I got into X-wing just after the last wave was released, and I started out buying the early waves that were readily available. Gradually over the months I bought the newer stuff too as they came in stock. Now I have all the ships available, and multiple quantities of my favorites, but I haven't yet experienced buying the brand new ships. How do you go about buying them? Do you pre-order online, pay now, and let the seller sit on your money for 3 months? Do you wait until they officially hit stores and pay retail prices, hoping for better availability, but higher prices? Do you stow away on the freighter from China and grab whatever you can, then pray you don't get caught by Customs Authorities and thrown into a holding cell with "Big Mike", who is a convicted murderer, all the while knowing you're doing time for stealing little plastic toys?

Depends on, do you have a local game store you play at quite often or do you play at home mostly?

If you play at a game store, I think it's fair to buy at least some stuff from them, they offer you a place to play, for free.

If you don't, then I'd pre-order everything from Miniature Market or Coolstuff Inc. You'll get everything at a 33% discount, and get free shipping on anything over $100. Myself I don't bother to pre-order until something has been 'on the boat' for at least 6 weeks.

Another option would be to buy say $100 worth of stuff from one of those two, and then get what ever else you want from a LGS. So you get a good deal but also support your store.

There are two main ways to buy new ships. Either through your local game store (LGS) or online. You will almost always get better prices if you buy online, but if you don't support your LGS, then you might not have a place to actually play your games. So, this is the quandary of most gamers. Go for the absolute cheapest? Or support your store to have a place to play? If you don't play at a store, then just order them online!

If you want the absolute cheapest and have the money to buy a lot of ships at once, you order them online. If you spend over $100 you get free shipping. That's the best way.

I tend to just buy things when I have money. If I happen to get a lump of cash and it's a little too soon before the next wave, I'll buy a preorder. Otherwise, I just buy them when they are in. For example, I got some Xmas cash before Wave 6 was out. I knew this was my big cash infusion. I had to spend it on X-wing then or I knew I would blow it. So, I pre-ordered all my Wave 6 stuff and got free shipping.

I try to support my local shop, though, when I just buy ships.

I don't take advantage of my LGS, mainly because I don't like that they over charge for the same stuff I can get online for cheaper (but they pay rent on the brick and mortar, but they have salaries to pay, but they support local gaming, etc etc, I know. But I feel as a consumer it's my obligation to help keep prices low by supporting the guy who's selling at competitive prices.) My biggest concern is finding the new wave in stock when it finally is released. So it seems that my best route is to pre-order online. However the investor in me hates to give up my money that early and let them make the interest off my money as opposed to me, all the while I don't even have my product. So in my eyes it ends up costing me an additional 8%-15% to pre-order (the returns I could be making off the money).

So I guess a better question would be: Are most online retailers out of stock right after after the new wave is received in? Or is it feasible to be able to order them online the day they hit online stores and have them shipped right away?

I don't take advantage of my LGS, mainly because I don't like that they over charge for the same stuff I can get online for cheaper (but they pay rent on the brick and mortar, but they have salaries to pay, but they support local gaming, etc etc, I know. But I feel as a consumer it's my obligation to help keep prices low by supporting the guy who's selling at competitive prices.) My biggest concern is finding the new wave in stock when it finally is released. So it seems that my best route is to pre-order online. However the investor in me hates to give up my money that early and let them make the interest off my money as opposed to me, all the while I don't even have my product. So in my eyes it ends up costing me an additional 8%-15% to pre-order (the returns I could be making off the money).

So I guess a better question would be: Are most online retailers out of stock right after after the new wave is received in? Or is it feasible to be able to order them online the day they hit online stores and have them shipped right away?

I would like to pose a question for this mentality. Would it offend you if you show up at your local store to play and he wanted to charge a table fee for your use of the area for the day? I ask this because miniature market has a place to play but it's a little far for me to commute to play. The brick and mortar stores may have higher prices but they also offer something that online doesn't, a place to play with your purchases. I have seen games get run out of my local shop because they wanted to order online and come play at his place for free. If you have a local store and enjoy gamedays, game night kits, store champs, etc then you should support your local community. Just my two cents.

