"GHQ Raising Prices" Topic

Just received an email from GHQ regarding an upcoming price increase.

"We recently announced that we are raising our prices—to take effect Monday, August 22nd, 2022. We do not yet have the new Miniature Sourcebook #55 with the price changes. The prices in Sourcebook #54 will be honored up until Aug. 22nd.

Below you will find some of the new prices; prices not shown will rise similarly.

$4.50 USD → $4.95 USD

$9.95 USD → $10.99 USD

$11.50 USD → $12.50 USD

$12.95 USD → $13.99 USD

$18.50 USD → $19.99 USD

$21.95 USD → $23.99 USD

$24.95 USD → $26.99 USD

$28.95 USD → $31.50 USD

As is true for nearly everything these days, our costs of doing business have risen dramatically in a relatively short time. We know these are not the easiest of times and hope you understand the reasons for this price increase.

We remain committed to bringing you the best in fine scale miniatures and greatly appreciate your business!

Sincerely,

–GHQ"

It is not entirely surprising with costs going up for everyone. However, I am fearful for GHQ in the long run. Five vehicles for 13.99 is a really steep price. That is only slightly cheaper than 10mm vehicles from Pendraken. I have an incredible amount of GHQ models for WWII and Moderns, so I will continue supporting them, but I am still concerned.

WOW!

On the plus side, those 1/144th – 1/150th scale vehicles now look a lot more reasonably priced, and the quality of some rivals that of GHQ.

I am concerned as well, since while I love the GHQ minis, they are quickly becoming unaffordable.

Pendraken makes some very nice stuff, as does Red3 Miniatures, Timecast, and Arrowhead Miniatures, not to mention 1/144th plastics from other companies – Pegasus, Takara, etc..

I just wish Pegasus and Takara offered a larger range of minis for both WWII and the Cold War period, especially Cold War IFVs/APCs.

Even worse for us on this side of the Atlantic. The dollar prices in the US just seem to have the $ replaced by £ sign.
Current price for 5 tanks on Magister Militia site is £12.95 GBP, so that will probably be £13.99 GBP after the price rise.

I may buy some here and there, but my interests currently lie elsewhere and I have enough or enough available to me from others that my spending will be especially limited on their product lines.

I agree with all the above. I was just dipping my toe into microarmor but think I will stop with WWIII. Will round those forces out though. The models are great but some of the detail is lost at that scale. Too bad.

Joe

I imagine the die-hard 6mm players will absorb the cost, but people thinking about new periods to game will more seriously look at the 10/12mm options now.

Eye watering… too bad!

I'm just glad GHQ didn't lose their factory to the woke mob in 2020. I'll happily pay this price increase for their products.

At this point I only have one remaining project: my 1:1 Soviet tank regiment. So I'll but GHQ when they make what I need. But we're talking maybe another 30 or 40 packs over the next 2-3 years.

But I'll be looking first at options for sure….

Well, so much for waiting for a sale… LOL ;-)

Everything is going up. Sadly, my income won't be able to catch up to inflation before I die.

BTW Old Glory recently quietly increased their prices. 15mm packs went from 20 to $21.50 USD. No has complained.

"The models are great but some of the detail is lost at that scale" – Have you even seen a GHQ model?

I recall a modelling magazine did an April Fools article where they took closeups of a GHQ Tiger and claimed the guy built it as a model. It fooled some people at first.

Arch, yes I have seen and own their models. For the scale they are very good. What else would you compare them to at 6mm. My point is that on the table after painting some of the detail is lost unless you play 2 inches away from the models. Murvihills example would be a close up and they do look very good.
Their modern jets being the exception . You can still see all the ordinance under wing. Raiden and others don't come with ordinance

Cheers

Joe.

looks like its 3d prints for me

My point is that on the table after painting some of the detail is lost unless you play 2 inches away from the models.

I can only speak to the AFVs but unless someone is spraypainting those GHQ models with no drybrushing or washes to bring out the detail and/or using only very dark colors I disagree.

Even a "lazy" paint job of base coat with a drybrushing makes the detail pop on GHQ AFVs and can be seen/appreciated from normal gaming distances.

Doctor x. I must have worst than lazy paint jobs then. One coat of paint, a quick dry brush and they are on the table!

Joe

Kind of a vicious cycle, Prices go up, people have less discresonary income. companies that rely on that income either raise prices or loose money if they raise prices they loose sales.
I think GHQ are nice but over priced as they are/were

There are several aspect of this hobby that I find gratifying. I enjoy collecting, I enjoy modelling, I enjoy gaming, and I enjoy learning. I get to do all of these thing through miniatures.

