Swag Bags Back

[Mr Melons]

Who insults someone by calling them a "villain".....honestly.

 

Edited May 1, 2014 by Mr Melons

[Doug Sundseth]

As I see it, since you're offering a "box" for a price, you're selling a product, not doing a favor. And given the costs (monetary and employee satisfaction, partner participation coordination, whatever) of producing the product and the benefits (money and customer goodwill) of selling the product, it either makes sense to make them available or not.

 

Similarly, as a consumer, there's a cost associated with acquiring the product (money, the effort of tracking availability, and possibly a feeling of obligation, if I thought you were doing me a favor) and a benefit (more stuff for the overstuffed plus perhaps some feeling of participation in the "Reapercon experience"). At the price you post, it either makes sense for me to buy your product or not.

 

There is some price at which it would make economic sense for you to provide an unlimited number of swag bags (though perhaps limited in time); this price might mean kickbacks to partners. There is another (presumably lower) price at which it would make economic sense for you to sell the leftovers.

 

There is some price at which it would make economic sense for me to buy a swag bag.

 

If those prices are compatible, I'll buy. If not, not. In neither case will I be offended. All I ask is for you to provide enough information for me to make a rational decision, and it sounds as if that's your plan for next year.

 

So, yay!  

[hungerfan]

I would love a Gen Con swag bag because I have never been and never will but it would be cool to have goodies from it.  How do I get one?

 

Wondering if Reaper wishes they had just said "Sorry, no bags this year if you are not attending."

 

Hearing the tonguelashing they got from some "fans" makes me understand some of the mood about swag bags during the con.  They still did great and took care of issues during the con with a smile and as quickly as possible.

[Heisler]

I would love a Gen Con swag bag because I have never been and never will but it would be cool to have goodies from it.  How do I get one?

 

Wondering if Reaper wishes they had just said "Sorry, no bags this year if you are not attending."

 

Hearing the tonguelashing they got from some "fans" makes me understand some of the mood about swag bags during the con.  They still did great and took care of issues during the con with a smile and as quickly as possible.

 

The only way to get a Gencon Swag bag is to go to Gencon. Maybe someone can pick up an extra for you, but I imagine they keep a pretty tight reign on their Swag bags.

[vutpakdi]

 

I would love a Gen Con swag bag because I have never been and never will but it would be cool to have goodies from it.  How do I get one?

 

Wondering if Reaper wishes they had just said "Sorry, no bags this year if you are not attending."

 

Hearing the tonguelashing they got from some "fans" makes me understand some of the mood about swag bags during the con.  They still did great and took care of issues during the con with a smile and as quickly as possible.

 

The only way to get a Gencon Swag bag is to go to Gencon. Maybe someone can pick up an extra for you, but I imagine they keep a pretty tight reign on their Swag bags.

 

 

From what I remember, for GenCon swag bags, you have to turn your badge over to be marked (or there was a ticket last year)?  In any case, one per attendee.  And, for the most part, the swag bag is really not worth much, IMHO.  Sometimes, there have been a small starter version of a game or a box for CCG cards.  Or a "limited edition" d6.  But, really, I usually just throw almost everything away almost every time.

 

Ron

 

PS:  The "VIG" swag bags have games and such, but you're paying a hefty amount for those "free" games.

Edited May 1, 2014 by vutpakdi

[SamuraiJack]

Whosyercon has swag bags but since the convention is free and non-profit, the swag bag is only given out if you buy a 'sponsoring' membership to the convention for $25.. it contains about $50 of donated stuff from various game companies.. its the only swag bag other than Reapercon I've ever thought was worth my time to get..  

[DixonGrfx]

 

 

I would love a Gen Con swag bag because I have never been and never will but it would be cool to have goodies from it.  How do I get one?

 

Wondering if Reaper wishes they had just said "Sorry, no bags this year if you are not attending."

 

Hearing the tonguelashing they got from some "fans" makes me understand some of the mood about swag bags during the con.  They still did great and took care of issues during the con with a smile and as quickly as possible.

