Ground Zero Games 40 Year Anniversary (and some tariff talk)

[Chief Lackey Rich]

Quoted from the GZG site April 9th:

CELEBRATING FORTY YEARS OF GZG - 1985-2025!

It really doesn't seem possible that I first started producing products under the GZG banner 40 years ago, the time has gone by in a flash! But here we are, a quarter of the way into a new Century, GZG is still going strong and I plan to be around for a good while yet...!

...

UPDATE 9th APRIL: Of Tariffs and Things...

Like everyone else at the moment, I have NO idea what is going with the proposed Tariff situation regarding sales to the US - a couple of hours ago I was about to put a post up here talking about the situation as I currently understood it, and now it's all changed again with everything apparently on hold for 90 days! All I can really say at the moment is that if you're in the USA and want something, you really might as well get your order in and not worry too much about it - at the very worst case, you MIGHT be billed a 10% tariff when the goods arrive in the US, or maybe not! In the meantime, while we just don't know what is happening from one day to the next, I've decided to hold off on the planned price increases (see my last update of March 24th) - I will continue to absorb the increased materials costs for the time being, at least until things settle down a bit and become clearer. I'll update things again as and when it becomes necessary...

Jon (GZG), Wednesday 9th April 2025.

Quite a milestone.  I missed the first five years or so, but been a fan ever since.

[Matakakea]

40 years? Well that explains the size of my GZG collection then 

[The_Beast]

Between the uproar over EU regulations and the tariff brou-ha-ha, Brit small manufacturers deserve some condolences.

Most of us in the US got our GZG as licensed casts from Kieran. I had quite a few from before the turn of the millennium, but have all too little use of late...

Doug

[darthfozzywig]

Jon has always managed to ship to the U.S. at hyperspace speed, so it’s worth jumping on that.

[Chief Lackey Rich]

Between the uproar over EU regulations and the tariff brou-ha-ha, Brit small manufacturers deserve some condolences.

At least he got the Euro regs issue fixed.  Still a pain to have to iron it out in the first place, but it's in the past - for now, anyway.  Who knows what they'll come up with next? 

Most of us in the US got our GZG as licensed casts from Kieran. I had quite a few from before the turn of the millennium, but have all too little use of late...

I'm not really part of that crowd.  I was buying small amounts GZG through some long-forgotten importer in...I think it was the Midwest?...before Kieran had the license, and while I did buy a lot of FT from Geo-Hex that was over two decades ago.  The vast majority of Jon's 15mm and even FT figs were sculpted long after that arrangement ending, so I've spent way more money direct ordering through GZG than during the other ~20 years.

Go back ten years and there used to be three-five of us all doing group orders together and splitting it up when we met to game at the FLGS.  Way more efficient on shipping costs that way.  Two of them are dead now and the others scattered, so that's in the past too.  Good times while they lasted, though. 

[Chief Lackey Rich]

Further updates on the tariff situation from Jon today:

EDIT/ADDITIONAL UPDATE 15th APRIL: More on US Tariff chaos...

Further to my post below, a bit more digging appears to show that the proposed additional charges will apply ONLY to mail packets originating from China/Hong Kong, so anything from the UK and elsewhere should be safe from them (although the already-announced 10% tariffs may still apply, I have yet to determine whether that is actually the case or not)... More news as things develop further.

UPDATE 15th APRIL: More on US Tariff chaos...

Still no clarity at all on what the Tariff situation will mean for orders shipped to the US... everything is still changing on an almost daily basis and nobody seems to know what is going on (least of all me!) - whatever is announced today, may change tomorrow! As of now (15th April) I'm still shipping orders to the US, but have no idea of what they will or won't be subject to in the way of charges when they arrive*... there are rumours of potential additional charges being levied starting in early May (by which time I hope any US packets already shipped will have already arrived safely), but again this may be a threat that will never actually materialise. This all seems designed to destroy the business models of the likes of "Temu" and other foreign-based direct shippers, but unfortunately it risks sweeping all small mail-order independents like us along with it. I really don't know what to advise for US customers right now, though it might be safer to wait until things stabilise a bit and we find out what it all really means...?

