"Would Historical Wargaming Benefit From an Amazon?" Topic

I love the ordering of the response choices !

There would be the convenience for the consumer being able to select from many manufacturers for the same order. A price benefit may not be seen as you've added a middleman and I doubt margins are that high.

Alot would depend on how it was set up and how many companies were involved.

Need another choice: I'm Confused!

I'm confused, is the question about "large online retailer, with a huge definitive selection, low prices, stellar communications, and lightning-fast service" or a wargaming equivalent of Amazon?

Is there, anyway, anything preventing manufacturers today from selling their stuff on the Amazon that already exists? A brief look suggests that the 363 kg gorilla of the industry, GW, already does.

Other: I'm not certain the poll's characterization of the nature of such a thing would turn out to be the actual nature of the thing, or that the stated result would be the actual result. Or, to put it another way, "There's a whole lotta presumin' going on…"

"how desirable is it for a large online retailer, with a huge definitive selection, low prices, stellar communications, and lightning-fast service?"

It's very desirable. But sadly Amazon doesn't provide this consistently even in books and CDs. They can't tell one printing from another, even when the stories have different endings, or distinguish different cuts of movies. They consistently try to sell me books which don't exist--a hardcover copy of Krebs' El Cid is my favorite example--and lately advertising overwhelms actual search results. As for selection, the vast bulk of my radio drama comes from Radio Spirits. Amazon doesn't stock much of it. And I'm pretty sure they're deliberately stiffing me on CD's of the BBC 4 Sherlock Holmes to make me sign on for Audible. ("Yes, we COULD sell you those rules, but we want you to subscribe to our on-line rules service.") Let's not confuse what Amazon would have us believe it is with what Amazon actually is.

And GW is a standing warning against letting one retailer get too big a percentage of the market. Does anyone want to turn on the computer some morning and find out one of his historical armies has been squatted? "Amazon no longer supports the Royal Westphalian Army?" "Amazon no longer supports the Carlist Wars?" ("The Norman Conquest is insufficiently diverse?")

I think I can manage my miniature warfare without "support" from the Washington Post, thank you.

Well said RP.

Yes, well said Robert!

And the mixed-up ordering of the choices is so very confusing. Bill -- needs to be fixed!

Jim

I wouldn't call Amazon low price.

A monopoly only is low priced when eliminating competition.

Warstore and everyone else had to stop online selling and discounting GW for years. When they were able to sell again Neal's wonderful up to 45% off rate was eliminated. A large online vendor would not necessarily deliver better prices.

Amazon has been busted several times fixing prices on items and undercutting their own sellers. I buy from them but I try to get it locally first when possible and I always compare prices.

Such a set up would be less profit for the manufacturers who are already living on a small profit margin/ I think we'd end up losing the smaller companies. This is very much a mom and pop industry/hobby.

I think we'd end up losing the smaller companies.

Who would then be bought out and swallowed up by a larger business surely?. The larger business might drop some lines, but the rest would continue to be available, possibly at a cheaper price due to economies of scale. I think sometime in the next 10 years this is going to start to happen.

Indeed. In my line of business we've seen suppliers bought out for years until there was only one supplier left. Fortunately another one from Ireland started up in the UK and has since grown, but they both feel they can charge almost what they like to smaller customers. The only customers with enough financial clout to talk their price down are the really large ones they can't do without. Everyone else either has to grit their teeth and pay up, or look elsewhere.

I for one prefer to remain in the Dark Ages.
I wonder how much "Amazon" would mark up 28mm AWI figures from OFM Enterprises. How much profit would OFM Enterprises retain. Would they be permitted to sell outside "Amazon"?