We’re happy to tell you about a host of new pricing changes. The ones we announce today are just the start of an overall larger change coming to The Game Crafter through-out the rest of this year. You can read the announcement below or you can see our blog post which also includes some photos.
Bulk Pricing at 500 and 1000
Starting today we are now offering new bulk prices for 500 and 1000 copies of a game on the following components:
decks of cards
custom etched dice
custom printed dice
tuck boxes
hook boxes
booklets
We are also lowering our $0.89 handling fee to $0.79 at 500 and $0.69 at 1000.
These extra discounts are not huge at this point, but they are a start as we work toward offering better bulk pricing. And for the customers that wish to use us for bulk printing, every bit of discount we can give them will help.
Each component will now show example pricing at the various levels like this on their product detail page:
More components will receive price breaks for 500 and 1000 as we build out the processes and pricing for them. Stay tuned to our news and social media for further updates.
Some Extra Discounts
We were able to lower the base 1/10/100 pricing for some components in some cases. Hex Cards, Circle Cards, and Euro Square Cards fall into this category. There are a few others as well. As an example, Hex Cards dropped from $2.49 per sheet to $2.19 per sheet even at 1-off pricing.
Laser Cut Punchout Pricing
We have now standardized all of our punchout pricing based upon linear inches rather than a flat fee. So where we used to price Medium Circle Chits at $9.50 per sheet, we now base the price on the linear inches cut. This means that among our tiles, chits, and other punch outs some prices will be higher by a little bit, and some will be lower by a little bit, but overall the prices will be pretty similar. Of our 24 punchout types 15 will have a lower price, and 9 will have a higher price. These changes also affect laser cut sticker and card stock items like dice stickers and circle shards.
Custom Laser Cut Pricing
Our custom cut stickers, card stock, and chipboard components have all had their per linear inch prices cut too, in some cases sharply. So for example, for custom chipboard the linear inch price has dropped from $0.02616 to $0.0085. We want to make it cheaper and easier than ever to make your own custom components, so we’re really happy to be able to provide you with these price breaks.
Recalculating
As a result of all these changes, we’re recalculating all game pricing in our system. Since there are hundreds of thousand of games in our system, this process will take many hours, but it will happen automatically, so there’s nothing for you to do.
Comments
The Game Crafter
Custom Laser Cut Pricing
Our custom cut stickers, card stock, and chipboard components have all had their per linear inch prices cut too, in some cases sharply. So for example, for custom chipboard the linear inch price has dropped from $0.02616 to $0.0085. We want to make it cheaper and easier than ever to make your own custom components, so we’re really happy to be able to provide you with these price breaks.
Ooh. I'm one of the customers for that..
At that price I'd probably print all my prototype parts with you guys.
Hmm... Strange?!?!
I've priced the changes and my game for 100+ units was $3.43. Now it is $3.92! That's $0.49 EXTRA...
So everyone is now paying a part of the lower breaks for the people with larger orders???
I don't really think that's very fair TBH. If you would have left the 100 pricing and the ones before that alone and just ADD the 500 and 1000 price tiers, then that would have been more fair.
I don't have all the original pricing ... but on some products I was expecting in the range of 250 units. Now I don't get the 500 break and the 100 break is PLUS $0.49 for each unit!
Sorry ... It's just what I have observed.
Update: I removed the UV Coating from the cards and lowered the price by $0.30 ... So now it's $3.59. I don't know how this math works... $3.92 - (3x $0.10) = $3.62. Why is it $3.59, IDK?!
Must be the extra numbers PAST the two (2) digits after the dollar amount... Cause 24 x $0.09 = $2.16 and not $2.19... Might be $0.0914 per card... Maybe not so bad pricing after all...
WOW
I looked things over and priced my game. This is not such a great option for my game. For a thousand units I'd be at almost $22 dollars a game. For 10 I'm at around $45 per unit.
This was strange to me.
Mini Deck 1.75 x 2.5" with 32 Cards: $2.89 a sheet.
Business Deck 2.0 x 3.5" with 21 Cards: $1.89 a sheet.
Bridge Deck 2.25 x 3.5" with 18 Cards: $1.66 a sheet.