Of course none of this affects anything shipped within the UK, or to the EU and everywhere else in the world, so everyone else can feel free to order as normal!

Jon (GZG), Tuesday 15th April 2025.

* Please note that any and all tariffs, duties and charges levied on packages are payable by the customer on or before delivery, and acceptance of this forms part of our terms and conditions of sale.

As someone trapped in this national suicide attempt, rest assured that no one in the US has any better idea what to expect, least of all the one man responsible for all of it.

[Rick]

One man? He might be saying so but this farce has all the hallmarks of being cooked up by a committee where every member has a different axe to grind as well as a different idea on what to do and how to go about it! 

[mcfonz]

One man? He might be saying so but this farce has all the hallmarks of being cooked up by a committee where every member has a different axe to grind as well as a different idea on what to do and how to go about it! 

As evidenced by some omissions to the tariffs which suit a certain so called tech entrepreneur who's cars have been subject to protests...

[Rick]

I hadn't heard that but highly unsurprising, I'm sorry to say.

Back on topic. I can't remember exactly when I started buying from GZG but it must have been maybe 30-35 years ago and I've been a big fan of the Full Thrust rules and ship models but especially the new 15mm figs Jon's been doing - got several different types in various projects. Hope he does many more.

[The_Beast]

...
I'm not really part of that crowd.  I was buying small amounts GZG through some long-forgotten importer in...I think it was the Midwest?...before Kieran had the license, and while I did buy a lot of FT from Geo-Hex that was over two decades ago.
...

Kind of explains why I didn't do much with 'the Big Four' before the first Fleet Book, as most of my fellow players made up our own factions. I think I had some of the ships before, but mostly repurposed.

Of course, lots of micro machines and converted bombs from airplane kits.

My little corporate entry in GZGpedia was supposed to be gas tankers with guns and small security craft. After The Phantom Menace started cranking out product I used Droid Fighter kit parts, though those never saw much table action.

As for gropos, I R VACCHEAD.

Doug

[Brummie]

I remember seeing Jon from GZG at one of the first Wargaming shows I ever visited with my dad at the age of 5 in 1996 somewhere in North Birmingham.

Was absolutely mesmerized by the board full of small ships and tanks pinned to it and remember seeing Jon a few times since then at the odd show and him and my Dad having a chat.

Think I got my first 25mm GZG and some Bugs back in 2000/2001 as a present to practice painting on metal miniatures.

Sort of forgot about GZG until many years later in 2011 the University of Wolverhampton had a wargaming module for the War studies course and we went to Warfare in Reading and I saw his stand and remembered seeing it all those years ago. Had my own conversation with him and told him I remembered seeing this stall way back in the 90s. Bought my first 15mm GZG and have continued over the years to the point I own almost all of his 15mm line (with a good deal painted) and have started picking up both the 6mm and Starship lines.

GZG is what got me into wargaming, and for my tastes is part of my "big 3" - GZG, Brigade and Khurasan.

[Pattus Magnus]

GZG also got me back into miniatures gaming after a hiatus. I played some WFB in the ‘80s as a teenager, then dropped it when I was in university and focused on chasing women. Then in 1995 I picked up Dirtside II and immediately got back into miniatures gaming with 6mm sci-fi. Things escalated from there…

[Chief Lackey Rich]

Still more news from Jon:

UPDATE 23rd APRIL: GOOD NEWS, mostly...

The good news is that orders placed by US customers seem (at present) to be arriving as normal, with no extra charges being levied on them; as far as I am currently aware, the long-standing "de minimis" exemption of 800 USD on small imports (meaning that you don't get charged any duties or import fees on packages below that value) is still in place EXCEPT for goods originating from China or Hong Kong. As everything I sell is UK-made (and mostly by me), it appears that everything will be "business as usual" for US sales, at least for the time being.

The only bit of slightly-less-good news is that I've been pretty much out of action for the whole of the Easter period - nothing serious, just a filthy cold (AKA Man-Flu...) and as a result I'm running a bit behind with things. Some orders are therefore taking a few days longer than normal to be cast and dispatched; please bear with me on this, thanks for your patience, and I hope to have everything back up to date again soon.

Jon (GZG), Thursday 23rd April 2025.

Hope he feels better soon.