Or is it feasible to be able to order them online the day they hit online stores and have them shipped right away?

The big online retailers like MM and CSI, they seem to get stock that is pre order + X units. I'd say that typically you can get stuff for a week or so after it ships at either place.

I don't take advantage of my LGS, mainly because I don't like that they over charge for the same stuff I can get online for cheaper (but they pay rent on the brick and mortar, but they have salaries to pay, but they support local gaming, etc etc, I know. But I feel as a consumer it's my obligation to help keep prices low by supporting the guy who's selling at competitive prices.) My biggest concern is finding the new wave in stock when it finally is released. So it seems that my best route is to pre-order online. However the investor in me hates to give up my money that early and let them make the interest off my money as opposed to me, all the while I don't even have my product. So in my eyes it ends up costing me an additional 8%-15% to pre-order (the returns I could be making off the money).

So I guess a better question would be: Are most online retailers out of stock right after after the new wave is received in? Or is it feasible to be able to order them online the day they hit online stores and have them shipped right away?

Stock issues were a problem in Wave 1 to Wave 4, but they're mostly fixed now. Wave 6 and 5 are very well supplied, so if you don't want to pre-order I doubt it'll leave you with nowhere with stock.

The brick and mortar stores may have higher prices but they also offer something that online doesn't, a place to play with your purchases.

I consider the increased price at a LGS to be convenience fee. I'm paying extra but in return I'm getting a place to play, people to play with, and other types of support.

The question is however is if that is worth the increased price. If someone plays once every few months at the LGS I can't see that they're getting much back on that fee. But if you play a couple times a month there, then you are.

I have seen games get run out of my local shop because they wanted to order online and come play at his place for free.

I'm guessing you mean gamers, and if I were the owner I'd consider that to be a very bad idea unless it was fairly extreme. Someone shows up, and has been playing once a week for the last 6 months, buys everything online and hasn't spent a dime at your store.

Because while they may or may not be buying stuff from you now, they'll never buy stuff from you if you run them out of the store.

I get all my ships from my LGS. They usually are well stocked and because I've been their loyal costumer for 9 years I can get pre orders without paying in advance. Other perks are; getting to organise events for my friends, no fees for the gaming area and the occasional free beer ;D.

I agree with kicking out people who aren't buying from your store, because in my experience, most of these people will also very loudly tell everyone else to buy online. Something that is extremely bad form to do in a store.

I don't take advantage of my LGS, mainly because I don't like that they over charge for the same stuff I can get online for cheaper (but they pay rent on the brick and mortar, but they have salaries to pay, but they support local gaming, etc etc, I know. But I feel as a consumer it's my obligation to help keep prices low by supporting the guy who's selling at competitive prices.) My biggest concern is finding the new wave in stock when it finally is released. So it seems that my best route is to pre-order online. However the investor in me hates to give up my money that early and let them make the interest off my money as opposed to me, all the while I don't even have my product. So in my eyes it ends up costing me an additional 8%-15% to pre-order (the returns I could be making off the money).

So I guess a better question would be: Are most online retailers out of stock right after after the new wave is received in? Or is it feasible to be able to order them online the day they hit online stores and have them shipped right away?

It's a bit off-topic, but I'm curious: what investments are you making that earn 8-15% over a period of a few weeks?

I don't take advantage of my LGS, mainly because I don't like that they over charge for the same stuff I can get online for cheaper (but they pay rent on the brick and mortar, but they have salaries to pay, but they support local gaming, etc etc, I know. But I feel as a consumer it's my obligation to help keep prices low by supporting the guy who's selling at competitive prices.) My biggest concern is finding the new wave in stock when it finally is released. So it seems that my best route is to pre-order online. However the investor in me hates to give up my money that early and let them make the interest off my money as opposed to me, all the while I don't even have my product. So in my eyes it ends up costing me an additional 8%-15% to pre-order (the returns I could be making off the money).

