QMX is at it again
- Thread starter Tom1971
- Start date
I wish everyone would quit doing business with them so they could go away.
A crappy Mal pistol
Insanely overpriced model builds.
We got a pro here who worked on Star Trek who can build a Enterprise for 3k.
A BDR Serenity that was already overpriced at only 1 1/2 feet long. It is awesome but very small for the price. 2-3 ft at the original price would have been more reasonable.
Despite that I still had a dream of getting the BDR even though it was overpriced but now that dream is dead.
A crappy Mal pistol
Insanely overpriced model builds.
We got a pro here who worked on Star Trek who can build a Enterprise for 3k.
A BDR Serenity that was already overpriced at only 1 1/2 feet long. It is awesome but very small for the price. 2-3 ft at the original price would have been more reasonable.
Despite that I still had a dream of getting the BDR even though it was overpriced but now that dream is dead.
So what's the deal QMX???
In these hard economic times you decided to reward your customers by jacking up prices for no reason???
Decided you only have a few left so let's stick it to people??????
Has any license holder ever offered a limited number run of something and then as the run progressed jacked up the price??????
In these hard economic times you decided to reward your customers by jacking up prices for no reason???
Decided you only have a few left so let's stick it to people??????
Has any license holder ever offered a limited number run of something and then as the run progressed jacked up the price??????
SD Studios
Well-Known Member
While I agree that those prices are unrealistic, flat-out insulting a licensee and fellow board member is perhaps not the best way to go about expressing your opinion.
And unless you have started and operated a licensed replica company, it is hard to understand all of the struggles and difficult decisions that are involved. I have started four (SD Studios, MR, QMx, and Artifactory) and I can tell you it is NOT easy!
Sometimes, the CEO has to deal with circumstances that are beyond their control and they have to figure the best products and prices that the market will accept.
Opinions vary.
I have learned that there is a market for almost ANYTHING if you can find it. People buy $250,000 boats and million dollar houses every day. :lol
When I was at MR and I said I wanted to sell a $2500 Millennium Falcon to 1500 people, 90% of the staff thought I was nuts. Guess what? They all sold.
If Andy can find a market for $5000 to $10,000 models, God bless him. It isn't for you or I to say they are crazy. We don't have their customer list or market experience.
People will vote with their wallets. If the prices ARE way too high, they will learn that pretty fast, as nobody will buy their stuff.
And if the quality of their products is "crappy" (your words) then simply don't buy them. I know lots of people who own their products and like them quite a bit. So you don't represent the majority.
And the "pro" here who can make one for $3K, doesn't have to pay a sizable royalty to CBS and cover overhead like a QMx or EFX, or Artifactory, or MR, etc etc.
I transferred ownership of the company to Andy Gore in 2008, so I have no say in what they are doing now. I can say that I wouldn't have made some of the choices that Andy has, but to each his own.
At the end of the day, if they make LOTS of bad choices, they will go out of business.
But wishing a company would go out of business (thus causing the employees to loose their income) isn't very nice.
A little tact goes a long way.
(hops off soapbox and scampers away...)
And unless you have started and operated a licensed replica company, it is hard to understand all of the struggles and difficult decisions that are involved. I have started four (SD Studios, MR, QMx, and Artifactory) and I can tell you it is NOT easy!
Sometimes, the CEO has to deal with circumstances that are beyond their control and they have to figure the best products and prices that the market will accept.
Opinions vary.
I have learned that there is a market for almost ANYTHING if you can find it. People buy $250,000 boats and million dollar houses every day. :lol
When I was at MR and I said I wanted to sell a $2500 Millennium Falcon to 1500 people, 90% of the staff thought I was nuts. Guess what? They all sold.
If Andy can find a market for $5000 to $10,000 models, God bless him. It isn't for you or I to say they are crazy. We don't have their customer list or market experience.
People will vote with their wallets. If the prices ARE way too high, they will learn that pretty fast, as nobody will buy their stuff.
