Why metal? Wouldn't plastic be cheaper?

[Wolfshade]

From GD:UK Jes said that it was cheeper to work in plastics and the cost of plastics is relatively stable where as metal markets fluctuate quite rapidly so the metal mini price has to reflect this and cover any sharp jumps in price. He also mentioned that until recently they didn't have the plastic technology to make their plastic minis anywhere as detailed as their metal ones, but now they have and so can do these sorts of things. He also went on to say that the studio weren't happy with the hybrid models like the old attack bike or baal predator as the metal and plastic never joined together as well as they would have hoped.

[miteyheroes]

Also, of course, Resin is cheapest and easiest of all. Hence Forgeworld being able to produce things with incredibly small runs, and the small independent companies often using Resin.

[BDub]

Also, of course, Resin is cheapest and easiest of all. Hence Forgeworld being able to produce things with incredibly small runs, and the small independent companies often using Resin.

Resin is neither cheap nor easy. It simply has the least overhead and start up cost especially at low volume (which is why the garage manufacturers use it). It takes a lot more human labor and expertise and this adds significantly to the cost of production. You can price high to get some of that back and to limit the demand on your product - yes they price high to limit the numbers they sell in addition to recouping costs. I know that sounds counter intuitive but as soon as your volume increases beyond a certain threshold that labor expense becomes unmanageable and you have to switch to a new manufacturing method (or go over-seas) with all the trade-offs on quality that the option brings.

Some other info. Spin-casting metal is the next option and is very scalable for higher volumes but the materials costs are climbing everyday, which is why most (even GW) are migrating away from it. I am not sure why spin-casting plastics has not filled that vacuum. I suspect there are other cost or quality trade-offs to it. But for high volume the king is Plastic injection. In the last 10 years (even the last 5) the technology has so drastically increase the efficiency of this option that it will not be long before all metal minis are gone from the mainstream. Molds used to cost in the 250K-100K range depending on size and complexity. They used to have to be carved by highly specialized artisans by hand drastically limiting their detail and complexity. Various technologies improved the speed and quality while reducing the expertise needed. Now a human isn't even needed in the process and the costs have plummeted to around 10-15K. The models are digitally created or sculpted and scanned into digital form. The mold is laid out virtually and checked for undercuts and then printed a layer at a time from metal powder using a laser (laser metal sintering). The tolerances are now so high and the plastic formulas so refined that they can inject at much higher pressures into a much larger number of cavities (hence the number op pieces on a sprue increasing along with detail). Some of these injection machines are fully robotic and can retool themselves (another expense that has been done away with) while working at much higher speeds than older injection methods.

In conclusion, the ugly truth that GW doesn't want you to know is that their cost per sprue averages out to pennies. Add to this the cost of packaging, promoting and distribution and they are still clearing a hefty profit off of the plastics while they have trained the customer base to pay an inordinately higher price then they need to for the product. . . and THAT is the real reason they and everyone else want to make everything in plastic.

[Lord Azaghul]

In conclusion, the ugly truth that GW doesn't want you to know is that their cost per sprue averages out to pennies. Add to this the cost of packaging, promoting and distribution and they are still clearing a hefty profit off of the plastics while they have trained the customer base to pay an inordinately higher price then they need to for the product. . . and THAT is the real reason they and everyone else want to make everything in plastic.

I think most industries are that way. Do you know how much a clothing store pays for named brand jeans? About 5$ or 6$ a pair - sticker price 85$ -130$. McDonalds, exact same thing: the burgers cost them PENNIES to make...

You're paying for the time the product spent in the store, the employees wages advertising ect...

[Brother Rumba]

An example of the beast in question...



This is a 'must build'. All it needs is a few Grots working on it...

[BDub]

I think most industries are that way. Do you know how much a clothing store pays for named brand jeans? About 5$ or 6$ a pair - sticker price 85$ -130$. McDonalds, exact same thing: the burgers cost them PENNIES to make...

You're paying for the time the product spent in the store, the employees wages advertising ect...

True to some degree. The examples you mention have high markups but for very different reasons. Clothing cannot be bought anywhere near cost because a lot of it never sells at the highest retail level. Even after what is left trickles down through big sales, mark-downs and discount/outlet stores, much of it still hasn't sold. So the original price per unit has to be marked up high enough to cover the cost of the stuff that doesn't sell. Remember buying at cost would be enough to cover all expenses put into a product (sales marketing shipping manufacture, design, etc) - but only if all of the product sells at or near the original retail price. GW has just such a situation as they can evaluate how much will sell on the initial run fairly closely, shelf what doesn't sell and then make additional runs just to keep up with demand. There is not a lot of process to go though once the initial capital has been invested. With the clothing and food examples you have two things at work - one has to purchased well in advance and is subject to a lot of guess work as to quantity to order and it only get ordered once - the other has to be ordered in advance but can be done accurately, unfortunately its perishable. So it cant sit on the shelf and wait to be sold and unused product does not trickle down through sales and discount chains. (imagine a burger that didn't sell while it was fresh being resold weeks later by a crappier restaurant)

What I'm saying is GW has a lot more room to come down in prices but has no incentive to.

[Lerra]

I worked in the office of a large retail chain, and it took me a long time to get used to the idea of 250% markup (or more) as "normal". And it's not like these stores were raking in the cash - a lot of them were barely breaking even, and some stores were losing money despite the huge markup. GW probably marks their products up more than your average retail chain, but they also have to pay for the product development, factory repair/maintenance, equipment purchases, etc.

GW could bring down their prices and still be profitable, but then again so could most companies, in theory.

[trjames]

An example of the beast in question...



This is a 'must build'. All it needs is a few Grots working on it...

That's one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen. An injection molded model of an injection molding machine. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite so meta.

[ChrisW]

I like both plastic and metal models. Plastic for the versatility of building and converting, and metal for heaving at obnoxious rules lawyers and all-around jackasses. Kidding on that part; I like metal models because there is something satisfying about painting metal models.

ahh nothing more satisfying then swinging a dred in a sock, lol

really though i love the new plastics, and they just keep getting better. wish the original beeky boys had today's customability but then the level of detail was just not there at that time. it was the metal that had the 'fine' detail back then (5 - 6 dollar terminators). compared to today's plastics and metals you may think why did we buy that crap... ahh the good 'old days.

as for the prices going up, its pretty much on a level with everything else in our lives. a two bedroom apartment is no longer 250 a month, gas is no longer 35 cents a liter (ya Canucks got screwed even back then), and you be lucky to carry more than a couple bags of groceries after spending 60 bucks. heck you could even relate everything to the petroleum industry, but that is taking us to another world of rants and discussions....