News from WNW

[mike in calif]

This tells me I might want to make some decisions regarding which kits I want by Dec.

[fredjocko]

With the possibility of free shipping ending I wonder if the kit price will drop. I highly doubt that the shipping is truly free and that there isn't some price mark-up to accommodate the cost.

[Eric Armstrong]

We are in the realms of pure speculation now, but if they do decide to end free global shipping, perhaps they will offer free shipping for purchases over a certain amount, say $200.00.  The wisdom of such an approach is that it allows them to recoup some of their shipping expenses while at the same time encouraging larger orders. 

Hopefully, there will be no end free shipping.

[macsporran]

FWIW I think they'd be crazy to change their winning formula at this stage.
They have created a new market for modellers who maybe never thought of building WWI aircraft and have brought many, I'm sure, like me, back to a hobby I had forsaken years ago. I think the kits are a tad expensive but generally worth the price, with the exception - for me - of the AEG. The last price raise made me buy a bundle of kits before the deadline, but I now have more than I'll probably ever build. I can buy excellent Roden 1/32 kits for about 25GBP via Poland and I cannot see why people are clamouring for a WNW Dr 1 when the Roden kit is so good already at half the price.
At $69 and $99 I'll probably buy any scouts or two seaters they release in future. If there were a hefty price hike I would only pick and choose something really special.
My tuppence again.
S

[lcarroll]

  "FWIW I think they'd be crazy to change their winning formula at this stage."

   +1, the global exchange rates have got to be hurting their sales already; adding another $20 US (or more) to every transaction would really have people backing away. It would be a terribly timed effort on their part.......
Cheers,
Lance

[FarEast]

The thing is with global exchange rates though is that its swings and roundabouts - one minutes its against they buyer and the market wains, the next its against the seller and the buyers have a glut of purchases.

Exactly the same happens with the cycling industry.

However what we do know is that WnW is not really about the profit but sustainability of the business and it exists for Sir Peter Jackson's personal pleasure. So as long as the company can be somewhat self sustaining, and I don't think it  ever really can be as they really don't sell enough kits to cover the unique molds and castings then I think they will be around for a while longer yet.

[dr 1 ace]

Reality Check :  Compare these 4 Tamiya 1/32  kits: Mosquito US $ 280 retail ($224 discounted), P-51 $185 to 216 retail ($146-170 discounted), Spitfire $ 172 to 189 ($137-151  discounted), F4U Corsair $199-213 retail ($160-190 discounted) PLUS shipping of anywhere from $11 to $23 depending on from whom and to whom ( sure there is an occasional great deal, but are not to be counted on).

Do you really think there are that many more Mossie buyers out there versus WNW builders? WNW big bombers are priced right -including the free postage- and IMHO the single & 2 seaters are truly underpriced at current levels. I remember in 1967 that same caterwauling and predictions of doom when Monogram 1/48 kits went to the "unheard" of price of $1.49 for the P-47 that was the first totally detailed kit inside and out and no "toy" (dropping torpedoes, folding wings/landing gear) features.

As noted in a previous post, the "free" postage is currently hidden in the price  so separate out the postage and I doubt the price will not go up more than $15 total, also to be noted is that the kits keep getting better and there is no free lunch. If WNW kits went thru the same distribution process as the other kits, the price would be truly astronomical. WNW has established a standard for quality/value that will keep people coming back. True, price is always a consideration, for some it will mean more time between purchases, but we all find a way to get what we want.

Thank you know who that WNW is owned by Sir PJ  and we are the benefactor of his "hobby", say a prayer that he sticks around for a long, long time and not worry about a few bucks price increase. Boll's Law # 1- "Money is only as good as the things it will buy, if it can't get you what you want it is no %$#%^() good". Followed by Boll's Law #2- "Nobody has figured out a way to take it with them--even the Pharaohs tried, but everything they had is in somebody else's museum".

[coyotemagic]

Well stated, Ed!  Bravo!  I couldn't agree more.
Cheers,
Bud

[uncletony]

Well stated, Ed!  Bravo!  I couldn't agree more.
Cheers,
Bud

+2, my sentiments exactly, Ed

[RAGIII]

Well stated, Ed!  Bravo!  I couldn't agree more.
Cheers,
Bud

+2, my sentiments exactly, Ed

Ed, Bud, and Bo,
You gave me something to think about and my conclusion is that Ed is quite right. Seeing as I can only buy 1 or 2 a year this won't make a big difference and relative to other Tamigawa like kits WNW will still be a bargain.
RAGIII

[Jim]

Maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but if shipping is separated from price, those living in eNZed and Oz might see an overall price drop that takes some of the sting out of the currency exchange...at least, I sure hope so!

[radio]

To all WNW are very great kits and not heavy in price.
Only for me is it the wrong scale.
Cheers
Martin

[lcarroll]

Ed,
    I gotta say you've put this issue into very clear perspective; good points all and no disagreement from this "cowboy"!
Cheers,
Lance

[ondra]

I agree with the previous posts as to the fact that WNW kits are still a bargain compared to other kits in 1/32 scale.

Talking about the free shipping, from my point of view this step actually makes sense in terms of the KPI called value per order. If an e-commerce retail company switches from free shipping to postage fees, this will probably have a positive effect on number of kits per order. If the customer sees he would have to pay e. g. 20 dollars for postage, this incentivises him to order less frequently, but put e. g. 2 or 3 kits into the basket. In this respect I can understand what WNW are going to do and it makes sense in terms of financial result without having severe impact on customers.

[macsporran]

“Do you really think there are that many more Mossie buyers out there versus WNW builders?”

Yes. I really do think there are that many more Mosquito buyers out there. Does this really need to be said?
A glance at the tables at any model show or club meeting will show lots of high-value WW2 kits. Even with WNW, we WWI modellers are still a comparatively rare breed.

(Hell, I might well pay $300 and much more for a good Mossie - as my dad was in a Mosquito Squadron in WW2 – but I won’t buy the AEG because the subject is just not worth it to me at that price point. If it were sub-$200 and contained “standard” night lozenge then I’d get one for the stash.)

Five years in there’s maybe a perceptible shift at WNW towards more financial accountability that patently wasn’t there when they released the Tin Donkey. We’ve seen the first Special Offers. (The double Fee offer must have gone down like a lead balloon to be so quickly revised.)
Conclusion, they have some kits that are not selling well enough at $99.
They are trying to shift stock on the SE5a - presumably they made too many initially - but this shows there is at least one kit of a very popular WWI subject - I bought three - that isn’t selling well enough at $69.
Also, they initially said they wouldn’t make a Camel, now they have bowed to financial common sense and hyped up a forthcoming release.

I respect the postings and views of everybody else on this subject and understand and empathise completely with the viewpoint that you have to pay more for something good and we need to support the good guys who are producing such fantastic kits.

My worry though is that we appear to be sending a message to WNW, (if they read Des’s wonderful forum,) that we will pay any price they decide to charge in future. Some of us might but then some (a lot?) of us might not.

I’d hate them to vamp up the price or the shipping and see a sizeable section of their hard-won clientele melt away like snow off a dyke (as we say up here in Bonnie Scotland - where we know the worth of a bawbee!)