And if the quality of their products is "crappy" (your words) then simply don't buy them. I know lots of people who own their products and like them quite a bit. So you don't represent the majority.
And the "pro" here who can make one for $3K, doesn't have to pay a sizable royalty to CBS and cover overhead like a QMx or EFX, or Artifactory, or MR, etc etc.
I transferred ownership of the company to Andy Gore in 2008, so I have no say in what they are doing now. I can say that I wouldn't have made some of the choices that Andy has, but to each his own.
At the end of the day, if they make LOTS of bad choices, they will go out of business.
But wishing a company would go out of business (thus causing the employees to loose their income) isn't very nice.
A little tact goes a long way.
(hops off soapbox and scampers away...)
I have NO CLUE what it takes to GET a License, but I also
know I don't have the money to get it or the patience to TRY...
:darnkids
Well I actually am entitled to my opinion as this is a discussion board.
God knows I see plenty of people complaining about a lot here, including other members. In fact certain members here seem to be able to complain about everything and everybody and get away with it.
If you feel that QMX's behavior is acceptable great. That's your opinion.
I do not have to do operate a company to call them out on bad behavior. I do not have to be a dictator to say a dictator's behavior is wrong. That is a silly argument. By that argument a person can not comment on or have an opinion of anything they have not personally done. Very weak argument.
If you think that offering a Limited Number item and then jacking up the price at the end is acceptable fine.
While you were at Master Replicas if you had jacked up the price of the Falcon by 33% during the run you would have been rightly crucified.
God knows I see plenty of people complaining about a lot here, including other members. In fact certain members here seem to be able to complain about everything and everybody and get away with it.
If you feel that QMX's behavior is acceptable great. That's your opinion.
I do not have to do operate a company to call them out on bad behavior. I do not have to be a dictator to say a dictator's behavior is wrong. That is a silly argument. By that argument a person can not comment on or have an opinion of anything they have not personally done. Very weak argument.
If you think that offering a Limited Number item and then jacking up the price at the end is acceptable fine.
While you were at Master Replicas if you had jacked up the price of the Falcon by 33% during the run you would have been rightly crucified.
LeAngeSolitaire
Well-Known Member
If that happens some companies will look for alternative suppliers. Then why can't they dump John E and use Steve Neill? He's reasonably priced, does exceptional work with a solid Star Trek pedigree, and with his wife recently passing away, he could use both the distraction and the work. It's a win-win for everyone except John E. But that's life.
Happy13178
Well-Known Member
Just curious, because I don't know and not taking any shots, but wouldn't that mean everyone who makes those products also jack up the prices? Is it the same license for the Star Trek items as it is for the Firefly?
Okay so EFX offers a new Star Wars helmet. Members here start saving like I was for the BDR Serenity model.
As the sales are going EFX suddenly jacks the price up 33%.
Tell me that is okay with any of you who are defending this. I want to hear from members who would be okay with that.
You want to announce an Enterprise D model at 10k that's fine. Insane, in my opinion, but if someone wants to pay it that's fine. It's there money, but to jack up the price of an item midway through the run.
I will ask again, has this ever been done by any company???
Has a piece been offered and part way through the run the price has suddenly been raised 33%. A full third. Did Master Replicas ever do it??? Has EFX?????
If some of you think this is acceptable then fine. I can only say I would never do this to my customers, and in three years I have never had a single complaint because I know how to take care of customers even when things go bad.
Thank God no members here do this.
"Oh, hey since everyone is saving up and my run is part way sold I'm jacking up the price by a third." Any prop maker here would be run off the forums if they pulled that.
I thought most would be as outraged as me but hey if I'm wrong, oh well I have been before. I'm starting to like it.
Sorry for the shameless Kevin Costner quote.
As the sales are going EFX suddenly jacks the price up 33%.
Tell me that is okay with any of you who are defending this. I want to hear from members who would be okay with that.
You want to announce an Enterprise D model at 10k that's fine. Insane, in my opinion, but if someone wants to pay it that's fine. It's there money, but to jack up the price of an item midway through the run.
