical, social or service aspect a kiosk can not provide. A supermarket may have a few self-checkout lanes, but can't have only self-checkout lanes.

Walmart will make some new higher paying jobs either directly or indirectly, and will employ less low paying workers. Historically we've moved down to 40 hours weeks from much, much higher. Well over 80 a week for agriculture (the primary job) back when the US was founded, down to 68-74 as an average during the Industrial Revolution in the early 1800s. In other countries besides the US it is already lower than 40, and in many of the European ones you are starting with 4-5 weeks vacation and the like. Automation will and should reduce the total hours of work done overall.

Source: History of the American Workweek | Timesizing®


There's been studies of these in the various places that have upped the local minimum wage, and we aren't seeing this. But then again, it is a myth that they are the majority of minimum or lower paying jobs in the first place.


Don't forget lots of great trade jobs. No college required, but skilled work that pays well. Plumber, electricians, etc.


There is not a human cost in moving from 40 hours of low paying to say 35 hours of mid paying. Automation is making everyone more efficient. Reducing the total hours needed has been a historic tread for centuries, and is playing out well in other countries.


But this brings back the myth that less work means less pay, when less but more productive work can mean the same or more pay. There may be an adjustment period where there is unrest - there often is during times of large change - but it will work itself out.

I think here we get.

4 weeks holiday
Around 10 public holidays
10 days sick leave

Using your holiday pay well and a strategic sickie or ten you can have a long weekend every 2-3 weeks and two weeks off over Christmas/New Years.

Some years due to things like public holidays you can use 3 days holidays and get around two weeks off.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

A lot of people don't like Amazon due to their treatment of employees.

By buying off then you're essentially supporting that corporate model.

Everyone is allowed to vote with your wallet.

But it's reality that buying organic and local is often going to cost more than going to a big grocery store chain.

I can't really say anything to "I don't want to buy from the big corporation, and I want cheap goods," except... sorry, but life 'aint fair?

 

[Zardnaar]

Everyone is allowed to vote with your wallet.

But it's reality that buying organic and local is often going to cost more than going to a big grocery store chain.

I can't really say anything to "I don't want to buy from the big corporation, and I want cheap goods," except... sorry, but life 'aint fair?

I'm not the one complaining about the price increase.

1. I pay more to avoid Amazon.

2. I understand the price increase.

3. I get my books essentially for free anyway.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

I'm not the one complaining about the price increase.

1. I pay more to avoid Amazon.

2. I understand the price increase.

3. I get my books essentially for free anyway.

Great. But I'm responding to the price increases by saying "Get them on sale." You responded to me, saying folks don't like Amazon. My response to that is "It's pretty hard to get something for cheap, and do it ethically."

You can have one or the other, it's hard to get both in any industry.