So I guess a better question would be: Are most online retailers out of stock right after after the new wave is received in? Or is it feasible to be able to order them online the day they hit online stores and have them shipped right away?

I would like to pose a question for this mentality. Would it offend you if you show up at your local store to play and he wanted to charge a table fee for your use of the area for the day? I ask this because miniature market has a place to play but it's a little far for me to commute to play. The brick and mortar stores may have higher prices but they also offer something that online doesn't, a place to play with your purchases. I have seen games get run out of my local shop because they wanted to order online and come play at his place for free. If you have a local store and enjoy gamedays, game night kits, store champs, etc then you should support your local community. Just my two cents.

And I agree with you, if you prefer to pay more in order to get a place to play and opponents to play against, that sounds fair. However, I would rather pay less (about $5/small ship, and $10-$15/large ship) and not take advantage of my LGS. I have a group of about 8 friends that all play, and we always just play casual games at each other's houses.

I don't take advantage of my LGS, mainly because I don't like that they over charge for the same stuff I can get online for cheaper (but they pay rent on the brick and mortar, but they have salaries to pay, but they support local gaming, etc etc, I know. But I feel as a consumer it's my obligation to help keep prices low by supporting the guy who's selling at competitive prices.) My biggest concern is finding the new wave in stock when it finally is released. So it seems that my best route is to pre-order online. However the investor in me hates to give up my money that early and let them make the interest off my money as opposed to me, all the while I don't even have my product. So in my eyes it ends up costing me an additional 8%-15% to pre-order (the returns I could be making off the money).

So I guess a better question would be: Are most online retailers out of stock right after after the new wave is received in? Or is it feasible to be able to order them online the day they hit online stores and have them shipped right away?

It's a bit off-topic, but I'm curious: what investments are you making that earn 8-15% over a period of a few weeks?

I'm heavily invested in the stock market, including some pretty volatile penny stocks that are capable of 10% swings in a few days. I was just going off the assumption that if I pre-order now, I won't see the product until August at the earliest, which is 3 months from now. And $100 was about how much I was planning to spend on the new wave, which is peanuts in the market, but my points are based more on principle than application. It's bad form to give away your money with no immediate return, when I could hold that money for my use until the product was available.

Almost all the local stores in Utah offer a discount on preorders but I'm also lucky to have a store that gives 25% off retail and I figure its worth the couple of bucks to support my local store even if MM/CSI can get it to me a bit cheaper.

The "best" way is hard to determine because there are many factors to go into it including the less tangible things like who do you want your hobby to support.

The "quickest" way may be to attend some of those events where FFG happens to come bringing the stuff that generally isn't available yet. I'm thinking Gen Con but I'm guessing there are other ways to obtain it before the general public gets it. One of those ways can be to pay the extortion fee to someone who attended such an event to get product early and is then selling it at a premium.

The cheapest way to buy something is probably to wait for someone to try dumping the product at a very steep discount. I mean there are those online retailers that often list them at 33% less than MSRP but even they old sales and sometimes you can even find them for less. I'd love to have a nearby Target store I could happen to wander into and find new Core Sets on sale for $10 or less apiece.

Now except for it not supporting your FLGS or other store you may play I'd say the method that hits highest on most marks is pre ordering online and maybe going in with your friends to get free shipping. You probably don't need to jump on ordering when something first goes up, especially if they charge you the full price immediately, but can often get in after it is on the way over.

If I can't get a 'full order' I'll often just wait on things until I can.

I suspect that brick-and-mortar stores are going to have to change up how they do business to stave off being undercut by the online retailers. I buy everything from a FLGS that I play at, because I'd much rather pay the extra money and have a place to meet other players. It helps that my FLGS has both a rewards program and a pre-order discount.

I have heard of places doing things like having $50/month memberships that get you $50 in store credit and priority access to tables when the store is crowded. I think that's a neat idea, but probably requires a nicer, more organized space than a lot of places have.

