New MMP DASL pack

von Marwitz

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Seems to me that distributors like SCG should be able to accept European preorders and let us know the magnitude so that we can factor that in. But I may be missing something.
The issue that your customers in Europe struggle with is basically the following:

For some reason that MMP is not responsible for, the shipment-cost from the US to Europe are much higher than from Europe to the US. More precisely, shipment costs are outrageous bytimes exceeding the price of the original product.

Then comes customs. Customs usually fetches everything that is larger than a flat envelope. I.e. a 'WO Bonus Pack' and such things usually slip through. A 'Hatten in Flames' will not. Customs is not only leveraged for the price of the original product but also on the shipment cost. So if the original products costs USD 50.00, and shipment cost is USD 35.00, this adds up to USD 85.00. In Germany, you have a sales tax of 19%, so you'll end up at a final price of USD 101.15 plus the added pleasure being required to drive to and back from the next customs office.

This means that direct orders from Europe from MMP are basically madness. Even a preorder price does not change this significantly, because the outrageous shipment cost remains unchanged. As far as I know, the situation is not much different for the EU nor for Switzerland. I reckon other European countries do not play any significant role for MMP. So the people ordering from MMP directly from Europe either don't care about the cost, want the product ASAP or don't know any better solution.

With regard to better solutions, there aren't many at hand.

One popular German retailer (UGG - Udo Grebe Game Design) orders numerous products from the US (MMP and other companies), has them delivered to a US address where they are temporarily stored until various stuff has added up to a certain amount. Then, everything is shipped in bulk via ship to Europe. This retailer even offer pre-order prices for MMP stuff. Taken together in this case a pre-order price given by a retailer and the lower shipment cost add up and in turn also lowering the amount of customs duties the retailer has to pay. The end result is cheaper than buying directly from MMP despite the retailer having his share and the extra cost for shipment within Germany/Europe to the final customer and the shipment to a collection/processing point in the US. Still, unsurprisingly, the overhead cost for the final customer is quite significant. And it may take significantly longer to receive the product - for example, I received my 'Hatten in Flames' in the end of October.

What could be done to further cut the overhead cost?

Theoretically, MMP could ship bulk by ship to a certain destination within the EU, say, one particular retailer. This retailer would collect the orders from other retailers and send out the product to the customer in their name directly.
MMP shipping bulk via ship would eliminate the cost for sending their stuff to some point in the US before being sent to Europe. I.e. it would be two shipments until it reaches the final customer instead of three.


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Sparafucil3

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Theoretically, MMP could ship bulk by ship to a certain destination within the EU, say, one particular retailer. This retailer would collect the orders from other retailers and send out the product to the customer in their name directly.
MMP shipping bulk via ship would eliminate the cost for sending their stuff to some point in the US before being sent to Europe. I.e. it would be two shipments until it reaches the final customer instead of three.
Not that it's practical, but wouldn't a BETTER option be to find a suitable printer and partner in the EU who could print, review, and collate to MMP's standards for serving its EU customers. Then the origination is within the EU and neatly avoids all the tariffs. Maybe I am missing something not being an EU citizen or resident. Having said that, my wife's company is talking about posting her to Germany (Stuttgart region) so that might change too :) -- jim
 

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Seems to me that distributors like SCG should be able to accept European preorders and let us know the magnitude so that we can factor that in. But I may be missing something.
SCG, from whom I buy all my ASL stuff, will have a slight problem next year, Britexit!
 

von Marwitz

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SCG, from whom I buy all my ASL stuff, will have a slight problem next year, Britexit!
Indeed.

I purchased my Oregon Counter Clipper from SCG. Their service was good and I have not found any place to buy one in Germany. But after Brexit, I would have to find another source.

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von Marwitz

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Not that it's practical, but wouldn't a BETTER option be to find a suitable printer and partner in the EU who could print, review, and collate to MMP's standards for serving its EU customers. Then the origination is within the EU and neatly avoids all the tariffs. Maybe I am missing something not being an EU citizen or resident. Having said that, my wife's company is talking about posting her to Germany (Stuttgart region) so that might change too :) -- jim
You are correct. But I believe that MMP won't go at that length because while it would figure for the customers, it probably won't figure for MMP. They would need to office space and staff in the EU, so it only raises their cost but not their turnover, as MMP itself in the US is neither his by shipment cost nor customs.

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Sparafucil3

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You are correct. But I believe that MMP won't go at that length because while it would figure for the customers, it probably won't figure for MMP. They would need to office space and staff in the EU, so it only raises their cost but not their turnover, as MMP itself in the US is neither his by shipment cost nor customs.

von Marwitz
Perhaps it's an opportunity for an enterprising gamer. :) -- jim
 

ineation

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Basically, if the manufacturer ships all the products to Europe to a local warehouse, he would pay less transport costs (because transport in bulk) and less taxes (because based on a transfer cost and not on a final end customer price).
 

echack

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Hi :)
I don't see any solution there, since even using surface mail will only save you a few bucks.
Part of the reason for higher shipping costs for orders from the US is that there is no longer a surface mail option from USPS. It was eliminated a few years ago.
 

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Not that it's practical, but wouldn't a BETTER option be to find a suitable printer and partner in the EU who could print, review, and collate to MMP's standards for serving its EU customers. Then the origination is within the EU and neatly avoids all the tariffs. Maybe I am missing something not being an EU citizen or resident. Having said that, my wife's company is talking about posting her to Germany (Stuttgart region) so that might change too :) -- jim
Hum problem is MMP prides itself in printing its games in the US of A.
 

fenyan

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I love your optimism, and having no clue of how P800 works, I'd have thunk that the Powers That Be would wait until the 700 mark before giving the artist the go-ahead to start working. I wish this Deluxe DASL was a sure thing.
 

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Nice to see the DASL pack chugging along and up to 546 on the preorder chart! I’d expect a nice boost on preorders around Winter Offensive to push it over the 600 threshold to get Charlie’s started on the boards and overlays. So let’s all bring our DASL boards to WO and offer to playtest the revised scenarios and show the newbies the joys and wonders of playing on the big boards!
 

william.stoppel

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So I am very optimistic that the DASL pack will be in our hands sometime this year. We know they are going to repaint the original boards and overlays and include some stone and wooden rubble overlays as well. What other overlays would you like to see in either this or a future DASL product? I’d like to see intact and destroyed stone and wooden bridges, some additional buildings and some large overlays that could blow out some of the hedgerows on boards e-h to make those boards a bit more usable. Other thoughts?
 

william.stoppel

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596 and counting! May not make 2019 but it’s a lock for 2020. Consider that this only went up on preorder during ASLOK in October. Very remarkable! Now get those orders in to top 600 today!
 
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