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I actually really like the idea of small batches of different production colours for pieces. If there were a few styles and about a dozen of each I think that would make it easier for collectors to pick which pieces they want without having to trade grab bags. I just got a couple more arctic foxes in as I traded one and sold the other and was trying to get one with red on it but the two I just got are both grey so now I will have to try and trade them again. If there was say small batches of red or white or grey foxes, I could have just bought the colours I wanted.
I don’t think there were any really red ones! A few were brownish..
I think you’ve been doing an amazing job. Are koi-rins also on that list of yours?
I’m still scratching my head about the standing kirins!
I agree that more frequent grab bags makes each piece a tiny bit less “special”, since they are less rare, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. More grab bags means more people get to enjoy one of a kind pieces painted by Melody who otherwise might not be able to afford one, such as a special Ebay piece.
While it is unfortunate when people who really want to buy a certain grab bag can’t afford one, I think that’s just a fact of collecting. Ultimately, buying pretty statues is a want, not a need. But for Windstone Editions, selling pretty statues IS a need, and I don’t think that it’s fair to them to ask that they not make grab bags until certain collectors have saved enough money to buy them. If grab bags sell out quickly every month, it means there are enough collectors who do have the money to buy them (How many people love Windstones but aren’t on the forum? Probably lots.), and that is good for Windstone.
Besides, with all the trading that goes on, now with multiple batches and different sculpts, even if you miss a grab bag, there is a good chance that you can trade for one from that batch later. I have had to pass on a few grab bags in the past for money reasons, but I always love seeing the photos that other collectors have posted.
I would agree with you except for three not-sold-out Grab Bags currently in the store (or two if you want to argue that 500 GB tadpoads never would have sold out). The Arctic Foxes and the baby Poads tell me that Windstone is exceeding their collector base and Grab Bags no longer bring the guaranteed infusion of cash that they once did. I cannot see that a longer space between Grab Bags would hurt people who want to have a special piece without paying ebay prices, and it might make it easier for them to get one.
I believe that Windstone has considered the social aspects of trading Grab Bags to be part of the whole “Grab Bag experience”. It sounds as though more frequent Grab Bags have made that less enjoyable also.
As a side note … Melody does most of the painting of Grab Bags, which means that she has less time available for sculpting, and I’m not sure that is a good long-term trade off either!
I have been painting 40+ more of the foxes and baby poads than we need . We almost always quickly sell around 125 of any grab bag piece, so I have been doing about 160-180, thinking that it would be good to not have them sell out instantly, not have limits on the number you could purchase, and be able to keep them in the store for a while longer!
Eh, maybe that is backfiring by giving the impression that they don’t sell. ( the red foxes sold out anyway)I just looked again at the class pic of Arctic foxes, I painted over 200 of those! No wonder there are still over 10 left.
Oh, goodness Melody, please don’t think that. I like the bigger batches and the ability to go back to the well (so to speak) and get a couple more of something, especially when I see some of the pictures that are posted. The Arctics disappeared from the store quite quickly on Friday, so they’re finally all on their way to forever (or interim) homes.
Life is beautiful.
The other thing we could do instead of grab bags is have a batch of things all painted differently, like the grab bags, but sold individually in the store, (or maybe etsy) like we do with the “Stray Cat edition” and the baby kirins.
Pam hates this idea because each piece would need to be photo’d individually and it would be a big pain , but that way people could pick and choose, and wouldn’t be getting a color they don’t like!
OR we could have a bunch of mini-batches of colors… a dozen or so of each grab-bag-like color so Pam would only need to photo one, or maybe the whole small group could be pictured.
Like, say I painted a dozen racoon-bat-eared foxes. They wouldn’t be ooaks like the true grabbags, but they would be plenty weird.
Takes away the suspense-thrill though. Not nearly as much fun.
I really like the grab bags – both the suspense and the trading (not that I trade all that much, but still..).