 

The only way to get a Gencon Swag bag is to go to Gencon. Maybe someone can pick up an extra for you, but I imagine they keep a pretty tight reign on their Swag bags.

 

 

From what I remember, for GenCon swag bags, you have to turn your badge over to be marked (or there was a ticket last year)?  In any case, one per attendee.  And, for the most part, the swag bag is really not worth much, IMHO.  Sometimes, there have been a small starter version of a game or a box for CCG cards.  Or a "limited edition" d6.  But, really, I usually just throw almost everything away almost every time.

 

Ron

 

PS:  The "VIG" swag bags have games and such, but you're paying a hefty amount for those "free" games.

 

 

 

Yeah, this has been my experience with every convention that I have ever been to. Especially a convention geared towards fans and consumers. There have been two or three work related conventions where the swag bag was decent, but it was always things like pens, pads, a one or two gig flashdrive, and assorted nick nack crap that I end up throwing away. It's part of what makes ReaperCon so different and why EVERYONE wants to be involved in some way. Yeah. Hands down the coolest and most value laden swag bag I have ever had the privilege of taking home. THANK YOU REAPER AND VENDORS!!! As if everything else ReaperCon has to offer isn't incentive enough to come, here is this amazing bag of goodies for you if you make the trek to be there. Limited availability is part of the appeal.  :P   Some of the fans lamented that they couldn't get their hands on the banquet swag, but they got over it in time. 

 

But, if your going to invite other to share in the goodies for a price, then (like ReaperBryan noted earlier) clear comunication is paramount. The rules need to be clear to avoid hurt feelings.

[FaekiasDracon]

As I see it, since you're offering a "box" for a price, you're selling a product, not doing a favor. And given the costs (monetary and employee satisfaction, partner participation coordination, whatever) of producing the product and the benefits (money and customer goodwill) of selling the product, it either makes sense to make them available or not.

 

Similarly, as a consumer, there's a cost associated with acquiring the product (money, the effort of tracking availability, and possibly a feeling of obligation, if I thought you were doing me a favor) and a benefit (more stuff for the overstuffed plus perhaps some feeling of participation in the "Reapercon experience"). At the price you post, it either makes sense for me to buy your product or not.

 

There is some price at which it would make economic sense for you to provide an unlimited number of swag bags (though perhaps limited in time); this price might mean kickbacks to partners. There is another (presumably lower) price at which it would make economic sense for you to sell the leftovers.

 

There is some price at which it would make economic sense for me to buy a swag bag.

 

If those prices are compatible, I'll buy. If not, not. In neither case will I be offended. All I ask is for you to provide enough information for me to make a rational decision, and it sounds as if that's your plan for next year.

 

So, yay!  

This ^^ very much so.  I got one because it made sense economically and from a love/support of the company standpoint.

 

I just got it in the mail and have to say that I am extremely pleased with the contents and noticed the card game retails for half the price of the bag, not to mention the Sophie, mouseling, paints, bases and all other items.  I will order one next year if they are available and I'm not at the convention (Planning to go, but life gets in the way sometimes, especially when you work retail.)

[skippen]

Got mine in the mail yesterday.  Nice.

[Mr Melons]

Dragoncon's bag is pretty much just advertisements, a schedule, and a program with an in depth schedule and tons of info. Oh and in a plastic bag to boot! I haven't ever seen so much thought and love go into a bag than at any other con I've attended, the way that Reaper does theirs. Most cons will also run out of them and when they do it's a shrug and a sorry.

[SamuraiJack]

I could honestly be happy with a boxed set of the limited edition paints and a casketworks.. 

[Brother Jim]

I didn't have enough monies available for a swag bag this year, but I just got my 2 RC14 Sophies (and 2 shiverspike crossbows) in the mail.

 

Thanks Reaper!! !! 11 !!

 

I like the Lesser and Greater Swag bags idea. Feel free to change those names when you come up with something cooler.