Why a dollar more per sheet for the small cards? That is only 2 extra cuts, and the sheet size being used must be the same. I don't understand why this is so much more expensive? I think the Game crafter is actually having a negative effect of Board Game design because a designer has to design for what is sold here, and the quantities sold here. Do I change my game to just have 21 cards so I don't have to pay for a whole printed sheet with 9 cards on it?
Can I get standard cheap player tokens? There seems to be only custom pieces which are VERY Expensive. Do your games come shrink wrapped or can I add cheap tokens once delivered?
My game with:
30 cards 2.25 x 3.5"
80 cards 1.75 x 2.5'
1 board 18 x 18' quad fold. Please get 20 x 20 quad fold boards!!!
1 box 10 x 10 x 3 print all
120 score sheets 4.5 x 8' don't know if I can print that double side.
6 super expensive meeple only because they don't have standard wood or acrylic tokens.
Is somewhere around $22 a unit = $22,000 USD. Which seems so so so so so astronomical. Why is it so expensive? I assume they must have bought some equipment to offer 500 and 1000 print runs. I doubt they're cutting every game out by hand. My quote from China for 2000 copies is 4.67 per unit. Anyway, if it were possible I would love to have made in USA on my game, but at those prices its truly IMPOSSIBLE.
I will use this service to get some press ready copies for marketing and reviewers but...............DANG DOG, that's a pretty penny!!
Well, some of that is a
Well, some of that is a problem most places you'll print. If you have a deck of 55 poker-sized cards, it's going to cost you a lot more than 54 cards, at a regular manufacturer. Because there are 54 cards on a sheet.
But yeah, GC games are going to be more expensive for sure, and I don't understand the mini deck price. You're basically paying about 9-10 cents per card regardless of size, which doesn't make sense.
I was worried that I'd be the only one who'd notice
Yeah... I didn't want to comment too much. Because I felt like I'd be the only one who NOTICED any "real" changes.
However it's true, the way you "configure" your Decks/Cards can play a REAL role in the pricing.
For example:
If I have 2x Deck of 3 cards... The price is exorbitant. To get a less expensive SAME result is: 1x Deck of 6 cards.
IDK why this is?!?! But it IS! I've triple checked it and it's TRUE. Multiples of a Deck cost WAY MORE than multiples of Cards.
So check that out if it makes sense in your game too! I really LIKE "The Game Crafter" (TGC) for all their accessibility and I don't want to be super "critical" of what is a price change with some higher levels for bulk orders, however I get the feeling the changes are a bit "buggy" (for lack of a better term).
Cheers!
Game Crafter
I definitely do want to say that the Game Crafter is a major plus for the entire community.
I just got some more numbers for China Manufacture:
500 units: $8.82 each
1000 units: $6.68 each
8000 units: $3.89 each
What a miracle if I was able to print 8000 someday!!
Reality bites
The TRUTH from what I have read, experienced is that MOST games WON'T SELL over 5,000 copies. Secondly most average KS for First Time Creators means about 100 to 250 backers. At $50 USD per copy, that means $5,000 to $12,500 USD in funding. More niche games have gone over the 250 mark and get around 350 especially if they appeal to some sort of art-community, religious league, or other specialized group of people... The number looks to be $17,500 USD!
Most games will not get a 2nd re-print. Most First Time Creators are left with stock over the 250 to 750 units depending on their MOQ. If I game is made and sells 500 copies (KS + online), it will most likely re-print ONCE afterwards.
These are all facts based around the "Cult of the New" and trying to have a HOT product to sell. If none of this makes sense to you... Well then you are not prepared to run a Kickstarter unless you "observe" some of these realities IRL.
Cheers!
Awesome!
That's wonderful to hear!
Something doesn't sound right
Hi Questccg,
Something doesn't sound right here. A price increase *is* possible if the components in your game are of certain types. (re-read our announcement and you'll see we mentioned this) However, most people/components benefit from the new pricing. Could you please reach out to our customer service team and we can take a look at your game and discuss this with you further.
You mentioned that you think this is unfair because people are somehow subsidizing the discounts for larger quantities, but that doesn't make any sense. Most products are cheaper for designers and that's a good thing. We were very honest about certain products having a slightly higher cost due to the nature of the manufacturing/pricing change. Overall, this is a great thing for the indie design community and that's not marketing speak, it's cheaper cost and that is a big deal for indie game designers. :)
Please follow-up with our support team with the exact URL of the game you want us to look at and we can review it and give you some answers. Thanks!
