Gaming, being a hobby, was already a luxury item to begin with. If we as gamers have to buy less, it's not the end of the world. If prices go up, well, we have to start deciding whether to buy the game itself or all the geeky shirts.
Or, in a worst case scenario we just *gasp* buy fewer new games and dig deep and play the ones we already own for a while, of which we probably own many. Three books and a set of dice can take you a long way.
Digital products don't need to change prices, and lots of customers were digital only anyway.
1) The factories in China can't shut down. They will have to eat the tariff's themselves. The country is not like the others. The people who "own" the factories are members of the CCP. If they can't make money, they will be murdered, and other members of the party will be promoted to "own" the factory.
2) Chi only stays in power if the people make money. Otherwise he will be deposed and someone more likely to negotiate will take over.
3) This is about inelastic supply, which the people who make those videos will not understand.
This is my new toxic hobby. Watching people, especially those from other countries, whine about the American tariff's and how it will destroy whatever "business" they are in.
I truly don't understand Canadians who are complaining about it. Your goods don't have to be shipped to Memphis, they could be shipped to a port in Canada, and voila, there are no tariffs on cheap Chinese crap.
There is/was a metal casting business for sale in the NorthEast that I really should have figured out how to buy. The owner is older (in his 70's or 80's, I think, don't quote me on that), and he wants to retire. He's basically just selling everything he has left.
Though, I'm not sure they are wrong about Americans not wanting to do X job. It is almost impossible to find people who are willing to show up and work everyday. My daughter manages a daycare, and they are going through people like water. No one wants to show up to work, when they do show up, they don't want to actually do the work.
My kids are occasionally bitten by this bug, and I have to knock them off their high horse. If the boss says jump, you ask how high. Don't spout off to him/her. Even if they are rude, condescending, etc. If you don't like your job, then find a new one, but until you get some skill set, either through higher education or an actual trade. You are stuck working with crappy people, and doing "crappy" jobs. Even with a skill, you will still be stuck working with inept people, but once you find a good job with good management, stick it out. Make it work. Show up and do your best.
As King Solomon says (paraphrased) "Competent employees will serve kings."
I was ranting about this exactly to at a friend the other day. I had just watched a video that used the language “literally impossible” in regard to making and producing this stuff in their own country. I am baffled. I have taught myself how to sculpt traditionally, how to cast up copies; I learned how to 3D sculpt and print a blister pack shape, vacuum form it, and make and print packaging. All at home. I didn’t finish high school. This is not sorcery, but I guess for some it may as well be. Anyway, I agree, lol.
Those of us who buy American from Wargames Atlantic are not worried! Next Level Miniatures makes great (and cheap!) fantasy minis in the US. And Reaper has also moved at least some production to the US with its Bones USA line.
There have been no shortage of warning lights that the age of cheap crap from the Far East was coming to an end: 'rona, the Suez blockage, the port strikes, the Houthis, the Key Bridge collapse... And you're right: most of us have plenty of gray plastic to work on anyway.
Most of what goes into boardgames is just printed paper and cardboard, and we still do that here. Books as well. Metal minis production is as small-scale as you can get. Even now, a big chunk of it is done by cottage industries. You could be up and running in a month!
A lot of the panic seems to be centered on the one Chinese company, Panda, which was a one-stop shop for games. Certainly, there will be some temporary dislocation, but as you say, none of this is a lost art.
I am looking forward to buying more made-in-the-USA products and supporting my fellow Americans!
Oh no ! This will slightly inconvenience my BattleTech hobby! I guess I will just live with it and maybe reduce my purchases a bit? It’s not that big of a deal. Plus if I need some generic fantasy minis then I have a 3D printer. I’m more worried about tabletop dying due to a bloat of low quality garbage and dumbed down systems than I am tariffs.
With the exception of the recent ACKs campaign I gave up on buying new games years ago.
I had several seminal games : Dune, Commands and Colors, SE4x, Ogre, Triplanetary, Talon, Federation Commander, and so on - and nothing that GMT, or more sadly, Steve Jackson Games were putting out as "new" games interested me anymore.
Certainly not enough to dedicate shelf space.
As it is, I may have to winnow things back a bit as it is.