 

Greater Swag Bags have all the cool stuff from both Reaper and all the other companies cool stuff, but cost more and are of limited availability. Basically like all the previous years swag bags.

Lesser Swag Bags have only Reaper specific stuff, but cost less and might not have limited availability.

 

Or, instead of the Lesser Swag Bag just put all the Reaper made stuff in the Online Store during the Con. I know for a fact if I would have been able to buy the RC14 Warlord mini I would have.

[Argentee]

And I need my mousing fix! Sell the convention mouslings and paint and I will be a happy camper. I managed to get a swag bag this year on the second round. Don't get me wrong, buying swag bags is great. I love all the stuff. But if charging me a la carte for mousling, Sophie, and con paints is better for Reaper, then so be it.

 

But I neeeeeed more mouslings.

 

Precious, Precious mouslings.

[Darsc Zacal]

I think it was the surprise of just how limited the bags were that caught most folks off guard. Especially as there had been several discussions on the forums about how much folks were looking forward to and appreciative of Reapers willingness to ship them out to those who couldn't attend.

 

If Reaper's decides to end the Swagbag mail outs, and I said if, then that's certainly understandable. However I'd like to point out a couple of things about my own experience with Reapers online promotional offers.

 

For many years I bought Reaper minis solely through local stores. From time to time I'd go to Reapers Website but back then the forums were pretty quiet, nothing like the social hive they are now, and the topics seemed pretty dry and most of the conversations seemed to be between people who knew each other already. There'd be threads about Reapercon but that was something very far away that I had no connection with other than I had some of that companies minis.

 

Then one year I noticed that Reaper was offering an online store only Halloween special of some minis and I believe exclusive or free paint.(and candy in a bag as I recall). Well my curiousity was piqued and I was so pleased with what I received that I started to pay more attention to the website for more such offers, like the Days of Christmas offers which soon followed.

 

Now I was starting to scour the Reaper online store for minis that my local stores didn't carry and begun place orders directly from Reaper. One day a notice went up that Swagbags from Reapercon were going to made available with registration preorders online and would be mailed out to those who couldn't attend. There was a bit of talk on the forums about how excited some people were about this so I figured, what the hey, I'll give it a shot and put in an order.

 

Once I received that bag, bingo, the connection to Reaper and the people on the forums that had been missing upto now was established. Even though I hadn't been there I had a better understanding of what it was about. I could look through the schedule of events, I had my very own brand new issue of Casketworks and no longer had to browse through a stores old copy that was several years out of date. Plus I had some fun new minis, paint, and well, swag. The same swag that others on the forum had.

 

Now I could identify with the folks in the online forums a bit more. While we obviously all owned Reaper minis, they weren't usually the same minis, but now a bunch of us owned this Swagbag and that commonality made many of the threads about its contents and Reapercon much more interesting to me. So I became a regular lurker on the forums as well as a regular customer in the online store.

 

Eventually I joined the forums and started posting and taking part in the conversations and the following year the Bones kickstarter came along and this place exploded. So many of us now owned the same minis and everybody wanted to share their excitement over them.

 

My long winded point being. Reaper should not dismiss the importance of making special offers, like the seasonal promotions or the Reapercon exclusives and Swagbag, available through their online store. Over the years I've spent a lot more on Reaper products than the cost to Reaper of those early swagbags and other promotions. They've certainly got their investment back out of me.

 

Now I know that kickstarter has taken Reapers profile and raised it to the next level and beyond, and has accomplished much of what those previous promotions had accomplished but on a much wider scale. Maybe now Reaper feels that the high level of interest they've experienced in their products and on their forums has become self sustaining, I don't know.

But I will say that any commonality that people have, will usually make that bond of community stronger.

 

And I would hate to see any of that commonality taken away.

 

Done now.

(Possibly my longest post ever)

Edited May 2, 2014 by Darsc Zacal

[Dontfear]

I would take the anger as a compliment.  They want what you are selling so bad that they get pissed when you don't sell it to them.  That is a pretty awesome product.