I also think, as others have mentioned, that smaller batches would most likely lead to fewer people being able to get at least the one or two that are allowed in the recent releases.
It’s nice the that recent batches are big enough (Fennecs and Hippies as exceptions) that most people are able to get at least one.
I mentioned in another post that I also like that the batches are big enough to go back and get more after the limits are lifted. I like the initial limits, though, too. It keeps it fair and lets the most people have access to your art.
To wrap up, I think that Windstone (you, of course and the rest of “team Melody”) does a wonderful job in all aspects of customer service and really works hard to ensure the greatest fairness to its customers of any company I know.
You are high on the list of things I am thankful for. 🙂
Life is beautiful.
The other thing we could do instead of grab bags is have a batch of things all painted differently, like the grab bags, but sold individually in the store, (or maybe etsy) like we do with the “Stray Cat edition” and the baby kirins.
Pam hates this idea because each piece would need to be photo’d individually and it would be a big pain , but that way people could pick and choose, and wouldn’t be getting a color they don’t like!
OR we could have a bunch of mini-batches of colors… a dozen or so of each grab-bag-like color so Pam would only need to photo one, or maybe the whole small group could be pictured.
Like, say I painted a dozen racoon-bat-eared foxes. They wouldn’t be ooaks like the true grabbags, but they would be plenty weird.
Takes away the suspense-thrill though. Not nearly as much fun.
I really like the grab bags – both the suspense and the trading (not that I trade all that much, but still..).
I also think, as others have mentioned, that smaller batches would most likely lead to fewer people being able to get at least the one or two that are allowed in the recent releases.
It’s nice the that recent batches are big enough (Fennecs and Hippies as exceptions) that most people are able to get at least one.
I mentioned in another post that I also like that the batches are big enough to go back and get more after the limits are lifted. I like the initial limits, though, too. It keeps it fair and lets the most people have access to your art.
To wrap up, I think that Windstone (you, of course and the rest of “team Melody”) does a wonderful job in all aspects of customer service and really works hard to ensure the greatest fairness to its customers of any company I know.
You are high on the list of things I am thankful for. 🙂
Here here! I know what I’ll be saying thanks for when I celebrate *my* thanksgiving! (Or well. Some of what I’m thankful for! Hehe)
I do enjoy the grab bags, it’s fun to see them and vicariously enjoy the anticipation and excitement of ordering and trading them. But I feel awkward putting in any input most of the time because I don’t often order them. It seems unfair to put in an opinion when I’m not going to be participating. Not that I don’t want to, I just usually don’t have the spare funds for it (because I’m a penny pinching miser ;), lol). Sometimes I’ll suggest a paint scheme idea…but again, it feels a bit weird when I know I’m probably not going to participate.
But considering the debate still seems to be going, here’s my two cents. Instead of a monthly grab bag, why not every other month (I’m sure somebody has already suggested this)? Get a bit of a breather in between for painter and purchasers. That way, if there is a grab bag coming up that sounds interesting a purchaser can save up for it. If not, they can get a production piece they’ve been eying or something.
You can check out my work on dA & Redbubble!
https://prezaurian.deviantart.com/
https://www.redbubble.com/people/prezaurian?ref=artist_title_nameI do enjoy the grab bags, it’s fun to see them and vicariously enjoy the anticipation and excitement of ordering and trading them. But I feel awkward putting in any input most of the time because I don’t often order them. It seems unfair to put in an opinion when I’m not going to be participating. Not that I don’t want to, I just usually don’t have the spare funds for it (because I’m a penny pinching miser ;), lol). Sometimes I’ll suggest a paint scheme idea…but again, it feels a bit weird when I know I’m probably not going to participate.
But considering the debate still seems to be going, here’s my two cents. Instead of a monthly grab bag, why not every other month (I’m sure somebody has already suggested this)? Get a bit of a breather in between for painter and purchasers. That way, if there is a grab bag coming up that sounds interesting a purchaser can save up for it. If not, they can get a production piece they’ve been eying or something.
