Changes to W Britains Collectors Club (UK) (1 Viewer)

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Gazza

Staff Sergeant
Joined
Oct 6, 2008
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991
So today I got a letter from the W Britains Collectors Club (UK) dated 1st May.

The letter starts with Bachmann are “investigating ways to improve the clubs offerings” … sounds good so far.

Then it waffles on about change of distribution rights and commercial agreements blah blah … now I am bored.

But then it says again “any changes made will only have a positive impact”

Then it states that the current Birthday and Christmas vouchers are no longer redeemable at retail stockists from 1st May !!! Well sorry – David Haarhaus, European Sales and Marketing Manager – how is that a positive change??? How is a retrospective change, without prior warning, beneficial to me?

The letter goes on that the voucher can be used against Collectors Club products. But as they produce one Collectors Club AZW figure a year (I currently only collect this range) – which is free with my membership – what use is that???

The letter talks about working on alternatives that will offer much greater value – which is great news. But would it not make more sense to have them in place BEFORE you make a change that impacts your customers.

I contacted W. Britains and asked why the change was retrospective; no real explanation other than it was a sudden decision. Why only collectors club products? This was kindly extended to any W Britain product.

Finally, why tell me all the changes will be positive when this clearly is not – the letter even later on apologies for ‘any inconvenience this may cause’. And if I really am a ‘much appreciated and respected collector’ maybe you should have thought about this before make this change.

Sorry W Britains but I think this has been poorly handled.

Gazza
 
Gazza said:
Sorry W Britains but I think this has been poorly handled.

Gazza
Click to expand...

I fully agree with you Gaz.
I have the letter in front of me now and it does look like they are trying to gloss over (pardon the pun) what is actually a cost cutting exercise on their part.
I hope this isn't the thin end of the wedge and a prelude to more management cuts.
We all know times are tough for the individual and business alike but a little bit more consultation and notice would have helped.
WB always struct me as "old school" traditional and the birthday and Christmas card idea was quite quaint and a nice idea.
It is a real pity that they have made this decision but hopefully their promised "...club benefit enhancements..." will be some sort of discount structure for club members on all products.
We can only hope.
Paul
 
Naps...just Naps said:
I fully agree with you Gaz.
I have the letter in front of me now and it does look like they are trying to gloss over (pardon the pun) what is actually a cost cutting exercise on their part.
I hope this isn't the thin end of the wedge and a prelude to more management cuts.
We all know times are tough for the individual and business alike but a little bit more consultation and notice would have helped.
WB always struct me as "old school" traditional and the birthday and Christmas card idea was quite quaint and a nice idea.
It is a real pity that they have made this decision but hopefully their promised "...club benefit enhancements..." will be some sort of discount structure for club members on all products.
We can only hope.
Paul
Click to expand...

Paul

To be fair when I spoke to them I did not get the impression it was a pure cost cutting exercise.

They stated that they are working on improved offerings for club members and some of them sound v.good.

In 2012 we can still expect to receive vouchers to use. But who we will use them with and in what format they will come is the unknown.

I agree with you about lack of consultation / notice.

Gazza
 
Gazza said:
Paul

To be fair when I spoke to them I did not get the impression it was a pure cost cutting exercise.

They stated that they are working on improved offerings for club members and some of them sound v.good.

In 2012 we can still expect to receive vouchers to use. But who we will use them with and in what format they will come is the unknown.

I agree with you about lack of consultation / notice.

Gazza
Click to expand...

Dear Gazza:

I appreciate your read of this situation. Long story short, Bachmann is working to make some improvements but in the meantime they inherited a few unanticipated things. They of course knew about the vouchers and other club benefits, what was unclear were some of the backroom/administrative issues that have popped up. So, this has meant an abrupt change in the way things are done. We are working to have the new benefits ready by the time the next Standard mails in late May/early June. I want to be clear though - Bachmann is working mightily to make improvements and these changes are coming from W. Britain and W. Britain alone. So I'll take the heat.

