Black Friday Sales

[Froggy the Great]

Hydra Miniatures and Dreamforge Games have sales as well.

[grant]

See https://tabletopgamersuk.wordpress.com/2016/11/24/all-the-wargames-black-friday-deals-in-one-place/

Personally, if you run a business that sells unique product, in a country that does not have a post-Thanksgiving slump, and during the busiest sales period of the year, a Black Friday sale - let alone a Black Friday week of sales - makes no sense whatsoever.

All those companies are getting crazy sales today, and you are not. Too bad you can't see the logic in that.

Do I agree with the invasion of American Black Friday worldwide? No. It is a new reality though. Adapt or not, the choice is yours.

[Shub-Nullgurath]

Did Mantic's site just go down?

Apparently so.

[Vanvlak]

Mantic back up now, if sluggish.

[Orctrader]

See https://tabletopgamersuk.wordpress.com/2016/11/24/all-the-wargames-black-friday-deals-in-one-place/

Personally, if you run a business that sells unique product, in a country that does not have a post-Thanksgiving slump, and during the busiest sales period of the year, a Black Friday sale - let alone a Black Friday week of sales - makes no sense whatsoever.

All those companies are getting crazy sales today, and you are not. Too bad you can't see the logic in that.

Do I agree with the invasion of American Black Friday worldwide? No. It is a new reality though. Adapt or not, the choice is yours.

Fighting 15s - their shop; the product they sell, actually I think he's right.   

He might lose out because we all have a budget for our hobby and if blown for the month people won't have any money left.  However, in the UK I can buy figures there that are unavailable anywhere else.  Eureka, for example.  If I buy direct I have international shipping plus the risk of excessive customs tax.  I can buy from "15s" with ease and confidence.

I'm not against the Black Friday sales and, as you say, it's a reality.  For "big ticket" items, electrical and computer goods, etc.  They have to get in on the act.  Miniature figure sellers, at the niche end of the market though.  No, I don't see it.  For a small business, probably more trouble than it's worth.

[Conquistador]

I believe Splintered Light Miniatures has a 20% sale going.

[Tactalvanic]

Not miniatures, but card game related.

They are selling something and its Black Friday related.

https://store.cardsagainsthumanity.com/

https://holidayhole.com/

[Fighting15s]

All those companies are getting crazy sales today, and you are not. Too bad you can't see the logic in that.

Do I agree with the invasion of American Black Friday worldwide? No. It is a new reality though. Adapt or not, the choice is yours.

The key is, as I took pains to point out, is that the situation is different if, like me, you sell unique product and are already busy. It is different if you are a reseller, say, of boxed plastic soldiers competing with other retailers of boxed plastic soldiers for business. And there you have the issue that if the manufacturer of said plastic soldiers has a Black Friday sale it basically stiffs its own retailers.

This year, as every year in the past 10 or so years, I am busy in the run-up to Christmas. I work full time on Fighting 15s and for three weekends in a row I've also worked to keep up with orders - I took last weekend off for a busman's holiday at Warfare. I'll be working again this weekend because I am still two days behind on orders and, without a Black Friday sale I fully expect to be working next weekend too because that's what experience tells me. I don't have that slack day caused by overindulging on turkey the day before and therefore do not need to stimulate sales: for me, a Black Friday sale does indeed make no sense whatsoever. I am not alone.

There are good reasons to have a sale as a niche retailer and they are tax related: to pay a tax bill or to get rid of inventory, which counts as an asset, before the end of the tax year.

[Shub-Nullgurath]

The key is, as I took pains to point out, is that the situation is different if, like me, you sell unique product and are already busy. It is different if you are a reseller, say, of boxed plastic soldiers competing with other retailers of boxed plastic soldiers for business. And there you have the issue that if the manufacturer of said plastic soldiers has a Black Friday sale it basically stiffs its own retailers.

This year, as every year in the past 10 or so years, I am busy in the run-up to Christmas. I work full time and for three weekends in a row I've also worked to keep up with orders - I took last weekend off for a busman's holiday at Warfare. I'll be working again this weekend because I am still two days behind on orders and, without a Black Friday sale I fully expect to be working next weekend too because that's what experience tells me. I don't have that slack day caused by overindulging on turkey the day before and therefore do not need to stimulate sales: for me, a Black Friday sale does indeed make no sense whatsoever. I am not alone.

There are good reasons to have a sale as a niche retailer and they are tax related: to pay a tax bill or to get rid of inventory, which counts as an asset, before the end of the tax year.

If you're busy then that's great, but I think a lot of retailers do tend to have a dip around this point. It's also useful to get rid of underselling inventory (as you said, it counts as an asset) by bringing in a time and quantity limited (and therefore very interesting to the human brain) sale on it.

People shouldn't be expecting it, but it's nice to have.

My only purchases yesterday were necessities on sale (new pair of glasses, some toys for kids in the family) and the Mantic crazy boxes (which range from amazing to amazingly disappointing, so let's see what I get).

[grant]

Good for you then.

I usually order my AB from the US site, but I have ordered the odd thing from you.

In all frankness I'm thinking of quitting the hobby anyway so I've not bought a thing this weekend. Also as I said, I'm not in favour of the worldwide American invasion of this tradition. As a Canadian thanksgiving was last month. We don't do sales. We do Boxing Day traditionally and the Black Friday thing is really only come about last year? This year? Anyway.

I'm about done anyway.

[Conquistador]

Good for you then.

I usually order my AB from the US site, but I have ordered the odd thing from you.

In all frankness I'm thinking of quitting the hobby anyway so I've not bought a thing this weekend. <snip>

I'm about done anyway.

Sorry to hear that.

I have ordered only a few things from all the sales offered this season as I am about 100% "bought" for my interests (not so much for "painted" ) for all of  2016 and much of 2017 - plus paying down debts prior to retirement in April. I also have to clear out more "large" (25+mm) figures to make storage available for 15mm and smaller figures.

[stone-cold-lead]

Heresy must still be sleeping as their 20% off sale still seems active even though it should have ended last night! I placed a little order this morning. 

[Shub-Nullgurath]

Heresy must still be sleeping as their 20% off sale still seems active even though it should have ended last night! I placed a little order this morning. 

Same. Gotta get dem ghouls.

[jambo1]

I used Alternative Armies free postage deal to get my newest batch of Flintloque figures. I think this ends tomorrow.