Oh I would Second This, and suggest perhaps going to Once a Quarter (1 per 3 months) for Grab Bags as an even better plan for my PayPal Funding! 😉
IN SEARCH OF MY NEXT GRAILS:
Black Peacock & Butternut Adult Poads
Kickstarter 'Rainbow Tiger' Bantam Dragon*~*~*~* Ela_Hara: The DragonKeeper *~*~*~*
*** Come visit me on deviantArt at http://ela-hara.deviantart.comI agree that more frequent grab bags makes each piece a tiny bit less “special”, since they are less rare, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. More grab bags means more people get to enjoy one of a kind pieces painted by Melody who otherwise might not be able to afford one, such as a special Ebay piece.
While it is unfortunate when people who really want to buy a certain grab bag can’t afford one, I think that’s just a fact of collecting. Ultimately, buying pretty statues is a want, not a need. But for Windstone Editions, selling pretty statues IS a need, and I don’t think that it’s fair to them to ask that they not make grab bags until certain collectors have saved enough money to buy them. If grab bags sell out quickly every month, it means there are enough collectors who do have the money to buy them (How many people love Windstones but aren’t on the forum? Probably lots.), and that is good for Windstone.
Besides, with all the trading that goes on, now with multiple batches and different sculpts, even if you miss a grab bag, there is a good chance that you can trade for one from that batch later. I have had to pass on a few grab bags in the past for money reasons, but I always love seeing the photos that other collectors have posted.
I would agree with you except for three not-sold-out Grab Bags currently in the store (or two if you want to argue that 500 GB tadpoads never would have sold out). The Arctic Foxes and the baby Poads tell me that Windstone is exceeding their collector base and Grab Bags no longer bring the guaranteed infusion of cash that they once did. I cannot see that a longer space between Grab Bags would hurt people who want to have a special piece without paying ebay prices, and it might make it easier for them to get one.
I believe that Windstone has considered the social aspects of trading Grab Bags to be part of the whole “Grab Bag experience”. It sounds as though more frequent Grab Bags have made that less enjoyable also.
As a side note … Melody does most of the painting of Grab Bags, which means that she has less time available for sculpting, and I’m not sure that is a good long-term trade off either!
I have been painting 40+ more of the foxes and baby poads than we need . We almost always quickly sell around 125 of any grab bag piece, so I have been doing about 160-180, thinking that it would be good to not have them sell out instantly, not have limits on the number you could purchase, and be able to keep them in the store for a while longer!
Eh, maybe that is backfiring by giving the impression that they don’t sell. ( the red foxes sold out anyway)I just looked again at the class pic of Arctic foxes, I painted over 200 of those! No wonder there are still over 10 left.
Oh, goodness Melody, please don’t think that. I like the bigger batches and the ability to go back to the well (so to speak) and get a couple more of something, especially when I see some of the pictures that are posted. The Arctics disappeared from the store quite quickly on Friday, so they’re finally all on their way to forever (or interim) homes.
There are often a few stragglers from grab bag batches, so sometimes the extras get put back in the store after the others have sold, or they go on ebay.
I think it’s great to have a few stragglers. If you miss them, it’s a great chance to grab one. Do you think the bat eared foxes will be coming soon, or will those be the December grab bag?
Regarding the Facebook question, I’d love wolves, but I’d heartily welcome the bat-eared foxes first. Mostly because they’d cost less and help my budget recover from those beautiful hoppy poads!
Now, to speak from a perspective of complete self interest. As a disclaimer, the Windstone folks don’t owe me a darn thing, and Melody both can and should do as she pleases. With that said I’d love the Grab Bag batches to alternate being painted by Melody and the production painters. The thing is most production painters could say… turn out a batch of baby Unicorns painted with siamese cat or buckskin markings in a variety of fantasy colors. But Melody alone has the ability to work on Reptangle or a new sculpt.
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