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I have to be honest when I found out that the chances of grabbing another GB Poad were nil because of the crazy asking prices I really rethought my wanting to collect GBs at all. It seems, at times, downright nasty and mean, and it’s very very intimidating. I am really glad I am a dragon girl mostly (okay and a poad girl) but there’s a way the “grab bag game” is played and it’s pretty crazy. I was being told that 200 wasn’t enough for a poad when I was trying to nab one I wanted, and that the unis will sell for 350 and up? THAT’S LIKE AN EMPEROR Dragon! D: It’s scary! The secondhand market for GBs is just outrageous in some ways. I LOVE Windstone, but I would rather give you guys 200 than someone secondhand.
But would you purchase a grab bag at $200 that was given to you blind? One that you didn’t even know if you would like or not?
I think that $350 and up for grab bag unis is on the very high end of aftermarket pricing. I have sold some beauties for $250 but even they wrenched my heart to sell. People price things at what they are worth to THEM. I have seen lots of pieces go for much less than $350 – and indeed there are many that I have seen on ebay that do not sell for months at a time when they are priced that high. Honestly, I think that the average price for aftermarket is high at first, but quickly goes down. You cannot sell a Safari uni for what you could sell a recent Candy Corn for, for example. I cannot sell most of my pieces for what I bought them for to begin with because I spent so much on them in aftermarket!
I guess what I’m trying to say is that you never really know the circumstances of why someone is selling for what price, and the best thing you can do is vote with your dollar (don’t pay it!) – something else inevitably will come along 🙂
I certainly didn’t mean to upset anyone, and I really don’t want the impression to be had that I am some kind of unthinking person who doesn’t consider why someone is selling something. I have been in the position where I’ve had to sell nearly everything I had before, and I in fact am only just now in a place where I can consider collecting anything, so please don’t think that I am some kind of terrible, privileged person. I am also just going to be quiet now, I should never have said anything. I would just rather support Windstone especially if they are in need of new equipment, is all I was saying. I wasn’t saying that the price should be raised, just that if 200 was the price I’d rather support the company.
I am very sorry again for upsetting anyone.
Right now one of the challenges to an imperfect piece section is the time to photograph every imperfect piece to put in the store. Windstone would want to document any flaws in a piece so the buyer is not surprised or unhappy. This is a lot of extra labor and kind of defeats the purpose of having a “seconds” area in the first place.
If you sell pristine emerald peacock dragons – you just have to take a photo of one. If you sell damaged/poorly painted emerald peacock dragons, you have to take a photo of each one. What someone sees as a “minor” flaw, others see as a deal breaker.
There’s been some discussion on what to do about that, but no firm conclusions yet. Windstone is open to the idea, there’s just not a concensus yet on how to approach it so that it’s A.) Not overly burdensome to the staff and B.) Doesn’t mis-lead the buyer.
BUT, let’s not hijack Pam’s thread on that topic! Maybe I’ll start another one to talk about ideas on how to sell seconds.
**Sorry to add on to the wrong topic**
Actually, that is kinda what started this whole GB craze. A few years ago, Melody had a cart of baby unicorn castings that *I think* she had painted white, but then they failed inpection. So she painted each one a different color and sold them as a “Goof-up” Grab Bag Edition. If I remember correctly, the folks at the factory didn’t think they would be very popular at all…and look what happened! The description told you that they weren’t perfect, with various things wrong with them, I didn’t care, I snatched one right up and still have him today! (He’s basically a white baby unicorn with a couple of tan patches on him, MUCH different than today’s GBs!)
My point is, I think the solution to selling the imperfect ones is to mark them as “goof-up with various defects” and don’t worry about documenting EVERY SINGLE flaw. The majority of us that buy goof-ups are not picky about their flaws anyway. It’s been done in the past with a great response! 🙂I certainly didn’t mean to upset anyone, and I really don’t want the impression to be had that I am some kind of unthinking person who doesn’t consider why someone is selling something. I have been in the position where I’ve had to sell nearly everything I had before, and I in fact am only just now in a place where I can consider collecting anything, so please don’t think that I am some kind of terrible, privileged person. I am also just going to be quiet now, I should never have said anything. I would just rather support Windstone especially if they are in need of new equipment, is all I was saying. I wasn’t saying that the price should be raised, just that if 200 was the price I’d rather support the company.
I am very sorry again for upsetting anyone.
Oh no no no!! You didn’t upset anyone! Again, I keep adding these disclaimers to my posts but I apparently didn’t add one to that one ><
I am not judging anyone, and I am not angry at anyone at all!! I am just trying to add points to the discussion that I think people may not have seen 🙂Commission spots are currently closed! Please message me for details.
