Also it will cause/force me to improve my skills with green stuff and kit bashing.
I agree also. My GS and plasticard skills can only get better...
I am making my way through the list, marking everything I can that I may want for anything in the foreseeable future. Some entries I believe they will still be stocking, just as combined blister packs, no longer as individual order bitz.
To be honest, I think this is a sensible step for GW. Their money problems mean they need to look around in areas where they are bleeding, and keeping an extensive bitz collection must be expensive. Think of:
- the cost of supplying metal for an entire mold just because someone ordered 1 bit from it
- all the other bitz from that mold that are not popular just keep accumulating
- the factory shelfspace all of these non-selling bitz take up
- the costs of maintaining those molds for relatively low ROI (say a mold costs $1000, it takes 300 spins before it needs to be replaced, and the one popular bit on the mold they charge $4 for. They make $1200 which is barely enough to break even, and then take into account the above factors, as well as labour, and you get the idea. Of course this is just a simple example...)
Their current process would be inefficient, and they definitely should tidy up the process. As hobbyists, we are outraged, however I don't blame them for taking this approach. To continue along the way they are going would simply increase financial losses - and we don't want GW raising prices or being bought out do we?