Price-Sensitive Gamers

[Crothian]

Nothing like a two year old thread.

I think the market has gotten better for the price sensitive gamer. Now a days once can get a great selection of used books. My local book store had plenty of d20 stuff for half off or more. All were in good condition. Heck, I even picked up the Planscape box set and the first monster compendium for Planscape for a great price.

 

[Psion]

There are a number of products I've been tempted to buy but we\on't at full price. And ther are products I would buy either way.

 

[thundershot]

Wow.. this baby is two years plus two weeks old! Hot damn!

After analyzing my own gaming spending habits, there are many books that I buy right when they come out. Others, however, I might want, but don't want to pay full price for because I don't know how much use I'll get out of them, I'll only pick up if I get a really good deal.

Like Mongoose's OGL books. I'm not sure how much use I'll get, but dammit, I couldn't pass up buying two of them on e-bay for about 12 bucks a pop. I didn't even realize that they were in color before, and after going through them, there are some good ideas that I can use with my EXILES group, it's not enough to fork over 40 bucks a pop for.



Chris

 

[pogre]

I'll pay for whatever I am into for the moment. There was a time I had to have the latest and greatest in fishing gear. The new model is one ounce lighter? $600? no problem. Now, however, I fish with the same gear I have had for the past seven years. I still enjoy fishing, but it's no longer a consuming passion.

I wish I had a burning passion to buy something like that in the RPG world. The closest I have come in the last few years is the Hirst Molds stuff - I had to buy all the molds! I buy a lot of rpg stuff, but never full price. If I had a burning passion for it, like I once did for say WFRP, then price would be no barrier.

One more example - I'm not sure the amount of use I get out of product has anything to do with my purchases. The minute Stefan P. comes out with the MasterMaze Gladiator Arena for $700.00 I'll buy it - it's just to darn cool. I may use once or twice ever...

 

[mmadsen]

Like Mongoose's OGL books. I'm not sure how much use I'll get, but dammit, I couldn't pass up buying two of them on e-bay for about 12 bucks a pop.

Out of curiosity, who's selling gaming books at such a deep discount? Are these sellers people who bought something they didn't like and are unloading it? Or are they distributors? Or guys who "found" a bunch of copies that "fell off a truck"?

 

[Joshua Randall]

I can be a pretty big cheapskate (ask my wife), but I often justify purchasing $40+ RPG products by imagining how little that really is. It's...

* less than dinner for two at a moderately nice restaurant
* the same or less than a new-ish computer game
* about the same as seeing three first-run movies (and buying snacks)
* only a little more than I would spend in a week of buying lunches

I think when you put it like that, RPG products are fairly priced. In fact, I think they should be advertised that way: 'The Dino-Pirates of Ninja Island sourcebook: just $39.95... that's less than the price of dinner for two at a moderately-nice restaurant, and you don't need a reservation!'

 

[WizarDru]

Depends on the publisher, book and the location purchased. Amazon offers pretty deep discounts to preorders for some books, as has Walmart, in the past couple of years. Some places sell cheaply to preorders or repeat customers, and so forth.

Example: I purchased the Miniatures Handbook for $18. I might have bought it for $30, but then again, might not have.

 

[EricNoah]

For me, the issue is how good it is or how much I want it -- if I want it, price is (probably) no object, within reason; and if I'm not interested in it, even free stuff isn't worth the hassle of storing it and keeping track of it.

 

[tmaaas]

For me, the issue is how good it is or how much I want it -- if I want it, price is (probably) no object, within reason; and if I'm not interested in it, even free stuff isn't worth the hassle of storing it and keeping track of it.

This is exactly where I am. I have no trouble dropping $50.00 (and more) for something I know I'll use, but otherwise it's all just so much clutter.

And if the product in question promises to save me time, which I consider incredibly valuable...

 

[Hjorimir]

I would happily pay more for a higher quality product. The amount of entertainment I get out of RPGs makes them a bargain anyway. As is, I have found the majority of 3rd-party material to be suffering in both quality and editing and have come to regret purchases (not because of the cost as I can afford plenty, but just a lack of useful information be it crunch or fluff).