Please visit My Webpage to see my art and PYO's that I've done in the past!Wow, how did I miss this conversation?? Apparently I am showing up late, but I whole heartedly agree with everything kiya and Jennifer has pointed out to this point. 5 out of a batch so large should not even be a cause for an argument. DO IT! If it’s to help Windstone do it!
Personally, in general, I think it’s a great idea!! I think that Windstone should be seeing some more profit out of these personally when they seem to get almost double in the resale market on a regular basis. Melody takes all the time and makes all these beautiful Unicorns and then they sell second hand for crazy prices. It’s a little bit of a slap in the face. Windstone should be getting this money if you ask me.
I think it is the smart and economical choice to do this, especially with auctions selling for as low as they have been lately. I think it’s at least worth a shot to see how it works! I would definitly pay more to get my pick! I do think that only ONE person per auction should be able to win each of the 5 auctions though, just for fairness sake. Deep pockets do tend to rule the roost around here, but perhaps they shoudl not be allowed to buy from the store batch if they win? Will this make everyone as a whole at least satisfied?
I do understand the points that people who do not agree make, but there are a lot of other things to take into consideration. (sorry if these have already been mentioned, I haven’t read the whole thread yet)
To be fair to everyone, maybe not do it for EVERY batch, but still… I think it’s an excellent idea for Windstones side and I would still buy from the batch even if I lost the chance at my favorite.
One thing to think about, there are so many previous batches out there at this point, that even if you DON’T get your favorite of THIS batch it will more then likely be SOMEBODY’S favorite and grab bags are great trade barter for other items in my opinion. Maybe you could be able to trade for your favorite from a previous batch? … or even something else entirely? I’m sure many people have traded unis from different batchs, poads, even ebay editions to get grab bags. I know I have in the past.
Another thing, I don’t know about you guys, but trading is EXHAUSTING and quite frankly, I’m tired of paying the postal service to ship things back and forth all over the world when I could use that money to maybe secure a better chance to get the Uni I actually want.
Got a busted Windstone?
drag0nfeathersdesign@gmail.com
*OPEN for repairs**SEEKING GRAILS*
Arc-en-ciel Emperor
Siphlophis Male Dragon
Calypso Hatching Empress
Ivory Moss Sitting Baby Kirin
Tattoo Mother Kirin
Emerald Tabby Male Griffin
Tie Dye + Orion Hatching Royalty
Indigo Rockfish + Flame Tabby Little Rock Dragons
Dragon Quail + Obsidian Frost Old Warriors
Betta Sun Dragon + Male Dragon
Dreamscape, Orion, Poison Dart, Fireberry, Spangler + Tigerberry Dragons**Sorry to add on to the wrong topic**
Actually, that is kinda what started this whole GB craze. A few years ago, Melody had a cart of baby unicorn castings that *I think* she had painted white, but then they failed inpection. So she painted each one a different color and sold them as a “Goof-up” Grab Bag Edition. If I remember correctly, the folks at the factory didn’t think they would be very popular at all…and look what happened! The description told you that they weren’t perfect, with various things wrong with them, I didn’t care, I snatched one right up and still have him today! (He’s basically a white baby unicorn with a couple of tan patches on him, MUCH different than today’s GBs!)
My point is, I think the solution to selling the imperfect ones is to mark them as “goof-up with various defects” and don’t worry about documenting EVERY SINGLE flaw. The majority of us that buy goof-ups are not picky about their flaws anyway. It’s been done in the past with a great response! 🙂Also, with the grab bag pebble wolves it was stated that they all had some kind of flaw and they were Extremely popular and are still highly sought after. Although I must add that I’ve never been able to detect just what flaw my cute little guy has! lol
And to keep with the topic of this thread….I’m okay with the auctioning of a few unicorns. If the price of grab bags in general went up then there’s no way I could afford to keep buying them, so I’m in favor of whatever it takes to prevent that from happening. As a bonus, if the auction thing does happen it will mean the rest of the batch won’t go into the store for a couple weeks longer and it gives people more time to scrape pennies together to get one! 🙂
I like both of those points pony up (especially as I am currently penny scraping as it is) LOL!!!
That is a very good point though, if putting a few on auction keeps grab bags affordable in the store that’s another plus to do this!
