Editor in Chief Bill | 13 Mar 2020 5:50 a.m. PST |
If wargames show continue to cancel for the immediate future, what impact will this have on manufacturers? If you would normally buy at a convention, do you anticipate making online orders instead? |
7th Va Cavalry | 13 Mar 2020 6:17 a.m. PST |
I made the decision not to go to Cold Wars just because of the insane one day admission price. I plan on taking what I would have spent on travel, admission etc. include what I would have possibly spent there, then add it to my wedding anniversary get away fund. So other then some Ebay purchases from a seller who offers free shipping on orders over $65 USD auction I don't see myself making any other purchases online. |
Long Valley Gamer | 13 Mar 2020 6:25 a.m. PST |
I don't think the impact will be great. It's just as easy to order online…. |
Rich Bliss | 13 Mar 2020 6:26 a.m. PST |
I just made 6 online orders from 6 different manufacturers. And I'm contemplating a 7th. |
SgtPain | 13 Mar 2020 6:38 a.m. PST |
I normally only go to two shows a year, so I don't see any major impact to me personally. I'm sure if I was a vendor with a booth at any of those canceled shows my feeling could be different. |
JimDuncanUK | 13 Mar 2020 7:09 a.m. PST |
I've missed two shows this year already for different reasons and will expect to miss a few more due to virus concerns. It will not affect my planned purchases one little bit but will obviously affect any cases of 'shiny shiny'. |
Fitzovich | 13 Mar 2020 8:19 a.m. PST |
This will take time to shake out and there will be good & bad. The loss of the shows is a hiccup, but shows are expensive for both the vendors and attendees. The bigger the shows the bigger the expenses. The price paid by the attendees has an impact on what they can spend in the dealer room, there is no way it cannot. I believe the bigger impact will be from the loss of smaller regional shows and local game-days where a single GM can create excitement about a new or old game system building interest and eventual sales for manufacturers. |
IUsedToBeSomeone | 13 Mar 2020 8:21 a.m. PST |
If Salute is cancelled it will have an impact. A lot of companies will have created/bought in extra stock and will miss the cashflow boost. Also, Salute have said if it is cancelled then traders will not get refunded for their stand cost which is quite a hit for smaller businesses… |
Timmo uk | 13 Mar 2020 8:25 a.m. PST |
This year has to be frugal one for me regardless of what's happening to the shows. I fully expect many of them to now be cancelled. As to the impact on the trade I imagine this could be significant. Not so much from lost show based trading, since most things can still be ordered online but more from the angle of depending on what insurance and contractual refund policies are in place, regarding their show pitches. For example, Salute 2020 at ExCel is still due to go ahead and will only be cancelled if the government force the venue to be closed. I'd imagine some traders will have insurance to cover for such eventualities but many won't and that will hurt. The other aspect is that these very small companies might not want to risk getting the virus since the impact on their ability to keep functioning, in a business sense, might be severely reduced. The London Bike show (held at ExCel) has been cancelled presumably by the event organisers. Even if events go ahead I suspect attendance will be down. |
shthar | 13 Mar 2020 10:17 a.m. PST |
Looks like this will be the year without a…anything. |
Prince Rupert of the Rhine | 13 Mar 2020 11:17 a.m. PST |
I don't really do shows when I did it was either the one in Milton Keynes, whose name I can't remember, or Warfare at Reading. So no one is missing out on my cash through a lack of shows as I'm exclusively a mail order guy. They might miss out if I'm forced to take unpaid leave because my work place closes down though… |
Editor in Chief Bill | 13 Mar 2020 11:48 a.m. PST |
My impression is that the U.K. companies make a considerable percentage of their sales at shows; for the U.S. companies, less so… |
Extra Crispy | 13 Mar 2020 2:26 p.m. PST |
A large UK compani I know stopped going to shows, and worried they would take a huge hit. Their sales dropped…0% |
Rudysnelson | 13 Mar 2020 4:53 p.m. PST |
A significant amount of my store income comes from convention shows. So cancellations will hurt but most shows are in the summer or later. So fingers crossed. The trickle down effect will be that I am not selling at shows, so I do not need much or anything from the distributor. So the distributor will not order as much from the manufacturer. |
Wargamer Blue | 13 Mar 2020 7:08 p.m. PST |
If the companies decide to put out their show discount codes to the worldwide community, I'm sure the response will be positive. |
Rudysnelson | 13 Mar 2020 8:54 p.m. PST |
Maybe Blue but that does not help the small businesses who are struggling. Such shows are are essential shots in the arm to stay open. |
Stryker | 13 Mar 2020 10:47 p.m. PST |
So if we don't go to conventions. That means more time for painting our miniatures right. Wait what am I thinking. |
Dn Jackson | 15 Mar 2020 3:24 a.m. PST |
The loss of shows for some companies could be devastating. While regular customers may, (or may not), still buy via mail order, you lose all your impulse sales. |
worj01 | 15 Mar 2020 7:38 a.m. PST |
I'm one of that population whose doctors told not to go, so I'm at home. Dn Jackson's point is a good one – I had only a short list of things I was going to buy (and I'm ordering them today) but the lion's share of what I spend at a convention is stuff I didn't know I couldn't live without until I saw it on some vendor's table… |
vonLoudon | 15 Mar 2020 9:33 a.m. PST |
No impact on me. I'm selling my stuff. Not buying. |
Thresher01 | 16 Mar 2020 8:49 a.m. PST |
I generally don't go to conventions due to costs associated with them, and traveling distance, so no impact from me. They still get on-line orders, so win-win for them, e.g. no convention costs either, and they still get orders. |
Tumbleweed | 18 Mar 2020 9:35 a.m. PST |
During the Great Depression people still went to the movies. Maybe miniature wargaming will experience the same. |
Cornelius | 18 Mar 2020 2:42 p.m. PST |
I have already started to get my Salute purchases posted to me instead. Even living in London, just getting there and into the show would cost me nearly £20.00 GBP so if I spend less than that on postage I will be saving (plus the £40.00 GBP on a boozy lunch). What cancelling does is prevent impulse purchases of beautiful looking stuff. |