Cost effective? Well that really depends on what you play and what you need from the new ships. There are many strategies that are top tier competitive that don't really require every ship and plenty of those top tier lists will likely not have anything of value from Wave 7. That being said when Wave 7 finally gets fully spoiled see what exactly do you need from those ships and only buy those expansion packs. It is possible you don't need the ship but just some upgrades that come with it (as often the case with the Star Viper) or you don't even need the expansion pack at all just like the Tie Bomber.

I don't take advantage of my LGS, mainly because I don't like that they over charge for the same stuff I can get online for cheaper (but they pay rent on the brick and mortar, but they have salaries to pay, but they support local gaming, etc etc, I know. But I feel as a consumer it's my obligation to help keep prices low by supporting the guy who's selling at competitive prices.) My biggest concern is finding the new wave in stock when it finally is released. So it seems that my best route is to pre-order online. However the investor in me hates to give up my money that early and let them make the interest off my money as opposed to me, all the while I don't even have my product. So in my eyes it ends up costing me an additional 8%-15% to pre-order (the returns I could be making off the money).

So I guess a better question would be: Are most online retailers out of stock right after after the new wave is received in? Or is it feasible to be able to order them online the day they hit online stores and have them shipped right away?

It's a bit off-topic, but I'm curious: what investments are you making that earn 8-15% over a period of a few weeks?

I'm heavily invested in the stock market, including some pretty volatile penny stocks that are capable of 10% swings in a few days. I was just going off the assumption that if I pre-order now, I won't see the product until August at the earliest, which is 3 months from now. And $100 was about how much I was planning to spend on the new wave, which is peanuts in the market, but my points are based more on principle than application. It's bad form to give away your money with no immediate return, when I could hold that money for my use until the product was available.

It wasn't a rhetorical question. I'm not particularly financially savvy and I'm fairly conservative about money, so my investments (such as they are) are not particularly liquid, and I tend to think about returns in terms of a fund's average performance over a period of years rather than the kind of fluctuation you get with individual stocks. Frankly, the stock market sort of terrifies me.

But your response does bring up a point that might be relevant: if you knew for sure the wave was going to be released in August, there's functionally very little difference between pre-ordering now and pre-ordering the last week of July. As TIE Pilot said further upthread, they've mostly worked out their stock issues, so there's probably not much difference even between pre-ordering now and ordering on the release date.

When i got into X-wing everything was sold out, and getting ahold of ships from previous waves was difficult at the least.

So for new waves i bulk buy all i need in one, and buy the occasional filler ship from FLGS.

That's how I do it anyway.

I buy the new ships with money. glad I could be of help!

I don't take advantage of my LGS, mainly because I don't like that they over charge for the same stuff I can get online for cheaper (but they pay rent on the brick and mortar, but they have salaries to pay, but they support local gaming, etc etc, I know. But I feel as a consumer it's my obligation to help keep prices low by supporting the guy who's selling at competitive prices.) My biggest concern is finding the new wave in stock when it finally is released. So it seems that my best route is to pre-order online. However the investor in me hates to give up my money that early and let them make the interest off my money as opposed to me, all the while I don't even have my product. So in my eyes it ends up costing me an additional 8%-15% to pre-order (the returns I could be making off the money).

So I guess a better question would be: Are most online retailers out of stock right after after the new wave is received in? Or is it feasible to be able to order them online the day they hit online stores and have them shipped right away?

I have never pre ordered and I always get as many copies of the new wave as I want even months after their release by ordering from MM or CSI!

Best.. From the place you play.

Quickest I've found to be with Amazon prime. Need that ship by a certain day for a tourney for example. Mof course this doesn't apply to purée orders. Only ordered one ship this way.

Cheapest by shopping around online.

The core of my still small collection came from shopping around online but since I started playing at a LGS, I've tried to make my purchases there. If they are out of stock though, well I have the patience of a Sith rather than Jedi.