GHQ has raised their prices. Big whoop. I mean really, let's consider grown men's hobbies and their costs. What does it cost to have a jet ski or two? Oh, and I'll need a trailer, and a pick-up truck to tow that trailer. What does it cost to have a set of golf clubs and to play on even a public course, nevermind a membership at a country club. What does it cost to buy a company of 20mm Sherman tanks? Now what was it we were saying about the cost of GHQ micros… ?

Even 3D prints -- GHQ models, at the new higher prices -- will cost what, about 1/3 or is it 1/4 as much as a 3D print bought on Shapeways. I'm not against 3D printing. I find it very useful to have such resources available for the odd pieces of kit that don't generate enough volume for GHQ or H & R or whomever to master and cast. But if you want to buy a company of Shermans?!? Fuggedaboutit.

My point is that on the table after painting some of the detail is lost unless you play 2 inches away from the models

I understand this perspective. I don't deny that much of the superb detailing of the GHQ models is lost at 2ft distances.

But this has never reduced MY delight in my GHQ models. (Or my 3D printed models, for that matter.) Why not?

First, because I am not always 2 feet away. I don't know about your games, but in my games I pick up my pieces to move them. And every time I pick up a nicely modeled, nicely painted game piece I get an extra jolt of delight. I also put my head right down on the table sometimes to check lines-of-sight, and my head is not 2ft wide, so I wind up only inches away from those models. And even when I use my periscope rather than putting my head right down there, the mirror on the end is only an inch or less from the model, and I get a lovely view of it.

And even when I am 2 feet away …

… the fact is that I know there is all sorts of delicious detail to those models …

… and that adds an extra source of delight.

And all of that is only at game time. There is also all the pleasure good models give me when I'm modelling, and the fact that my collecting happens not just at the level of 1 or 2 interesting pieces of kit, but at the platoon, company, and battalion levels. And so, also that my gaming actually takes place at the levels of battle that I read about in the first-hand accounts of combat that I read.

It's not a parking lot with vehicles hub-to-hub, facing off with another parking lot of vehicles, and a bucket full of dice. Neither is it not Sargent Bold passing his morale test to toss a grenade, and the MG team inside the building failing their save roll so they are eliminated.

Rather it is maneuver and firepower, and the infantry there, and the tanks moving quickly over here and can I get effective fire on them at that range.

And if it comes down to forces blasting away at each other within a small area that scales to 500m x 500m or some such…

… I have played through the process of developing the greater context, for knowing WHY the battle came to resolve around Sgt. Bold's heroic assault.

This is not to belittle other approaches to wargaming. Board games, larger scales, etc. all bring their own characteristics and can be rewarding in their own ways. But gaming at the level where I can maneuver over thousands of meters of game space, operate companies of troops and/or vehicles, against one or three or five other gamers all pushing companies of troops and/or vehicles, and yet still see and touch and inspect and paint up and push around the individual Sherman tank for that battle … no other approach gives me this.

If I can't afford GHQ, well fine. When I have not had the funds for GHQ I've certainly bought from other vendors at this scale. But I've never found any that produced vehicles that looked as good, and looked good as consistently, as GHQ. And it's still only a small fraction of what it would cost to pursue other hobbies.

So yeah, they raised their prices. Big whoop. It's not gonna slow me down.

Your tankage may vary.

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)

Couldnt agree more Mark.
L

Mark, I support your comments about the joy of playing in scales that enable breadth and scope to the tabletop battlefield.

There's also ways to cushion figure purchases – buy just for the scenario being planned, instead of for the collection.

(of course, for many of us who buy overseas, and who might be paying higher mail prices as a result, purchasing fewer but bigger lots may make more sense)

What Mark 1 says is very insightful. Our hobby is in many ways a lot cheaper than some other hobbies as Mark pointed out.

I have been collecting and painting GHQ models for about 40 years now and will continue to add to my collection as I need it. Since I have a lot of GHQ stuff already, I don't need as much but will continue to support them and other manufacturers as well.

Prices are rising everywhere and this news was expected as the cost of materials and other things continues to rise. I don't think these increases are any more significant than in the past.

I wish GHQ and other manufacturers continued success in the coming year.

Value is in the eye of the beholder. To me, they are overpriced, but I also spent almost $200 USD on a relatively inexpensive dive computer a couple of months ago…

79 wise words.

Joe

Other alternatives are arriving. Picked up at Colours on Saturday some very nice 3D printed BMP2 [improved turret] and Czech trucks from H+R

Very nicely printed and £1.00 GBP each cost effective [so 10BMP2 for £10.00 GBP!]. They also had some nice 3D printed WW2 Uk trucks as well.