Ok Tavis... Will need to configure a NEW game
I EDITED the "old" game that was "too pricey". I'll re-create it and SEE if the pricing is "unreasonable". Like I said, it had to do with NUMBER of DECKS versus NUMBER of CARDS.
Let me re-create it and see if the pricing is still out of whack.
If it is, I will send you BOTH URL/LINKS to Support and then you (or they) can have a look to see what is going on...
Thank you for your concern (and fair pricing)!
Update: I may "shoot myself in the foot" considering that I can get $3.23 with UV Coating on the cards versus $3.92. I can't really explain WHY ... Something with how the "discounts" are being applied... They are a bit BUGGY (my guess)... Because in the END the prices should be IDENTICAL. Personally I would PREFER the lower price at $3.23... But that depends on you guys to figure out the right price.
Cheers!
Hi Evansmind244, If you're
Hi Evansmind244,
If you're looking for the cheapest per unit pricing for your game at 1000+ units, then you should certainly go to a game manufacturer that uses offset printing where larger volumes provide excellent price breaks. We have several folks in the industry that we recommend who do great work! (and they typically refer people to us for lower volume stuff)
In any case, this is the start to us bridging the gap for people who need quantities in between 1-1000. Whether this is Kickstarter campaign that has 500-800 backers, a designer/publisher who wants 300 copies to push at conventions and FLGS, or people running Crowd Sales at The Game Crafter, we wanted to have a way for designers to get additional discounts at higher quantities than 100. As we mentioned, these discounts will likely get better as we continue to improve processes and scale up.
I can't get into the production process on our end, but there are higher costs involved on the mini cards and that's not an anomaly. You'll see variance in the cost per sheet on several of our cards. Naturally, these prices are based on production costs on our end. If we could sell them for cheaper then there's a high likelihood that we could sell more. But we can't do that if we're going to lose money doing it. :)
I'm not sure what you're asking in regards to standard meeples. We have almost 2,000 different game pieces and parts in our shop that you can add to your game. We have all sorts of standard meeples, pawns, bits, etc.. You shouldn't have an issue finding cheap parts to put in your game.
If you want your game made in the USA then you should talk to the fine folks at Delano Service in Battle Creek, Michigan. Shuffled Ink (previously QPC) is another company we've referred people to in the past and they do some manufacturing in the US as well as China.
For smaller games, print on demand costs can be much more competitive against offset printing in China. But when you get into larger games with premium large stout boxes and game boards then the cost of the game goes up dramatically through print on demand. That's just how it works and that's okay. :) We specialize in prototypes and small print runs so if that's how we can help you now then we'll be happy to do that.
If you have questions about how to make your game cheaper using our service we always recommend jumping into our general chat channel on the bottom right corner of our website. There's usually plenty of board game designers and moderators from our community who can check out your game and give you suggestions.
I hope some of this information has been helpful to you. Thanks!
Hello Tavis... Sent the URLs/LINKs
From what I can see is that there is an INCREASE of $0.69 PER UNIT (Deck-based). From the original price (Cards-based) which is $3.23. The Deck price is $3.92 and just for some details BOTH have the same UNIT price at $5.47... Where the price "jumps" is in the different BULK discounts.
$0.69 PER UNIT is a serious hike in pricing. IDK if that is an error due to how some of the math is done... Realistically I'd prefer the $3.23 which is a lower price point... But it's A BIG difference (IMHO).
Sent it to support... Feel free to have a look at the TWO (2) game samples that I have set-up just for you!
(And I'm still hoping for the lower price point at $3.23)...
Cheers mate.
It's a mistake in calculation — I'm positive!
The 500 and 1000+ breaks are IDENTICAL: $2.77 and $2.47.
But the MARGINS from $3.92 to $2.77 = $1.15!!! Something has got to be wrong with that difference. It's not following your typical price for the products to be discounted.
The lower MARGINS are $3.23 to $2.77 = $0.46. That, TBH, seems more like a reasonable price reduction...
