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I like the fairness of GBs now. It’s a matter of luck and surprise getting an awesome piece- not a matter of money like Kaytana said.
I guess I just don’t like the idea of the “popular unicorns” really only being available to people who can afford to win such an auction 🙁
I know everyone has different tastes so there will always be popular unicorns left- but when you look at people’s ‘want lists’ before a batch comes out there is a noticable pattern on a select few pieces being desired the most.
I don’t mind either way. I see the arguments of both sides. Yes, there’s the possibility that someone with deep pockets could get your favorite, but I find that I don’t buy from a batch unless there’s several that I really like.
I love this idea! :love: I would pay way more for my favorite pick of the bunch, and to be honest, I am not fond of trading to get my most coveted one from the class photos. It think it would be fair to the people that don’t like the idea of trading very much, and it would really help Windstone at the same time. Please do this! 🙂
I also think everyone tends to like different unicorns, so not all of the favorites would be gone by doing this. And, to be really fair, Melody and Windstone are being so great to do this for us anyway that I think anything we can do to “give back” isn’t too much to ask. Especially if this keeps the grab bags going into the future. With how amazing and detailed the last few batches have been, I’ve been really shocked that the prices have remained so low and many of the unicorns haven’t ended up on eBay rather than in the class photos. Just my 2 cents!
I know I wouldn’t be able to afford an auction piece unless they were close to the price you sell the others for which I guess would defeat the purpose. I like the fact that when we buy the grab bags we are hoping for certain ones we think are special and even if we don’t get the one we want, I have found most people will trade them one for one instead of selling them for exuberant amounts that most can’t afford. Trading to me seems more fair than placing super high values on some and not others.
I was messaging with someone who had a dragon I thought I offered a fair amount for and was quite surprised when she told me she paid 3-4 times the amount I offered for it. It made me feel like I would never have one I wanted that some people could pay so much more for. For those who can afford special pieces though, I would agree that doing a separate special batch of unicorns different than the grab bag ones and selling them or auctioning them off would be better. Just my thoughts.
Looking for rainbow or pink & teal grab bags!
I have to say I’m not fond of the idea. If this had been implemented back when the youngs were released there is no way I would have gotten Juggernaut, and now he is the pride of my small collection. I love him more than almost any other windstone but there is no way I could have paid any more for him. I’m hoping to get one from this batch, and there are many I like, but having it be picked over by those with deeper pockets (who can afford the aftermarket prices) before they are released to everyone seems a tad unfair. If you guys really think this will get you the money you need then I guess it’s ok. I’d rather see you guys do well and produce more, I just don’t like the precedent it sets.
I am not fond of this idea.
What you could possibly do is a variation on it. Put out the class photo and auction off a YOUNG unicorn to be done in the high bidders favorite pattern from the GB bunch. That way, they get a unique item, you get even more $ because it’s a YOUNG. And then they get the thrill of the hunt of trying to get their hands on the YOUNGs’ baby sister.
As a reminder – I’m not an official Windstone employee. I’m a volunteer and nothing I say should be assumed to be an official Windstone stance unless explicitly stated as such (at least outside of the Quest forum!)
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Here’s the thing. I kind of think Windstone gets the short end of the stick on grab bags. They are a lot of work. They keep Melody from painting for ebay or sculpting. They are stressful for the service team due to the complications on the site, and they require the packers to put in lots of extra hours to put out a 100 items in the time they might normally ship 20.
Most of them resell for WAY more than the batch originally retails at. Windstone is quite generous to sell them at the prices they do when they could honesty put all of them on ebay or in the special store for way more money.
The monitors and the camera they need are both expensive AND critical for the business.
Saying that out of a batch of over 140 you would lose a chance at maybe five is not unfair or unreasonable. I’m pretty sure the whole audience won’t love the same five unicorns so it seems unlikely that enough people would be devastated at this decision that Windstone would lose any real money because that person doesn’t choose to buy from the batch because of it.
And, realistically, most people will buy from the batch ANYWAY. People still beg for a chance to buy grab bags from Susie even after the batch is sold out and some of their favorites show up in other homes.
Can I afford to bid on a first or even a fifth shot at picking my grab bag fav? No, I really can’t. Will I still buy one even if five of the ones I like are already claimed? Yes I would.
If Windstone doesn’t have the money they need to run the business, all of this becomes a moot point. If they can’t cover operating expenses, they can’t make grab bags at all.
End of the day – this is a business and if they need to sell off 5 unicorns through a means other than random draw to make sure at the end of the month the bills are paid, then they should go for it. There will still be at least 135 left for us.
I’m not fond of the idea either. I want Windstone to prosper, but there’s something really nice about the GB’s being luck of the draw. The chance factor gives financial ‘lightweights’ refreshingly equal footing with those with more funds.
A few people have mentioned issuing the class photo, seeing which pieces people flip out over, and then painting similar pieces, as babies or young unicorns, for the special item section or auction. That sounds like a nice alternative.
When I decide to try and buy a grab bag, it’s because I like the majority of the collection. I would be bummed if some unicorns are gone, but it would not swing my decision to buy with such a large batch. With the two grab bags I own, I didn’t even notice them in the photos/videos, but up close, they are amazing.
So, while I don’t love the idea, I want wind stones to stay in business and to make money, so if this is something you need to do, you should do it.
I am not a fan of the idea. If my favorites from the batch were sold this way, I would be less inclined to purchase from the batch in general :/
agreed….getting the OMG awesome! possibility in your box is a big part of the excitement for me….
4 things I'm looking for:
1. Mother Meerkat
2. production color Sitting Young Oriental dragons to be made in more colors besides VF, Brimstone would be awesome!
3. Female Griffin – Siamese with White
4. September Raffle Prize 2022 AHD Male GriffinOk, so some alternative options so far…
– I could pick out 5 unicorns from this batch to be auctioned separately, and they would not be included in the class photos at all. You would not see what they were until they hit ebay.
– Auctioning a custom young to match a baby that the winner already owns (more realistic than a general commission, but not sure if Melody would go for it; still, it would be fun to do as a regular thing if she was ok with the idea, like maybe once every month or two).The reason I like the idea of either auctioning the first 5 picks or auctioning 5 babies that I pick out, is because the GB babies are already mostly painted. All the other ideas involve waiting for new pieces to be painted.
Now, none of this is official and John is planning on getting a new camera/monitor regardless of whether or not any of my little ideas come to fruitation (we need that equipment to keep putting stuff on eBay and in the store!). However, I had these ideas rattling around in my head today as a way that we might quickly alleviate some of what it will cost to replace that equipment (either before or after it is purchased).
Most of them resell for WAY more than the batch originally retails at. Windstone is quite generous to sell them at the prices they do when they could honesty put all of them on ebay or in the special store for way more money.
This. I would like to see windstone receive more of this second hand profit.
– Auctioning a custom young to match a baby that the winner already owns (more realistic than a general commission, but not sure if Melody would go for it; still, it would be fun to do as a regular thing if she was ok with the idea, like maybe once every month or two).
I like this idea better….
4 things I'm looking for:
1. Mother Meerkat
2. production color Sitting Young Oriental dragons to be made in more colors besides VF, Brimstone would be awesome!
3. Female Griffin – Siamese with White
4. September Raffle Prize 2022 AHD Male Griffin
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