I must be quite frank with you all, I seriously wonder about the future of the club. It runs at a loss. Which is okay, it is not meant to make money, but what it is meant to do is make our collectors happy. And I find that due to the time and financial constraints we all face now some collectors feel it falls short from time to time. So, thus the question, is it worth it? When you consider the production of a 32 page magazine every quarter, four special figures, two vouchers, two Christmas cards, an event and then the real killer - the postage to mail all this (which just about eats up one third to one half of every membership fee!!), and now a club membership card which we have added back in....mmmm.

I am not going to kill this club overnight and on a whim. It is a key part of who W. Britain is. But I do need to take seriously at some point the very stark choice - should I spend my time developing new toy soldiers or be embroiled in administering a club? I welcome your thoughts on the future of the club, ideas to streamline, change, take on line, or leave just as is are all appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Richard
 
Thanks for the info Richard. About the fate of the club- without it, I may never have ended up collecting toy soldiers, so I think it is clear where I stand on that issue. Maybe the answer is to cu down on the paper- all of the leaflets and such can be done electronically. The key items for me are the catalogs, exclusive sets/figures, and events. The standard could either be smaller, or have more advertisements. As for the vouchers, they could go, AS LONG AS I CAN STILL SPEND THE ONES I HAVE. All I can say in the end, though, is know what you have with the club- don't let it go.
-Sandor
 
WBritain said:
Dear Gazza:

I appreciate your read of this situation. Long story short, Bachmann is working to make some improvements but in the meantime they inherited a few unanticipated things. They of course knew about the vouchers and other club benefits, what was unclear were some of the backroom/administrative issues that have popped up. So, this has meant an abrupt change in the way things are done. We are working to have the new benefits ready by the time the next Standard mails in late May/early June. I want to be clear though - Bachmann is working mightily to make improvements and these changes are coming from W. Britain and W. Britain alone. So I'll take the heat.

I must be quite frank with you all, I seriously wonder about the future of the club. It runs at a loss. Which is okay, it is not meant to make money, but what it is meant to do is make our collectors happy. And I find that due to the time and financial constraints we all face now some collectors feel it falls short from time to time. So, thus the question, is it worth it? When you consider the production of a 32 page magazine every quarter, four special figures, two vouchers, two Christmas cards, an event and then the real killer - the postage to mail all this (which just about eats up one third to one half of every membership fee!!), and now a club membership card which we have added back in....mmmm.

I am not going to kill this club overnight and on a whim. It is a key part of who W. Britain is. But I do need to take seriously at some point the very stark choice - should I spend my time developing new toy soldiers or be embroiled in administering a club? I welcome your thoughts on the future of the club, ideas to streamline, change, take on line, or leave just as is are all appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Richard
Click to expand...

Richard,
Consider issuing the Standard on an annual or biannual basis. Most academic journals which used to be quarterly have become annuals or biannual due to the costs of production and especially postage. If you went with a biannual you could have each issue at 64 pages instead of 32. Another alternative is to issue a pdf copy of the standard which club members could download. Vouchers could also be downloaded. As for the Christmas cards email them. For those that prefer hardcopy offer that as an additional service (at slightly higher cost). Kill the membership card, who needs them.
Best wishes,
Benjamin
 
Why not just send them out as a PDF file ? Then club members can download them to the device of their choice.
 
I think offering an PDF verison of The Standard at a reduced cost would be ideal. I can then print it off if I wish. To be honest the vouchers never did all that much for me, they are not really convenient for me to use based on my location so I wouldn't miss them. Also The Standard while it is nice to receive and provides a look at the hobby and some history, most of it is available in some form on the internet. I wold like it to contain more about the company, collectors etc... I can read about the Zulu Wars or The Durbar pretty much anywhere on the internet. I cannot however find articles like the ones you did last year which was based on the employees.

I do like the exclusive figure, so I would miss that. Being honest I nly really join to receive that figure.
 
Richard, for go the vouchers and drop the membership dues of the club to reflect the discount of the vouchers.
Benjamin

thebritfarmer said:
I think offering an PDF verison of The Standard at a reduced cost would be ideal. I can then print it off if I wish. To be honest the vouchers never did all that much for me, they are not really convenient for me to use based on my location so I wouldn't miss them. Also The Standard while it is nice to receive and provides a look at the hobby and some history, most of it is available in some form on the internet. I wold like it to contain more about the company, collectors etc... I can read about the Zulu Wars or The Durbar pretty much anywhere on the internet. I cannot however find articles like the ones you did last year which was based on the employees.