I will ask again, has this ever been done by any company???
Has a piece been offered and part way through the run the price has suddenly been raised 33%. A full third. Did Master Replicas ever do it??? Has EFX?????
If some of you think this is acceptable then fine. I can only say I would never do this to my customers, and in three years I have never had a single complaint because I know how to take care of customers even when things go bad.
Thank God no members here do this.
"Oh, hey since everyone is saving up and my run is part way sold I'm jacking up the price by a third." Any prop maker here would be run off the forums if they pulled that.
I thought most would be as outraged as me but hey if I'm wrong, oh well I have been before. I'm starting to like it.
Sorry for the shameless Kevin Costner quote.
During a run????? Really???? Again if that's what they want to charge from the start fine.
If that is true either he is in violation of a contract for building the BDR Serenity or they did not get a contract.
Would any of you professional model builders jack up the price on a customer part way through.
There really is no scenario anyone comes up with where QMX looks good.
My opinion only.
Like anything else if you don't like it don't buy. If enough people don't buy they'll get the hint.
Not necessarily. QMX has the license for big assed replica ships (and other things). Someone else has the license for little ships (like the die cast ones for sale at Target and Wal-mart). Different licenses are for different things and cost different amounts and may be up for renewal at different times.
Jameth, it seems like you are thinking they did it for no reason whatsoever. But I'm sure there is a reason. And no, I don't think they have to explain it to you or anyone else. I honestly don't think they just walked in to work last week and said, "You know what, I think we should raise these prices." But I could be wrong. I'm betting there is something going on that the general public is not aware of that caused the prices to have to go up. And since these items are made to order instead of a produced all at once in a factory like the MR stuff was, that's why you are seeing a price increase in the middle of a "run".
edit: Oh and to respond to something else you said. Yes, costs do change and have changed in the middle of a run here. I've seen builder change the price of items during a run all the time. Usually it's before people send in money, but I've seen runs that were done in groups where a later group has had to pay more because of materials cost increase. It happens.
edit: Oh and to respond to something else you said. Yes, costs do change and have changed in the middle of a run here. I've seen builder change the price of items during a run all the time. Usually it's before people send in money, but I've seen runs that were done in groups where a later group has had to pay more because of materials cost increase. It happens.
With the cost of materials, labor, devaluation of the dollar, taxes, healthcare, transportation cost and general business overhead cost going up, yeah, I think they probably have a good reason to raise the cost just like almost every other business out there right now. There are plenty of reasons for businesses to be doing so and most are.
QMX has also done some pretty darn good inexpensive props like the Star Trek phaser and Stargate replicas. Given their lower priced items, seems they have been more than reasonable with the bang for the buck value.
QMX has also done some pretty darn good inexpensive props like the Star Trek phaser and Stargate replicas. Given their lower priced items, seems they have been more than reasonable with the bang for the buck value.
Capitalism. Not great marketing mid run, I grant you, but capitalism.
No they don't have to explain but on the other hand it's not to smart and I get to complain about it all I want. Customer feedback is all part of capitalism. Customers help keep companies in line.
They can do whatever the hell they want all day long. I can and have taken my business away from them. That is my and other customers right. It's called feedback. That is our right. Actually it's more of an obligation. If people disagree they can buy all they want.
They want to pull this fine. We can not do business with them just like anywhere else.
Although there has been an increase in costs over the past few years (Many not noticing because package sizes are staying the same, there is just less in them) there has been no sudden inflation increase, fuel price increase, or anything else to justify this.
They can do it and they will pay like many before them has. It's called free market. If I'm wrong and this works for them great. I don't think however that this is going to help them at all.
Again this has never been done by any company that anyone can name during a run. A small increase do to costs going up in a second run from a private prop maker is a lot different than what they pulled here. An again your using an example of a small increase in a second run.
I am truly shocked anyone would defend this but that's the great thing about freedom.