Got a busted Windstone?
drag0nfeathersdesign@gmail.com
*OPEN for repairs**SEEKING GRAILS*
Arc-en-ciel Emperor
Siphlophis Male Dragon
Calypso Hatching Empress
Ivory Moss Sitting Baby Kirin
Tattoo Mother Kirin
Emerald Tabby Male Griffin
Tie Dye + Orion Hatching Royalty
Indigo Rockfish + Flame Tabby Little Rock Dragons
Dragon Quail + Obsidian Frost Old Warriors
Betta Sun Dragon + Male Dragon
Dreamscape, Orion, Poison Dart, Fireberry, Spangler + Tigerberry DragonsTo clarify on the seconds thing:
There’s a BIG different between selling “slightly damaged” production pieces and grab bags. A lot of the defective items would be just regular production stuff with flaws. Like copper patina, but in production colors. Yes, goof up baby unicorns and pebble wolves were popular (and I’ll point out that wolves were a new sculpt so they would have gotten love regardless!), but would you be eager to buy an amethyst male with a bubble in his horn? 🙂
Melody doesn’t have time to make every defective piece special so a lot of these would just be like buying a damaged item on ebay.
There might be some failed test paints and the like as well, but I don’t know if there would be enough, especially of the larger sculpts, to make a ‘grab bag’ or ‘goof up’ – thus photos needed or some other way of showing you what’s available. 🙂
I’m perfectly ok with this concept of auctioning off the top 5 picks, however that works, and then selling the rest as regular grab bags. It will still be fun for me if I get one.
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.
I’m the same way – I’m kind of grateful that the last batches of things have been so super duper colourful because it has tempted me less (I was that weird kid in kindergarten who only coloured the animals in her colouring book in realistic colours – one reason I’m looking forwards the the GB dragons because I’ll be more into the idea of vivid colours with those.) So if you auction five out of the batch, it wouldn’t make a difference to me, I’d still buy. Windstone’s gotta stay afloat!
Check out my finished artwork at http://falcolf.deviantart.com/ and my sketch/studio blog at http://rosannapbrost.tumblr.com/
Excellent!
I don’t see an issue with a few being auctioned off separately out of the batch, whether they are pulled aside separately prior to the group photo or not. There will still be plenty available for people who don’t want to battle on ebay for one due to different time zones, budget, etc., but those who wish to and can tackle ebay can choose to just purchase from that venue. Would the ebay ones also get a sketch like other ebay pieces done by Melody? That is something that the regular grab bags would not have. There have been left over grab bags that have appeared on ebay well after the batch appeared.
Having a few pieces appear on ebay would not stop me from taking my chances on the gb batch, if I should choose to buy from it. There have been many pieces of missed out on that went to ebay (lack of funds, price going too high, forgetting about the auction entirely…). Frustrating, but at the same time, the pieces I have gotten either in the store or the few ebay pieces I have, whether from ebay direct or second-hand, I am very happy with and appreciate what I have that much more. 🙂
That’s my 10 yen.
HEY!! I have another suggestion!!
Remember the raffle to help raise funds for Melody’s son’s robotics(?) club? What about a pay-to-enter lottery type raffle to raise quick funds (instead of or in addition to an auction)? I’d happily buy a $10 lottery ticket for a chance to win a fancy unicorn prize! Just an idea. 🙂HEY!! I have another suggestion!!
Remember the raffle to help raise funds for Melody’s son’s robotics(?) club? What about a pay-to-enter lottery type raffle to raise quick funds (instead of or in addition to an auction)? I’d happily buy a $10 lottery ticket for a chance to win a fancy unicorn prize! Just an idea. 🙂I would gladly but a ticket or two for something like this!
HEY!! I have another suggestion!!
Remember the raffle to help raise funds for Melody’s son’s robotics(?) club? What about a pay-to-enter lottery type raffle to raise quick funds (instead of or in addition to an auction)? I’d happily buy a $10 lottery ticket for a chance to win a fancy unicorn prize! Just an idea. 🙂I would gladly but a ticket or two for something like this!
I’m not 100% sure pay-to-enter raffles are legal. They may be considered gambling.
HEY!! I have another suggestion!!
Remember the raffle to help raise funds for Melody’s son’s robotics(?) club? What about a pay-to-enter lottery type raffle to raise quick funds (instead of or in addition to an auction)? I’d happily buy a $10 lottery ticket for a chance to win a fancy unicorn prize! Just an idea. 🙂I would gladly but a ticket or two for something like this!
I’m not 100% sure pay-to-enter raffles are legal. They may be considered gambling.
Not if it’s donations and a free raffle as a thanks? 😉 😉
The pay to enter raffle wasn’t really a pay to enter raffle. You became eligible for the raffle by directly donating to the robotics fund, which was associated with a school–a non-profit entity. This situation is a bit different. The money is to go to a piece (or multiple pieces) of equipment in a for-profit company. I’m afraid that the rules and regulations would be too complicated, especially if Windstone wanted to make the piece available to people outside the US where the rules are even more difficult to navigate. If Windstone wants to make a few extra bucks on the GB items (that they definitely deserve!), the auction is perfectly fine. As someone already pointed out, some extras sometimes find it to Ebay, anyway. Why not let someone with deeper pockets get “pick of the litter” as it were?
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