"Copplestone Castings Losing Distributors?" Topic

In the past couple weeks I've come to find that US on-line retailers seem to be dropping (or being forced to drop) Copplestone minis from their stock. This week alone I saw both Wargamer's Headquarters and The War Web lose their copplestone lines!

The War Web still have a handful of packs to choose from, but the rest of the line disappeared between the time I decided they were the only US store left to order from- and the time I went back to actually order the minis! There are still a couple other places I found to order them in the US, but none at discounted prices. I might as well order them straight from Copplestone in the UK now!

Anyone know whats going on? No US distributor? Some international wargaming miniatures trade sanctions? There are still a bunch of sets I'd like to order, but finding a place to get them for a decent price and without obscene shipping costs seems to be impossible now.

10% of the order total for shipping to the US is obscene?

I'll admit its been a few months since I last checked, but it was cheaper to order direct from England and pay postage than get the figs from one of their popular US stockists.

I'm sure that I read on a thread here that Mark Copplestone has taken a job and Copplestone Castings are now a part time business. I could be wrong though.
and 10% isn't obscene

Yes, 10% shipping from the UK is very reasonable. Not like some manufacturers that, in the past, charged 50% shipping!

Damon.

Ah, the never-ending debate, to stock or not to stock? I still stock Copplestone Castings. I get them through a US distributor as they do not sell fast enough for me to order them direct. Therefore I have to sell them at the price set by that distributor. Depending on where the pound is buying from the UK may be cheaper. But if the pound drop my cost doesn't. So I stock them but keep the inventory very lean.

So far I've had no problems getting stock.

Mark "Extra Crispy" Severin
ScaleCreep.com
FlagshipGames.com
DeepFriedHappyMice.com

P.S.

And you mean "retailer" or "dealer" not distributor. Sorry, pet peeve of mine.

According to Neal at The War Store, also a former retailer of Copplestone and Artizan, he can no longer get a supply of them through a US distributor, so I think there may be some issues with the US supply of Copplestone and possibly other lines to US retailers.

Does this mean that NO US Retailer can get them? No. It just means that retailers are having trouble finding them through their usual suppliers or that they aren't happy with what it would cost them to go through other suppliers.

-Eli

I spoke to Mark last week. He laughed at the rumour that he's taken a job digging ditches or stocking shelves. No, he's running Copplestone Castings.

We didn't talk about distribution. I think we talked about science fiction and cats and the sorts of aches and pains men of our age have to deal with. Usual stuff.

10% shipping is excellent. It used to be common to pay 40-50% airmail and 30% surface mail from the UK to N. America.

Hey all,

Please don't get me wrong…. I wasn't referring to Copplestone's shipping prices when I used the term "obscene". I was actually referring to some US retailers in that regard. Ten percent shipping for international orders is quite reasonable.

I was only lamenting the fact that the discount online retailers (in the US), from whom I generally order all my minis, no longer carry Copplestones. There are other options still available, but at higher prices and generally with higher shipping rates than my usual "go-to" guys. Shipping rates vary WILDLY as you all know….from insanely low to ridiculously high, and some even "obscene" (IMHO)

I always try to get the most "bang for my buck" when it comes to shipping costs, and try to order as many items as possible from one place to save on shipping, as I'm sure most of you all do. Its frustrating when I can't get some of my favorite minis from the usual "select" sources.

For those who have ordered direct from Copplestone…..
What was the actual US dollar price per pack you paid? The current rate of exchange would indicate only $12-13 given the price-point of 8 pounds on the CC website, but I've never seen a US retail price of less than $15 USD per pack. Are they really that cheap direct from CC?

From what I've seen European manufacturers who sell their minis from their own websites do so at about the exact same retail price, respective of exchange rates, as a US retailer would sell those minis. I realize that a direct electronic credit card purchase is going to use the "current" exchange rate, whereas a distributor in the US will base their wholesale and suggested retail prices on a more generalized exchange rate, but the British pound has been sitting right around $1.50-1.60 or so for quite a while now. It makes we wonder why Copplestone Castings would seemingly give a sizable manufacturer-direct discount when other companies don't seem to do the same. Just kinda curious.

It would be awesome though if CC minis are actually only $12.50 USD or so per pack. At 10% for shipping, and with pay-pal to boot, you'd be a fool to order Copplestone's from anywhere else, at least with exchange rates where they currently are.

Incidentally, has anyone noticed other manufacturers whose products are getting hard to find in the US, such as EM4? Ironically many of their minis were sculpted by Mark Copplestone too. Perhaps this is all some great conspiracy orchestrated by the Bilderburger Group against Mr. Copplestone!?! But I digress………

Thanks,

Hellchylde

Have ordered direct from UK to USA, and yes, it came out to $12 USD a pack, +/-. They arrived in a week or less, posted by Mr. Copplestone himself. In plastic bags instead of blisters, but who cares…a great deal as you say.

The domestic sellers of many UK products seem to have set their prices when the pound was higher. It's dropped significantly in the last year, but I've not seen prices adjusted.