Tuesday, May 2, 2017

WarmaHordes: An EBay Buyers' Guide

In August 2015, I started playing Warmachine. I got the majority of my Cygnar models from EBay. Some people like to do this because you can get models already assembled and painted. Personally, I do it because you stand the chance to save a ton of money. I wasn't one of the guys who could drop $500 right off the bat to buy a full army. I started with my Stryker1 Cygnar battlebox, then within the next month or two bought the Black 13th, a Gun Mage Captain Adept, Long Gunners, and Arcane Tempest Gun Mages from EBay. I acquired models gradually, one or two per month.

All things being equal, I can see wanting to support Privateer Press. When prices are equal and models are disassembled, I'll buy models through a retailer like DiscountGamesInc or even Amazon. When possible, I've bought things at the friendly local game store. But for already-assembled dirt cheap models, there's nothing like EBay. Here are some tips to get the things you want dirt cheap.




Be patient


Figure out the things you want, learn how to set an alert on EBay, then sit back and wait. Let's say you're looking for a unit of sword knights. Search for sword knights, find the lowest price, then filter the results to that price or less and set a watch on that search. You'll receive alerts from time to time. When you find one that's too good to resist, go for it. This is how I got my sword knight booster pack for five dollars. You probably won't be able to do this with the more popular models. I can't imagine finding an incredible deal on storm lances or a hellmouth. I also like to look for auctions that don't use a stock photo.


But check out this auction I just dug up. Seven hours left, and no bids. Including shipping, we're talking less than twelve dollars for a magnetized warjack. You'd pay more than that for the brand new kit, and magnetizing a model isn't a trivial process, especially if you've never done it before. Plus, this one is nicely based, even if you would want to get some more paint on it. This is a great deal, and I found it in less than five minutes because I wasn't looking for any specific model or even a specific faction.

Look for lots


You can often find great deals by using the "lot" or "army" keywords when you search. The more specific your needs are, the less likely you are to be able to get a real deal here, and again - you may have to wait for a few months before you find that great deal. But they're there. At least once, I bought a lot including 3-4 warjacks and 2-3 solos for something like $50, and sold back two of the models to recoup almost half of what I'd paid. None of them were painted, and most of them required assembly, but that's what you'd get if you bought them new anyway.

Focus on keywords


I like to search for "warmachine used" or sometimes only "warmachine" or only "cygnar". People list things many times without any of the proper keywords, and then people can't find them to even bid. Since nobody else is bidding, you'll get a good deal. Many times people don't know the name of the warjack they're selling, so if that's a cyclone, you won't find it by searching on "cyclone". Neither will anyone else. Try using a number of different searches.

Settle for Less



If you enjoy the hobby aspect of Warmachine, as I do, you can buy crappy, broken, or messed-up models and return them to good condition. I bought a Alain Runewood model with a broken helmet
and snapped leg, and returned him to good condition using green stuff. I also bought a minuteman and squire that had paint and some kind of slime lacquer gobbed onto them so liberally that they looked kind of hideous. I used them on the table a couple times before fixing them up and nicknamed them moldy and slimy. But after soaking them in Murphy's Oil Soap for 2-3 weeks and attacking the slime with an old toothbrush (more than once) I got all that crap off and had them down to bare metal. I rinsed, re-glued, re-primed, and re-painted them. They look pretty good now. I also recently got a deal on an Ol'Rowdy that was painted red and pale green for some reason. Who'd want to buy a red-and-green Cygnar model? I did. I repainted it, and it's fine now. You'd never know.

Hopefully, you get something from that advice. Happy hunting!

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