Recently discovered the Massdrop site: www.massdrop.com.

If you don't know how it works, the folks at Massdrop, or users of Massdrop, will suggest a product. If the product gets 300 positive votes, the people at Massdrop will contact the seller to work out a bulk purchase at under MSRP. The more people who commit to purchase, the lower the price can go.

Right now, Massdrop is offering a bundle of FFG games which includes the core of X-Wing, Armada, and Imperial Assault for $153.99 plus $11.57 to ship. (By my math, that's about 64% off MSRP and dropping?)

Would love it if they would bundle the entire Wave II. I did my best to add the Wave II ships to the vote list (sadly I am limited by what my evil work computer will let me do). So, if interested, shoot over to Massdrop and vote for the Imperial Star Destroyer and see if FFG and Massdrop will make us a deal.

R

Recently discovered the Massdrop site: www.massdrop.com.

If you don't know how it works, the folks at Massdrop, or users of Massdrop, will suggest a product. If the product gets 300 positive votes, the people at Massdrop will contact the seller to work out a bulk purchase at under MSRP. The more people who commit to purchase, the lower the price can go.

Right now, Massdrop is offering a bundle of FFG games which includes the core of X-Wing, Armada, and Imperial Assault for $153.99 plus $11.57 to ship. (By my math, that's about 64% off MSRP and dropping?)

Would love it if they would bundle the entire Wave II. I did my best to add the Wave II ships to the vote list (sadly I am limited by what my evil work computer will let me do). So, if interested, shoot over to Massdrop and vote for the Imperial Star Destroyer and see if FFG and Massdrop will make us a deal.

R

Wow. That's a really interesting idea / site. I'm in the UK so not for me, but sounds like a great idea.

There are already a few companies that do this. They're called Amazon and Miniatures Market.

I'll stick with my FLGS.

Sounds like this site will undercut Amazon / Miniature Market...

A very interesting concept.

There are already a few companies that do this. They're called Amazon and Miniatures Market.

I'll stick with my FLGS.

I don't know Miniatures Market, but Amazon is not the same as this.

I would, but sadly the shipping's just too high to the UK

There are already a few companies that do this. They're called Amazon and Miniatures Market.

I'll stick with my FLGS.

I don't know Miniatures Market, but Amazon is not the same as this.

It effectively is. They volume bargain with FFG to get a lower cost and sell in volume for a smaller profit at a price considerably below MSRP. Any other differences are window dressing.

I tossed a few votes in. I'd prefer to support an FLGS but most either lack the 'F' part, or don't really support the games I play very well/at all.

There are already a few companies that do this. They're called Amazon and Miniatures Market.

I'll stick with my FLGS.

I don't know Miniatures Market, but Amazon is not the same as this.

It effectively is. They volume bargain with FFG to get a lower cost and sell in volume for a smaller profit at a price considerably below MSRP. Any other differences are window dressing.

The site doesn't actually give you information about themselves unless you give them an email address and create a membership - so I'm only going off what the OP said. But this sounds to be not a shop but a way for people to make a collaborative purchase direct from the retailer. Amazon are a shop, they just happen to be online. Amazon negotiating a better price with suppliers for themselves is no different than Wal-Mart doing it or any other large retailer. Massdrop does NOT appear to be people buying individually from a retailer, but coming together to do collective bargaining.

Well, like I said, I recently found the site. I don't have any expereince with them, but I do think the idea is interesting. A place like Minature Market, I assume, may order in bulk from FFG and then have to add in the cost of running their store and a reasonable profit on the transaction. Nothing wrong with that of course. But it seems to me that they have items in stock they have to move at a profit. From what I can read on the FAQ at Massdrop, they appear to act more like a broker, contacting the vendor and saying, for a fee, we'll order in bulk and move X number of your products. So, Massdrop doesn't appear to be in the mark-up business, as their profit comes from the fee they charge the vendor.

I'm by no means a proponent of these guys. All I have is what appears on their site. But, if they got together a block of Armada players, and were able to move Imperial Star Destroyers at 60% of MRSP (uh...$29.99 instead of $49.95?) I would take two please.

Worth noting however, that now that I check, the prices at Minature Market are pretty low to begin with. (Also free shipping over $99 at MM, so that's cool as well).

Ship FFG Minature Market

ISD 49.95 34.47

Home One 39.95 27.57

Mc30c 29.95 19.99

Rogues and V 19.95 13.77

Imperial Raider 19.95 13.77

Total 159.75 109.57

Yeah, I wonder if Massdrop could get that any lower. It might not. I am curious though.

There are already a few companies that do this. They're called Amazon and Miniatures Market.

I'll stick with my FLGS.

I don't know Miniatures Market, but Amazon is not the same as this.

It effectively is. They volume bargain with FFG to get a lower cost and sell in volume for a smaller profit at a price considerably below MSRP. Any other differences are window dressing.

The site doesn't actually give you information about themselves unless you give them an email address and create a membership...

Good point. They're apparently a little shadier than Amazon and Miniatures Market are.

But this sounds to be not a shop but a way for people to make a collaborative purchase direct from the retailer. Amazon are a shop, they just happen to be online. Amazon negotiating a better price with suppliers for themselves is no different than Wal-Mart doing it or any other large retailer. Massdrop does NOT appear to be people buying individually from a retailer, but coming together to do collective bargaining.

Massdrop still receives a bulk shipment from the vendor (FFG, in this case), and it repackages it and ships it to the customer. Just like Amazon and MM they're a middleman. The difference in the business model is that they seem to keep costs even lower by making the transaction less certain (in terms of how good of a deal they're going to get, and when - or if - it might happen), while Amazon and MM calculate risks into their costs. Massdrop also doesn't have a return policy. I'd be wary of what might happen if they ship you unsatisfactory product, and if FFG will be as good to you under those circumstances.

If you're someone who is seriously pinching the pennies and is willing to forgo on certainty and a nice place to game, then Massdrop may be an even better deal for you than Amazon or MM. It gets us to an argument that we've battled out a number of times on this forum (Amazon/MM vs. FLGS).

well I've started a wave 2 poll for people to vote on...

http://dro.ps/v/uzw8lah

link to poll included

I voted

I think you mean 64% OF retail?

it realistically has to be about $10 lower than MM for it to be worth the risk... And thats with free shipping. Can they do that deal?

I have heard that it's reliable and cheaper than any other source if you get enough people. The issue I've heard is that they take a long time to fulfill orders. I mean like months.

I have heard that it's reliable and cheaper than any other source if you get enough people. The issue I've heard is that they take a long time to fulfill orders. I mean like months.

Urgh. I remember how bad it was just waiting for Amazon to release the core set >.<

Useless outside the US due to shipping sadly.