Gaming, being a hobby, was already a luxury item to begin with. If we as gamers have to buy less, it's not the end of the world. If prices go up, well, we have to start deciding whether to buy the game itself or all the geeky shirts.
Or, in a worst case scenario we just *gasp* buy fewer new games and dig deep and play the ones we already own for a while, of which we probably own many. Three books and a set of dice can take you a long way.
Digital products don't need to change prices, and lots of customers were digital only anyway.
This comes down to several main issues.
1) The factories in China can't shut down. They will have to eat the tariff's themselves. The country is not like the others. The people who "own" the factories are members of the CCP. If they can't make money, they will be murdered, and other members of the party will be promoted to "own" the factory.
2) Chi only stays in power if the people make money. Otherwise he will be deposed and someone more likely to negotiate will take over.
3) This is about inelastic supply, which the people who make those videos will not understand.
This is my new toxic hobby. Watching people, especially those from other countries, whine about the American tariff's and how it will destroy whatever "business" they are in.
I truly don't understand Canadians who are complaining about it. Your goods don't have to be shipped to Memphis, they could be shipped to a port in Canada, and voila, there are no tariffs on cheap Chinese crap.
There is/was a metal casting business for sale in the NorthEast that I really should have figured out how to buy. The owner is older (in his 70's or 80's, I think, don't quote me on that), and he wants to retire. He's basically just selling everything he has left.
Though, I'm not sure they are wrong about Americans not wanting to do X job. It is almost impossible to find people who are willing to show up and work everyday. My daughter manages a daycare, and they are going through people like water. No one wants to show up to work, when they do show up, they don't want to actually do the work.
My kids are occasionally bitten by this bug, and I have to knock them off their high horse. If the boss says jump, you ask how high. Don't spout off to him/her. Even if they are rude, condescending, etc. If you don't like your job, then find a new one, but until you get some skill set, either through higher education or an actual trade. You are stuck working with crappy people, and doing "crappy" jobs. Even with a skill, you will still be stuck working with inept people, but once you find a good job with good management, stick it out. Make it work. Show up and do your best.
As King Solomon says (paraphrased) "Competent employees will serve kings."
I was ranting about this exactly to at a friend the other day. I had just watched a video that used the language “literally impossible” in regard to making and producing this stuff in their own country. I am baffled. I have taught myself how to sculpt traditionally, how to cast up copies; I learned how to 3D sculpt and print a blister pack shape, vacuum form it, and make and print packaging. All at home. I didn’t finish high school. This is not sorcery, but I guess for some it may as well be. Anyway, I agree, lol.
Those of us who buy American from Wargames Atlantic are not worried! Next Level Miniatures makes great (and cheap!) fantasy minis in the US. And Reaper has also moved at least some production to the US with its Bones USA line.
There have been no shortage of warning lights that the age of cheap crap from the Far East was coming to an end: 'rona, the Suez blockage, the port strikes, the Houthis, the Key Bridge collapse... And you're right: most of us have plenty of gray plastic to work on anyway.
Most of what goes into boardgames is just printed paper and cardboard, and we still do that here. Books as well. Metal minis production is as small-scale as you can get. Even now, a big chunk of it is done by cottage industries. You could be up and running in a month!
A lot of the panic seems to be centered on the one Chinese company, Panda, which was a one-stop shop for games. Certainly, there will be some temporary dislocation, but as you say, none of this is a lost art.
I am looking forward to buying more made-in-the-USA products and supporting my fellow Americans!
Oh no ! This will slightly inconvenience my BattleTech hobby! I guess I will just live with it and maybe reduce my purchases a bit? It’s not that big of a deal. Plus if I need some generic fantasy minis then I have a 3D printer. I’m more worried about tabletop dying due to a bloat of low quality garbage and dumbed down systems than I am tariffs.
With the exception of the recent ACKs campaign I gave up on buying new games years ago.
I had several seminal games : Dune, Commands and Colors, SE4x, Ogre, Triplanetary, Talon, Federation Commander, and so on - and nothing that GMT, or more sadly, Steve Jackson Games were putting out as "new" games interested me anymore.
Certainly not enough to dedicate shelf space.
As it is, I may have to winnow things back a bit as it is.