Interesting video on Peachy’s channel gives insight into why GW dose what it does.

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

Found this video really interesting. Doesn’t explain things like the new digital media being charged for etc, but with regards to the paint range, the pots they come in and all of the hobby products, I found this video fascinating.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-63A7cDkOm8

 

[Lexington]

The whole “hobby trumpet” thing is pretty instructive on why 10th works the way it does.

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

Very true.

[Interrogator Stobz]

Anyone brave enough to take summary notes for 2 hours that wants to share them?

 

[Brother_Angelus]

17 minutes ago, Interrogator Stobz said:

Anyone brave enough to take summary notes for 2 hours that wants to share them?

 

It's actually worth watching. Easily one of the best episodes they've done.

 

Basically, GW creates or sources their hobby products to primarily serve the largest segment of the market, the uninformed and beginners.

 

Their Artisan brushes are rebadged W&N S7 with a markup. If they tried to sell other advanced painting or modelling products like airbrushes or wet pallets they'd also be rebadged items with a markup, and the market for those things is informed enough to just buy the original.

[Marshal Rohr]

1 hour ago, Interrogator Stobz said:

Anyone brave enough to take summary notes for 2 hours that wants to share them?

 

the summary is essentially if you’ve been in the hobby long enough to know you don’t need to buy everything from GW, GW has written you off. 

[Gamiel]

1 hour ago, Interrogator Stobz said:

Anyone brave enough to take summary notes for 2 hours that wants to share them?

I actually think you should watch it, it has lots of interesting points that vill get lost in a summary. 

[Redcomet]

50 minutes ago, Marshal Rohr said:

the summary is essentially if you’ve been in the hobby long enough to know you don’t need to buy everything from GW, GW has written you off. 

And if the choice is to spend 100k on making something, GW prefer to make it on items that will sell to the masses, and not to the 97 people who want a specific niche thing.

[spessmarine]

I think I listened to this one, if I remember correctly, some good insight and some odd things. Like the guy implying dropper bottles were in anyway more of a pain/complex than the pots. Anyone who bothered with auric armour would attest to the hassle of using it. 

[Jalleo]

3 hours ago, spessmarine said:

I think I listened to this one, if I remember correctly, some good insight and some odd things. Like the guy implying dropper bottles were in anyway more of a pain/complex than the pots. Anyone who bothered with auric armour would attest to the hassle of using it. 

Remember the GW paint pots are designed to let children open them. The main reason the seal gets paint in it is due to people opening it more than 45°. If you open the lid in such a way to feel/hear a mechanical click you will get paint in the seal.

Also these pots were designed what? 10 years ago now? Maybe a better design can be made now but is it cost beneficial to do so?

Dropper bottles are less helpful for kids to use as it takes more skill and dexterity to handle effectively.

The wide end of the funnel is casual and new people to the hobby. If a paint dries out after being mostly used its not a major issue for them. They will just get another.

[Beaky Brigade]

The main thing I took from this video is that a lot of the decisions (for the ancillary hobby products the interviewee worked on) are arbitrary and made by smalls teams of people sometimes making things up as they go along, a great example being the trademarked names for the revamped paint range, and we as hobbyists can over think the resulting products to the nth degree, looking for meaning in something that was just a pet project for a single person.

The secrets of paint and brush production were interesting though, as well as the line of thought that as an eternal corporation, GW has to be more conservative and take a longer term view than Bob and Sandy with their kickstarter product which may be a one and done deal, with no long term support afterwards.

 

The other takeaway is that being involved in the economics of the hobby would make me sad very quickly :D