IDK ... I'll let you guys sort it out and get back to me. More and more it looks to be an error. The price should be $3.23 and the $3.92 is wrong.
Otherwise the HIGHER bulk margins just don't make sense (over $1.00 difference?!)
Note: That why I said that it "felt" like the prices were upped in order to pay for the "larger" discounts. Again my apologies... I know it sounds "BAD" (saying it like that...) It was just a gut reaction.
we're looking into this
I have one of our developers looking into the issue and we'll get back to you once we know more. Thanks!
The Game Crafter
If you're looking for the cheapest per unit pricing for your game at 1000+ units, then you should certainly go to a game manufacturer that uses offset printing where larger volumes provide excellent price breaks. We have several folks in the industry that we recommend who do great work! (and they typically refer people to us for lower volume stuff)
In any case, this is the start to us bridging the gap for people who need quantities in between 1-1000. Whether this is Kickstarter campaign that has 500-800 backers, a designer/publisher who wants 300 copies to push at conventions and FLGS, or people running Crowd Sales at The Game Crafter, we wanted to have a way for designers to get additional discounts at higher quantities than 100. As we mentioned, these discounts will likely get better as we continue to improve processes and scale up.
I can't get into the production process on our end, but there are higher costs involved on the mini cards and that's not an anomaly. You'll see variance in the cost per sheet on several of our cards. Naturally, these prices are based on production costs on our end. If we could sell them for cheaper then there's a high likelihood that we could sell more. But we can't do that if we're going to lose money doing it. :)
I'm not sure what you're asking in regards to standard meeples. We have almost 2,000 different game pieces and parts in our shop that you can add to your game. We have all sorts of standard meeples, pawns, bits, etc.. You shouldn't have an issue finding cheap parts to put in your game.
If you want your game made in the USA then you should talk to the fine folks at Delano Service in Battle Creek, Michigan. Shuffled Ink (previously QPC) is another company we've referred people to in the past and they do some manufacturing in the US as well as China.
For smaller games, print on demand costs can be much more competitive against offset printing in China. But when you get into larger games with premium large stout boxes and game boards then the cost of the game goes up dramatically through print on demand. That's just how it works and that's okay. :) We specialize in prototypes and small print runs so if that's how we can help you now then we'll be happy to do that.
If you have questions about how to make your game cheaper using our service we always recommend jumping into our general chat channel on the bottom right corner of our website. There's usually plenty of board game designers and moderators from our community who can check out your game and give you suggestions.
I hope some of this information has been helpful to you. Thanks!
Yes the information you schooled me on has been very helpful.
Thank you for the recommendation for Shuffled Ink. I'm contacting them for a quote now, and listed you as my reference. I am currently out on a ship, so the painfully slow internet is probably why I didn't see all the different pawn/tokens.
I will have the privilege of getting some games printed with The Game Crafter so I can send them out to reviewers and create some video's with a High Quality prototype. I do appreciate your service, and see the market you all serve. Of course The Game Crafter has an excellent reputation for great quality.
-Can you do a 20 X 20 quad fold board?
-What are the Chinese manufactures you use and do they print the same size cards as you?
I'm getting some quotes in, but it would be nice to NOT have my designer working the art for The Game Crafter sizes (18 X 18 quad fold vs 20 X 20) only to have to change things for the Manufacture.
We do not offer 20" x 20"
We do not offer 20" x 20" game boards at this time. Our quad-fold game boards are 18" x 18". Panda does great work and we recommend them. They also recommend us quite frequently and several designers we know have enjoyed working with them. I definitely understand your point of view in terms of having to make changes between short run and long run with the art files, but right now there isn't an easy button option for that. Sorry.
But thank you for the kind words and your input. We look forward to working with you! :)
Any news concerning the pricing???
I noticed that the games that I configured are now priced at more "reasonable" increments. With a $3.45 USD for 100+ copies. That seems a lot BETTER than the $3.92 USD and a slight increase from before which was $3.23 USD. You guys seem to have chosen a middle of the road strategy with a slight increase and even better breaks for more "bulk orders" (500+).
I guess that the issue is considered "closed" and resolved.
Glad I was able to HELP in offering you SAMPLES to work with. Thank you for looking into the matter.
Cheers!