I do like the exclusive figure, so I would miss that. Being honest I nly really join to receive that figure.
Click to expand...
 
I love the club and join at the premium level every year which is well worth it.

What I like - Standard, Catalogs, all special figures. I also like the Standard b/c it clues you in to the exclusive Shop Figures too. I also purchase all club figures as I like limited editions. As for the vouchers, I only use them through WBritain on club purchases, so I am aok with it.

In others words, keep it going, but maybe have it only as a premium membership if that helps the cost.

TD
 
Yes I would be happy with a yearly stock catalogue, happy to download any other material. Would miss the Standard, but that's ok. Never seem to get around to using the discount vouchers, so a waste for me. Nice to track down an exclusive figure so it would be good if they continued even if not requiring to be a member to purchase. Events for me relies on forum members to attend and provide photo's. As long as Britain's keep producing figures I am fine with whatever changes suit them. Thanks Richard for taking the time to inform the forum. Cheers, Robin.
 
I would drop the vouchers and the proposed membership card, publish the Standard PDF format, keep the catalogues in print available from dealers not mailed by WB and make the club figures available from dealers similar to JJD or some hybrid. The price of membership would be for the mailed PDF Standard.


Donnie
 
My two cents ,
I like getting the catalog in the mail four times a year , it's like Christmas every time .
Bi annual would work though, as I do need one for the special uk only sets, to collect every one in a series . I also always receive them from my vendors with my orders .
I also agree that the Standard interest me only for the articles on the shops and collectors .
As a PDF will be just fine .
I don't need a membership card either .
Drop the membership to one level and price ,( higher to defer cost ) include a figure , events , and a catalog .
As for the vouchers, I have about seven as I have no place to spend them locally like a lot of others.
Have them expire at the end of the year and drop future ones .
I also do not need a Christmas card or birthday card ( I buy myself toy soldiers I for them ){sm4}
Simplify it and it will run cheaper and and more organized .
All this is in IMO
Chuck
 
The Collectors Club – I joined three years ago when I started collecting the great AZW line. I am a fan of the Club and for me, it is a reason why I enjoy collecting W.Britains.

The only thing that I never understood was how much of a bargain it was and I always wondered why people posted whether it was worth joining or not.

Because for £30 you get … one special limited edition figure (RRP £25.99); two vouchers per year for Birthday / Christmas (RRP £5 x 2) and the 4 quarterly Standard magazine plus Catalogue. Now to me that is a great deal.

Personally, I enjoy getting the Standard in hard copy – you get so much information through the internet / on screen, I like an old fashioned read. If a pdf would save lots of money then I suspect it would go that way.

I also like the fact that the figure is a one off. This is probably the biggest seller for me.

The vouchers are a nice touch but not key for me and if other offers (that third parties pay for business to be directed to them) come off then I would happy to dispense with the vouchers.

As to a membership card – do not need one of those either.

Cheers

Gazza
 
Hi Gents,

To echo what many have said already I joined the club primarily to get 2 things, The Standard and the Club Figure. I also like the opportunity to purchase the occasional Club Figure that is a limited edition, ie the 95th Rifles Officer or the amazing Crimean War figures of which I sincerely hope we will see more since my Thin Red Line is lacking some Russians to see off. I also agree that the catelogues are great fun but I would be happy with them in PDF format sent out at various times throughout the year. However, I prefer to get the Standard as a hard copy because I use them for reference and I enjoy re-reading old ones from time to time. Just some thoughts

Dave
 
Sorry the UK only sets by Manchester , model zone and a few others ,
I can't find them for sale in the state.
 
I started collecting Britains due to the Club... look forward to the quarterly mailing even if they are late. The Standard should continue in paper form. No fan of the PDF. I am a collector, so I prefer to kick back and read my Standard or sift through a catalog in my chair at home. A PDF... might as well read the web. Collector sets, yes look forward to these limited toy soldiers. Vouchers, not that important, but keep the paper Standard, catalogs and club figures.

By the away I have all of my Standards and catalogs organized by year. :)
 
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